Harman Accentra Insert - Pellets just smolder and Flame doesn't take off

[LobsterParty]

Woke up and the pellet stove was out of Pellets, added a bag and it didn't restart.

The pellets just smoldered and got cherry red. I helped it along with a propane torch after 10 minutes. I was able to get a 1 inch flame , but it eventually died out and the pellets kept smoking and smoldering...

The igniter is getting hot I can feel it. I can get a flame started with torch.... but it doesn't start raging like it used to. And fizzles out...

I'm at a loss right now. Anyone have ideas?
I checked the holes in the burn pot. I checked the upper 65% and rhey were all clear.. I poked them with a small Allen wrench. None were blocked. I couldn't go too deep down in the burn pot , but I scrape the burn pot every other day.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

 

[johneh]

Clean your stove from air intake to exhaust !!
Sounds like a lack of combustion air.

 

[LobsterParty]

Clean your stove from air intake to exhaust !!
Sounds like a lack of combustion air.

Thank you. I was thinking this in the back of my head. I will do this after work today. I've never done a deep cleaning. This stove was 100% serviced 2 months ago ( refurbished)
I have burnt exactly 1 ton , maybe 1.2 tons. I will clean it tonight , a total cleaning.

 

[jackman]

The first thing I would do is a deep cleaning including the entire vent/flu.

 

[LobsterParty]

Thank you all. I got it to start a fire. I did a good 75% cleaning. It took a little longer to develop a flame larger than 1 inch. It's been 15 minutes and the flame is about 6 inches tall. On max speed. So I'm doing much better .

I cleaned the bottom right and left exhaust ports ,I could only go in 18 - 20 inches with my current brush. .

I did some serious damage with the vacuum and brush.

I'm concerned it took a bit longer to develop a decent flame. It was an inch tall for too long. Finally got a little taller and then a little more taller .

I don't know where my intake is , or how to clean the intake. I did not pull my stove out of the insert housing ( never done that before)

20 minutes running my flame is 8-9 inches.

Thank you all very much for encouraging to clean. I didn't think I would have to do that after 50 days and 1 Ton of Pellets.

Not sure I am out of the woods yet...

I would welcome any tips from everyone.

I am gonna spend some time tonight watching YouTube videos on how to xlean the stove ever more. Including the stuff in the back of the insert. I've owned this for 2 months. And it came to me in 100% perfectly functional . The Chimney/ Exhaust was even making that military helicopter sound , whooomp whoomp whoomp.... not sure if I have heard that sound in weeks.

It was not too dirty, I'd say there was definitely some ash everywhere like 1cm coating. But nothing too extreme that struck me as abnormal , I wish I owned a longer cleaning brush so I will buy that now.

25 minutes in. I now have 100% flame that I am used to.

I agree the combustion fan is my next area of focus. I heard you can clean it up with a paint brush.

I also want to add that under the burn pot, I opened the 2 fly nuts and there was more than average amount of soot. Every time I've opened this in the past there was nothing. But today it was a whole bunch. 2 weeks ago I switched to a new pellet product and it has had 90% less Ash
So I suspect from reading the new fine ash, could fall into the small ports and orifices causing me trouble.


What else should I be doing ?

Thanks

Update : I don't remember the last time I felt this much heat coming out the blower. It's HOT! Like a super hot hair dryer. Cleaning the way I did helped so much...

I will wait and see how things go. It definitely took too long to get started and build up the fire. I'm just so happy right it's putting out lots of heat.

 

[johneh]

Glad the cleaning helped
A clean stove is a happy stove
and the owner is warm

 

[Dataman]

Harmon has Video's that explain some cleaning. I found this HF tools set useful when it's cold. https://www.harborfreight.com/mini-pick-and-hook-set-63697.html

 

[LobsterParty]

Harmon has Video's that explain some cleaning. I found this HF tools set useful when it's cold. https://www.harborfreight.com/mini-pick-and-hook-set-63697.html

These tools look awesome for cleaning the burn pot holes.
Why would they be useful when it's cold?
Thanks for the video

 

[Dataman]

It's short and Hot Burns You. But hey go for it if you think you won't get burned.