Harman Accentra TC Creosote

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J

jrex

Member
Feb 14, 2006
57
Northeast PA
Another issue with my stove but I am sure it is user error. I was getting an error on the touch screen about an exhaust error but since I probably only burned around 500 pounds on this new stove I just reset it a few times. I have been getting unburned or burning pellets in the pot so I backed the pre set feed rate of 75% from the factory down to 50% and then to 30%. The stove seemed to run fine when it would call for heat but as it approached the temp set point I would see quite a bit of smoke and it would still push burning pellets into the pan. A few times I would shut it down before bed and would wake up and the combustion fan would still be running. I assume because the stove was still a little warm and some smoldering pellets in the pan. I have scraped the pot about once a week but I don't run the stove that much. Not 24/7 maybe 5 hours every night or every other longer on weekends.

Anyway I decided I need to do a more through cleaning last night. Well the stove is coated with shiny black "gunk". I did see it when I scraped the pot but it was when I tried removing the cover behind the ash pan and the cover for the exhaust fan that I realized the ramifications. I ended up having to use a long screw driver and pry both covers off as they were glued in. Most of the creosote I can scrape off except what is behind the fan. Almost want to try hitting it with a propane torch and see if it will melt a little so I can clean it up better. I will try and post a pic later.

I have a 4" SS liner to the top about 17'. I installed the stove myself but not sure what settings I need to make to correct the issue. I think what happened was when I lowered the feed rate it is tied to the exhaust RPMs and that made the issues worse. I think you can go in and manually turn the exhaust fan higher which should help. Pellets are Hamers Hot Ones and I have a ton of Lignetics I will try next.

Any other ideas on how to remove the creasote? The parts that can be scraped come off easy enough.

If I get burning pellets in the ash pan I assume I need to turn the feed rate down correct? Its what I do with my stoker coal stove but the combustion fan on that is fixed. Not sure that is the case with the Harman. Unless once the build up happened the fan RPMs starting going lower. I will have to run in test mode once I get it back together to verify if it runs on max RPM.
 
Here is what it looks like. Can't really clean behind the fan blades but will brush through the exhaust.
Pellet Stove Cleaning.jpg
 
jrex said:
Another issue with my stove but I am sure it is user error. I was getting an error on the touch screen about an exhaust error but since I probably only burned around 500 pounds on this new stove I just reset it a few times. I have been getting unburned or burning pellets in the pot so I backed the pre set feed rate of 75% from the factory down to 50% and then to 30%. The stove seemed to run fine when it would call for heat but as it approached the temp set point I would see quite a bit of smoke and it would still push burning pellets into the pan. A few times I would shut it down before bed and would wake up and the combustion fan would still be running. I assume because the stove was still a little warm and some smoldering pellets in the pan. I have scraped the pot about once a week but I don't run the stove that much. Not 24/7 maybe 5 hours every night or every other longer on weekends.

Anyway I decided I need to do a more through cleaning last night. Well the stove is coated with shiny black "gunk". I did see it when I scraped the pot but it was when I tried removing the cover behind the ash pan and the cover for the exhaust fan that I realized the ramifications. I ended up having to use a long screw driver and pry both covers off as they were glued in. Most of the creosote I can scrape off except what is behind the fan. Almost want to try hitting it with a propane torch and see if it will melt a little so I can clean it up better. I will try and post a pic later.

I have a 4" SS liner to the top about 17'. I installed the stove myself but not sure what settings I need to make to correct the issue. I think what happened was when I lowered the feed rate it is tied to the exhaust RPMs and that made the issues worse. I think you can go in and manually turn the exhaust fan higher which should help. Pellets are Hamers Hot Ones and I have a ton of Lignetics I will try next.

Any other ideas on how to remove the creasote? The parts that can be scraped come off easy enough.

If I get burning pellets in the ash pan I assume I need to turn the feed rate down correct? Its what I do with my stoker coal stove but the combustion fan on that is fixed. Not sure that is the case with the Harman. Unless once the build up happened the fan RPMs starting going lower. I will have to run in test mode once I get it back together to verify if it runs on max RPM.
Click to expand...


Yikes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's looking like a chimney fire just waiting to happen when you go to a higher burn rate and I'm saying that as a guy who recently had a chimney fire with a Harman P43 vented via an ~ 20 foot 4" stainless chimney liner. It really gets your attention when your thin stainless liner begins to flow orange and your cabin mate says " do you smell something hot". Post fire I deep cleaned the 3" path from the stove to T and brushed the daylights out of the length of the 4" chimney liner. The fire had probably consumed a good portion of their deposits but I still captured a good 2 cups of dry flaky material. My problem was caused by a very long period of extremely restricted burns done during ~ 30*F weather. I was not getting the unit hot enough to burn off the creosoting vapors or at least carry them beyond the vent system before they condensed.

Clean that baby out!

Hugh
 
Something is not right. My stove doesn't have anywhere near that kind of creosote buildup after 10 years of burning. I'd first suspect the kind of pellets you're burning. Then I'd make sure that there is good airway in (an OAK may help) and out.
 
Read your other posts,seems your insert has not been running right since you installed it.I would suspect the obvious first,a blockage in the OAK,possibly even inside the stove,a blockage in your chimney liner,or cap.If they are fine,I recommend you call a certified technician to come in and check stove and install.You can use the search box above and find all kinds of info about cleaning creosote.
 
Check your air inlet flapper. I have seen them stuck closed. It will create this mess. It is on the left rear of the stove where you hook fresh air up if ran it. When the flapper sticks, comb fan produce vac but min air flow and you burn rich. Same as if you mowed the whole yard with the choke on:)
 
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I don’t have the oak pipe hooked up now. I do have the oak adapter hooked to the back of the stove just don’t have the oak pipe hooked up to the insert cage. Should be pulling room air.

Going to pull the insert out today and clean the ss liner.

No tee it’s a 17’ straight shot up the chimney.

Need to run out and buy a 4” brush.
 
check the flapper on the backside of the stove. When the fresh air tube was hooked up it may have jammed flapper. or was there a gasket that was suppose to be cut out? I would bet your problem is on the air inlet side as opposed to the exhaust side. It is was that restricted on the exhaust side the vac switch would not set
 
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I cleaned the exhaust pipe today but nothing came out although in the bottom of the inlet attached to the insert cage it was fill with black liquid creosote. So none went up the SS liner.

I scraped the inside of the stove as best as I could. Lots of it below the exhaust fan housing on the right side.

Since I was not using the OAK I removed the OAK kit and installed the little flapper that came on the stove which was removed when I put the OAK kit on. That flapper seems to be working properly. The OAK kit flapper is kept closed with a magnet a little bigger than a quarter. The magnet is not permanently mounted. Looks like the magnet keeps the flapper closed and then the force of the fan over comes the magnet and opens the flapper. I wonder how critical the magnet location is.

What is the small maybe 1/8 hose with a cap on the left side of the stove? It is near the power plug and latch that locks the insert in.

I didn't try firing up the stove yet. With all the commotion with Christmas didn't want to have to call the fire company. Although I am not worried about the chimney since it seems clean as new.

Thanks for all of the help.
 
Without a picture,I can only assume the cap on the hose is for setting the combustion blower draft setting,as in your install manual.As you have everything as clean as can be,until a good hot burn out,would be a good time to have a "real" stove technician come in,and fire it up,spend some hours there checking things.Yes,it is expensive,but,your stove/insert has never been proper.The stove itself is probably at fault,but,as you did a self install,you will have to pay.As it is a "TC" stove,there is not many here can help you,but a dealer can plug in a PC/laptop and see if there is a board/programming error.It happens.AS you are in a high population area,should only cost you 300-500 dollars.
 
The hose with a cap is your test port for checking draft.
 
What kind of pellets are you burning? Brand and type
 
Hamers Hot Ones. I also have a ton of Lignetics which I will load tomorrow.

The SS liner is clean so I probably will give it a try. I just plugged the unit back in and reset to the factory default settings. Going to try a firmware up date.

If I have issues I will call the dealer to come and inspect the stove. I did just try the test panel on the TC and everything seems to be working.

Only issue I can think of is if the OAK flapper was not working properly.
 
Post a video of the stove burning if you can. I just learned on here how to post a video to you tube and then link it to your post. It is pretty easy
 
Looks like the problem is resolved. I ran it most of Xmas day and its running now probably have 12 hours on it. I think the issue was lack of air through the OAK adapter. I removed it and just using the standard flapper that came with the stove now. No lazy flame not even when shutting down as it reaches set point temp. No pushing off unburned pellets into the hopper. Very little to zero smoke except at ignition.

Look like standard flapper has little to no resistance on the flapper door where the OAK flapper has a large magnet keeping it closed. I think when the stove was running low it couldn't offset the flapper resistance. I did hear this metal popping sound prior to me cleaning the stove. Never could figure it out. I thought maybe it was the SS liner expanding but now think it was the flapper closing and opening.
 
Here is the flame on low since temp just reached 2 degrees above set point. Feed motor is off. As you can see flame is not close to pushing off the grate. I will try and post another just as it fires back up and flame is on high. These are Lignetic pellets.
stove on low.jpg
 
Looks good,stay warm. Your OAK has a magnet on a flapper?Sounds more like a dryer vent.What make/model is it?Picture?Anyway,glad you are up and running.
 
I will get a pic of it but it is a factory Harman OAK got it from my dealer. You take out the standard flapper and this mounts there and connects to the insert cage much like the outlet for the SS liner for flue.
 
Pictures of the OAK. Basically square tubing that goes from inlet at stove to cage that holds the insert. At the cage there is a gasket. The inlet side has a flapper with a magnet. Not sure where the magnet should be positioned.
flapper with magnet.jpg
OAK1.jpg
gasket against insert cage.jpg
OAK instructions.jpg
 
I hate to say it,that magnet looks just like magnets used to hold things on heavy stuff,papers on the side of a file cabinet,etc,I have one here somewhere,probably on the side of my too box.I wonder if you are not the recipicant of a practical joke?
 
bob bare said:
I see no need for that magnet.I can check with a Harman tech,might take a few days,will let you know.
Click to expand...
Thanks for checking. I picked it up at my dealer. I can't remember if the box was shut or not. If it was open maybe a prank for another co worker. But that is how I received it.
 
Yeah the magnet was 10000% of your problem. Vac switch will not close if you had that bad of a restriction on exhaust side. But if you block intake you have all kinds of vacuum! And stove tries to run and makes a huge mess!
 
jrex said:
Thanks for checking. I picked it up at my dealer. I can't remember if the box was shut or not. If it was open maybe a prank for another co worker. But that is how I received it.
Click to expand...
That magnet does not belong there,at all.That is from my Harman tech.,friend,and he has been doing it for a very long time.
 
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