Harman P61 Black marks on Fire Bricks in fire box?

Don

Given this last info, I think you might be on the right path here.

I wont ask if the venting is clean, I am sure you are on that. You mention it happens during startup with a lot of pellets in the pot. Is it possible that there is an issue on startup feeding too many pellets or not igniting normally and then clearing out after ignition?

I say this caus a friend XXV is acting like this where it is really filling the burn pot before ignition ans the flame is HUGE and billowing until the pot clears out. Then all is OK. If there were fire brick, they would likely be blackened by the startup.

 

You are spot on G that that $21 flame guide becomes $38 by the time it gets to me

 

Update. I'm now convinced that the flame guide is the fix. The black marks on my firebricks are gone. I brushed the firebrick with a paintbrush yesterday when I cleaned the stove and they wouldn't come off. Got up this AM and they're now gone.

 

glad to hear you got it, Swabbie. Sometimes things can "look ok to me", but in reality, they might not be. I actually replace my guide every 2 years, needed or not. I was amused by that great deal of a $21 guide, plus shipping, is likely considerably more than a local retail would charge, including tax. I say that, because we are more for that flame guide than Woodsman.....we are $26, plus 6.025% sales tax ($1.63).....and we have them in stock.

 

just for the heck of it, did you try replacing the flame guide with a new one? Seems to me it worked for Subbie above, and you seem to be spending alot of time diagnosing things when the answer could be right in front of you for less than $30. I know what we pay our techs, and chasing ghosts is much more expensive than making easy replacements, as I am sure you are aware.
Look out the door and see hoof prints in the snow?.......don't go looking for Zebras, try to find the pony first...

 

Will when you are ready to buy, think about giving these guys a shot - I've had real good luck with them. They gave me a great price on a new auger motor and a nice repeat customer discount when I bought the replacement slide plate for the P68. pellethead.com - they also sell on ebay under the name esesstoves.

 

Very true!! Many techs and auto mechanics ignore or forget the basics.

The friend of mine with the XXV issue also has an issue of the stove not shutting down at all when turned off-it just winds down to a maint burn and stays there until out of pellets or the power is pulled.

It has to be either the ESP or more likely the board. Is on a surge protector but they have really bad power there. I have removed, cleaned and re-seated the board and all connections. The ESP has been cleaned as well as the exhaust path.

 

Are you talking about Woodmans or someone else?

 

Update 2: After turning the stove back to normal levels today due to solar gain, the black marks are back. Not to the extent shown in Don's picture, but they are there. I'm assuming running the stove really high last night scrubbed the marks off. So I'll deal with them this year and report back next year after I replace my combustion blower this summer.

 

pellethead.com - they also sell on ebay under the name esesstoves.

 

How old is your stove?

 

2008 model. Bought in March 2009. My flame guide was original.

 

Do you have an OAK?

 

Yes.

 

slam the door a few times.....might be the damper is sticking

 

With my luck the glass would break.

 

Hi
I have an older P61 here that has a new igniter, distribution blower and new control panel that has buildup similar to that. It still has the old combustion blower so by process of elimination, it does seem that replacing the combustion blower may be the fix! Are you going to try that sometime subsailor?

 

That's my plan for next summer. I've been suspicious of it or quite some time now.

 

My friend has a lazy flame now and here are the settings. It was cleaned inside and out just last week!
Any comments?

 

We just changed the feed adjuster to the recommended 4 setting. What a difference!!!
At 4 it must have increased the voltage to the combustion blower!
Maybe that is the fix? Subsailor what are your settings?