Whistling in Harmon XXV

[Robert Tee]

Harmon XXV in second season. Generally very happy, burning almost 24/7. Began high pitched whistling sound on and off in last 2-3 weeks. Main door gasket is flattened along top and a one corner. Am I correct in assuming a new gasket is the correct fix? Is there any danger of leakage (carbon monoxide or otherwise)?

 

[johneh]

carbon monoxide or otherwise not very likely
the combustion fan sucks air into the fire box
and exhausts it ( fire box under slight vacuum)
I have never experienced a whistle for a door gasket
normally a bearing starting to go in one of the fan motors
but first time for everything

 

[Oregun]

Does the pitch of the whistle change if you press on the door (with gloves) while its squealing?
If so then I would change the gasket.

 

[Robert Tee]

Does the pitch of the whistle change if you press on the door (with gloves) while its squealing?
If so then I would change the gasket.

Not noticeably.

 

[fedtime]

Harmon XXV in second season. Generally very happy, burning almost 24/7. Began high pitched whistling sound on and off in last 2-3 weeks. Main door gasket is flattened along top and a one corner. Am I correct in assuming a new gasket is the correct fix? Is there any danger of leakage (carbon monoxide or otherwise)?

The dreaded Harman auger squeal will sometimes sound like a whistle - at least it does in my Accentra. Of course, it will only make the sound when the auger is turning, so it is quite easy to diagnose.

 

[MarkF48]

May or may not help.... in your cleaning procedure do you clean/vacuum out the 'box' where the fines collect? It may be coincidence, but when my XXV starts a high pitched 'whistle'/squeal when the auger is feeding pellets, it sometimes seems to help when I clean this out. Not sure if something binds slightly that may cause it.

 

[srimps]

The dreaded Harman auger squeal will sometimes sound like a whistle - at least it does in my Accentra. Of course, it will only make the sound when the auger is turning, so it is quite easy to diagnose.

The XXV "squeal" for me occurs when i get too much build up at the end of the auger burning at partial load (spring / fall) with cheap pellets. It plugs up the a groove that the tip of the auger coincides with and occurs like you said - when the auger turns. If your whistle occurs during auger turning, look into this groove and clean with a dental type tool, or check the fines box as someone else mentioned. In light loads I'll make sure to run it wide open every once in awhile too. Helps clean the end of the auger area from the leftovers of not so perfect combustion.

I get a whistle every now in then after a fresh scraping of the burn pot. I'll open the hopper and it goes away until its closed and comes back. Goes away on its own after a few minutes though. Only happens to me on burn pot scrapes.

 

[tjmuenc]

Thinking I found my squeal, after cleaning everything in sight, still had a squeal. My latest idea was in the feeder assembly. On the Feeder pusher arm (on the right side in the assembly) on the shaft are metal extensions right next to the metal on the end. Fines were attached and when I was cleaning seems like grease. So I clean around it and lightly greased. Have not run stove after but will soon and report.
That did take care of that squeal.
In 2018 had a additional squeal, near shaft that runs into gearbox in rear of stove. Small drop of good oil there did the trick.

 

[TStark]

Don't know if they still use the same flapper air inlets, but on my Invincible, the stamped air inlets would whistle sometimes.

Took the parts off and softened the sharp edges of the inlet and flapper with the wire wheel on the bench grinder, no more whistle.

 

[Jmorelle]

The dreaded Harman auger squeal will sometimes sound like a whistle - at least it does in my Accentra. Of course, it will only make the sound when the auger is turning, so it is quite easy to diagnose.

 

[Jmorelle]

Hi started making a high pitch noise, cleaned out the door on the right side with the wing nut it was kind of clean already no luck tried wd40 in the bottom of the Hopper with some wood pellets the sound went away a little but was still there so I tried 5w 30 2 or 3 oz. And some more wood pellets and guess what no noise !! It works

 

[gfreek]

I recently had the dreaded auger squeal on my Harman. I had already cleaned the fines box... I shut it down, emptied the hopper, vacuumed the slider door, cleaned the burn pot, wire brushed what I could of the auger end, wire brushed the tube, scraped the groove at the tube end, sprayed creosote cleaner on the auger, fired it back up and no sound since..