Harman Stove PP38+ low heat

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spesoftball

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Mar 1, 2013
32
Hello I am new to this board. I have a Harman PP38+ pellet stove. My problem is my stove doesn't produce enough heat to cause the blower to turn on causing my basement to stay cold. It stay's lit (it's just a small flame no matter if I turn the feed knob all the way up). The only way I get the blower to work is turn the stove off and then back on the blower blows warm air and the auger feeds the pot to cause a large flame (but after about 45 seconds the blower turns off and the flame get smaller). Someone told me to buy a new circuit board but also was told it might be the knob for the feeder? Any suggestions? Thanks
 
It `s not the knob but most probably the potentiometer under it. I had to change mine last year. I got mine off ebay ,something like 9 bucks for two.
Unless you are an electrician , electronic tech,or very good at soldering , you had better let an experience person do the job. The hardest part is removing the solder on both sides of the fragile control board. You are definitely gonna need a solder sucker . There are tabs bent over that need straightening before you remove the old one.
Good luck.
 
naw...not the knob for the feeder. Have you tried cleanig the ESP probe? How old is your PP38? Does it have 2 knobs or 3? If its a 3 knobber, its likely still covered under warranty (2 years on electrical parts). If its a 2 knobber, likely the board isnt under warranty anymore. If it is the potentiometer on the CB, some folks here have had them replaced....do a search.
 
Your gonna hear this a lot. Give it a good cleaning. Make sure the probe in the exhaust is clean also. You running in manual or auto? My p61 is idling right now also without the blower on. It won't kick on till later tonight when the temp drop outside.
 
I would suspect a good stove and exhaust cleaning, clean the ESP probe carefully.. Is the auger running more than normal when you turn up the feed knob, how about the exhaust blower that sound OK. How old is the stove?? Did you have any type of power outage that would have affected the board??
 
naw...not the knob for the feeder. Have you tried cleanig the ESP probe? How old is your PP38? Does it have 2 knobs or 3? If its a 3 knobber, its likely still covered under warranty (2 years on electrical parts). If its a 2 knobber, likely the board isnt under warranty anymore. If it is the potentiometer on the CB, some folks here have had them replaced....do a search.
How difficult is taking the esp probe out (it looks like there is only one screw holding it in place). My stove is 7 years old 2 knobs. I am thinking change the probe first then possibly the board?
 
It `s not the knob but most probably the potentiometer under it. I had to change mine last year. I got mine off ebay ,something like 9 bucks for two.
Unless you are an electrician , electronic tech,or very good at soldering , you had better let an experience person do the job. The hardest part is removing the solder on both sides of the fragile control board. You are definitely gonna need a solder sucker . There are tabs bent over that need straightening before you remove the old one.
Good luck.
I don't have the skill to do this might have to bring it somewhere.
 
I would suspect a good stove and exhaust cleaning, clean the ESP probe carefully.. Is the auger running more than normal when you turn up the feed knob, how about the exhaust blower that sound OK. How old is the stove?? Did you have any type of power outage that would have affected the board??
I just cleaned the stove last weekend. The auger turns fine and when I turn the unit off then on everything works fine like it's suppose to (but blower only stays on for 30-45 seconds). Then the fire goes low and stays that way until I need heat then I have to turn unit off and on till it bring temp up. No power outage. Its stumping me because in Jan. it was working fine then all of a sudden it feeds just enough to keep the stove lit.
 
you have thermostat plugged in to control board?
 
if you turn the unit off does it turn off like normal?
 
Well you can remove the exhaust connector and give the probe a quick cleaning to eliminate that possibility but I still think it`s a bad feed potentiometer.
 
Well you can remove the exhaust connector and give the probe a quick cleaning to eliminate that possibility but I still think it`s a bad feed potentiometer.
I'm leaning this way a bit as well...might be worth it to get some "contact cleaner" and try that on the pots, is just a few $$, certainly cheaper than a new board..and tha hassle of having to retorfit the new styl board in if you can't find an old style one.
 
I'm leaning this way a bit as well...might be worth it to get some "contact cleaner" and try that on the pots, is just a few $$, certainly cheaper than a new board..and tha hassle of having to retorfit the new styl board in if you can't find an old style one.
I will take the probe out and clean it (I'm taking it out so I can clean it better then in the pipe). When you say get a contact cleaner and try on pots (can you be more specific this is my first time doing anything on this stove and I'm afraid if doing something I shouldn't causing more problems lol).
 
Just be gentle with it. The ESP has a screw with a small flange, remove the screw, wiggle the flange till its free then pull out the ESP. Clean it with wet paper towel is what I do and reinstall... thats it..
 
I clean it with stove glass cleaner, gets it sparkling.

Tom C.
 
That stove glass cleaner works great. It's good for the probe? I always use a wet paper towel also.
 
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