P-43 - Can I make the Pellet Drop a bit less noisey

[SJL-RI]

Link Removed Link Removed Hello All - can't thank everyone enough for all the assistance on this forum. It was incredibly helpful in helping me decide on the purchase of a Harman P-43 from a great dealer here in RI. We just got it and we used it for the first time last evening. I think it will do a terrific job heating a good portion of our 2400 square foot home and are excited to watch the oil man drive by this winter!!

Here is my question for all the very experienced forum members. Our stove is placed on the first floor in a room that is open and has an open center staircase leading to the upstairs. In order to get heat into the bedrooms we will keep the bedroom doors open. As last night was the first time we tried this, we were a surprised at the noise from the pellets dropping. While the blower noise was not bad turned down to low, the sound of the pellets dropping all night was more disturbing than we had hoped for. It seems to simply be the concept of hard pellets hitting metal as they drop. Is there not some way to alter that contact area to dampen the sound?

Forgive me if this has already been discussed as I did not see it in a couple of searches I did. Also, I have yet to take it apart to do cleaning so I am not sure of the feed mechanism and whether or not any alterations could be made in this regard.

In honor of the newbie requirements, I am posting a picture of my new stove and some info below in my tagline. Thanks for any thoughts you may all have!!

Looking forward to the first cold one while watching the first snow fall ....near our comfy new stove!!

SJL - Coventry RI
Harman P-43 Installed August 2013
2400sq/ft 2 story home - using to supplement oil heat
Burning Barefoot Super Premium Pellets

 

[smoke show]

Isn't the P43 bottom feed?

 

[DAKSY]

Isn't the P43 bottom feed?

Yeah, but the pellets drop from the hopper thru a small door into the horizontally positioned auger.
Kinda makes a "tink-tink-tink" sound...
Mine BOTH make noise, but I guess I'm used to it & don't notice after 5 years...

 

[smoke show]

try softwood.

 

[SJL-RI]

Isn't the P43 bottom feed?

Yes, I believe it is but I imagine the pellets are dropping from the hopper down to the feed mechanism that then feeds from the bottom. The noise is coming from the dropping phase not the feeding phase.

 

[Bioburner]

Minor price to pay as you get to watch the fuel truck drive by. Checked our 200 gallon LP tank yesterday and still has 60% after two heating seasons.

 

[Pelletfisky]

Our P43 has been in the dining room at the bottom of the stairway leading to the bedrooms for three years. That tink tink noise is actual music to my ears. I know its running but even a fan running would drown that noise out.

 

[Bioburner]

When the real heating season kicks in and the fan runs instead of the stove idling you probably wont notice it.

 

[imacman]

Yes, I believe it is but I imagine the pellets are dropping from the hopper down to the feed mechanism that then feeds from the bottom. The noise is coming from the dropping phase not the feeding phase.

After a while, you won't even notice it.

 

[SJL-RI]

hmmm....while I agree I might not notice it in time I am not so sure about my light sleeping wife! : )

 

[imacman]

hmmm....while I agree I might not notice it in time I am not so sure about my light sleeping wife! : )

With the house being nice & warm & cozy with the pellet heat, she'll get used to it too.

 

[flynfrfun]

I don't know anything about the Harman, but I wonder if some high heat silicone pad placed where the pellets drop would fix it? Assuming that part of the stove doesn't get hotter than about 400F?

 

[SJL-RI]

Thanks much for the suggestion flynfrfun.... I am thinking something like that but don't know enough about this new stove to know if it is even possible without creating a hazard or disrupting the pellet feed too much.... hoping someone has been down this road before and has some thoughts.

 

[briansol]

does the oil furnace kicking on wake her?
or the click/clanking of water going through the radiators?

its just another sound that will be used to and ignored after a couple nights.

 

[smoke show]

If it was the same tone as your voice, she would never even hear it...

 

[mithesaint]

hmmm....while I agree I might not notice it in time I am not so sure about my light sleeping wife! : )

I'm a light sleeper as well. My 10 CPM is not known for being a quiet stove, but the only time it wakes me up is when it turns off. It will be the sudden quiet that wakes you up, not the noise. She'll get used to the noise.

 

[briansol]

what bothers me the most is the actual flame/light. it bounces a bit and I can see it form my bed. I often wake up in the middle of the night and think the whole downstairs is on fire, only to stick my head out and see a nice happy flame behind the glass.

 

[Harman Lover 007]

As a Harman owner for 17 years, the "tinkling" sound you hear is a Harman characteristic. You won't even hear it after a while and there is nothing you can do about it. Have the wife start complaining about something else!!

 

[SJL-RI]

You are all probably right.....just will take some getting use to ... sounds like it "is what it is" as old BB would say....

 

[nayslayer]

Don't worry, the blower will drown out the pellet noise soon.

 

[midfielder]

Man, I feel your pain. My wife is hyper-sensitive to sound. It's ok if she's the one making it, but anything or anyone else's sound - schneikies! Because of that, I built a custom draft unit to replace the stock exhaust blower on my stove. It's outside on the end of my exhaust pipe - no sound at all from that in the house. My rotary convection blower and auger motor mounts are all on custom rubber bushings to isolate their vibration from the body of the stove and hyper-lubed. The stove has no agitator. The only sounds the stove makes now are a very low off-and-on hum from the auger motor, the air noise (somewhat louder at higher settings, but still just white noise and not offensive), the slight sound of the convection motor itself (inaudible over the air sound above about half), the very soft rush of the flame itself, and the pellets dropping into the pot. Zero rattles, buzzes, or whine. The thing has got to be the freakin' quietest pellet stove on the planet - about 1/4 the volume of the dishwasher, half the volume of the fridge, quieter than the forced hot air furnace by far, not even close to the range hood . . . Guess what? It still drives her right round the twist. She has to have her TV in another room, etc. Completely irrational, but a fact of life - like my cross to bear. The only advice I have for you is what Lone Wattie in Josey Wales was told by the secretary of the interior: "Endeavor to Persevere!"

 

[Melissa220]

hmmm....while I agree I might not notice it in time I am not so sure about my light sleeping wife! : )

Buy earplugs

 

[Lousyweather]

light sleeper here, as well......I LIKE the sound, as It lets me know everything is working ok!

as for quieting it down.....UL listed appliance.....modifying such causes invalidation of the UL listing....cant recommend it. Embrace the "tinkle-tinkle"!

 

[SJL-RI]

Yup....I think it will be fine in time...thanks all

 

[jtakeman]

Embrace the "tinkle-tinkle"!

Err, can we say that on an open forum?