P series Harman users what's your secret to cheap pellets ?

[P38X2]

Doh! Nevermind. Read both descriptions. One says plastic bristles, the other steel. Grr

ETA- For ney website states they are plastic bristles. The search continues...

 

[P38X2]

Ha ha, I may not know what I'm doing yet but I have a brass brush!! Kind of on the small side. I believe I got that from Grainger, they may have a larger one. But this is shaped like a scrub brush or small steel bristled welders brush. Its brass though.

Ah rats excuse me. Its soft steel.

Well, you want some sort of metal so it doesn't melt. Check out the link above. You'll prob find that shape brush will be far easier to use, but again, they're plastic bristles. Anyway, that's what I use on a cold stove.

 

[Harman Lover 007]

I bet your stove is running just fine. I'm telling you, you spoiled yourself with the DF's.

Exactly...its like buying the best single malt scotch in the world and then comparing it to the crap in a nip bottle....

 

[RKS130]

I see. By more often what are you describing as time intervals. Could you run the stove overnight without a messy flame? I could not for instance If you can then I wonder what's up!

I run the stove for days without a messy flame. By "more often" I mean that midway between my regular cleanings - or when I see my burning pellets arcing in the burn pot - i turn down the stove and scrape the burn pot. Beyond that, I have had no reason to do more then I ever did.

 

[alternativeheat]

Exactly...its like buying the best single malt scotch in the world and then comparing it to the crap in a nip bottle....

Well guys, I would have lost my dollar bill to who it was that said I have an air leak. No, not because of the bill slipping but while I was at work my wife went out and got a new Bic grill lighter with plenty of fuel in it. I just got home from work and the entire lower edge of the ash door was sucking flame in. As well as the right lower corner and up about two inches. I found the ash pan not quite back all the way inside but that should just push in if the door was against it. I puckered up the gasket a bit and that sort of stopped a good part of the lower edge from leaking but not all of it. Doesn't suck as hard on the Bic flame. I should say especially that lower corner is still leaking. Now to find out why, the gasket looks in good shape, not torn.. I'm on here while the stove is in shut down. I knew this was not normal, too many people burn these two brands of pellets, ya some extra scraping but not every two or three hours in the case of the Fireside Ultras..

 

[P38X2]

Rut roh

 

[tonyd]

Replaced my door gasket with 1/2 inch not 3/8. Door closes to easy with 3/8.

 

[DOLLARBILL]

bottom line if they are not top shelf pellets your going to clean more often end of story

 

[alternativeheat]

Replaced my door gasket with 1/2 inch not 3/8. Door closes to easy with 3/8.

Ash door ?

 

[alternativeheat]

bottom line if they are not top shelf pellets your going to clean more often end of story

Not quite, I have an air leak in the bottom door.

 

[alternativeheat]

Replaced my door gasket with 1/2 inch not 3/8. Door closes to easy with 3/8.

I just did mine with half inch as well, they have it at the hardware store. Looks like I still have a tiny leak at that right corner, very small, it lazily draws in the flame there. No other leak though. Well it's going to run the night like this, compared with the entire lower part of the door suckng in air it's got to be better than it was. I'll address this tomorrow or so.

 

[Don2222]

I haven't had problems with any of the 6 or 7 brands I have tried. If be curious to hear what others say because I have heard pretty good things about FSUs

X2, but the Selkirk DT venting makes the ash more lite and fluffy for far less carbon buildup!. That is our secret!

Nice vacuum cleanout for venting too!
See pic below. Click to Enlarge:

 

[P38X2]

I just did mine with half inch as well, they have it at the hardware store. Looks like I still have a tiny leak at that right corner, very small, it lazily draws in the flame there. No other leak though. Well it's going to run the night like this, compared with the entire lower part of the door suckng in air it's got to be better than it was. I'll address this tomorrow or so.

Glad you got it mostly straightened out. Was the OEM gasket installed shoddily from the factory? Twisted or bunched or something?

You should have a bit better luck with the mid grade pellets now.

 

[alternativeheat]

Glad you got it mostly straightened out. Was the OEM gasket installed shoddily from the factory? Twisted or bunched or something?

You should have a bit better luck with the mid grade pellets now.

The gasket looked pretty good. But it was allowing considerable air in along that bottom edge, you could see the clean door panel there where the rest of the door had ash film on it. It was like an eyebrow of clean door about 4 inches long where the incoming air didn't allow ash to build on that part of the inside of the door. The corner leak was smaller. I don't know what the flaw was but replacing the 3/8" gasket with 1/2" does allow the door to close a bit tighter and at that it's not a strain on the hinges. So maybe a door fit problem at the factory that I'm just taking up with more gasket perhaps ? I see no provision for adjustment in the door.

I'm going to read that power strip voltage now before work or it will bug me all day ! Edit: 120.3V with the stove running. Also, i ran a mix of Spruce Pointe, Fireside Ultra, a few DF and some Okan Premiums ( finishing up 1/4 and half full bags) in the stove last night. Had a beard of ash this morning but stove was running fine, I just wiped it off and scraped under the fire but no carbon deposits at all on the pot.. 12 deg outside, 73 in my dining room.

 

[P38X2]

Well, alternativeheat, just gave my stove a quick clean and checked out my ash pan door. Looked like it always has, which is where the problem was. Same thing as yours...lower right hand corner. My tell tale sign of an air leak was about 3" high and 8" wide! I can't believe I've seen that so many times and yet it never registered as an air leak. I'm usually meticulous about making sure everything is in order, yet since day one, the door has been leaking. Humbling, for sure. Definite DUH moment. Aside from the clean spot on the door, it also failed the "lighter" test.

Anyway, rather than replacing the gasket, I simply tapped the lower hinge pivot tab, using a hammer and screwdriver, towards the back of the stove a bit. Did it a tiny bit at a time. After a couple attempts, it passed the lighter test.

I don't think it'll affect the ash output at all, but it's certainly a problem that needed to be addressed.

Thanks for mentioning it

 

[P38X2]

Here's the evil leak.

 

[alternativeheat]

Here's the evil leak.

View attachment 127337

I cleaned my stove today and I had ash right out to the gasket this time, all the way around the door. Now I have a slight leak above the lower hinge on the upper door. well actually I had it all along, my flame took a dip there some time ago, it hasn't gotten any better !

Glad you found your leak and easy fix as well !!

 

[alternativeheat]

Replaced my door gasket with 1/2 inch not 3/8. Door closes to easy with 3/8.

So tonyd, did you also replace the top door gasket with half inch ?

 

[Bioburner]

Well guys, I would have lost my dollar bill to who it was that said I have an air leak. No, not because of the bill slipping but while I was at work my wife went out and got a new Bic grill lighter with plenty of fuel in it. I just got home from work and the entire lower edge of the ash door was sucking flame in. As well as the right lower corner and up about two inches. I found the ash pan not quite back all the way inside but that should just push in if the door was against it. I puckered up the gasket a bit and that sort of stopped a good part of the lower edge from leaking but not all of it. Doesn't suck as hard on the Bic flame. I should say especially that lower corner is still leaking. Now to find out why, the gasket looks in good shape, not torn.. I'm on here while the stove is in shut down. I knew this was not normal, too many people burn these two brands of pellets, ya some extra scraping but not every two or three hours in the case of the Fireside Ultras..

iceguy4 wins the buck

 

[Enigma869]

Already into my 5th ton of Fireside Ultras. Zero issues. Oddly enough, I've yet to find any burned wood that doesn't leave ash behind. Honestly, even if an ash free pellet existed, I'll let others spend $400+ per ton for them. I'll continue to spend $208 per ton for my Fireside Ultras.

 

[alternativeheat]

Already into my 5th ton of Fireside Ultras. Zero issues. Oddly enough, I've yet to find any burned wood that doesn't leave ash behind. Honestly, even if an ash free pellet existed, I'll let others spend $400+ per ton for them. I'll continue to spend $208 per ton for my Fireside Ultras.

$219 here FWIW. I think I like LG's better anyway ( $285 a ton), they seem to contain more heat ! But yes, point well taken thanks. The real thing is this, if they work great for you then certainly burn them, I would too.

 

[tonyd]

I replaced my gasket a couple of times. Feeling I stretched the gasket installing it the first time I removed it and took the time not to bunch it up the second time. I thought I had it right. After visiting the local stove shop I noticed the doors on the new stoves close with much more resistance. Stove shop owner pointed to the same gasket I installed on mine so I went up an 1/8. Seems to close with a little more resistance then with the 3/8. Im happy. I think the replacement (rope on the spools) at the shops are not as dense as what comes from Harman. But it was a Harman dealer . But it is a fancy True Value. Who knows???

 

[alternativeheat]

I replaced my gasket a couple of times. Feeling I stretched the gasket installing it the first time I removed it and took the time not to bunch it up the second time. I thought I had it right. After visiting the local stove shop I noticed the doors on the new stoves close with much more resistance. Stove shop owner pointed to the same gasket I installed on mine so I went up an 1/8. Seems to close with a little more resistance then with the 3/8. Im happy. I think the replacement (rope on the spools) at the shops are not as dense as what comes from Harman. But it was a Harman dealer . But it is a fancy True Value. Who knows???

So you did the main door as well as ash door?

 

[tonyd]

Main door. No ash door on the Accentra.

 

[alternativeheat]

Main door. No ash door on the Accentra.

Got it !!