Cleaned exhaust tube 3 days in a row and still having heat problems...HELP PLEASE!

[SeacoastNH]

This forum always comes up in my google searching so I'm hoping I get as much helpful feedback as the other threads I have read!

I have been having a battle with the left exhaust tube for the last 4 days because I am getting low heat output:

Day 1: woke up and house was 63 degrees after having the My Harman accenture insert on stove temp 75 all night. Put it up to full blast on both temp and blower and couldn't get the temp to increase. Read about the common left tube problem and cleaned what I believed to be thoroughly. Temp increased in the room quickly and I was happy.

Day 2: woke up and temp was 63 again. Frustrated I figured I didn't clean it well enough and this time I decided to rig up a smaller tube to my ash vac and get in the tube. Also went at it pretty hard with the brush getting it all the way through.

Day 3: same story different day this time complete with me punching a hole in my wall in anger! This time it's personal...I go at this clog with everything I got...tie a string to the wire brush so my wife and I can go lumberjack style back and forth.

Day 4: woke up...71 degrees and happy. Had a family get together so I had the stove at very low temp all day

Day 5: woke up and it was 65 and moving to full blast has only given me a bump to 68

Could there possibly be another problem I am not seeing? This is getting ridiculous!

Thanks for your help

 

[Bioburner]

Some more details other than you have a Harman Accentra Insert. How many years has the stove been in service, venting setup, how many pellets used, OAKed, normal pellet consumption? Age is so can figure if it is possible you need new door gaskets.

 

[SeacoastNH]

Some more details other than you have a Harman Accentra Insert. How many years has the stove been in service, venting setup, how many pellets used, OAKed, normal pellet consumption? Age is so can figure if it is possible you need new door gaskets.

I have had the stove since October, it was the display unit at the Harmon dealer so I got a great deal right after the new model came out. I had a professional chimney company set it up and it vents through a liner in the chimney. I did notice when I was cleaning it last time that the liner seemed to have a good amount of soot in it (I put the brush up trying to eliminate my possible variables and had quite a bit come out). I have been going through the same amount of pellets (1 1/2-2 bags) since I got the stove so the current problem is not impacting that. Also, I apologize I am not sure if it is OAKed…is there an easy way to tell?

 

[Bioburner]

Outside air kit, feed fresh outside air from outside instead of using your heated inside air. Should be a 2 inch or so tube leading to the outside. With the heavy use of the stove your probably experiencing a venting blockage that is giving you a bad time. Time to get dirty and clean the flue or contact someone to clean it out. Long venting runs can cool the liner enough to collect some ash. If I use your stated use of 1.5 bags a day for 5 months that's over 4 tons. Yep, cleaning the venting is due.

 

[alternativeheat]

This forum always comes up in my google searching so I'm hoping I get as much helpful feedback as the other threads I have read!

I have been having a battle with the left exhaust tube for the last 4 days because I am getting low heat output:

Day 1: woke up and house was 63 degrees after having the My Harman accenture insert on stove temp 75 all night. Put it up to full blast on both temp and blower and couldn't get the temp to increase. Read about the common left tube problem and cleaned what I believed to be thoroughly. Temp increased in the room quickly and I was happy.

Day 2: woke up and temp was 63 again. Frustrated I figured I didn't clean it well enough and this time I decided to rig up a smaller tube to my ash vac and get in the tube. Also went at it pretty hard with the brush getting it all the way through.

Day 3: same story different day this time complete with me punching a hole in my wall in anger! This time it's personal...I go at this clog with everything I got...tie a string to the wire brush so my wife and I can go lumberjack style back and forth.

Day 4: woke up...71 degrees and happy. Had a family get together so I had the stove at very low temp all day

Day 5: woke up and it was 65 and moving to full blast has only given me a bump to 68

Could there possibly be another problem I am not seeing? This is getting ridiculous!

Thanks for your help

I gather you are speaking of the convection outlet not throwing hot air? Or, one side is and the other not. But is it blowing at all on that side? Have you had the baffles out of the stove and cleaned in there? I believe in that stove taking those out gets you access to the heat exchanger.

 

[Polar Bear]

Do you clean your heat exchanger including the inside of the tubes?

 

[SeacoastNH]

Outside air kit, feed fresh outside air from outside instead of using your heated inside air. Should be a 2 inch or so tube leading to the outside. With the heavy use of the stove your probably experiencing a venting blockage that is giving you a bad time. Time to get dirty and clean the flue or contact someone to clean it out. Long venting runs can cool the liner enough to collect some ash. If I use your stated use of 1.5 bags a day for 5 months that's over 4 tons. Yep, cleaning the venting is due.

Thanks Bioburner…any advice on cleaning the flue? If I can do it myself I would rather save the money!

 

[Bioburner]

Hopefully someone with more experience with cleaning a flue liner can chime in with details. I hate roof top cleanings. Youtube has some good vids of leaf blower trick. That and a brush with extensions should get things back on track hopefully. Try search here for liner cleaning?

 

[alternativeheat]

Hopefully someone with more experience with cleaning a flue liner can chime in with details. I hate roof top cleanings. Youtube has some good vids of leaf blower trick. That and a brush with extensions should get things back on track hopefully. Try search here for liner cleaning?

Funny you mention the roof top thing. I'm cleaning mine from the bottom up, same way I installed it!!

 

[Bioburner]

Funny you mention the roof top thing. I'm cleaning mine from the bottom up, same way I installed it!!

There was some pictures of a venting cap that looked like it needed some TLC last week. How without a hike up top does one deal with that? Get me in the mood I would probably shoot it off with the bow and reinstall when the snow clears in July

 

[alternativeheat]

There was some pictures of a venting cap that looked like it needed some TLC last week. How without a hike up top does one deal with that? Get me in the mood I would probably shoot it off with the bow and reinstall when the snow clears in July

Well my cap looks great so far. But on an annual I'll get my stepson over here with his old bosses 40 ft ladder. That's how the cap got on there!! I'm thinking it will be fine for the mid burning season to not pull the cap if it continues to look as it does now.

I don't like going up there, since I fell off my ladder about 18 ft up I think my family has conveniently made my ladder disappear. That was probably a good idea. Ya that was a great day, as fast as I went up the ladder I found myself on the ground. Went over backwards had the mind though to squat and roll when I hit. Lucky for me that was feet first, rolled backwards hit my butt. Sore for a few day and felt foolish was the outcome. That and well, I'm not in any hurry to get back up there anyway.

 

[Ctcarl]

Thanks Bioburner…any advice on cleaning the flue? If I can do it myself I would rather save the money!

I just did mine from the inside. 25ft Rutland screw rods and a 4 inch brush that I got in Amazon.the harman DVD said this should be done after 1 ton.After my first ton cleaning I had tons of ash falling doing my flu.

 

[Bioburner]

I just did mine from the inside. 25ft Rutland screw rods and a 4 inch brush that I got in Amazon.the harman DVD said this should be done after 1 ton.After my first ton cleaning I had tons of ash falling doing my flu.

Have the item #s to help the OP?

 

[alternativeheat]

Have the item #s to help the OP?

25P-5 rods and PS-4 brush are what I have for the liner.. Very stiff bristles, you really should not try and push this past an ESP, one should remove the probe anyway though if brushing inside the stove part of the vent.. Ctcarl may have it in a kit form from Amazon under a different number .

 

[Bill L]

I've been looking at those rods on Amazon (25p-5). The Gardus soot eater rotary brush and rods look pretty good too

 

[Ctcarl]

Have the item #s to help the OP?

Got it separate rods then brush from another company . It was last year don't rember who on Amazon but wrking great.