Harman p68 3 blinks

[MarkDon]

Hello folks. I'm sorry this might be long winded but I want to provide as much info for everyone as I can.
It started last month when I cleaned my P68. When I finished and restarted the stove I had a three blink status on my control board. I read the troubleshooting guide and it said it was an ESP fault. To unplug for a few seconds and then plug back in. That solved the problem so I didn't give it another thought.
Yesterday I cleaned the stove again and it happened again. I tried to unplug it but it didn't clear the code so I pulled the probe this morning after leaving the stove off all night and cleaned the probe. After starting the stove it ran for about 15 minutes and started again with the 3 blinks. This time I switched the knob on the control board off and it continued to burn for about 6 hours on low without shutting down. I run the stove on room temp if this helps you guys. The stove kept running but the distribution blower wasn't really running very much. The 3 blink status continued the whole time. The troubleshooting guide just says to call the dealer if unplugging it doesn't work and I don't really want to do that. Does anyone have any thoughts before I just go out and buy a new ESP probe? Thanks for any replies. Mark

 

[David M]

I would definitely start by replacing the probe Mark.

 

[bags]

How old is your 68? Have you rolled your pots back and forth several times or the knobs? Very well could be the ESP but rule out some other things too.

 

[MarkDon]

Thanks. I have tried twisting the knobs back and forth. When I adjusted the temp higher, the distribution blower came back on and went off when I lowered the temp back. Also, yesterday the stove did shut itself down in the normal about of time when I turned that knob from room temp to off so I think they are working correctly. Mark

 

[MarkDon]

Oh and the stove was bought new in 2008. Thanks, Mark

 

[bags]

Might have been a small glitch. It is good to unplug it once in awhile too. Some here have mentioned that helps reboot the board and also recommended in the manual as some step to trouble shoot.

Being in its 7th season you might start seeing some parts going south or beginning that journey on you. Might be smart to buy a new ESP and keep it on hand for that occasion. Good Luck!

 

[Bioburner]

And a spare set of pot switches. Also make sure the rest of the venting is good and clean. Strange things happen when the venting is not clean, especially on systems with longer runs.
I would put new door gaskets on top of list for replacement after last burn of the season or before next heating season.
You can accumulate a couple of issues and it can really start to make for a headache as no one thing may make for your issue. $20 will get you a kit and a cheap drill powered wire brush for a easy gasket replacement.

 

[MarkDon]

Thanks for the tips. I know these stoves like to be maintained. Over the years I have replace the distribution blower motor and the auger. When I clean it I always stick the chimney brush out through the pipe that exits the stove and do the entire chimney 2x a season. I also make sure to clean the little vents on top right where the burn pot cover goes. (Over air vent?). I also clean out under the burn pot where the ignitor goes each time. If there are other vents that need cleaning just let me know. I guess it's time to also do the dollar bill test around the gaskets. Thanks Mark

 

[MarkDon]

Sorry for some wrong terminology. The two small vents inside the burn pot are for the flame guide. Anyway, any other tips are welcome. Thanks again, Mark

 

[MarkDon]

Well I replaced the ESP probe with the called for black wired probe. Easy peasy. Took about 5 minutes. Stove is up and running perfectly again. Thanks all. Mark