P61a blower issue

[xjarcher]

I have a P61a with an older board and a red ESP(changed position of DIP 5). My blower won't stay on high and the distribution LED varies in intensity. The dist. blower motor is new last year. I've tried resets and it doesn't help. No fault codes. Connections are as factory and solid. Connection at board is solid.
Thanks in advance!

 

[Harman Lover 007]

Sounds like your potentiometers (pots) are going bad. Very common issue. There are three on the board. Some have good luck using keyboard cleaner or compressed air in an aerosol can to clean them. Do a search for Harman pots and that will get you a lot of hits.

 

[Bioburner]

I am with 007. The pots have got to go. Three for $21 on ebay. Not a hard project if one has some soldering experience or find a computer repair shop and have them do the swap.

 

[rona]

I have a P61a with an older board and a red ESP(changed position of DIP 5). My blower won't stay on high and the distribution LED varies in intensity. The dist. blower motor is new last year. I've tried resets and it doesn't help. No fault codes. Connections are as factory and solid. Connection at board is solid.
Thanks in advance!

Get some spray called DeoxiT Fader 5 from either Amazon or E-bay. it is a special contact cleaner and lub made for Plastic controllers. I tried some after somebody else recommended it and truthfully am amazed at how well it worked. Just spray a little on each control then turn the knobs back and forth a little. They will work like new.

 

[xjarcher]

I'll talk with my neighbor who is a repair tech for a local TV station. He may have some deoxIT. If I can get the part numbers for Feebay I'll order them. it's my only heat source so I have to get them and then do some quick soldering.

 

[Bioburner]

Stove should hardly cool down with how little time it takes to do. thibs23 is the seller

 

[xjarcher]

Got some contact cleaner and gave the board a good once over. Blower works but I'm still getting pellet overfeed. New pots or a new board will be in the works so I have some backup options.

 

[Bioburner]

If you wore out the distribution-room fan I would think the exhaust fan would be under suspicion too. 99.99 at Amazon.
But when was the last time you replaced or tested the door gaskets? $10 kit to replace the gaskets and under an hour to do. Average life around five years it seems. I noticed a marked change in a four year stove in flame and pellet consumption.

 

[xjarcher]

All door gaskets are on season 2.0 I replaced the blower motor because I dropped it and it got noisy following that. I'll check the gaskets tomorrow when I clean it tomorrow after work. Might as well check everything. Too cold here today to shut it down (12* wind chill -5*F).

 

[Bioburner]

-8 here todays high. Don't hurt to check the gaskets and double check the ESP for being clean. Some owners have went up in size on the gasketing to 1/2 and you can pull it a bit to shrink it down some instead of the 3/8 factory rope

 

[xjarcher]

I'm sure the 1/2 will be cheaper as the 3/8 is designated "harman" and we know what that does. ESP is brand new yesterday @ 10:00am. I'll try the dollar test when I add some fuel.

 

[Bioburner]

I have bought the kits at Menards with the graphite impregnated rope and all the same price for 6 feet.

 

[Bioburner]

The idea is that a leak will allow cool air through the stove and not draw hot air through the pot and ESP sees lower temp and so feeds more fuel.
Just had someone with a very new stove with stretched out gasket not sealing and noticed insides of stove getting black fouling up the glass.

 

[xjarcher]

What color should the ash on the glass be? I read years ago that if it was grayish and along the sides/top of the glass it was running good.

 

[Bioburner]

Sometimes depends on the pellets. I don't or should say have not burnt straight pellets for some years in my Harman and can't remember what the color

 

[xjarcher]

What do you burn? I've added some corn from time to time.

 

[Bioburner]

Close to half corn because the crosslink does not like me using the reflector and stirrer. Unable to idle down enough. So the happy medium is half cheap pellets and mixed with corn at the current price of $110T using the pellet tray.

 

[xjarcher]

I replaced the gaskets and the board. Stove still does exact symptoms as above. No igniter and the blower is on high at all times. Bio- any ideas as to what to try now?

 

[Bioburner]

By chance have you checked the power outlet for polarity? Couple stoves this season have acted up because of this seemingly minor issue.
I am out of ideas without being there and looking at things first hand.

 

[xjarcher]

I wired the outlet and know it's correct and I'm on a grounded power strip. This is the 5th year with this stove and nothing like this has happened before. Once I get it going with starting gel etc. it runs fantastic. I cleaned the grounds as well this morning. Stove had been running well aside from gasket issue. I cleaned it, replaced the ESP (went from a black to a red, flipped 5 per directions and presto. No igniter.

 

[Bioburner]

If the stove has same issues with different board there is something outside of the stove influencing it maybe? Your not using a surge suppressor or UPS with a power monitor so maybe they cheaped out on power strip and not wired correctly(most made in China) Lot of the cheaper surge strips are not good for that many hits. I just replaced a GFI before Xmas that was fouling up my entertainment center power after ten years.

 

[xjarcher]

I get the same result if I go straight to the wall though. Polarity is correct the outlet and the strip. Correct voltage at both as well. 15a breaker, first outlet on the circuit with only a fan after it. What does the igniter plug into? perhaps we have another failed part.

 

[Bioburner]

The rest of the p series is different than the PC45 with the pressure ignition system so I can't give you any assistance

 

[mik_kane]

I'll talk with my neighbor who is a repair tech for a local TV station. He may have some deoxIT. If I can get the part numbers for Feebay I'll order them. it's my only heat source so I have to get them and then do some quick soldering.

Here are the pots for the Harman on Ebay
3 100k Harman Pellet or Coal Stove Control Potentiometers
(broken link removed to http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-100k-Harman-Pellet-or-Coal-Stove-Control-Potentiometers/172069758468?_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D34492%26meid%3Db556ff34fcf840ec93579eb904288ba7%26pid%3D100011%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D3%26sd%3D121836587169)

 

[Bioburner]

Here are the pots for the Harman on Ebay
3 100k Harman Pellet or Coal Stove Control Potentiometers
(broken link removed to http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-100k-Harman-Pellet-or-Coal-Stove-Control-Potentiometers/172069758468?_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D34492%26meid%3Db556ff34fcf840ec93579eb904288ba7%26pid%3D100011%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D3%26sd%3D121836587169)

He replaced the board and problem with igniter still persists