Harman Advance - Smoke in hopper- It s BACK!!

[Gene]

SO a few years ago I got the Harman advance, had the smoke in hopper issue- the Stove was replace free, the new stove had smoke in hopper issue. and was replaced free, the 3rd stove had smoke in the hopper and I saw it soon enough before the crap buildup and the dealer came and drilled 2 holes in the back and connected them with a clear 7inch tube and the smoke went away. that was 4 years ago. NOW the smoke is back, not as bad as it was before, but the build up of crap in the path to the auger is growing. I can feel it with my fingers now and I no longer can hear the pellets clinking as they drop ( another sign of the buildup) also the pellets dont feed as many at a time.
My Warranty is now obviously over so I need to figure out how to open up the paths the pellets take to the auger in order to clean the crud built up on the walls out. I dont see anything obvious can anyone point me in the right direction?
Also is there any chance Harman would do anything even though the warranty is up since this was a big issue previously?

 

[Delta-T]

this is generally covered by the warranty regardless of age. call your dealer.

 

[slls]

this is generally covered by the warranty regardless of age. call your dealer.

In your sig, try sawdust on that grape juice.

 

[Delta-T]

this is generally covered by the warranty regardless of age. call your dealer.

In your sig, try sawdust on that grape juice.

good advice, I shall, I shall....I'll get back to you on the results. ;-)

 

[Gene]

this is generally covered by the warranty regardless of age. call your dealer.

Any idea of how much should be covered? Should everything, or just parts and I pay labor and travel or What? My dealer is 1 1/4 hour drive ea way, I would like to have an idea of a starting point before I make the call.

If my normal dealer isnt helpful, would another dealer be able to do the warranty work or just the original seller?

 

[Delta-T]

the parts and labor "should" be covered, but you will probably get hit with a "travel" charge or something. Strongly suggest you go with the original selling dealer. Another dealer can do the work, but most would rather not (generally lose $ doing that type of repair).

 

[flashbang]

Punch out the auger from the front after removing the chain and two bolts from the back. In the auger tube looking from the back of the stove left side about 2 inches in there is a 1/4 hole and just behind that there is a 2 inch square hole. This is your problem. They are both clogged. You probably won't see them because the auger spins against the tube wall and keeps the clogged holes flush but poke around and you will find them.
Dealer install the tube air mod and filled the last 5 holes in my burn pot years ago. Cleaned out the auger tube with a brush and said if you get smoke in the hopper throw out the OAK. He never cleaned the clogged auger tube holes but the air tubes compensated for the clog and worked for 3 years. The dealers seem to know nothing and claim smoke in the hopper is normal when you have a OAK, Harman won't talk to you. I found this problem as a last ditch effort to find out why my smoke detectors go off when I fill the stove with pellets.
Hopes this helps out anyone with there Advance.
Good luck.

 

[flashbang]

Found some pics that are not mine but show the same set up of the auger tube feed box. If the original owner of the pics chimes in credit will be addressed or pics removed at the owners request.
Left pic is standing at the rear of the stove looking at the back. Right pic is standing at the front of the stove looking at the front.

 

[Lousyweather]

Punch out the auger from the front after removing the chain and two bolts from the back. In the auger tube looking from the back of the stove left side about 2 inches in there is a 1/4 hole and just behind that there is a 2 inch square hole. This is your problem. They are both clogged. You probably won't see them because the auger spins against the tube wall and keeps the clogged holes flush but poke around and you will find them.
Dealer install the tube air mod and filled the last 5 holes in my burn pot years ago. Cleaned out the auger tube with a brush and said if you get smoke in the hopper throw out the OAK. He never cleaned the clogged auger tube holes but the air tubes compensated for the clog and worked for 3 years. The dealers seem to know nothing and claim smoke in the hopper is normal when you have a OAK, Harman won't talk to you. I found this problem as a last ditch effort to find out why my smoke detectors go off when I fill the stove with pellets.
Hopes this helps out anyone with there Advance.
Good luck.

smoke in the hopper is really never "normal", which you allude to, yes, even WITH an OAK.......smoke in the hopper typically indicates a 'gummy stove syndrome" developing.....eventually, the deposits get so bad, the feeder gets too gummed up and will no longer operate.

 

[checkthisout]

How does smoke get into the hopper when the firebox is under vacuum?

Does the fire start to creep back up the auger tube??

That would freak me out into thinking a hopper full of pellets was sitting there smoldering away.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

The smoke is being drawn back into the hopper because the hooper is under a slight vacuum in the Harman, this becomes large enough of a difference over time without certain areas getting cleaned that the smoke finds it easier to enter the hopper than go out the flue.

As I understand it the crossover tube was supposed to fix this by neutralizing any pressure difference between the hopper and the feeder that would occur.

 

[kinsmanstoves]

Just asking but where in the house is the stove located (i.e. basement or front room)? What does the venting consist of and what diameter. Please list every part and not just saying it runs out the back of the stove and out the wall or it is done right. With different stoves I can not see this being a stove issue.

Eric

 

[checkthisout]

The smoke is being drawn back into the hopper because the hooper is under a slight vacuum in the Harman, this becomes large enough of a difference over time without certain areas getting cleaned that the smoke finds it easier to enter the hopper than go out the flue.

As I understand it the crossover tube was supposed to fix this by neutralizing any pressure difference between the hopper and the feeder that would occur.

I think I see?

So without say, the venting being cleaned, there is less negative pressure inside the burn pot area in relation to the hopper so smoke is more apt to travel back up the auger tube into the hopper???

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

The smoke is being drawn back into the hopper because the hooper is under a slight vacuum in the Harman, this becomes large enough of a difference over time without certain areas getting cleaned that the smoke finds it easier to enter the hopper than go out the flue.

As I understand it the crossover tube was supposed to fix this by neutralizing any pressure difference between the hopper and the feeder that would occur.

I think I see?

So without say, the venting being cleaned, there is less negative pressure inside the burn pot area in relation to the hopper so smoke is more apt to travel back up the auger tube into the hopper???

There are also small ports in the feeder tube that get plugged and contribute to the issue as well from a prior posters pictures and description.

 

[checkthisout]

The smoke is being drawn back into the hopper because the hooper is under a slight vacuum in the Harman, this becomes large enough of a difference over time without certain areas getting cleaned that the smoke finds it easier to enter the hopper than go out the flue.

As I understand it the crossover tube was supposed to fix this by neutralizing any pressure difference between the hopper and the feeder that would occur.

I think I see?

So without say, the venting being cleaned, there is less negative pressure inside the burn pot area in relation to the hopper so smoke is more apt to travel back up the auger tube into the hopper???

There are also small ports in the feeder tube that get plugged and contribute to the issue as well from a prior posters pictures and description.

Trying to learn a little more about the Harman.

So do these holes admit fresh air into the auger tube in order to create a draft to keep smoke clear?

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

The smoke is being drawn back into the hopper because the hooper is under a slight vacuum in the Harman, this becomes large enough of a difference over time without certain areas getting cleaned that the smoke finds it easier to enter the hopper than go out the flue.

As I understand it the crossover tube was supposed to fix this by neutralizing any pressure difference between the hopper and the feeder that would occur.

I think I see?

So without say, the venting being cleaned, there is less negative pressure inside the burn pot area in relation to the hopper so smoke is more apt to travel back up the auger tube into the hopper???

There are also small ports in the feeder tube that get plugged and contribute to the issue as well from a prior posters pictures and description.

Trying to learn a little more about the Harman.

So do these holes admit fresh air into the auger tube in order to create a draft to keep smoke clear?

Hopefully a Harman guru can answer that question, but from my standpoint they allow enough air in to compensate for the partial vacuum created as the pellet level drops in the sealed hopper (there is a drop plate that opens and closes at the bottom of the hopper) on a Harman.

 

[checkthisout]

(there is a drop plate that opens and closes at the bottom of the hopper) on a Harman.

I didn't know that. That makes much more sense now as far as keeping fire out of the hopper which would be impossible were fire to creep back up the auger tube.


I always wondered what strategy they used to prevent this.