Harman problems

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Oct 24, 2012
49
Rhode Island
I just purchased a new Harman p68 and am having problems: In auto mode, once my stove reaches the designated temperature. it gradually shuts off and by that time, the room temp may have dropped by 10 degrees. So the stove restarts and can take up to half an hour before it reaches the right temperature again. The dealer suggests hanging the temperature wire over the connector.....which is very hot and would melt it ! bad advice.
Next problem is when I set it to constant burn, it surely isn't constant. The flame will go from 8 inches high to 1 inch and then all over the place.
I have tried pine pellets and mixed pellets...no difference.
please help
 
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Here's the Harman Troubleshooting Guide.
What's your feed rate set at?
Is the room sensor connected securely?
 

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The dealer suggests hanging the temperature wire over the connector.....which is very hot and would melt it ! bad advice.

Hey obsessed penguin,

I'm not following what you mean by " the connector" the location you mention the dealer is advocating . In my experience, the tip of the temperature sensing wire should not be located anywhere directly above the stove where upward convection or radiation will heat it directly. It should be surrounded by well mixed air within the room, not very close to a wall or window either.

Hugh
 
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I don't think the flame would stay really consistent mostly because as more/less fuel is in the pot the flame size will change. I have a Mt Vernon and it does the same thing where the flame will get huge if it dumps a good amount of pellets in the pot. I wouldn't really be concerned with that issue because once it gets up to temperature the blowers will send the heat into your living space regardless of the size of the flame.
 
I hang our temp sensor like this and it seems to do the best job.
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Position the “probe tip” wherever your comfort zone aligns to your reality. Not to be gib, but no pellet stove is truly accurate, temperature wise. If you ramp the temperature up and your space gets warmer, the stove is working; and if you turn the piece of metal down, and pellets stop falling, then it is working. All pellet stoves are about a decade behind technology.
 
You can place the probe anywhere you like, just extend the wire (2 conductor) wherever you want the comfort zone to be (the area that you want the temperature regulated for your comfort). The probe & factory controls actually work very well on the Harman stoves.
 
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You can place the probe anywhere you like, just extend the wire (2 conductor) wherever you want the comfort zone to be (the area that you want the temperature regulated for your comfort). The probe & factory controls actually work very well on the Harman stoves.
Yes,you can extend th e wires for a millivolt tsatt up to 20 feet
 
I have an XXV so controls may be different. But I have a tendency to have my feed rate turned down low so that it doesn’t ramp up and then settle down, ramp up and then settle down. Especially in the shoulder seasons when the temperatures are more moderate. The stove calls for more heat but the stove doesn’t know that it isn’t 10 below, it goes to whatever the feed rate setting is (maybe 4) and before the stove knows it the room is toasty warm so it cuts way back and then the cycle continues. Turn the feed rate down so it can’t do that. I would also extend the temperature sensor out and circulate the air with a ceiling fan if possible.
 
I have an XXV so controls may be different. But I have a tendency to have my feed rate turned down low so that it doesn’t ramp up and then settle down, ramp up and then settle down. Especially in the shoulder seasons when the temperatures are more moderate. The stove calls for more heat but the stove doesn’t know that it isn’t 10 below, it goes to whatever the feed rate setting is (maybe 4) and before the stove knows it the room is toasty warm so it cuts way back and then the cycle continues. Turn the feed rate down so it can’t do that. I would also extend the temperature sensor out and circulate the air with a ceiling fan if possible.

When I burnt pellets in a draft house, your technique was the only way to not chow through tons... Makes a difference.

I have a solid-insulated house now and the room temperature mode works like the commercials. The advantage is less things to mess with, just set it and forget it. Room temp mode only works in really specific conditions, otherwise you have to "trick" the stove into working correctly via fans, extending the probe, etc.
 
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