Harman Accentra Auger not rotating

[director9300]

I have an Harman Accentra Insert. Has been installed for 3 years and have loved it. I get it serviced every fall and the last service was 30 days ago. Just recently I have noticed that the auger appears that it is stuck. I have turned the unit on to try an ignite and the auger will not rotate. Also tried in "test" mode which had the same result. I then emptied all of the pellets out, pulled the unit and cleaned/vaccumed everything I could find. I looked in with a flashlight to see if I could see any pellets preventing it from moving and do not see anything. I have tryed to twist the auger by hand, but it doesnt budge. My guess is: 1) something has jammed the auger that I cannot see, or 2) the feed motor is burned out. I have called my service guy, but he is a little bit busy these days and cannot come out for a couple of weeks.

Can anyone provide me with any insight or next steps that I should be taking?

Thanks,

 

[Delta-T]

there is a vacuum sensor attached to the air intake that allows/prevents power from getting to the auger motor. Excessive ash in the exhaust can prevent enough vac pressure from being created and will prevent power from reaching the motor. Occasionally the sensor itself is plain old no good and needs to be replaced. You can test this theory by inspecting your venting to assure it is not blocked. Then you can "jump" out the vac sensor by disconnecting the two wires that are connected to it and connecting them to each other. You may also wish to inspect the rubber hose connecting the vac sensor to the stove, as some ash or dust may be in the tube restricting air flow. If you feel up to it, you can connect the feed motor to 110Volts and see if it spins, if not its no good. Usually you need something jammed up in the feeder to break the auger motor, but not always. good luck

 

[Lousyweather]

a few more ideas....disconnect the chain off the gear motor, and see if you can turn the sprocket that turns the auger by hand.....it might just be that there is something in there....we've taken quite alot out of jammed augers. By the way, if you leave the chain on, you most likely will not be able to turn anything by hand...must be disconnected. More likely though, is what Delta-T mentioned above.

 

[tonyd]

Take the gear motor (auger motor) off the auger.If the auger turns, its the gear motor. If not,remove the two bolts that hold the auger in. Work it back and forth while pulling it out. I had a flange bolt locked up in mine that kept the auger from turning. I was sooooo surprised it was even trying to feed the bolt without burning something up. While I had mine out, I wire wheeled all the build up off the auger. Works fine now.HTHS

 

[Lousyweather]

oh, heck....jammed auger stories....here's a few we've seen:

shock absorber bolt (go figure, at a mechanics' house)
sheetrock nail
matchbox car (a daycare)
eyeglasses
box cutter
grocery list (written in Italian....the Italian-speaking homeowner SWEARS it wasnt his!)
sheetrock screw

just a few that come to mind...yes, foreign objects DO fall into the hopper!

 

[Delta-T]

to add to Lousyweather's list:

Drill bit (from homeowner's shirt pocket)
Pocket KNife
action figure
scissors (used for cutting pellet bags open)

 

[seaken]

Adding to the list:

Pellets and fines

I've cleared three or four jams this year. All caused by the pellets. Too long or too dusty.

 

[GVA]

Make sure the combustion blower is spinning...

turn stove to on.
open door you should hear a blower pulling air through the stove.
if not pull the covers and give the fan a spin to make sure it's not binding.
This will keep the stove from ever running, let alone the auger..

 

[director9300]

Just wanted to update everyone... I took the motor out and there was a nice big 3" screw preventing the auger from spinning. The motor itself had died and I put a new one in and everything is working perfectly now.. Watch out for what goes in the hopper. I have no idea how the screw got in there..

 

[Lousyweather]

interesting.......post #4