Harman 2 Blink Error question

[joetiii]

OK so I am chasing down a problem with my Harmen Accentra Insert and need help in diagnosing a new problem. Last Spring I had the pressure switch go out so I replaced it and the stove ran fine up until this past December. At that time, the stove would only run on Low Stove temp mode. When I ran it above 9 Oclock on Stove temp or on 70 degree room temp mode, the auger would stop feeding even though the feed light would be on. I had issues with some of the pots on the board as well and further diagnosed that the board was bad so I replaced it 2 weeks ago.

Once the new board was installed, I got full functioning back BUT... I started smelling exhaust in the house. I noticed that one side of the insert wasn't latched properly so the flue gasket was not sealing properly. Tried cleaning that up but still couldnt get a good seal so I ordered up a new gasket. (this is an 06 model and has been our primary source of heat for 10 years). Now that the gasket gives me a nice tight seal, I plug the stove in and get a 2 blink error.

As far as I can tell, this is an early model and does not have the hopper switch. The seal around the hopper seems to be good as well. What else is there for me to check?

One thing I did notice in the past few months when it was operating the stove a full range of heat settings is that the flame seemed a bit lazy. I thought it was a new brand of pellets I got, but even the old pelets had a lazy flame.

What controls the flow of air behind the burn pot? I think this could be the cause. I have jumped the pressure switch to get the stove to bypass the 2 blink error but now, the burn pots fills and the starteer gets hot, but no air seems to be feeding the stove to get it started. I can hear the blower working but not sure if some other fan needs to be working to get it started.

your thoughts on this are appreciated.

Thanks

Joe

 

[johneh]

When was the last time this unit had a back to front bottom to top tear down cleaning ?
Sounds like an air flow problem !

 

[joetiii]

At the beginning of the season I pulled it out, cleaned the flue, pulled the side cover off and removed the exhaust blower to clean that area. The front transfer plates have been removed and I used the snake to get back and around that area as well. All is clean as in the maintenance manual.

I am wondering if when the stove was running with the bad gasket and there is some ash inside the fireplace, whether some ash got up into the distribution blower area and caused some blockage. I blew out the low pressure line back through the stove so this should have opened up what was there.

The only thing I havnt done is tilt the unit forward to see if the blower underneath the unit is clogged somehow.

 

[joetiii]

So the saga continues. I thought I had it figured out. I pulled the insert out and tipped her over to discover that the barrel fan that feeds the fan was totally clogged. I figure the soot from the bad exhaust must have clogged it up completely with all the crud that was stuffed in it.

Anyway, when It got back together and I fired it up, the pellets fed, the ignitor started the stove and it worked fine until it warmed up. Then it went into 2 blink mode again. I reset
e it and then the stove fired up and ran for 4-5 hours on manual low temp. I kicked it up a bit before going to bed and I woke up to a 2 blink error.

I heard some noicse in the fan when I restarted and figure maybe something is falling back down into the bottom fan I cleaned out but not sure.

Anybody have any other ideas?

 

[Lake Girl]

Checked gaskets lately? Door/hopper/ash pan as applies... dollar bill test.

 

[rona]

OK so I am chasing down a problem with my Harmen Accentra Insert and need help in diagnosing a new problem. Last Spring I had the pressure switch go out so I replaced it and the stove ran fine up until this past December. At that time, the stove would only run on Low Stove temp mode. When I ran it above 9 Oclock on Stove temp or on 70 degree room temp mode, the auger would stop feeding even though the feed light would be on. I had issues with some of the pots on the board as well and further diagnosed that the board was bad so I replaced it 2 weeks ago.

Once the new board was installed, I got full functioning back BUT... I started smelling exhaust in the house. I noticed that one side of the insert wasn't latched properly so the flue gasket was not sealing properly. Tried cleaning that up but still couldnt get a good seal so I ordered up a new gasket. (this is an 06 model and has been our primary source of heat for 10 years). Now that the gasket gives me a nice tight seal, I plug the stove in and get a 2 blink error.

As far as I can tell, this is an early model and does not have the hopper switch. The seal around the hopper seems to be good as well. What else is there for me to check?

One thing I did notice in the past few months when it was operating the stove a full range of heat settings is that the flame seemed a bit lazy. I thought it was a new brand of pellets I got, but even the old pelets had a lazy flame.

What controls the flow of air behind the burn pot? I think this could be the cause. I have jumped the pressure switch to get the stove to bypass the 2 blink error but now, the burn pots fills and the starteer gets hot, but no air seems to be feeding the stove to get it started. I can hear the blower working but not sure if some other fan needs to be working to get it started.

your thoughts on this are appreciated.

Thanks

Joe

Have you cleaned the fines etc out of that box with a wingnut on it? There is a piece of metal that opens and closes above the auger every time the auger turns. Fines will build up in that box over time and can give you problems. It should be located on the same side as the control board and you may have to take some metal guards off in back.

 

[Lake Girl]

Have you cleaned the fines etc out of that box with a wingnut on it? There is a piece of metal that opens and closes above the auger every time the auger turns. Fines will build up in that box over time and can give you problems. It should be located on the same side as the control board and you may have to take some metal guards off in back.

Thanks rona. Thought of the fines box but forgot to add that in my post

 

[joetiii]

Thanks rona. Thought of the fines box but forgot to add that in my post

Yes I cleaned out the fines box as well as the esp area.

 

[joetiii]

Problem has been solved.... I thought about this a while and realized that when I had the stove on low, it would start and run but when I put it on high, it would starve. The flam was lazy like not enough forced air going through like before so I figured it had to be an air flow issue. So I ha to wait until today when the temperature was 68 degrees and all the snow was melted off the roof and checked the top of the flue. Sure enough there was a clogg of ash which was preventing the exhaust from properly flowing out. Now all is well and the stove runs like a champ.

Thanks to everyone for their input on this. The stove is now ready for the cold temps reading my way this coming week.