Burnt smell from Accentra 52i

[hoverta]

Hi all,

Wondering if someone might be able to offer some insight. I have a Harman Accentra 52i insert. I've been using it for about 3 months now. Last night I did a quick clean on the interior and vacuumed out the inside without removing the heat exchanger plates. I just vacuumed those and left them in place as I had done a more thorough clean just a few days prior.

I then proceeded to start it up and let it go for a while. No issues there. It ran just fine. However, about 5 hours later when it reached room temp ( I was running in manual room temp mode) the distribution motor/blower shut off. And I smelled a burnt smell coming from the unit. I then turned the room temp setting up a little to kick on the distribution blower on again and the smell went away. However, once it reached the room temp setting again it had the same burnt smell again only a bit more faint (I think). I then turned the unit off because I wasn't sure what was going on.

So any ideas?

 

[john193]

Sounds like a small exhaust leak being sucked into the combustion fan, since it just grabs ambient air within the stove cavity.

 

[bags]

Welcome! New unit possibly? If so there will be a burn in and you will experience some smells and stuff like that until over spray and what not is burned off. If that is the case then it IS normal. Sometimes even if you have ran it before this will not be experienced until hotter stove temps are reached thus explaining how it came back and faded away again. Run it hotter and get it over with. IF this is what is going on it will continue once higher temps are met and all is burned off.

 

[hoverta]

Thanks for the replies guys. This unit has been run for about 3 months now. I thought I got rid of all of the smells the first week or burning. I haven't smelled anything since then until this incident. If it is an exhaust leak would there be a connection to the distribution blower fan turning on or off? Because at the moment that is what it seems tied to. When the blower turned off to circulate hot air I believe the unit got hotter and something started to cook. My worry is what would there be to cook since it's already been run pretty hot for several months? I ran it in stove temp for the first few weeks and have been running room temp since then.

Is it possible the esp is dirty? And if so how would that manifest itself into the symptoms I'm seeing. (Just grasping at straws.)

 

[F4jock]

Burnt what? Wood? Insulation? Dinner?

 

[hoverta]

Burnt what? Wood? Insulation? Dinner?

At first I thought I had burnt a moth in a light bulb. That would be the initial type of smell.

 

[F4jock]

At first I thought I had burnt a moth in a light bulb. That would be the initial type of smell.

Damn! Now I gotta go find me a moth in the dead of winter in PA

 

[bags]

Burnt what? Wood? Insulation? Dinner?

X 2. F4 has the same stove so he will be more help than I. If your distribution blower shuts off that is normal if your stove is idling and not burning hot. Running in manual you need to be at least 5 on the temp dial for it to remain on. Or go lower and switch to auto ignite on your toggle and it will run continuously even while set low.

What exactly are you thinking is burning or producing the smells? More details so advice can be directed your way please. My point being before was IF you ran the stove hotter than ever before when experiencing this "burnt smell" you could possibly be burning off more stuff since you are possibly reaching a higher stove temp.

 

[hoverta]

X 2. F4 has the same stove so he will be more help than I. If your distribution blower shuts off that is normal if your stove is idling and not burning hot. Running in manual you need to be at least 5 on the temp dial for it to remain on. Or go lower and switch to auto ignite on your toggle and it will run continuously even while set low.

What exactly are you thinking is burning or producing the smells? More details so advice can be directed your way please. My point being before was IF you ran the stove hotter than ever before when experiencing this "burnt smell" you could possibly be burning off more stuff since you are possibly reaching a higher stove temp.

It smelled like exactly what i wrote something organic burning as if a bug flew into a hot bulb and got burnt. That's what I smelled. Yes, the distribution blower has shut down before in room temp mode without producing the smell before. So that's why I was so puzzled.

Burning Hamer's Hot Ones. I did put my nose up to the insert the 2nd time the distribution blower went off and I could smell the burnt odor coming from the top of the unit.

I hope you are right that it was just run hotter than before. I was asking about the ESP because I was wondering if it was dirty if it might allow the insert to get hotter than before and hence the added smells like you said.

 

[bags]

If it is dirty and caked up with ash residue then the unit will likely cool down (mine did on the top by many degrees when shot with the IR gun) and not throw as much heat because the ash insulates the heat exchangers and insides of the stove. How many pellets / tons have you ran thru it and when is the last time it was cleaned? They start doing strange things when dirty. Dirty ESP's equal erratic behaviors too. Did you clean the ESP? What have you done cleaning wise and when?

In three months I do not feel a "quick" clean is adequate. More like 3 deep cleans should have taken place. How many tons have you burned in these 3 months?

 

[hoverta]

If it is dirty and caked up with ash residue then the unit will likely cool down (mine did on the top by many degrees when shot with the IR gun) and not throw as much heat because the ash insulates the heat exchangers and insides of the stove. How many pellets / tons have you ran thru it and when is the last time it was cleaned? They start doing strange things when dirty. Dirty ESP's equal erratic behaviors too. Did you clean the ESP? What have you done cleaning wise and when?

In three months I do not feel a "quick" clean is adequate. More like 3 deep cleans should have taken place. How many tons have you burned in these 3 months?

I've taken the medallion and two heat exchanger plates out several times already. Probably once every two weeks, if not more often. When I do so I will clean everything inside the unit. I vacuum and brush the heat exchanger, open the combustion pot and vacuum, open the blower fan and vacuum that with a brush attachment, and also vacuum inside the exhaust there. I was told by the dealer to be careful there so I haven't really stuck anything too deep into the exhaust once the blower motor cover has been removed.

I have run just under two tons total and have tried to clean like I said every week or two as described above. I haven't cleaned the ESP as I'm not sure how I'd get the unit out as I only have a 6 inch hearth in front of the unit and the hearth is about 8 inches above the ground. I was also told that I wouldn't need to pull the unit and clean it until after the season.

Thanks.

 

[F4jock]

I had a similar experience when the room fan picked up some dog hair / lint. Puked out a piece and a bit of smoke thru the air grating. First time in seven years but perhaps this is what happened.

 

[F4jock]

I've taken the medallion and two heat exchanger plates out several times already. Probably once every two weeks, if not more often. When I do so I will clean everything inside the unit. I vacuum and brush the heat exchanger, open the combustion pot and vacuum, open the blower fan and vacuum that with a brush attachment, and also vacuum inside the exhaust there. I was told by the dealer to be careful there so I haven't really stuck anything too deep into the exhaust once the blower motor cover has been removed.

I have run just under two tons total and have tried to clean like I said every week or two as described above. I haven't cleaned the ESP as I'm not sure how I'd get the unit out as I only have a 6 inch hearth in front of the unit and the hearth is about 8 inches above the ground. I was also told that I wouldn't need to pull the unit and clean it until after the season.

Thanks.

I pull mine out on a wodden frame. Same set up as you.

 

[hoverta]

I had a similar experience when the room fan picked up some dog hair / lint. Puked out a piece and a bit of smoke thru the air grating. First time in seven years but perhaps this is what happened.

Perhaps since I did wipe off the front of the unit after I opened it. Perhaps some lint from the paper towels I was using fell off and got sucked in. I will give the unit another try tonight since it's going to drop into the teens and see if it happens again.

 

[hoverta]

I pull mine out on a wodden frame. Same set up as you.

How often do you pull the unit out?

 

[F4jock]

How often do you pull the unit out?

Once a year but I learned that by experience. My stove accumulates very little ash or fines anywhere.

 

[hoverta]

Once a year but I learned that by experience. My stove accumulates very little ash or fines anywhere.

OK. Thanks for that info. That helps.

 

[F4jock]

OK. Thanks for that info. That helps.

Again by experience I only clean mine once a month or so. Harman recommends weekly and I'd stay with that until you get comfortable and establish a track record with the stove.

 

[bags]

Again by experience I only clean mine once a month or so. Harman recommends weekly and I'd stay with that until you get comfortable and establish a track record with the stove.

LIKE! Outta them currently.

 

[hoverta]

So after a week I am still experiencing the same sort of smell. Only happens when the distribution blower turns off. I guess the insert gets hotter once the blower turns off. I've been running it on stove temp to keep the blower on all the time.

The other question that came to mind is, before the top of the hopper door would be hot but not uncomfortable. Now in stove temp the hopper door is hot enough that I don't feel comfortable touching it for more than a few seconds. And the question I have is, no matter how low I turn the stove temp setting the flame seems to be on max all the time. I turned the adjustment down to about 1.5 on the stove temp dial and it still was blasting away and feeding pellets at a pretty high rate. That doesn't seem normal. Any suggestions?

 

[F4jock]

So after a week I am still experiencing the same sort of smell. Only happens when the distribution blower turns off. I guess the insert gets hotter once the blower turns off. I've been running it on stove temp to keep the blower on all the time.

The other question that came to mind is, before the top of the hopper door would be hot but not uncomfortable. Now in stove temp the hopper door is hot enough that I don't feel comfortable touching it for more than a few seconds. And the question I have is, no matter how low I turn the stove temp setting the flame seems to be on max all the time. I turned the adjustment down to about 1.5 on the stove temp dial and it still was blasting away and feeding pellets at a pretty high rate. That doesn't seem normal. Any suggestions?

Try running in room temp auto and see what happens. As well, have you cleaned your ESP? You CAN pull the stove out far enough to access it.

 

[hoverta]

I was running in room temp auto before and it would be fine. Just turn on and off all the time.

How does one clean the ESP? (Obviously I have not cleaned it yet.) I have stuck my vacuum in the exhaust without pulling the unit out but nothing other than that.

I did watch the maintenance video and it looks like they shoved a brush up the exhaust of the unit past the fan. Can I do that or would it damage the ESP?

 

[F4jock]

I was running in room temp auto before and it would be fine. Just turn on and off all the time.

How does one clean the ESP? (Obviously I have not cleaned it yet.) I have stuck my vacuum in the exhaust without pulling the unit out but nothing other than that.

Read your manual. Pull stove out far enough to access the ESP compartment. Open it. Get a socket wrench and take out the two screws. Pull ESP straight out. Clean with paper towel and Windex. Vaccum out the ESP compartment. Reinsert ESP. Replace cover. Push stove back into frame. Restart. There are videos on line as well.

 

[hoverta]

I have read the manual but I don't see where the ESP is shown on any diagram other than as a part you can order, unless I missed it? I guess it's somewhere on the exhaust vent? And how far would I have to pull it to access it? I only have about 3 inches in front of the unit to spare.

Thanks.

Edit: So can one just use a soft bristle brush up the exhaust without pulling the unit? I saw the harman video where they do that.

 

[F4jock]

I have read the manual but I don't see where the ESP is shown on any diagram other than as a part you can order, unless I missed it? I guess it's somewhere on the exhaust vent? And how far would I have to pull it to access it? I only have about 3 inches in front of the unit to spare.

Thanks.

Edit: So can one just use a soft bristle brush up the exhaust without pulling the unit? I saw the harman video where they do that.

No. That won't clean it properly. Hang on while I look on line.