How long to ignite your PB105 or PF100?

[exoilburner]

Seems my PF100 igniter used to take 3-5 minutes to turn on and get fire in the burn pot. Now it is taking over 11 minutes.

But I did find that the pellets I'm using now have a high moisture content. I installed a new burn pot and new igniter but that did not help. The voltage measured on the igniter (not it's wires) was 118vac and it was glowing cherry red. (& melted my test leads!) Must be the pellets.

So, what is your average time from turning on the unit until there is fire in the burn pot? Do different pellets make a difference?

 

[iceguy4]

I have the new pressure igniter 3 + min ...some times longer with a low grade pellet. sometimes the prick will over feed and push pellets in the ash pan. I'm currently running it in manual.

 

[Former Farmer]

PB105 with finned igniter and new style burnpot takes 3 to 5 minutes to start.

Do you have any air restrictions? Dirty combustion fan, plugged holes in burnpot?

Did the increase start when you changed the burnpot? Is it the new style one that you installed yourself? Did you remove the ceramic insert? Did you use the right set of holes on th new mounting bracket for the igniter?

Sorry for all of the questions, but need more information. It may just be your pellets if they are that wet. What does the moisture test on the pellets?

 

[exoilburner]

I have the new pressure igniter 3 + min ...some times longer with a low grade pellet. sometimes the prick will over feed and push pellets in the ash pan. I'm currently running it in manual.

Where are your dip switches #1, #2, #3 set? ON or OFF? These control the start up pellet feed time. Check out this link from Former Farmer. He posted a Harman service bulletin that explains how to set these dip switches.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/pb-105-burnpot-revisited.115489/page-2#post-1561863

 

[exoilburner]

PB105 with finned igniter and new style burnpot takes 3 to 5 minutes to start.

Do you have any air restrictions? Dirty combustion fan, plugged holes in burnpot?

Did the increase start when you changed the burnpot? Is it the new style one that you installed yourself? Did you remove the ceramic insert? Did you use the right set of holes on th new mounting bracket for the igniter?

Sorry for all of the questions, but need more information. It may just be your pellets if they are that wet. What does the moisture test on the pellets?

Completed the "1 Ton" total clean of the furnace and vent so everything was just cleaned. I disconnected my OAK. I have been having problems for a couple of years but was okay with MANUAL START. Now I would like to start using the igniter and AUTO START.

Removed the ceramic insert. Double checked the mounting holes in the service bulletin and they were the right holes.

I copied a forum post a few years ago that tests pellet moisture. It seems to work good.
Here it is:
1. Place 1/2 cup pellets in a GLASS (not plastic) saucer sized bowl.
2. Cover the bowl with a saucer to make it moderately airtight.
3. Nuke them in the microwave for about 45 sec to 1 min.
4. Immediately when finished heating remove the saucer and tip it up vertically. Look for moisture on the bottom of the saucer. There should be a little. If enough is present to allow it to run down to the bottom of the saucer they have excessive moisture.

 

[iceguy4]

Where are your dip switches #1, #2, #3 set? ON or OFF? These control the start up pellet feed time. Check out this link from Former Farmer. He posted a Harman service bulletin that explains how to set these dip switches.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/pb-105-burnpot-revisited.115489/page-2#post-1561863

at the factory settings. I'm not sure what they look like cuz I've never seen them. Since I'm heating 2 buildings now, manual works great

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

With the boiler at operating temperature, I've timed it at 1 minute, 55 seconds from the time the fan comes on to the point when I hear that reassuring "blowtorch" sound. With the temp outside today in the teens, though, combustion will never go completely out between ignitions.

 

[iceguy4]

With the boiler at operating temperature, I've timed it at 1 minute, 55 seconds from the time the fan comes on to the point when I hear that reassuring "blowtorch" sound. With the temp outside today in the teens, though, combustion will never go completely out between ignitions.

can you run in manual...save electricity? Mine is the same. The shutdown time is longer then time between heat calls....except when stats "setback"

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

can you run in manual...save electricity? Mine is the same. The shutdown time is longer then time between heat calls....except when stats "setback"

I probably could, but it would eliminate an "idiot-proof" feature that comes in handy in my case ...

 

[ScotL]

My PB105 ran out of pellets Saturday night so I cleaned it Sunday and dumped a handful of pellets in the burnpot (because the auger was empty) and restarted it. It had cooled off by then so I would consider it a cold start. It took 6 minutes and 2 seconds until the burst-into-flame moment. My ignitor is about 3 years old and is the 13 rib heating element. My original ignitor was the 11 rib element.

 

[MAS]

Seems my PF100 igniter used to take 3-5 minutes to turn on and get fire in the burn pot. Now it is taking over 11 minutes.

But I did find that the pellets I'm using now have a high moisture content. I installed a new burn pot and new igniter but that did not help. The voltage measured on the igniter (not it's wires) was 118vac and it was glowing cherry red. (& melted my test leads!) Must be the pellets.

So, what is your average time from turning on the unit until there is fire in the burn pot? Do different pellets make a difference?

Seems my PF100 igniter used to take 3-5 minutes to turn on and get fire in the burn pot. Now it is taking over 11 minutes.

But I did find that the pellets I'm using now have a high moisture content. I installed a new burn pot and new igniter but that did not help. The voltage measured on the igniter (not it's wires) was 118vac and it was glowing cherry red. (& melted my test leads!) Must be the pellets.

So, what is your average time from turning on the unit until there is fire in the burn pot? Do different pellets make a difference?

My PB 105 Boiler take 1/2 minunts to up to 5 minunts. The ignition time varies a lot. I have tried several brands of pellets But it does not make a differance. My dip switches are on the lowest setting. I have the pressure igniter.This is on cold starts and normal shut down starts. You would think they could get this down to less than 3 minunts. I get lots of smoke with ignition time above 3 minunts.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

Wow, I feel fortunate. I seldom get much more than a puff of smoke on ignition. I do have the minimum temperature set fairly high, between the 155 and 160 marks. Max is at 170 -- I dropped it down from 175 when my infrared thermometer detected boiler temps over 190 at the bung for the pressure release valve. That was when the boiler was working hard during last month's cold snap.

 

[Pellet_Dog]

Wow, I feel fortunate. I seldom get much more than a puff of smoke on ignition. I do have the minimum temperature set fairly high, between the 155 and 160 marks. Max is at 170 -- I dropped it down from 175 when my infrared thermometer detected boiler temps over 190 at the bung for the pressure release valve. That was when the boiler was working hard during last month's cold snap.

I'm the same as you, minimum ~155. This provides a good buffer where if there is a call for heat when the boiler is off and it is close to this themperature, by the time the fire gets roaring it is down to 140 which is where the thermostatic bypass closes to maintain the minimum temperature in the boiler to prevent condensation. Just wondering why you had to lower your temp because it reached 190? I have mine set at 185 (max) and it will hit 200+ sometimes no problem. I wish I could set the max temp higher to ~210-220 to minimize start/stop periods or better yet add a couple hunderd gallons pressurized storage...

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

Interesting thoughts on maximum temps, Pellet Dog. Perhaps I've been a little too nervous about that. Maybe I should crank it up! Certainly my I'm nowhere near the boiling point.

I think my HVAC guy suggested 180 as the high temp, but he works mostly with gas and oil burners.

 

[Former Farmer]

or better yet add a couple hunderd gallons pressurized storage...

I tried adding 40 gallons pressurized storage to my boiler with unanticipated results. I thought that it would cut down on pellet consumption, but it actually went up. I have the tank well insulated, but not extremely well insulated. With the loss of heat from the storage, pellet usage went up. The only time that I use it now, is when really cold temperatures are expected and to help the boiler when multiple sources call for heat (DHW, radiant floor, forced air). I have the storage plumbed so I can turn a couple of valves to use it or not.

As a gentleman once told me, you are better off leaving the btu's in the fuel until you actually need them. He was referring to fuels that you can easily control your btu's with.

 

[Pellet_Dog]

I tried adding 40 gallons pressurized storage to my boiler with unanticipated results. I thought that it would cut down on pellet consumption, but it actually went up. I have the tank well insulated, but not extremely well insulated. With the loss of heat from the storage, pellet usage went up. The only time that I use it now, is when really cold temperatures are expected and to help the boiler when multiple sources call for heat (DHW, radiant floor, forced air). I have the storage plumbed so I can turn a couple of valves to use it or not.

As a gentleman once told me, you are better off leaving the btu's in the fuel until you actually need them. He was referring to fuels that you can easily control your btu's with.

Interesting results... How much isulation did you have on your storage tank? 3, 6"? I like to pop into the boiler forum once in a while to check out the gasifier setups. I think the PB105 would be more efficient to run like one of those, once or twice a day at high output to heat up a bunch of water for storage. Some of the water storage setups I've seen over there they build a plywood box 6-12" larger than the storage tank and then cram the space with fiberglass insulation. I think the 1/2" foam insulation on the boiler is poor and could be improved upon. The biggest heat loss from the boiler is probably from having the combustion fan run after it shuts off. It must run a good half hour after shutting off and sucks about 10 degrees of water temperature out of the boiler and sends it up the chimney. Any way to reduce this fan run time after shut off or the number of start/stop cylces during the day would surely decrease pellet usage in a well insulated system.

 

[Former Farmer]

I took an industrial water heater and gutted the electric elements and controls out and then took and stuffed the area with 6" bat insulation. I forget what the actual heater is rated for insulation value. I was thinking about possibly wrapping the unit with a water heater blanket, but I didn't think that it would help that much, so I'll just use it when the weather gets real cold to help with high demands.