Harman p43 5 blink status light

Well I ordered a new burn pot, 2 burn pot gaskets, exhaust gasket and glass gasket. I gave my stove a good cleaning today and took all the pellets out, sucked out the fines box, sucked out the hopper and the slide door. Filled it up with some blazers and still wouldn’t light. So I lit it since it never starts after I clean it for some reason. Let it go and just a little while ago I wanted to start it to make sure it started after I went to bed and still wouldn’t fire up. So now I put it to stove temp and just turned it almost all the way down because last time I had it on stove temp I put it on 3 and woke up and it was 90 in my house. So I’m hoping this is the problem and it will be fixed after I install everything. If it’s not then I have no clue what it could be.

 

I didn't see anywhere that you replaced the igniter. When you start your stove you should feel warm pellets after a couple of minutes, and long before you start getting too many pellets in the pot. my igniter was 50 ohms and refusing to light. the new one is 50 ohms as well, but works mint!

 

I saw that the OP ordered a bunch of parts, but I didn't see a "flame guide" or what he called a "flame tamer"....is that part of the burnpot, or separate? From what LW states, it's way overdue for replacement.

 

Thats a separate part.

 

I think the igniter replacement was discussed in a separate thread. Not sure if it happened but I recall talk about the silicone seal (or lack of it) where the igniter wires exit the back of the stove.

 

I did replace the igniter like 2-3 weeks ago with a stock Harman and new cradle. I siliconed the hoses in the back and where the igniter wires go through. I couldn’t get it to light yesterday so I have it on stove temp and as low as it can go and it’s still 73 in my house . So I pretty much ordered everything I think it could be. Idk maybe the mother board could be going?

 

next time you want to start it up (or induce it with an ice cube on the sensor) keep the door open and see if you feel heat from the igniter after about 2 minutes. if not, and the light says the igniter is on, perhaps your control board has an issue. LW might have some insight here....

 

I did that. It was feeding pellets to where they would go over the edge. Some of the pellets were hot and partially blackened but not burnt. Even when I used the gel and a map gas torch, I got it going and shut the door and it was only lighting on the right side. Wouldn’t work it’s way over unless I kept opening the door and pushing the glowing pellets down into the burn pot and let it go.

 

Maybe Lousyweather can comment on this..... Can Harman ignitors be tested out of the stove like regular cartridge heaters w/ 120v? Do they get red hot the same way?

 

In another thread, you mentioned tinkering with the initial feed program jumper switches. Just to be sure, did those get put back to the normal / default settings in the end? This problem really seems like it could be an air flow issue. Even if the igniter is operating perfectly, without decent air flow through the burnpot, those pellets just aren't going to light up easily. Have you gotten a draft reading with a magnehelic to be sure its in the proper range?

 

Here I yam! Sorry, busy day today with 3 guys out "sick" after the Patriot win last night....go figure....had to do repairs and install....God help us all!

So, not a fan of throwing parts at the stove until you fix it...and I sell parts! A few things, in no particular order, as usual:

Rather than replace the burnpot, did you double gasket it as I mentioned earlier? A gasket is less than $10. If the rear of the stove is warped, it will be slight, and we have found 2 gaskets work pretty well here. Make sure the bolts are tight!

Kinda what ttdberg said above....you may want to check the timing switches on the circuit board. They are the first 3 switches. I wonder what the settings are? You can program them to put LESS pellets into the burnpot on ignition. Possibly too many pellets going by too fast so they don't ignite? As you probably know, the stove will push some pellets into the pot, then stop feeding to ignite them....if ignition fails, it will feed more, usually overflowing the pot, then stop and try and ignite them, and will keep on trying for 35 minutes or so.

Is the igniter cradle bar on correctly? If its not on correctly, it can cause too much air to bypass the igniter.

One of the cheapest parts should be replaced- flame guide- $24-$30....yours is 6 years old....its time, grasshopper

What is the line voltage to the stove at the outlet? If its low, its conceivable your igniter isn't getting enough power to ignite.

You wont know the answer to this, but whats the draft? Pretty important.....on an repair I had today, an 8 year old Accentra Insert, the draft tested to -.17" on high draft (yea, the switch shuts the feeder down at a bit less than -.15"), which is way too marginal. The combustion fan was making a racket, replaced it, then got a high draft of -.42"....muuuuch better. Not enough draft means less airflow thru the igniter, less likely to light. In this case the combustion fan was tired....and the distribution fan wasn't turning at all

I don't think I would blame the burnpot. I also don't think you should replace the circuit board (yet)

You can test an igniter....just check resistance between the two connectors....ought to be 43-50 ohms. If you're crazy interested and have nothing better to do, you can take the igniter out and hook to line voltage with a pigtail...it gets stupid hot, burns the countertop, etc....no need...

When igniting with an autoigniting Harman, don't open the door....let it do its job. Open the door and you mess up draft and the starting sequence. I vaguely recall a tech memo a while back saying that in the E revision boards, opening the door when it ignites totally resets the sequence, volcanoes erupt in the heartland, you find out your kids aren't yours, etc....just don't open that Pandoras box! You shouldn't need to monkey with them upon ignition. Noones gonna do it at 3 am when your sleeping, so you could wake to a cold stove.

How about the feeder weldment cover in the rear of the stove? is it on tight?

ah....time to take my medicine....

 

I’m going to try and do a draft test this weekend. The duo switches are actually set up to feed 20 seconds less then stock

 

I did order 2 burn pot gaskets. Waiting on them to be delivered. I did put the first 3 switched to off, off, on which should feed for 21 seconds Less. The bar should be on right because I took out the stock one and matched it up to the new one to make sure. I did order a new flame tamer that’s on its way too. Idk what board I have in it. It’s the stock board from 2012. I think when I take the burn pot off and put the new gaskets on I’ll take and test the igniter. I did replace the combustion blower with an oem one like 3 years ago I think. My stock one was making some crazy noises. I kept it just Incase I get into a jam but yeah. All of this stuff has just started this year for some reason except it not starting right after I do a good cleaning on it. It never really started after I clean it. Idk why but, I think this weekend I’m going to try and take the pipe apart this weekend and check everything I can. It’s just a pain. I actually feel that if I have it on stove temp and all the way down to 1 it would be cooler in my house then 73.

 

YES! Found that out,accidentally,do not open the door on the light up cycle,shuts it down,sometimes does not go back into light mode,LOL,old board would not do that,would just keep doing light up,after shutting door.

 

I have an old board. My stove is a 2012 so idk what series it is

 

part number and revision version is marked on the board.My old board is a 2006,I repaired it,but the newer version burns so much cleaner,it is just a spare.

 

Probably a D or E revision......if you get a new board it will be an F revision....unless whoever you're buying them from has old parts.....will still work, just make sure switch 5 is set correctly

 

on the newest boards, rev D, E, F, the factory settings for the first 3 switches is on-on-on, for the P61a. One thing I've noticed is that sometimes there isn't enough pellets augured in on initial start to get the pellets over the igniter, and it wont light on the first cycle, usually the second.....pretty rare, but it happens. Earlier version boards...A, B, C, are off-off-off for factory settings....doesn't matter which ESP

 

It’s different first 3 for the p43 right? Do you think I should try subtracting more time off? Mine seems to add to much pellets. Idk why but

 

I would go back to original factory settings, which seemed to work before, and look for the actual problem. I'd gave to check a chart to see what the original 43 Settings should be, I'm mobile now and cant