Harman P-61A feed motor question

[Bigjim13]

Noticed recently that when my feed motor comes on there is a whirring noise, its not high pitched and not every time that the feed motor runs. I have never noticed this before so i took the opportunity to give my stove a good cleaning today.

Cleaned all the usual stuff, burn pot, heat exchangers, pulled the ash pan, cleaned igniter area of ash. Cleaned fan behind the ash pan, exhaust pipe. Pulled the ESP probe, cleaned that. Cleaned the fines box and brushed/blew whatever dust and such I could see with panels removed. Spent a good hour and a half plus cleaning whatever I could find that needed to be cleaned. We have a cold snap coming and I wanted to be ready.

Now I will admit, I am not the most mechanically inclined and motors certainly aren't my strong point. Is this whirring noise something I need to worry about? I have had the stove 6 years now and have never noticed it before. Is it possible it needs to be lubricated? Bearing? I keep my stove pretty clean but if there is something I've overlooked let me know.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Tonyray]

Noticed recently that when my feed motor comes on there is a whirring noise, its not high pitched and not every time that the feed motor runs. I have never noticed this before so i took the opportunity to give my stove a good cleaning today.

Cleaned all the usual stuff, burn pot, heat exchangers, pulled the ash pan, cleaned igniter area of ash. Cleaned fan behind the ash pan, exhaust pipe. Pulled the ESP probe, cleaned that. Cleaned the fines box and brushed/blew whatever dust and such I could see with panels removed. Spent a good hour and a half plus cleaning whatever I could find that needed to be cleaned. We have a cold snap coming and I wanted to be ready.

Now I will admit, I am not the most mechanically inclined and motors certainly aren't my strong point. Is this whirring noise something I need to worry about? I have had the stove 6 years now and have never noticed it before. Is it possible it needs to be lubricated? Bearing? I keep my stove pretty clean but if there is something I've overlooked let me know.

Thanks in advance!

I get the whirling sound once in a while also....
stove is in 2nd year. Wouls occasionally do it last year......me thinks it;s some long pellets sometimes but maybe someone else chime in.

 

[mikesj]

I just finished doing a full cleaning too- also getting ready for the upcoming cold.

Over the years I have had that noise occur from time to time. Clean/scrape the back of the burnpot where the auger tube empties into it really well. Just a little bit of carbon buildup right there can cause that noise in mine.

 

[Bigjim13]

I just finished doing a full cleaning too- also getting ready for the upcoming cold.

Over the years I have had that noise occur from time to time. Clean/scrape the back of the burnpot where the auger tube empties into it really well. Just a little bit of carbon buildup right there can cause that noise in mine.

Good to know! I've had the stove 6 years and each year I seem to learn something new about maintaining it!

 

[F4jock]

Hard to diagnose w/o being there but feed auger / motor combo always makes some sound. . . . .

 

[Bigjim13]

Hard to diagnose w/o being there but feed auger / motor combo always makes some sound. . . . .

I tried to get a video but it's impossible to hear the wheeling noise in the video.

Knock on wood, I have not heard the noise since right around the time I posted this thread.

 

[Harman Lover 007]

I get it from time to time as well. Looks like today was "get ready for the cold snap day". I gave my P61A a full cleaning today as well.

 

[Bigjim13]

I get it from time to time as well. Looks like today was "get ready for the cold snap day". I gave my P61A a full cleaning today as well.

This winter has annoyed me. We got a bunch of snow and ice then it hit 50 and all the snow melted. Overnight we got a little snow but today I woke to rain and hit 40* today. Tuesday night it looks like -6 to -8, who knows?

 

[alternativeheat]

I get a little whir out of the auger motor as well. It's nothing metallic in any way, doesn't sound to be straining , it's not even loud. Just it's there, some days more so than others. I don't take it as anything wrong.

 

[Bigjim13]

I get a little whir out of the auger motor as well. It's nothing metallic in any way, doesn't sound to be straining , it's not even loud. Just it's there, some days more so than others. I don't take it as anything wrong.

Sounds like mine, never noticed it before about a week ago, figured something needs to be cleaned!

 

[F4jock]

I tried to get a video but it's impossible to hear the wheeling noise in the video.

Knock on wood, I have not heard the noise since right around the time I posted this thread.

If it ain't broke . . . .

Yeah HL. Good day for it at 44f. I gave my igniter chamber a finger-wave and cleaned the glass and firepot.

 

[Harman Lover 007]

This winter has annoyed me. We got a bunch of snow and ice then it hit 50 and all the snow melted. Overnight we got a little snow but today I woke to rain and hit 40* today. Tuesday night it looks like -6 to -8, who knows?

Same here. Snow and sleet last night. Was supposed to be 55 today and never happened. High for the day is 43 and it just jumped up to that now.

 

[Bigjim13]

Same here. Snow and sleet last night. Was supposed to be 55 today and never happened. High for the day is 43 and it just jumped up to that now.

Yeah, weather folks were saying 50's today. Didn't happen!

 

[F4jock]

Yeah, weather folks were saying 50's today. Didn't happen!

You belive them?

Wanna buy some oceanfront property in Arizona?

 

[Bigjim13]

You belive them?

Wanna buy some oceanfront property in Arizona?

Was going to call them weather guessers, but held back!

 

[alternativeheat]

Same here. Snow and sleet last night. Was supposed to be 55 today and never happened. High for the day is 43 and it just jumped up to that now.

I cleaned my p61 yesterday, full clean including vent, ESP etc, fines box.. Today hit 54 and that is right now but cold is coming later in the week. Maybe snow too. Ya, it's January alright ! Well I'm burning the DF's now so guess I'm ready.

 

[Tonyray]

got up to 60's today.. shut down and did Full cleaning as lows in the 10's exspected this week.
fingered' the Igniter compartment also..

 

[F4jock]

I cleaned my p61 yesterday, full clean including vent, ESP etc, fines box.. Today hit 54 and that is right now but cold is coming later in the week. Maybe snow too. Ya, it's January alright ! Well I'm burning the DF's now so guess I'm ready.

Going back to my Lignetics after a five-bag experiment with Blazers. Blazers will work for me as well so now have two good alternatives.

 

[Bioburner]

I have watched many of the motors wind up and sometimes it will occur more when there is little work force for it to do so it spins a bit faster at the beginning of the auger cycle taking the slack out. Yea I know I need another hobby but my other hobby usually goes to fast to see much. -4 here for the high but the winds went down to 15-20. Had three stoves running at once twice today. Its going south and east

 

[Harman Lover 007]

got up to 60's today.. shut down and did Full cleaning as lows in the 10's exspected this week.
fingered' the Igniter compartment also..

I think we'll go with F4jock's "finger wave" and keep this rated G.....

 

[Bigjim13]

Just checked weather.com, looks like Wednesday starts the cold snap. Highs in single digits and low around -9.

Glad I got my cleaning done today!

 

[F4jock]

Curious. Are you guys intimating that your auger motors make no noise at all under normal opetation? I've had a low-pitched growl since day one. Considered it nornal.

 

[Bigjim13]

Curious. Are you guys intimating thar your auger motors make no noise at all under normal opetation? I've had a low-pitched growl since day one. Considered it nornal.

No I've always been able to hear the auger turn. This noise was a whirring noise when the feed motor kicked on. Hadn't noticed it before and it wasn't super loud.

 

[alternativeheat]

Just checked weather.com, looks like Wednesday starts the cold snap. Highs in single digits and low around -9.

Glad I got my cleaning done today!

That's the kind of cold I really don't like ! It becomes a dangerous type cold , the doc has warned me about not letting my fingers turn white like they do because of frost bite.

 

[Bigjim13]

That's the kind of cold I really don't like ! It becomes a dangerous type cold , the doc has warned me about not letting my fingers turn white like they do because of frost bite.

Agreed. I hate that kind of cold too. Nothing wants to work right.