Annoying high pitch squeeling

[caralck]

Several times in the past month since running the stove continuously, our stove makes a very annoying high pitch squealing noise when the auger runs to feed pellets into the fire. It's one thing for that to happen during the daytime but twice it has happened in the middle of the night/early morning. We turn the stove off because it's hard to fall back asleep with that noise. Closing the bedroom door did not seal out that high pitch (hooray for not being deaf?!?). We've been really good at cleaning the stove every 2-3 days (we clear the ash at least once per day from the burn pot area). Before we left for our night out on the town, we turned the stove on, squeal and all, and came home 3 hrs later. So far it seems to be running more quietly than it had before the squeal. Any ideas? Is it just one of those new stove sounds that gets worked out? Or should we have someone from the store come out and look at it even if it stays squeal-free? We're so worried that it will wake us up again tonight. Sleep deprivation does not make us happy people.

It seems that having it set at 70/4 keeps the house at a toasty 72-74 so I'm thinking of turning it down a notch since the warmer temps can make it harder to fall asleep but nice and cozy while we're awake.

 

[lmjr]

Make and Model Please?

 

[caralck]

Harman accentra insert

 

[lmjr]

Any ideas? Is it just one of those new stove sounds that gets worked out? Or should we have someone from the store come out and look at it even if it stays squeal-free?

I would want to "Go on Record" w/ the problem to the dealer. Hope your dealer is a good one...some are not.

You may want to keep log of dates called and whom you spoke to and what their response was. Documentation might help later if things are not going the way you think they should have.

Wish you the Best of Luck!

 

[abrucerd]

Whenever it comes to a high pitched squealing, I recommend picking up some graphite powder. Mix a bunch up with some pellets, and let them run through your auger.

I had the same annoying problem the first year I had my stove, and spent $150 to have a guy come and give everything a thorough cleaning. That helped for a while, but then the sound started back up again. That's when I came here and learned about graphite powder... the best $2.99 solution ever. Whenever my stove makes a hint of a squealing sound, I dump some graphite powder in there... no more noise for weeks. I just bought a 5 lbs. bottle of the stuff... I should be good till the day I die.

Start with the graphite powder... it could just be small fines rubbing while the auger runs. If that doesn't fix the sound, then I'd contact the dealer and ask them to help diagnose the problem.

 

[Fsappo]

I just give my wife the keys to the car and the credit card. the squeeling stops in minutes

 

[marylu]

abrucerd, do you just mix it in and then run/burn the stove with the graphite powder mixed in the pellets? How much would you mix in a 40 lb bag of pellets before loading into the hopper?

 

[Delta-T]

make sure to scrape your burnpot. often the "fingernails on chalkboard" sound is from a carbon mass at the mouth of the burnpot, often disguised as part of the stove.

 

[hossthehermit]

Check for mice in the hopper, if their tails get caught in the auger it can sound just like that.

 

[geek]

I just give my wife the keys to the car and the credit card. the squeeling stops in minutes

.... :lol:

 

[abrucerd]

abrucerd, do you just mix it in and then run/burn the stove with the graphite powder mixed in the pellets? How much would you mix in a 40 lb bag of pellets before loading into the hopper?

You don't need to do the whole bag, only mix a handful of pellets with the powder. Essentially, you want the pellets to act as a carrier for the powder, so that the powder will coat the inside of your auger to help reduce any friction.

I like to grab a small baggie, dump some pellets in, a few puffs of graphite powder and mix it up. The outside of the pellets will turn blackish. Then drop them into the (empty) hopper. Let them feed right in naturally and burn up... no harm to the stove. After the pellets have made their way through, and the graphite powder has coated the inside of the auger, the squealing should stop.

You can do a few "baggies' of pellets for piece of mind... if it hasn't stopped after 2 or 3 bags, I'd probably contact the dealer.

Keep us posted!

 

[ChandlerR]

Maybe it's just the engineer in me but...The auger rides in a tube. It's not supposed to actually touch the tube, right? Could it be that the auger is rubbing the inside of the tube? If so, is there any adjustment on either of the bushings so you could make sure the auger runs exactly in the middle of the tube and not rub on it? How old is the stove? If it's more than a few years old, could the bushings be worn? I wouldn't think you should have to lube the tube the auger rides in...

Chan

 

[marylu]

abrucerd, thanks for the info. I will keep it in mind if it starts to squeal again.

CWR, I do understand what you are saying, but have had the tech here twice. Once last winter and again this week. Both times they re-seated the auger after checking to be sure there were no pieces of carbon that they could see stuck to the auger. This time the tech also bent the front end of the auger a little as he said it appeared to be a little out of whack. Said the heat could have done it? I do know I am careful when I clean the burn pot not to hit the auger. I did notice that it looked like the edge of the auger appear a little worn. Hmmmm...that would be wear from touching/rubbing, maybe? So far since he had the auger out and re-seated it, it has not squealed.

 

[caralck]

oops

 

[caralck]

I'm thinking it's buildup as last night when it squealed again, we just scraped at it a few times and it stopped...until 5 am this morning. Turned the stove off so we could get back to sleep and then this morning just looked at it and saw more buildup. Last time my husband just left it running and squealing while we were out of the house and when we came home 3 hrs later, it wasn't doing it anymore. The graphite powder sounds like a good idea too. The insert was just installed at the end of September so it's brand new. I think we'll ask the dealer what a good way is to clean the auger tube and what they would recommend for the squealing.

as for giving me the credit card, that could be more dangerous than just dealing with the squeal!

 

[Lousyweather]

Maybe it's just the engineer in me but...The auger rides in a tube. It's not supposed to actually touch the tube, right? Could it be that the auger is rubbing the inside of the tube? If so, is there any adjustment on either of the bushings so you could make sure the auger runs exactly in the middle of the tube and not rub on it? How old is the stove? If it's more than a few years old, could the bushings be worn? I wouldn't think you should have to lube the tube the auger rides in...

Chan

youre correct......a loose bushing can throw off the auger, or a worn one, but thats rare.....also, buildup at the end of the auger tube can cock the auger against the tube......squeeks are tough....auger, slide plate, sleeve bearing, gearbox, they can all squeek.

 

[mascoma]

Harman Auger Squeek...
1. Scrape carbon buildup out of burn pot AND out of the end of the auger tube.
2. Clean fines box under hopper in back of stove.
3. Squeek gone.

 

[exoilburner]

In my Harmon pellet burner fines collect around the slide plate. Mine will start squeeling after about every ton burned.

I empty the pellet hopper and vacuum around in the hopper slide plate hole as the slide plate is cycling. This fixes my squeel every time until the next ton is burned.

 

[BDPVT]

As has already been said, scrape out the carbon scale that has accumulated around the end of the auger tube. I found a long screwdiver and a hammer works well to chip off the buildup. I had the same problem after burning some crappy pellets. It went away when I changed to a clean burning pellet. Perhaps the low fire burn you discribed is adding to the problem. After you scrape the auger tube run the fire hot and i bet your problem is solved.

 

[Delta-T]

after scraping the burnpot.....a short dance routine can also be helpful. <snicker snicker>.

 

[Salty]

I'm with Franks. Usually any high pitched squealing comes from the room my wife is in. I got a man filter installed. Click the switch and it drones her out

It's my cheetah vac LOL

 

[caralck]

You do realize that I am the wife in this situation right?!?

Anyway, we asked the folks we bought the stove from what to do and they also recommended vacuuming the hopper so we did. There was an initial squeaking then so far no more squeaking. We were playing rockband last night so who really knows how long it took for the squeak to stop but after 3 hrs of rockband, we heard nothing and thankfully nothing overnight as well. Hate to miss those hours of precious sleep! We have been using the screwdriver and hammer approach to break off the buildup.

Thanks!

 

[Snowy Rivers]

The issue here is that the dust from the pellets is geting in behind part of the lower plate on the auger and it packs in tight, this the squeeling.

Bail the hooper out, suck out the dust and all from the auger, add a liberal dose of Graphite powder (should be available at most hardware stores) add clean pellets and let it go to work.


You may have to do this every so often until things sort of wear in.

We had an Avalon that would do a similar little thing, always when you wanted to sleep ya know.


Good luck and keep us posted

Snowy

 

[Xena]

You do realize that I am the wife in this situation right?!?

Hahahaha, priceless! These guys always ass-ume they are talking to another dude.