I have a Harman p-68 it's my 6th year burning pellets. I am a stickler on keeping it clean. I'm on my 3rd ton of Northern pellets and I am getting bad build up on glass and the ash is building up on the sides of stove on the front. Never had this happen was wondering if I am somehow getting too much negative air. I clean the chimney every ton the probe and the obvious burn pot heat exchangers combustion blower. Thanks for any feed back
Harman P68 pellet ash build up on glass and front of stove
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Lake Girl
Moderator
Check gaskets on door, hopper by dollar bill test? Not sure if there is a ash pan gasket? Combustion gasket is seated well? Internal exhaust pathways are cleaned? Intake screen clear and backdraft damper functional?
Bad batch of pellets? Not all are consistent batch to batch...
Welcome to the forum ... I'm sure the harman owners will show up
Bad batch of pellets? Not all are consistent batch to batch...
Welcome to the forum ... I'm sure the harman owners will show up
alternativeheat
Minister of Fire
Everything Lake Girl said. And yes there is a gasket on the ash pan door. In my P61 that was leaking from new, I replaced it with the next size thicker gasket, to which as I recall that new gasket is 1/2". The door fits just slightly more snug now and gives a good solid feeling to the latch. I found stoves my air leak with a charcoal grill lighter, the bottom door sucked the flame right in.
But, definitely there can be a difference in pellets from brand to brand. What I find odd is your ash is building with a concentration to the front of the stove, in my P61 normal heavier build up is towards the rear and particularly in the rear corners of the shelves and on top of the fire brick, behind and on top of the flame guide. Lighter ash amounts are liable to be anywhere. Is this normal looking ash be it with more quantity ? Or are you getting black soot on the door glass ( mine has always been a light tan to light grey color) ?
For reference I've had pellets so bad that I had to clean the stove in less than a weeks time. With fairly ash free pellets like I have presently I can easily go a month. So pellets are a huge factor in this ash game. I have changed out my vent cleaning from once per ton to two tons where I have 4" vertical venting. I don't get enough out of the vent in a months time to warrant cleaning that monthly. But that could change for someone running 3" horizontal venting and dirty pellets. It could be that the vent then needs cleaning before a ton is burned. As well the stoves pathway to the vent.
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The ash is black on my glass never had this probkem. I am also burning 2 bags a day which usually only happens when Temps are below 0
In addition to the above recommendations, make certain that the cover to your fines box is properly closed, for some reason there has been a rash of the didn't get that back on correctly going around this burn season.
alternativeheat
Minister of Fire
Well black is generally incomplete burn, as I'm sure you know and or ( same thing) lack of air feed that would otherwise be supporting proper combustion.. That is to say, air feeding through proper channels and into the fire. It can be crappy fuel too but air starvation would be the more common cause.
Does your stove have oak ? If not , how tight is your house ? Is this occurring since the recent snow storm (if you are in the snow fall range that is) ?. You have to look for reasons for bad airflow. Gasket leaks are but one. Fines box cover is a good one. But choked off air supply is another. How long since you cleaned the combustion blower and ports behind the hatch that is located behind the ash pan ?
Does your stove have oak ? If not , how tight is your house ? Is this occurring since the recent snow storm (if you are in the snow fall range that is) ?. You have to look for reasons for bad airflow. Gasket leaks are but one. Fines box cover is a good one. But choked off air supply is another. How long since you cleaned the combustion blower and ports behind the hatch that is located behind the ash pan ?
Harmanizer
Burning Hunk
I burned Northern's (Cubex)2 years ago and they were the worst pellets I have ever burned.They would choke my burnpot with heavy black ash and smother the flame.My P68 hated them.
alternativeheat
Minister of Fire
We had a guy in here back around late fall with Cubex and I want to say a Thelin stove with the same problem. We directed him to just go buy a few bags of something known to be good. He did and problem solved. In fact to my knowledge we never have heard from him again.
Golfeur
Member
alternativeheat
Minister of Fire
Well there ya go ! This is why everyone says test the pellets in "your own " stove..lol
I took a lighter around the stove and I did get 2 spots where the stove did draw the flame in. I went to local stove store and they said the air draw should not cause me to burn more pellets. Is this true? Last weekend I did clean the probe the chimney the combustion blower the fines box I am going to check now that cover. Just don't understand the build up in front of stove on the glass and the grooves by the gasket. Thank you for all replies.
Incorrect, it fouls the burn up and that can cause the esp to tell the control system hey it is still cold in here, more fuel please. So given the same temperature setting, pellets, and such, the stove will burn more pellets.
Lake Girl
Moderator
How much the burn is effected may depend where the two draw spots are. Should try to cure that...
alternativeheat
Minister of Fire
No comment, except it's pretty well known that pellet stoves don't like air leaks.
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Golfeur
Member
alternativeheat
Minister of Fire
![[Hearth.com] Harman P68 pellet ash build up on glass and front of stove](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/152/152202-5b255e79dca2f0bab377e93d437c809e.jpg?hash=JWJjjE6CmO "[Hearth.com] Harman P68 pellet ash build up on glass and front of stove")
Well if I find that the air intake is higher than the vent termination that picture isn't the only thing that is upside down besides you might have a bird hanging out of it gumming up the works.
ETA: I am always looking for things that allow me to (see last line of my signature) preach from the good book.
![[Hearth.com] Harman P68 pellet ash build up on glass and front of stove](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/152/152205-a044a1c417b137ca3f22fac54b872830.jpg?hash=5Rkf0ZHb1n "[Hearth.com] Harman P68 pellet ash build up on glass and front of stove")
Outside picture please the goal is to provide air flow in the proper direction and having the outside configuration backwards doesn't help the mater although a minor difference in this case usually doesn't lead to major issues since the system is still under the control of the stove's combustion systems unlike the gasket situation.
This can however cause issues with a power outage situation and depending upon the separation distance to the vent termination lead to oxygen depleted air being used for combustion never a good thing.
This can however cause issues with a power outage situation and depending upon the separation distance to the vent termination lead to oxygen depleted air being used for combustion never a good thing.
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