Year old harman p43 left side ignition

[D-mac02]

Hey everyone I'm new to this forum. Just a few days ago I noticed that my p43 when first igniting after cleaning with an empty firebox fills up and only if ignites on the left side. I have searched this forum and done everything everyone suggested. Cleaned the holes in the firebox, cleaned the hoses in the back, checked and cleaned the chimney the pipes and took out the igniter and scraped and cleaned it. Cleaned the probe and still does it. I turned the feed rate down and it still pushed some unburned pellets into the ash pan. Once it burned once it seems to be ok. But when it first ignites it takes forever to work its way over to the right side. Please help! Thanks

 

[boo boo]

Welcome to the forum. My P43 also starts on the left side and so does my in-laws p43 both a year old.
What pellets are you burning? Some pellets take longer to ignite than others or so I have read.

 

[D-mac02]

Hey everyone I'm new to this forum. Just a few days ago I noticed that my p43 when first igniting after cleaning with an empty firebox fills up and only if ignites on the left side. I have searched this forum and done everything everyone suggested. Cleaned the holes in the firebox, cleaned the hoses in the back, checked and cleaned the chimney the pipes and took out the igniter and scraped and cleaned it. Cleaned the probe and still does it. I turned the feed rate down and it still pushed some unburned pellets into the ash pan. Once it burned once it seems to be ok. But when it first ignites it takes forever to work its way over to the right side. Please help! Thanks

I'm burning tractor supply which are "supposedly" lignetics. The best ones I have ever burned were somersets but they don't swell them around here any more. I have burned like 10-15 bags of these and it wasn't till the other day it started to act up. There 100% hardwood so I figured they would be good. I see a lot of people are switching to soft wood or a blend.

 

[boo boo]

I burned TSC pellets early in the season in November before I got my 4 tom of FSU I do remember them taking a bit longer to ignite But not to the point of unburned pellets over flowing. I have a few bags left I have 2 bags left of the TSC I can try to see if this is the case but not until next week. I will post what I see. Maybe someone else will tune in with other causes.

 

[D-mac02]

I burned TSC pellets early in the season in November before I got my 4 tom of FSU I do remember them taking a bit longer to ignite But not to the point of unburned pellets over flowing. I have a few bags left I have 2 bags left of the TSC I can try to see if this is the case but not until next week. I will post what I see. Maybe someone else will tune in with other causes.

Thanks. I don't know what the heck is going on. I have been thru the whole stove. Only thing I didn't do was open the gate on the side of the auger and clean that.

 

[PJPellet]

My pellet stove will ignite on the left side first. I haven't had pellets overflow the burnpot though. My P43 seems to ignite on the left side first quite regularly and I always figured it was normal.

 

[dhall28]

making sure you have a clean stove is a good way to insure fast ignition, but also how many pellets that are fed into the pot on start up matters as well. the feed rate will only change the maximum allowed feed rate once the stove is out of start up phase, the initial feed amount is time based and can be changed by changing some dip switch settings on the control board. I personally found that when the pellets where just touching or kissing the first row of air holes in the burn pot (the row of air holes closest to the auger) I would get very good, low smoke lights. the more pellets past that the longer it would take and the more smoke that was produced.

 

[D-mac02]

making sure you have a clean stove is a good way to insure fast ignition, but also how many pellets that are fed into the pot on start up matters as well. the feed rate will only change the maximum allowed feed rate once the stove is out of start up phase, the initial feed amount is time based and can be changed by changing some dip switch settings on the control board. I personally found that when the pellets where just touching or kissing the first row of air holes in the burn pot (the row of air holes closest to the auger) I would get very good, low smoke lights. the more pellets past that the longer it would take and the more smoke that was produced.

How do you change the dip switch or does it have to be done by a service tech? It seems like when it first starts it almost all the way to the edge of the burn pot before it starts to ignite.

 

[dhall28]

you can change the dip switch settings yourself, it isn't overly difficult but should be done carefully (stove unplugged and gentle with handling of the control board) as far as how to do it, normally you have to remove the control board to get to the dip switches, the first 3 turned in different combinations of on/off will change the amount fed on startup, you will have to find out from some one else what the combination give you what as I am no longer a service tech and don't have that information anymore.

on start up with a totally clean and empty burn pot if you turn the stove on to light it the auger should run and run until it stops, if the point where it stops the pot is completely full of pellets then you should change the dip switch settings to reduce the amount fed in. the stove will try to feed in more pellets after the initial feed in amount if it doesn't sense the fire has started after so many minutes of trying, but this should never occur to a properly running/cleaned/set up stove, it should light well before the control board tries shoving in more pellets, so if the stove does feed in the correct amount on start up and then later shoves in more till over filling the pot then you should look some where else than the dip switch settings...

 

[D-mac02]

you can change the dip switch settings yourself, it isn't overly difficult but should be done carefully (stove unplugged and gentle with handling of the control board) as far as how to do it, normally you have to remove the control board to get to the dip switches, the first 3 turned in different combinations of on/off will change the amount fed on startup, you will have to find out from some one else what the combination give you what as I am no longer a service tech and don't have that information anymore.

on start up with a totally clean and empty burn pot if you turn the stove on to light it the auger should run and run until it stops, if the point where it stops the pot is completely full of pellets then you should change the dip switch settings to reduce the amount fed in. the stove will try to feed in more pellets after the initial feed in amount if it doesn't sense the fire has started after so many minutes of trying, but this should never occur to a properly running/cleaned/set up stove, it should light well before the control board tries shoving in more pellets, so if the stove does feed in the correct amount on start up and then later shoves in more till over filling the pot then you should look some where else than the dip switch settings...

Thanks for the info. I think I found the problem. It was the pellets I was burning. I had pellets from tractor supply and they were supposedly lignetics but they wouldn't completely burn on ignition. I looked today and there was prob about a good 4-5 handfuls of partially burned or non burned pellets. So I went to lowes to try and just find some decent pellets and they had somersets I used them last year and they were amazing. Came home emptied out the hopper and put a bag of these in. What a difference. It's like a damn dragon now. Now just have to find a good feed rate. I have it on 4 but I noticed I have about 2 inches between the edge of the burn pot and the pellets. Should I turn it up or leave it? I have it on room temp setting not stove temp.

 

[jack kunicki]

Thanks for the info. I think I found the problem. It was the pellets I was burning. I had pellets from tractor supply and they were supposedly lignetics but they wouldn't completely burn on ignition. I looked today and there was prob about a good 4-5 handfuls of partially burned or non burned pellets. So I went to lowes to try and just find some decent pellets and they had somersets I used them last year and they were amazing. Came home emptied out the hopper and put a bag of these in. What a difference. It's like a damn dragon now. Now just have to find a good feed rate. I have it on 4 but I noticed I have about 2 inches between the edge of the burn pot and the pellets. Should I turn it up or leave it? I have it on room temp setting not stove temp.

Where in ny you finding somersets? Bet a lot of guys on this forum would appreciate the info.

 

[D-mac02]

Where in ny you finding somersets? Bet a lot of guys on this forum would appreciate the info.

Found them at lowes in Hudson, ny. They might be getting more in next week. Some guy bought the last of the full pallets. He bought them out all 5 tons. I could only get 23 bags. I have been calling around and no one else has them. They best burning pellet I have used so far. Had my stove set at 67-70 and the blower at 1/4 it faces my living room and the living room temp around the corner was 76.2.

 

[jack kunicki]

Found them at lowes in Hudson, ny. They might be getting more in next week. Some guy bought the last of the full pallets. He bought them out all 5 tons. I could only get 23 bags. I have been calling around and no one else has them. They best burning pellet I have used so far. Had my stove set at 67-70 and the blower at 1/4 it faces my living room and the living room temp around the corner was 76.2.

That's funny. I bought 10 bags there a couple of weeks ago.

 

[D-mac02]

That's funny. I bought 10 bags there a couple of weeks ago.

What feed rate are you running on the somersets? Is see you also have a p43.

 

[jack kunicki]

Feed rate @ 4. Room temp mode. Temp set @ 75'. I never really deviate too much from those settings.

 

[D-mac02]

Feed rate @ 4. Room temp mode. Temp set @ 75'. I never really deviate too much from those settings.

How many pellets are you burning? I usually go thru about a bag a day.

 

[jack kunicki]

I'm at least a bag a day. Probably more like a 1.5 bags.

 

[D-mac02]

I'm at least a bag a day. Probably more like a 1.5 bags.

Not to bad for a 75 degree house. I'm going to call lowes next week because there supposed to be getting in 4 trucks of pellets next week. Don't know what kind but I can keep you posted if you want. What kind of pellets are you burning now?

 

[jack kunicki]

Not to bad for a 75 degree house. I'm going to call lowes next week because there supposed to be getting in 4 trucks of pellets next week. Don't know what kind but I can keep you posted if you want. What kind of pellets are you burning now?

I'm burning through 3 tons of presto logs. Not bad. Saving the sets and some other stuff for the cold nights.

 

[D-mac02]

I'm burning through 3 tons of presto logs. Not bad. Saving the sets and some other stuff for the cold nights.

I was calling around and if I can't get somersets I might try and go get firesides at Home Depot.

 

[jack kunicki]

I was calling around and if I can't get somersets I might try and go get firesides at Home Depot.

I haven't seen fsu around. I'd like to try them too.

 

[D-mac02]

I haven't seen fsu around. I'd like to try them too.

I hope Home Depot has fireside if I can't get somersets. I really want somersets though or I might try softwood.

 

[DAKSY]

I'd like to re-open this one. My P43 has been running for 6 years (3 in the A-frame & 3 in the garage) & I've done all the maintenance on it. It's eaten a couple of ESPs ( 3-blink) & I changed them using factory Harman replacement parts. Got up this AM (my daughter was away for Turkey Day) & had a 6-blink & an empty hopper. Shut it off, filled the hopper & fired her up. Room temp auto - 68 degrees - feed rate 3.5... Seemed to take a lot longer to fire & when she did, it's primarily a left side burn
(See attached pic).
The fines box cover is on correctly & the wing nut is hand tight.
I'm thinking that the gasket inside the fines box cover has failed...
It looks like it's compressed on one side & it may be letting air in...
Thoughts?

 

[D-mac02]

I'm no professional but there are way to many pellets feeding so it doesn't have enough time to properly ignite them. Try messing with the dip switches and take out the igniter and clean it.

 

[F4jock]

I'd like to re-open this one. My P43 has been running for 6 years (3 in the A-frame & 3 in the garage) & I've done all the maintenance on it. It's eaten a couple of ESPs ( 3-blink) & I changed them using factory Harman replacement parts. Got up this AM (my daughter was away for Turkey Day) & had a 6-blink & an empty hopper. Shut it off, filled the hopper & fired her up. Room temp auto - 68 degrees - feed rate 3.5... Seemed to take a lot longer to fire & when she did, it's primarily a left side burn
(See attached pic).
The fines box cover is on correctly & the wing nut is hand tight.
I'm thinking that the gasket inside the fines box cover has failed...
It looks like it's compressed on one side & it may be letting air in...
Thoughts?

Did you clean the ignigter chamber and start with a fairly clean firebox? I've noticed that if I don't do that for a few restarts I tend to get a slower start and burn. Never shoved pellets over the edge though.