Harman Advance still blinks 3 with new ESP Probe

[davesykes]

Hi folks. This is the 3rd year I have had this stove. Vintage 1999. Ran great last 2 years. This year cleaned it top to bottom and started it up. Starts no problem. All blowers and motors seem fine. After about 10 minutes status light blinks continuously 3 times and stove just slows to a crawl hardly putting out any heat. Took 2 days to empty a half a hopper of pellets. So I again pulled off combustion chamber cover and vacuumed it out. Pulled ESP probe and cleaned it. Still same issue. So yesterday I took a ride to Stove Keepers in Brookline NH (nice folks) and dropped $73 on a new ESP probe. Put it in and restarted stove. After 10 minutes same 3 blinking lights. I am running in Stove Temp mode. If I throw it in Room temp mode the fire just dies within 10 minutes. Room temp sensor is plugged in and seems fine. I am thinking at this point could be a control board problem but don't want to drop $200+ and have it not be the solution. Any ideas?

Dave

 

[DAKSY]

Did the colors of the wires on the NEW ESP match the colors of the OLD ESP?
There are black wired ESPs & red wired ESPs & they are not interchangeable
unless you start throwing the dip switches behind the control board.

 

[davesykes]

No. The old wire was white. The new wire is black. From what I understand the red wire is for digital units, which I guess mine being an older serial number (like 4598) is analog. So I am pretty sure it is the right probe. The other sympton which I did not mention is that blower (not sure which one) seems to be kinda of surging then slowing down then surging. Not real sure how to describe it but this did not happen the last 2 years with this unit.

 

[Mt Bob]

Find out which motor is surging.Spray out the pots underneath the knobs with electrical contact cleaner,while turning back and forth.If you do not have any cleaner right now,turn knobs back and forth about 10 times each then relight stove and see what happens.Also make sure no exhaust pipe restrictions,and remove inner panel and make sure no buildup around probe.

 

[Bioburner]

I had almost the same issue a little over a week ago and found the room temp probe had frade and was causing all sorts of grief. Though I had a bad board but it was the room temp probe issue. $250 new board was spent but only need a new solder of terminals of probe wire. Got a cat? a good chew or two?

 

[davesykes]

Thanks . I don't have cleaner. I presume maybe I could get that at Radio Shack. Will try the knob trick. Took off inner panel yesterday and removed probe (before I bought a new one) and stuck vacuum nozzle all the way back there so exhaust pipe is clean as a whistle. The stove is in the basement and the exhaust pipe goes staight back 1 foot and then up 6 feet and then out the concrete wall then another 3 feet up the side of the house. So 3 90 degree turns and maybe 11 feet total pipe. Is it recommended to disassemble the whole exhaust pipe and periodically power wash the inside? I am getting lots of good exhaust outside even with the stove running low.

 

[davesykes]

I had almost the same issue a little over a week ago and found the room temp probe had frade and was causing all sorts of grief. Though I had a bad board but it was the room temp probe issue. $250 new board was spent but only need a new solder of terminals of probe wire. Got a cat? a good chew or two?

Yeah, I checked the price on the room temp probe wire. Seems not too pricey. May try that before board. I thought one of the original ESP probe wires look a little frayed or funky so I cut it and resoldered it back together then when that did not work I got the new probe. So the trial and error continues. Thanks for all the feedback folks!

 

[Mt Bob]

Pipe should have a brush run through it at least once a year.Not sure,but if like other harmans room temp probe can be unhooked and stove run in stove temp mode,bio would prob. know.Radio shack,auto parts stores,hardware stores have the cleaner.

 

[davesykes]

Pipe should have a brush run through it at least once a year.Not sure,but if like other harmans room temp probe can be unhooked and stove run in stove temp mode,bio would prob. know.Radio shack,auto parts stores,hardware stores have the cleaner.

I was running stove in stove temp mode and unhooked one of the leads to the room temp wire on the back of the stove and the stove stopped so I guess it needs to be connected.

 

[Mt Bob]

If it is one of the older boards/setup I do not know.Do not have to have it on the 3 knob boards that I know of.

 

[Bioburner]

If room temp probe unhooked on our PC45 no go Five years old. So board needs the connection. Take a good look on the inside of the back panel where the room temp enters to make sure that wire to the board is good as well. Trying to rule as much out as possible.

 

[Mt Bob]

If room temp probe unhooked on our PC45 no go Five years old. So board needs the connection. Take a good look on the inside of the back panel where the room temp enters to make sure that wire to the board is good as well. Trying to rule as much out as possible.

I have not worked on many,but the 06 I have has original board,previous owners never had room sensor,I ran it for 24 hrs before installing sensor,just went over and switched to stove mode,unplugger sensor,made no difference.Plugged back in.switched to room mode,unplugged and almost instantly started blinking the error code,as it should per the book.But I think the 45 uses a different board,may have to check.

 

[Mt Bob]

I have not worked on many,but the 06 I have has original board,previous owners never had room sensor,I ran it for 24 hrs before installing sensor,just went over and switched to stove mode,unplugger sensor,made no difference.Plugged back in.switched to room mode,unplugged and almost instantly started blinking the error code,as it should per the book.But I think the 45 uses a different board,may have to check.

Yep the 45 has a board all its own,advance and accentra are the same if 3 knob.

 

[Bioburner]

Yes different board because of corn ability and pressure ignition system. Cleaned another p series last fall and bout had a heart attack when it didn't want start back up. Had forgot to hook up the probe because I didn't want to possibly wreck it when moving the stove while cleaning.

 

[davesykes]

Yep the 45 has a board all its own,advance and accentra are the same if 3 knob.

Yes it is a 3 knob. Did the knob trick and then restarted. Was going gangbusters (all systems go) until about 15 minutes after power up. 3 blinks on status light back. Some more info the sound of the blowers cutting in and out. Both combustion and other blower lights would blink (only intermittently) and it would sound like fans were cutting out but they would cut back in and lights would come back on (within a second ). Almost sounds like some intermittent power cut to both blower motors. Not sure what to do next.

 

[Bioburner]

Sounds like an intermittent wiring issue. The biggest PIA possible. Good luck

 

[Mt Bob]

You have a good chance that you just need the pots replaced on the board.If you can solder it is something you can try yourself.Check out bruners bits back your way,give them a call tomorrow and see what they say.They also replace the pots if you cannot.

 

[Mt Bob]

http://heiligkuh.com/

 

[davesykes]

Sounds like an intermittent wiring issue. The biggest PIA possible. Good luck

Some more observations. Took out new ESP probe and put old one back in. As soon as it was powered on with the new ESP probe status light would go into 3 blinks continuously. With the old ESP probe it would not do this. Stove would start, combustion blower and ignitor (on auto) would come on and it would fire up no problems. As soon as the stove heated up a bit it the distribution blower (big black fan sitting next to exhaust flue on stove) would come on. Immediately both the combustion LED and the distribution LED would start blinking simultaneously and the status light would go into 3 blinks. I am leaning toward a distribution blower problem at this point and secondarily a board problem. The dayton blower 2C647 is available on amazon for $75 shipped (thought the one I pulled from the stove is 2C647A) . The dealer has the board for $200. Any thoughts folks?

Dave

 

[F4jock]

Some more observations. Took out new ESP probe and put old one back in. As soon as it was powered on with the new ESP probe status light would go into 3 blinks continuously. With the old ESP probe it would not do this. Stove would start, combustion blower and ignitor (on auto) would come on and it would fire up no problems. As soon as the stove heated up a bit it the distribution blower (big black fan sitting next to exhaust flue on stove) would come on. Immediately both the combustion LED and the distribution LED would start blinking simultaneously and the status light would go into 3 blinks. I am leaning toward a distribution blower problem at this point and secondarily a board problem. The dayton blower 2C647 is available on amazon for $75 shipped (thought the one I pulled from the stove is 2C647A) . The dealer has the board for $200. Any thoughts folks?

Dave

Had a similar problem. Replaced the room temp probe by snipping off probe end and soldering the new one on the end of its wire. Fixed problem with bonus of longer wire for better sensor placement. 100 ohm pots are available on eBay for cheap. What worries me are the other blinking lights. Sounds lots like a cold solder connection on the board exacerbated by blower vibration but probe and pots are cheaper to try first.

 

[davesykes]

Had a similar problem. Replaced the room temp probe by snipping off probe end and soldering the new one on the end of its wire. Fixed problem with bonus of longer wire for better sensor placement. 100 ohm pots are available on eBay for cheap. What worries me are the other blinking lights. Sounds lots like a cold solder connection on the board exacerbated by blower vibration but probe and pots are cheaper to try first.

So I can replace those blue thingys on the board easily? I found someone in PA on ebay that will do this for about $50. May try that rather than screwing up the board my self.

 

[Bioburner]

The ebay outfit says they will test the board also. I have replaced the pots on two boards. The old garage Harman was turning itself on.

 

[F4jock]

So I can replace those blue thingys on the board easily? I found someone in PA on ebay that will do this for about $50. May try that rather than screwing up the board my self. View attachment 144296

Yep. The fifty-buck route isn't bad if you're unsure of your skills with an iron and a board especially if they test the board, that's gravy, but be advised for the longest time I thought I had a pot with a dead spot until I replaced the room sensor. Cured all.

 

[davesykes]

Thanks for the tip about the room sensor. I think I will try that first. At about $35 bucks I won't feel too bad if it does not fix the problem.


Dave

 

[Bioburner]

If as you stated earlier that the wires on ESP had issues I would check the wires to the stove wall to the board for the room probe as well.