52I Ignitor timed out

[NHcpa]

There have been discussions recently as to how much time it takes for pellets to ignite upon start up. The other day I timed it and it was 8 mins. Today, scorched a few pellets, light was on for ignitor, but no burn. The stove actually cycled out and shut off - no fire. To back up a bit, I clean the burnpot almost daily. Scrape and fine brass wire brush the metal. What I don't do is take off the ignitor door and do the finger pull out trick for ash except maybe once a week or more. I am now thinking that my aggressive burnpot cleaning is sending chit through the holes and on to the ignitor. Hence, I should clean the ignitor more frequently. Either that or my ignitor is on it's way out...and it's not that old.

 

[Peterfield]

There have been discussions recently as to how much time it takes for pellets to ignite upon start up. The other day I timed it and it was 8 mins. Today, scorched a few pellets, light was on for ignitor, but no burn. The stove actually cycled out and shut off - no fire. To back up a bit, I clean the burnpot almost daily. Scrape and fine brass wire brush the metal. What I don't do is take off the ignitor door and do the finger pull out trick for ash except maybe once a week or more. I am now thinking that my aggressive burnpot cleaning is sending chit through the holes and on to the ignitor. Hence, I should clean the ignitor more frequently. Either that or my ignitor is on it's way out...and it's not that old.

I read another post where users hit the ignitor with compressed air and it helps. Worth a try.

 

[alternativeheat]

There have been discussions recently as to how much time it takes for pellets to ignite upon start up. The other day I timed it and it was 8 mins. Today, scorched a few pellets, light was on for ignitor, but no burn. The stove actually cycled out and shut off - no fire. To back up a bit, I clean the burnpot almost daily. Scrape and fine brass wire brush the metal. What I don't do is take off the ignitor door and do the finger pull out trick for ash except maybe once a week or more. I am now thinking that my aggressive burnpot cleaning is sending chit through the holes and on to the ignitor. Hence, I should clean the ignitor more frequently. Either that or my ignitor is on it's way out...and it's not that old.

I just bang ( tap on it , don't murder it !) on the burn pot with the Harman tool after a scrape. Theory is it shakes the ash off the igniter. Never had an issue, not yet anyway.. You have to shut the stove down to clean out under the burn pot, my scrapings don't require a shut down.

 

[bags]

I am now thinking that my aggressive burnpot cleaning is sending chit through the holes and on to the ignitor.

I think you might be thinking correctly. It's amazing how much little fine, gritty, sand like junk gets in there. I think you are adding to that IMO. I would clean out under the burn pot again and clean the igniter. I would bet that your igniter is good. It is restricted and not able to heat the pellets to start the fire. It likely scorched what little it was able to get at. The light being on for the igniter and the beginning to burn is telling you something. I've never read, seen, nor heard of a Harman this new of an igniter going south. Defective parts are made but unlikely. If it was defective I think you would have been experiencing problems much sooner.

 

[alternativeheat]

I think you might be thinking correctly. It's amazing how much little fine, gritty, sand like junk gets in there. I think you are adding to that IMO. I would clean out under the burn pot again and clean the igniter. I would bet that your igniter is good.

The stuff is going to get in there anyway. I clean that compartment out every two weeks. I scrape the pot at least twice a day and just tap on it, with the stove running.. The igniter is never packed in crud. You guys need to bang on that sucker a little bit now and then is all ( not the igniter but the burn pot above it), it's right in the Harman videos to do this..

 

[bags]

The stuff is going to get in there anyway. I clean that compartment out every two weeks. I scrape the pot at least twice a day and just tap on it, with the stove running.. The igniter is never packed in crud. You guys need to bang on that sucker a little bit now and then is all ( not the igniter but the burn pot above it), it's right in the Harman videos to do this..

Agreed stuff is going in there no matter what. The point was that most don't go to the extent of wire brushing in between the monthly cleanings. When I do mine more stuff lands in the igniter area that has to be pulled out. A lot more even as I am brushing and vac'ing it out from above. I think the OP realized he could be creating a problem by being overly caring with his maintenance and has thus clogged his igniter. The banging knocks stuff loose that would otherwise accumulate. The wire brushing sends more down as well.

X 2 with ya Alternative, Give that baby a cha-ching and a ringle dingling. Play some burn pot music. I think he realized the entire orchestra wasn't needed though.

 

[Randy Fischer]

The stuff is going to get in there anyway. I clean that compartment out every two weeks. I scrape the pot at least twice a day and just tap on it, with the stove running.. The igniter is never packed in crud. You guys need to bang on that sucker a little bit now and then is all ( not the igniter but the burn pot above it), it's right in the Harman videos to do this..

As long as we are talking igniters here, anyone share how it actually works? New 52i here and have not had a reason to have mine out yet. Seen pictures of one with 15 fins. Guessing just glows red and super heated air ignites pellets? BTW, mine ignites on average about 3-4 minutes.

 

[bags]

Mine also ignites in a short time of a few minutes. I have never put it to a stop watch test but it's not the 8 min. stated by the OP which tells me it is clogged up a bit.

I did time my PC45 on pellets and it is a 5 minute to fire time. They are somewhat slower and older technology. I thought I was experiencing maybe an igniter problem compared to my P68 but that was kicked out with the help of other 45 owners here. They just respond slower all the way around vs. the newer Harmans.

Hope the OP gets it figured out and reports the findings and solution. My dealer said many calls he goes to are this exact problem of the igniter and igniter box clogged not allowing it to do its job. He made it clear that if that is what it is then he has to charge a service call because it falls under cleaning and not warranty work. I'll work on my own but if there is a part that goes he will get the call. I paid for my free fixes.

 

[NHcpa]

Well, yesterday did a simple scrape of the burn pot and finger cleaned the ignitor and start to spark was 8 mins. Today, scraped, vacuumed, and shot compressed air into ignitor area. Blew out lots of fine crap but I wouldn't call it excessive. Was 15 mins from start to spark. Something is weird. I'll continue to monitor and will call dealer if lag times continue.

 

[F4jock]

Well, yesterday did a simple scrape of the burn pot and finger cleaned the ignitor and start to spark was 8 mins. Today, scraped, vacuumed, and shot compressed air into ignitor area. Blew out lots of fine crap but I wouldn't call it excessive. Was 15 mins from start to spark. Something is weird. I'll continue to monitor and will call dealer if lag times continue.

Is your pellet build consistent start-to-start? Thickness? Ash content if you didn't clean the firepot? Is it over the ignighter?

 

[NHcpa]

I just read the manual (gosh I hate doing that, feel defeated) and the manual states I should run at test mode to replenish the burnpot once cleaned and void of all pellets. At this point, I should start my count. My manual also indicates I have a 2yr warranty on the ignitor so I'm not going to get too excited except for knowing something isn't right at the moment. I never tracked the timing before of start to spark with the ignitor, but know it is taking longer. It's up and running and burning fine as I write. So too is the Jotul.

 

[fire451]

from day one my 52 I has taken approximately 8 minutes each time it lights. it can vary a little each way but the average is 8 minutes. also once a day or every other day I let the fire go out and scrape the bottom of the burn pot with a large bent screwdriver to remove all the large chunks of carbon then use a pick on the little holes, so far so good.

 

[dradam1]

I've found my ignition times are longer after a cleaning. Also, which brand pellets i am burning makes it vary too.

 

[Peterfield]

from day one my 52 I has taken approximately 8 minutes each time it lights. it can vary a little each way but the average is 8 minutes. also once a day or every other day I let the fire go out and scrape the bottom of the burn pot with a large bent screwdriver to remove all the large chunks of carbon then use a pick on the little holes, so far so good.

Same here.

 

[F4jock]

I've found my ignition times are longer after a cleaning. Also, which brand pellets i am burning makes it vary too.

So it's 44f here and I decided to do a quick glass and firepot clean. Been two weeks since last general cleaning. Turned Harman off. Let it cool. Cleaned glass. Knocked ash off exposed heat exchanger plates. Pulled ash off top part of firepot. Opened igniter cavity and swiped ash out with finger. Now comes the sacrilege. As I always do I left the partially burned pellets and the carbon chunks I chiseled off the firepot walls in the bottom of the firepot. Closed it up. Turned it on. 148 seconds from auger start to first flame.

 

[bags]

Been two weeks since last general cleaning

SLACKER! Was that 148 sec. flat? Are you fluffing that a bit and knocking of the .14? No room for fluff here. Just the facts. LOL! Hey there's someone asking about pulling a 52i for a deep clean you can help out. Nobody had replied for awhile so I gave him a bump.

 

[F4jock]

SLACKER! Was that 148 sec. flat? Are you fluffing that a bit and knocking of the .14? No room for fluff here. Just the facts. LOL! Hey there's someone asking about pulling a 52i for a deep clean you can help out. Nobody had replied for awhile so I gave him a bump.

I'll look

 

[NHcpa]

Took out the ignitor today and it looked fine/clean. From start to spark, it's taking longer and longer so suspect I have a dying ignitor. Not that old so little surprised, but chit happens. it's taking 20 mins or more and has timed out twice with the 5 blinks. I will soon be reporting on my dealers service...

 

[F4jock]

Sixty bucks or so.

 

[NHcpa]

Should be under warranty unless your counting the travel $ dealers charge. The other thing I will have to try is changing out the surge protector. Maybe toast and not ramping up on the amps. We have had power outages and other issues.

 

[bogieb]

I have done both the test mode and just a straight start up from a cleaning (I vac out the pot too) and had it vary anywhere from 5 to 8 minutes. I usually just take off the plate and wipe the igniter area out with a paint brush, but sometimes stick the thin vac attachment in there. I never get anal about it though. I do scrape the heck out of the pot while it is burning, and still have no problems with lighting. Of course, mine just turned 1 (in install time), so that could be a factor.

Sounds from your description that you may be right and it is on its way out.

 

[heat seeker]

You could pull the ignitor, and power it up on a non-combustible surface and see if it gets uniformly hot. Ignitors can partially fail and not get hot as designed. That might affect your warranty, though - if the dealer found out.

 

[Don2222]

Well, yesterday did a simple scrape of the burn pot and finger cleaned the ignitor and start to spark was 8 mins. Today, scraped, vacuumed, and shot compressed air into ignitor area. Blew out lots of fine crap but I wouldn't call it excessive. Was 15 mins from start to spark. Something is weird. I'll continue to monitor and will call dealer if lag times continue.

Hello
I found and fixed a factory assembly issue on a new 52i that took more and more time to fire up! somehow on the right edge of the divide in back of the burn pot had a very sharp edge, that goes down the middle of the incoming air tube! When the ignitor was installed at the assembly plant and the wires pulled back to be coiled up, one of those wires was impaled on the sharp edge and slowly shorted out after a few months! had to remove the burn pot and grind down the sharp edge because when I tried to install a new ignitor before doing that one of the new wires was catching on that same sharp edge!

Go idea to check that! Good luck!

 

[NHcpa]

HA! BAD SURGE PROTECTOR!! I swapped it out this morning and started in 5 mins. We have had several ice storms and power outages, so must have done its job, crapped out, yet still gave some juice - but not enough. Feelin good again about my Harman.

 

[Don2222]

HA! BAD SURGE PROTECTOR!! I swapped it out this morning and started in 5 mins. We have had several ice storms and power outages, so must have done its job, crapped out, yet still gave some juice - but not enough. Feelin good again about my Harman.

Good To Know!

What brand surge protector do you have? ? ?