Harman P61a not keeping room temperature as set on the stove temperature dial?

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Don2222

Minister of Fire
Feb 1, 2010
9,110
Salem NH
Hello

The old P61a just did not seemed to be regular. LOL I mean regulating! LOL

I upgraded the control board to the new dip switch control board. The newer algorythms in the firmware certainly helped. However it still did not seem all better!

Then I upgraded the old gray room probe to the new black room probe and Bingo! The temp on the dial and the room thermometer are spot on!

Has anyone seen this issue?

Pic1 - Old gray and new black room probe
Pic2 - New black room probe
 

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Hello

Well the upgraded room probe and new dip switch circuit board makes the stove ramp up and down much better.

My next question
What events trigger a complete stove shut down in auto mode?


See board pics
New dip switch circuit board is on the left in both pics below.
 

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My next question
What events trigger a complete stove shut down in auto mode?
You're the pellet stove master....you tell us....
 
You're the pellet stove master....you tell us....

I am not a Harman Dealer and I just got a Harman this year so I was hoping someone would know the answer?

Have you seen your P61a shut down in Auto? If so was it real warm outside?
 
I am not a Harman Dealer and I just got a Harman this year so I was hoping someone would know the answer?

Have you seen your P61a shut down in Auto? If so was it real warm outside?
Yes my P61A shuts down in Auto/RT mode...it's supposed to...when the room temp is satisfied, it shuts down.
 
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I am not a Harman Dealer and I just got a Harman this year so I was hoping someone would know the answer?

Have you seen your P61a shut down in Auto? If so was it real warm outside?
007 is correct. Are you wondering if there's something possibly wrong with your stove?

....I'm a bit confused.
 
007 is correct. Are you wondering if there's something possibly wrong with your stove?

....I'm a bit confused.

Hello

There certainly could be something wrong with this old stove, it is not shutting down.
With a new room probe and new control board not sure what else can be checked. Any ideas?
 
Stove shuts down in auto/room temp. But she always comes back on when it's chilly.
 
What your room thermometer shows and what the temp setting on the stove is, are somewhat irrelevant. The sensor location is key, and by key, I don't mean getting the temp setting on the stove to match your thermometer. It is possible, but pretty much completely unnecessary. What your goal is, is to have that sensor in an area away from known cold areas, especially ones that can fluctuate, such as near a window. You want it far enough away from the stove to get a good reading on the temp of the room you're heating. You might want 70 so you set the knob at 70 and end up with 67 or 74 for a room temp. As long as you don't move the sensor, just set your stove higher or lower til you get the desired result. The stove doesn't care. Now, if you plug a DDM in and you KNOW the room is 70+-, and it shows the probe is reading 57 or 86 or something, you know there's a problem with the sensor.

IIRC, an improperly set dip switch can cause the combustion blower to run continuously after shutdown, but you said you had that set properly...I think. Did you give the stove PLENTY of time to cool down before expecting the combustion blower to stop? Sometimes it takes a loooong time, well over an hour depending on how hard it was running before shutting down....which should have been an idle if it's in auto. Also, you may notice it'll feed a bit after it decides to shut down. You may only notice this occurring if you actually turn the knob to "off".

By "not shutting down" do you mean it keeps burning and overheating the room significantly?... or as I said above, the combustion blower seems to keep running.
 
just for fun, start the stove, get a good fire going, and put the probe somewhere markedly warmer than the room temp setting....see if it shuts down
 
Stove temp is not room temp (probe). I am confused by the original post. It will not shut down in stove temp unless it runs out of pellets. Room temp shuts down when the temp at the probe end is met, or when it runs out of pellets. Move the probe to a hotter and cooler locale, and note it's (stoves) reaction ie. if it reduces or gains in intensity of burn.
 
just for fun, start the stove, get a good fire going, and put the probe somewhere markedly warmer than the room temp setting....see if it shuts down

I just did the opposite. Turned the Temp dial from 80 to a notch under 75. The room wall Thermometer read 80 and the stove shutdown! Then I opened the garage door and the stove started to fire up!

Does 6 degrees difference between the room temp and the dial setting trigger a shutdown?
There must be some criteria here?

 

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P38X2s comment is correct. The room temp probe is an approximate sensor. It may or may not match your room thermometer. My P43 is running in room temp mode set at 65 degrees. That's the setting that brings my room thermometer to 72 degrees. The stove cycles on and off as needed to keep the temperature right at 72. The dial on the control board is more for a reference when setting not an exact reading.
Ron
 
P38X2s comment is correct. The room temp probe is an approximate sensor. It may or may not match your room thermometer. My P43 is running in room temp mode set at 65 degrees. That's the setting that brings my room thermometer to 72 degrees. The stove cycles on and off as needed to keep the temperature right at 72. The dial on the control board is more for a reference when setting not an exact reading.
Ron
Exactly...the stove dial isn't anywhere near as accurate as a stat would be. I have at least a 5 degree difference in mine. Just compensate for it......
 
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