harman accentura 52i - no pellets dropping

[waterlu3]

Hi,
I was getting no pellets dropping at the start of winter after a month of using the stove. I first replaced the igniter, still no pellets. I than went to the auger motor and the post was not turning at all. This morning i replaced the auger motor, tested it amd you could see the auger shaft moving, it was dropping pellets and the igniter worked. Turned stove after a 1/2 hr. Turned on this evening and nothing.. I get a power light, status and compustion blower turning on. When i put it on test mode combustion blower and distribution blower turn on but no pellets drop.
I have had the stove for 15 years now and the only other thing i have ever replaced was the ESP probe. I clean the stove every 2 months and pull it out at the end of the year to clean the parts and boxes of dust and dirt.
I'm really not sure where to go from here? Any help is very much appreciated. I've been lurking on this site for years and you have helped me solve many problems
Thanks so much for you time

 

[Whitenuckler]

You need to check the vacuum switch operation. Check the air, check the exhaust, check the door seals.
You could not have enough vacuum. If you are able, you could shut power off and jumper the switch for a test run.

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[waterlu3]

Thanks so much for your quick reply! Vacumm switch was the next thing i was thinking of replacing. I just wanted someone else to tell me i was on the right path. Will let you know what i find..

 

[Whitenuckler]

Thanks so much for your quick reply! Vacumm switch was the next thing i was thinking of replacing. I just wanted someone else to tell me i was on the right path. Will let you know what i find..

Just remember if you jumper it and the stove works normally, that just means you have to start checking other things. It will not mean the switch needs to be replaced. They don't go bad often. It could mean a bad connection, low stove vacuum, blocked air tube ect. It will give a starting point though.

 

[waterlu3]

Just remember if you jumper it and the stove works normally, that just means you have to start checking other things. It will not mean the switch needs to be replaced. They don't go bad often. It could mean a bad connection, low stove vacuum, blocked air tube ect. It will give a starting point though.

Just wanted to let you know that i bought the part and now have glorious heat again !! Thank you so much for your help. Merry Christmas to you and everyone on this site helping people like me..
Lorraine

 

[Whitenuckler]

Just remember if you jumper it and the stove works normally, that just means you have to start checking other things. It will not mean the switch needs to be replaced. They don't go bad often. It could mean a bad connection, low stove vacuum, blocked air tube ect. It will give a starting point though.

Pressure switches don't go bad very often. You will need to dig deeper, although I'd still start from the beginning again, and jumper the vacuum switch. Was original vacuum switch bad? How did you test it?

 

[waterlu3]

Hi again,
Weird thought i replied to this?
So i did not have the tools to test the vacumm switch and since i was replacing parts i just bought a new one. Bingo the stove worked for 7 days exactly. Since than not working..
I bought a combustion blower since that also was not spinning. I just figured that everything was 15 years old good time to buy new. Still no pellet dropped. Currently replaced new, combustion blower, vacumm switch, auger motor and igniter.
I had a neighbor come over to make sure i was doing everything correctly and the auger motor was sitting correctly. I have cleaned everthing out including the control box which had a ton of pellets in in, and the auger shaft, not a pellet to be found.
AFter putting in the auger motor today (mine was not tight enough).. About a handful of pellets dropped, auger moving and igniter started them. Ran for about 10 minutes. Once they burned auger motor stopped and no pellets dropped again. Unplugged reset and the auger motor starts but no pellets dropped, auger stops again. My friend hit the vacumm switch and the auger motor started again but still did not drop pellets. All of the lights come on, no status blinking anywhere.. do you thing the vacumm switch is bad??
Kind of out of thoughts at this point. Would love to hear any advice...

 

[Whitenuckler]

Hi again,
Weird thought i replied to this?
So i did not have the tools to test the vacumm switch and since i was replacing parts i just bought a new one. Bingo the stove worked for 7 days exactly. Since than not working..
I bought a combustion blower since that also was not spinning. I just figured that everything was 15 years old good time to buy new. Still no pellet dropped. Currently replaced new, combustion blower, vacumm switch, auger motor and igniter.
I had a neighbor come over to make sure i was doing everything correctly and the auger motor was sitting correctly. I have cleaned everthing out including the control box which had a ton of pellets in in, and the auger shaft, not a pellet to be found.
AFter putting in the auger motor today (mine was not tight enough).. About a handful of pellets dropped, auger moving and igniter started them. Ran for about 10 minutes. Once they burned auger motor stopped and no pellets dropped again. Unplugged reset and the auger motor starts but no pellets dropped, auger stops again. My friend hit the vacumm switch and the auger motor started again but still did not drop pellets. All of the lights come on, no status blinking anywhere.. do you thing the vacumm switch is bad??
Kind of out of thoughts at this point. Would love to hear any advice...

 

[Whitenuckler]

Earthsense How to create a jumper wire and bypass a safety switch in your Pellet Stove - Search Videos

Watch videos instantly on Bing—enjoy direct playback, discover related clips, and dive into trending content all in one place.

www.bing.com

The best bet is to bypass the pressure switch to see how it runs. Does everything run in test mode?

 

[waterlu3]

Earthsense How to create a jumper wire and bypass a safety switch in your Pellet Stove - Search Videos

Watch videos instantly on Bing—enjoy direct playback, discover related clips, and dive into trending content all in one place.

www.bing.com

The best bet is to bypass the pressure switch to see how it runs. Does everything run in test mode?

I will have to check if i have these connections anywhere to try and create this. Test Mode everything starts up auger is moving but nothing is dropping. The only light that is not on is the distribution blower.

 

[Whitenuckler]

I will have to check if i have these connections anywhere to try and create this. Test Mode everything starts up auger is moving but nothing is dropping. The only light that is not on is the distribution blower.

He has the "deluxe" method for creating a piece of wire, but a paper clip and tape would work. In test mode with the door closed, the auger should turn and drop pellets. The distribution blower will run at full speed, then slow down, then speed up again. The combustion blower should run all the time.

 

[waterlu3]

Ok not sure quite how to do this? Just googled it and no videos. So do I disconnect the vacuum switch and than put each end of the paper clip into the wires that were connected? Don’t want to blow up anything 😉

 

[waterlu3]

Figured out the paper clip trick. No pellets dropped! Auger motor worked shaft turned . Did not work in test mode either

 

[Whitenuckler]

Figured out the paper clip trick. No pellets dropped! Auger motor worked shaft turned . Did not work in test mode either

Very strange. It looks like the auger is jammed with fines ect, but still able to turn. Is the fines compartment clean? This is the part of the feed system. This is the hatch door held on with a wing nut located behind the control card in a P model. Have you been cleaning that out?

 

[waterlu3]

Always! I have cleaned every inch of it numerous times. Part of my monthly cleaning is this. I have a harman Accenture insert 52 i . There is no information or videos barely on this specific model. I have spent the last month googling and watching videos …

 

[waterlu3]

I did check the auger is moving and the little ball is rolling on the slave arm

 

[Whitenuckler]

Always! I have cleaned every inch of it numerous times. Part of my monthly cleaning is this. I have a harman Accenture insert 52 i . There is no information or videos barely on this specific model. I have spent the last month googling and watching videos …

I'm not sure what the next step is. It seems that the auger needs to come out for inspection and cleaning. We will have to research exactly how that is done. Maybe some other members can help us out. If the auger turns, and there are pellets in the bin, then normally they feed through the metering "fines box" and end up in the burn pot.

 

[waterlu3]

Motor or shaft? Motor is brand new and I have completely removed the auger shaft and cleaned out everything in there. You don’t think it’s the vacuum switch?

 

[NS P-68]

With your hopper empty, check to see that your slide plate is moving back and forth. If you auger is turning and nothing is dropping there's a good chance you have an obstruction there or the slider plate has become disengaged from the arm.

 

[NS P-68]

Also.. the slider plate has a seam or crease in it that has to face up...

 

[waterlu3]

I will check that tomorrow. But in my cleaning I actually removed it twice.

 

[Whitenuckler]

I will check that tomorrow. But in my cleaning I actually removed it twice.

I didn't review all of your posts to see you had already had the auger out. The problem must be in the hopper feedbox.

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Look around the 5 minute mark.

 

[Whitenuckler]

Motor or shaft? Motor is brand new and I have completely removed the auger shaft and cleaned out everything in there. You don’t think it’s the vacuum switch?

No, Once the vacuum switch wires have been joined together, the switch is bypassed. The switch contacts (normally open) must be closed for the auger motor to get power. That is why we jumpered it, to make sure it was not the cause of the problem. As I said, the vacuum switches do not go bad (usually) but the airtube could be obstructed, a leak in the stove, or a bad combustion blower ect. Almost all troubleshooting starts with bypassing that switch. It is the most important switch besides the ESP functions.

 

[waterlu3]

I already blew in the air tube and it was totally clean from the vacuum switch. Just seems weird everything worked for 7 days when I replaced the vacuum switch. Below is a video showing the auger moving as well as the plate back in and out .

 

[johneh]

I have been following this conversation. Here is my problem with what is being said.
You say the auger motor turns the auger, but no pellets come out of the burn pot end
of the auger tube! So are there any pellets in the hopper? Can you see the auger move?
Is the auger shaft clear, no jams or some other object that is keeping pellets from moving?
What factor is missing? If you have pellets, movement of the auger, shaft is clean, not plugged
The only thing left is the pellets, somehow are not entering the auger pick up and being moved
toward the end goal (Fire). Have you had the auger itself out? I have seen augers broken in 2 orr
the pick up end damaged