why is my burnpot filling up with this type of ash?

[wally1234]

I have a Harmon p52i insert with OAK installed. All of a sudden my stove hasn't been burning the way it used to. I mean yes it works and outputs heat, but my burnpot is filled with lots of ash, but it looks like the pellets are not 100% burned. Keeps over flowing, and I even tried to adjust the feed rate which I normally never touch. No matter what setting, the burnpot fills with this type of ash.

I am using the same type of pellets for years (hammers or lacrete's), never had this issue until now. I run it on stove temp (basically I never touch any settings). Nothing new has changed. The flame "sometimes" the flame wont burn how it used to.

I am not used to see alot of ash build up all the time such as this and if I do have ash build up, they usually are broken down more.

Any one have an idea of whats happening?

 

[johneh]

Not being a Harman guy and not knowing if that fire is correct
my first impression is the lack of Combustion Air
I 'd try a complete stove cleaning

 

[wally1234]

Not being a Harman guy and not knowing if that fire is correct
my first impression is the lack of Combustion Air
I 'd try a complete stove cleaning

good point I should do the obvious stuff first. I do have a outside air intake kit installed. My question is, is there anything I can do to adjust for more airflow or once its installed, it just does its job and no manual intervention needed?

 

[Dataman]

You can keep the air flapper open 100%. That helps get more air. Magnet will do it. (Strong One). Do not want it falling off. I had problem with air once and tried that it helped. But my problem was I had metal cloth for blocking birds still installed in chimney (keep they outside). Oops.

 

[jackman]

The pot looks pretty full. I'd turn down the feed rate and run it another day. I scrape the ash out daily. You might also want to try a different brand of pellets.

 

[Washed-Up]

Flame looks lazy, also try cleaning the burnpot holes

 

[tbear853]

My old Vermont Castings Reliance is an awful lot like a Harmon, it even has Harmon's name in places on parts internally, and my burn pot looks exactly like yours now because I put a new Harmon one on it. I've seen it do that very thing a time or two, usually it was a build up of ash in the "room" under the burn pot grate which was restricting the passage of air being pulled through the holes from below. Then the fix was to shut the stove off, let it cool good, then loosen two winged bolts under the burn pot and use a shop vac to clean it out.

The other issue was my original 1992 burn pot developed some cracks along the front weld that let air bypass the business part. New burn pot fixed that.

On mine, and likely your Harmon stove or insert, there is a powered fan blowing flue gasses out, but as it does so, it pulls air into the burn pot upwards and through the fire enabling combustion , then through heat exchanger tubes where it heats other fresh air for room distribution, then that hot used combustion air gets shoved out the flue by the exhaust fan. The exhaust fan moves "X" amount of air per minute, all of it needs to go through the fire. Any restriction due to build up, or bypasing due to cracks, reduces combustion completeness.

 

[wally1234]

You can keep the air flapper open 100%. That helps get more air. Magnet will do it. (Strong One). Do not want it falling off. I had problem with air once and tried that it helped. But my problem was I had metal cloth for blocking birds still installed in chimney (keep they outside). Oops.

I have OAK installed, not sure what you mean by flapper. I dont think I have an option to adjust air, there is not button, lever I can adjust. Maybe I am looking something.

*I solved my issue by the way, under the burnpot was filled with ash!

 

[wally1234]

Flame looks lazy, also try cleaning the burnpot holes

This! burnpot was clogged, also, under the burnpot clean out, it was filled with ash! I cleaned it out and it did the trick.

I had no idea that the outside air comes through underneath the burnpot. I assumed it was pulled somewhere in the box. I learned something new.

My question is though, I see many folks talking about adjusting the air, but how? I have a OAK installed, I dont have a lever to adjust, air just comes in.

 

[Dataman]

I have OAK installed, not sure what you mean by flapper. I dont think I have an option to adjust air, there is not button, lever I can adjust. Maybe I am looking something.

*I solved my issue by the way, under the burnpot was filled with ash!

Glad you solved it. But there is flapper in the OAK Inlet. if it's not working correctly you will have problems. Here is some pictures from another post. https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/harmon-p68-airflow-issues.188449/

 

[wally1234]

thanks for your reply. Interesting, I dont think I have ever seen that on my stove. The flu comes down the chimney and it is screwed into my stoves frame (?). I have never see a flap like that. Next I pull it out, I will have to take a look further.

 

[Dataman]

Nothing to do with the Flu or Exhaust. It's OAK (Outside Air). Unless it got removed, on Harmon it's there.

Harman Accentra 52i Outside Air Assembly, 1-00-574350

Harman Accentra52i and the Accentra52i-TC outside Air Assembly. Provide a sealed conduit for incoming combustion air when used with an outside air kit, commonly called an OAK. Kit Contents: Air intake adapter 3 inch pipe stub Pipe stub gasket 4- 1/4-20 X 3/8 Flange head bolts 5- #10 Tek Screws...

pellet-stove-parts-4less.com

 

[Cincinnati Kid]

This! burnpot was clogged, also, under the burnpot clean out, it was filled with ash! I cleaned it out and it did the trick.

I had no idea that the outside air comes through underneath the burnpot. I assumed it was pulled somewhere in the box. I learned something new.

My question is though, I see many folks talking about adjusting the air, but how? I have a OAK installed, I dont have a lever to adjust, air just comes in.

You can’t adjust the combustion air on a Harman stove. Other stoves might have an air adjustment but Harman’s do not. It’s done automatically.

 

[wally1234]

You can’t adjust the combustion air on a Harman stove. Other stoves might have an air adjustment but Harman’s do not. It’s done automatically.

its what I figured because I dont see anything where I am able to. thank you