In loving memory of Kenis D. Keathley 6/4/81 - 3/27/22 Loving father, husband, brother, friend and firewood hoarder Rest in peace, Dexterday

Harman ignitor premature burnout issue. Help!

Discussion in 'Pellet Stoves, Pellet Fireplaces, Pellet Furnaces' started by don2222, Mar 27, 2014.

  1. don2222

    don2222

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    Hello

    Working on a 7 year old Harman Advanced with the older chain drive. The stove works fine, but is going thru ignitors like water! ! ! What is up with this? Failing every 3 months!
    Are the power company lines zapping the stove?

    Here is the 1st one replaced
    Ignitor Failed 01/018/2014
    Ignitor Installed on 10/01/2013

    Here is the second one, I just replaced.
    Ignitor Failed 03/27/2014
    Ignitor Installed on 01/018/2014

    This last time we had an extreemly windy day and I am sure there were power line fluctuations. No big surges to blow the control panel but the glass fuse on the circuit board was really cooked.

    Both of these blown ignitors happened with the stove plugged into a very inexpensive Belkin surge protector. Only protects 900 joules
    See > http://www.belkin.com/us/BSQ100-Belkin/p/P-BSQ100;jsessionid=47BED650231F0701FD2316601E76B5BB/

    After installing the new ignitor today, I installed a Tripp Lite Ultrablock surge protector. Protects 1410 Joiles and has EMI/RFI interference filtering.
    See > http://www.tripplite.com/sku/ULTRABLOK/

    Will it help? See pics below.
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Mar 27, 2014
  2. DexterDay

    DexterDay Administrator

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    Is it the cleaning habits? Are they letting ash build on it? (Under the pot)
     
  3. don2222

    don2222

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    Good point, the ash pan was full and overflowing. The burnpot was never raked like the Harman DVD shows to do every day. The burnpot air holes had clumps of ash covering them.
    The fire door glass was covered with ash.
    I did however remove the burn pot bottom cover and there was not much ash in there to block air flow to the ignitor.
     
    Last edited: Mar 28, 2014
  4. don2222

    don2222

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    That made me think of something else.

    I recently replaced a combustion blower in an older Harman Advance recently. The customer told me after a couple of weeks that the glass stayed much cleaner longer! There is now an upgraded blower that increases the amperage from 1.5 to 1.75 amps.

    I bet that will really fix it ! ! !
     
  5. subsailor

    subsailor

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    What does the combustion blower have to do with the igniter?
     
  6. imacman

    imacman

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    My guess, is that the Pellet Stove Master feels that a possible increase in comb. air through the burn pot will help keep the ignitor from building up any ash on it & not burn out so fast. Unfortunately, that seems to contradict this statement he made in post # 3 about the stove in question:
    "I did however remove the burn pot bottom cover and there was not much ash in there to block air flow to the ignitor."

    Just my 2 cents.
     
  7. don2222

    don2222

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    No contradiction here
    Yes, under the burn pot behind the cover there is not much ash.
    However there is alot of ash on top of the burn pot, sitting on top of the air holes. It is a Harman thing!

    So a newer better combustion blower would blow the ash out of the burnpot and improve the air flow. Also as my last customer said, the fire door glass stays alot cleaner. :)
     
  8. subsailor

    subsailor

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    That's great if that's what happens, but that's a big IF. A lot is going to depend on the pellets being burned. I don't see it happening with box store pellets like FSU or MWP. The ash is too heavy an dense.
     
  9. subsailor

    subsailor

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    Thinking about this some more, the new combustion may help the problem but it isn't fixing the problem. There's still a problem. I would think if it was inherent to this stove model and age, we'd be hearing more of the same complaints. That's not happening as far as I know. So I'm thinking there's an issue with this particular stove. A voltage issue? Is the combustion blower dying? If it was, I think that would be apparent with the way the stove burned. I don't fix stoves, so I don't know. But IMHO, there's an issue that needs to be fixed.
     
  10. don2222

    don2222

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    X2, I have seen combustion blowers get old and slow in this model stove. The venting goes straight out and then up 3 feet. If it were inside, it would be better. The ignitors burning out started this year so all foibles aside and a new Ultrablock Tripp Lite Surge Protector now installed, I did recommend a new Upgraded Combustion blower. :)
     
  11. subsailor

    subsailor

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    It just so happens that I think I'm experiencing this now.
     
  12. don2222

    don2222

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  13. Hoot23

    Hoot23

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    I've been burning the FSU for a couple of weeks now and they are ashy.
     
  14. imacman

    imacman

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    While this can be true, a dirty stove that causes the airflow to slow down can also be a significant factor, among others. Anyone that experiences a "dirty glass" needs to first try a different pellet brand, and if that doesn't change anything, then a COMPLETE and thorough cleaning of the entire stove and entire exhaust system should be done (includes normal cleaning, LBT if possible, high pressure air blown through the stove, comb. blower removed, cleaned, lubed (if possible), and checked for proper operation, etc, etc.). Only after those measures have been completed, should the owner consider replacing the blower motor, IMO.
     
  15. don2222

    don2222

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    Agree.
    This is why the age of the stove can help troubeshoot what is wrong. However the stove should always,with no exceptions, be cleaned first before any troubleshooting!
     
  16. 343amc

    343amc

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    It would be interesting to know, on an otherwise normally functioning stove, how much current is being drawn by the "old" motor. The current rating of 1.5 amps doesn't necessarily mean that 1.5 amps would be drawn constantly, but that is rather a full load current rating which should only be obtained when the motor is locked and can't spin. I can't imagine that the full load current rating could be reached on a combustion blower in a normal operating stove unless there was some substantial obstruction in the path or if the bearings were failing.

    1.5A equals .2051 HP, and 1.75A equals .2387 HP, for a difference of .033 HP. Assuming the same fan/blades are on both blowers and the RPMs are the same, I'd gamble that the CFM being moved from both blowers is identical.

    I'd wager a coffee and donut that the normal operating current being drawn on a new 1.5 amp motor and a new 1.75 amp motor would be the same if all other operating factors are identical. I'd guess that the motor manufacturer may have just superseded the part number of the 1.5A motor with the 1.75 A motor. Maybe they made both motors and found that it makes more sense to have one motor rated slightly higher that is in the same 'footprint' as the smaller motor, thereby reducing the number of parts they maintain in their inventory.

    But then again, I could be completely incorrect.
     
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  17. imacman

    imacman

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    I agree. Regardless of "claimed" HP rating, same RPM = same CFM moved. If motor is spinning at normal speed & making no noise, no need to replace. Airflow problem is somewhere else.
     
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  18. gbreda

    gbreda

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    Good point. I changed from a high quality softwood to a bog box good quality hardwood that has higher, more dense ash. Immediately my glass went black in the usual Harman teardrop pattern. Last Sunday I did a complete cleaning including ESP but not the venting. As usuall on a shutdown cleaning, I clean the glass with Rutland Glass Cleaner-good stuff. The stove has had a clean glass since-I do keep an old rag by the stove and quickly wipe the glass on each hopper loading-prior to cleaning the heavy black would not wipe off.

    As the glass is staying much cleaner, it generally is an indicator that the whole stove is also staying cleaner and having better airflow.