Harman P43 Smoke In Hopper

[PJPellet]

How many times has a Harman smoke in the hopper thread been started? Over the past few days I think I have read them all.

My pellet stove was manufactured in 2011 and came with the crossover tube setup. The stove has worked wonderfully for the past five years and this problem just started toward the end of last heating season. I pulled the auger and cleaned the auger and auger tube. The slide plate looks okay so far. The pellet stove hopper lid has noticeable soot on it from the smoke getting in the hopper.

I have verified that the crossover tube is clear of obstructions.

I clean meticulously once every week and cannot track down what is happening here. I have the OAK connected and checked for obstructions. All clear in there.

In five years the only thing that went bad was the original exhaust blower.

Today I ordered an air meter to check pressure in the stove. In the meantime I am hopeful that someone here can suggest what else to check.

 

[Lake Girl]

Is there a hopper gasket? Definitely soot in there or just residue from pellets affected by heat that gets transferred from the firebox?

 

[Bioburner]

I hope there is a vacuum in the stoves firebox. Around 1/2 inch of water.
Have you tried the dollar bill test on the door gaskets? IMO any door gasket on the Harman line is suspect after 3 years

 

[PJPellet]

Is there a hopper gasket? Definitely soot in there or just residue from pellets affected by heat that gets transferred from the firebox?

Yes there is a hopper gasket. It looks good but It's cheap so I will order a new one. I think it is soot because when I wipe it with a towel it is brown, but I could be wrong. Thanks for your reply.

 

[PJPellet]

I hope there is a vacuum in the stoves firebox. Around 1/2 inch of water.
Have you tried the dollar bill test on the door gaskets? IMO any door gasket on the Harman line is suspect after 3 years

I should receive my "vacuum tester" on Monday and I will definitely check this too. I replaced the ash pan door gasket in 2013 but I have never replaced the door gasket. The gasket "tests" okay and the fire looks great. I will also order the door gasket material when I order the hopper gasket material.

Is the door gasket a big deal to replace? I should search the threads I am sure it has been asked before.

Thanks for your reply, I will keep this thread updated as I receive parts, etc.

 

[Bioburner]

Door gasket is very simple straight forward project. I prefer a graphite impregnated rope. Seems to stay fuller longer. A drill operated wire brush makes the job pretty quick and easy. Around $5 for the brush

 

[PJPellet]

Door gasket is very simple straight forward project. I prefer a graphite impregnated rope. Seems to stay fuller longer. A drill operated wire brush makes the job pretty quick and easy. Around $5 for the brush

Excellent. I have a couple of those wire brushes. I will try and get the graphite impregnated rope as well.

 

[PJPellet]

My new gasket and sealant are supposed to arrive on Wednesday. This past weekend I tried a couple of things. One of them was to remove the OAK. When I removed the OAK the smoke in the hopper went away! I re-attached the OAK and smoke in the hopper again. Does this point to anything??? This problem is driving me a little crazy. lol

My gasket and sealant arrives on Wednesday but my water gauge is supposed to arrive today. I plan on checking the pressures with the OAK attached and then without the OAK attached. It seems to me that with the OAK attached the pressure in the stove is not sufficient to keep the smoke out of the hopper. I once again verified that there are no obstructions in the OAK hookup.

On the same note, I must say that the stove operates much better WITH the OAK so I need to get this problem straightened out. Plus everything worked fine for five years so it should be worked out eventually.

Does the OAK versus no OAK point to anything obvious?

 

[alternativeheat]

Is the OAK a new addition ?

 

[Mt Bob]

Possible wind blowing in oak,but there used to be cases of the flap sticking at the air intake,also cases of the flap fluttering,fixed by the newest control board.

 

[PJPellet]

Is the OAK a new addition ?

Hello. No the OAK has always been connected since installation. Removing the OAK however, fixed my problem. But I don't want to run the stove without the OAK.

 

[PJPellet]

Possible wind blowing in oak,but there used to be cases of the flap sticking at the air intake,also cases of the flap fluttering,fixed by the newest control board.

Very interesting. Do you have any other information about this. My flap flutters and I have been thinking about this as a possible cause. Thanks for any info.

 

[PJPellet]

Just an update. I checked the draft of the pellet stove and everything is perfect. Both with OAK and without OAK. Unfortunately I get smoke in the hopper with OAK still. It ran fine for five years and then this pops up. My new gasket arrives tomorrow. Hope that helps.

 

[alternativeheat]

Your slide didn't get detached did it ? The plate at the bottom of the hopper that opens to let pellets in also blocks off access the other way around, back up into the hopper. The slide plate can get knocked off the tab that pulls it when cleaning in the fines box. not sure that would allow smoke to feed up or how the OAK would be related to that though, just asking.

I'd pull the OAK tubing and blow it out, make sure some bees or critters didn't leave a nest behind in there etc. Something obviously has changed..

 

[PJPellet]

Thank you for your suggestions. I have checked the slide plate and all is well. I have also checked the OAK and everything is clear. You are right, something has changed for sure. I just can't figure it out.

I appreciate your time sending me suggestions. I am open to trying and checking everything and anything. I thought I knew this pellet stove inside and out but it has gotten the better of me.

Thanks again.

 

[alternativeheat]

Thank you for your suggestions. I have checked the slide plate and all is well. I have also checked the OAK and everything is clear. You are right, something has changed for sure. I just can't figure it out.

I appreciate your time sending me suggestions. I am open to trying and checking everything and anything. I thought I knew this pellet stove inside and out but it has gotten the better of me.

Thanks again.

I have heard of people tightening the OAK tube onto the stove collar too tightly and making the baffle stick inside there. I tightened mine just loosely with a radiator hose clamp and taped it.

 

[Mt Bob]

Very interesting. Do you have any other information about this. My flap flutters and I have been thinking about this as a possible cause. Thanks for any info.

Um actually saw it in a post here,but you will have to search for it,sorry.

 

[Lake Girl]

One of the threads... https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/harman-p61a-flutter-flame-woofing-issue.116554/#post-1559426

 

[PJPellet]

Thank you.

 

[Lake Girl]

Sorry, you've likely read that one... What kind of exhaust blade is on there? I know there have been upgrades to both the blower and the blades...

 

[PJPellet]

Sorry, you've likely read that one... What kind of exhaust blade is on there? I know there have been upgrades to both the blower and the blades...

After reading the above post I did some research. I do have the upgrades, which is good. On Wednesday I received the new door gasket but I haven't had a chance to change it yet because I have been using the stove. I am waiting for a warmer day. So far with the OAK disconnected there is no smoke in the hopper still. I re-connected the OAK at one point and the smoke came back. Thanks.

 

[Lake Girl]

Probably need to get the gaskets done before any real conclusion can be made. Temps seem to be holding around 50F for the next few days for your area ... bets are off if you wait too long

 

[PJPellet]

Just an update. I replaced the door gasket today. After a few days I will report back if that fixes the problem.

I have been running the stove without the OAK for a while now and it seems to be running about the same. Originally I thought there was a big difference but what had happened is the material that I used to plug the hole in the wall, for the OAK, had fallen out so there was a big hole letting cold air into the house. I re-plugged the hole and the stove has been running just like it did with the OAK. Except no smoke in the hopper. lol

I have an old house and even though I have renovated it extensively I am sure it is still a very leaky house, hence the reason the no OAK setup seems okay.

Wish me luck that the new gasket fixes the problem. Thanks!

 

[gfreek]

PJPellet, where did u get your gasket set from & did you do both doors ??

 

[PJPellet]

PJPellet, where did u get your gasket set from & did you do both doors ??

I bought my supplies from Amazon. I only replaced the main door gasket because I replaced the ash pan door gasket in 2013 and it still looks very good.

Also, I purchased the type of gasket recommended above AND the adhesive recommended above. The new one looks better than the old one.