Pellet heads!! What's up today?

Next week is supposed to sit squarely in the 50's for highs and down to the mid-upper 30's for the lows. The basement is currently at 64* so it is about time to think about setting up the P61a so it is ready to warm that area up when the main floor's floor starts feeling cold on the tootsies.

 

I have used aftermarket parts without a problem. And even if something did go wrong, which it hasn't, I could buy another one. If the OEM part was so much better, you wouldn't be replacing it!

 

Was 40* when I got up at 6:30. Took the ACs out a few days ago. Will wait a couple weeks before I start shrink filming the windows.
Got a notification on my Merlin bird app that millions of birds will be migrating across the northeast over this weekend. Guess I'll be looking up a lot while I'm working on younger daughter's car today.

sam

 

Fluffy!!!

 

One of the "aftermarket" vendors for pellet stove parts is Gleason-Avery auger gear motors. They are OEM on some pellet roasters, and a great upgrade on the rest. Ball bearing units, and last time I checked (long time ago), they were very reasonably priced (my memory says around $70???)
Pellet & Corn Stove Auger Gearmotors | Made in USA | Gleason Avery

 

Saturday I got the P61a (basement stove) all situated then Sunday morning started it up for a test run and set thermostat at 65*. It took a while to start getting flames (in my mind), but with everything clean and no ash to help it start, it was fine and ran well. Was happy there were no surprises.

Sunday afternoon I decided to go ahead and get the P43 (main floor stove) set up and ready to go. I just didn't dump any pellets in since there were still a bit at the bottom of the hopper - not much, but enough for a firing or two. Yesterday was another dark, dreary, rainy day and I just felt cold. Early afternoon I turned off the mini split, turned on the thermostat for the stove and set it for 69*. That stove only took about 3 minutes to start up and it ran well too. I added a bag of pellets and let it provide heat thru the night (it only ran 2 more times so far).

It is supposed to be sunny later today so I'll probably turn off the P43 and go back to mini split since I will "feel" warmer.

 

Ignitor starting to go south? Is it the original from when you got the stove? My Englander started doing the same thing when the ignitor was on the way out........only part of it was getting hot, and was slow to start up.

 

It is still the original igniter.

• I think it was my perception of time for one. A watched pot never biols ya know.
• For two, it had dregs of the old pellets, and they probably got a bit humid over the summer.
• For another, since it was the first start up of the season, it was so clean there were no ashes to help the process - just like a sugar cube won't burn until you put a bit of ash on it.
• Lastly, the P31a has always been a bit slower than the P43 at starting. the pot configurations are different and the P43 has more rows of holes.

I bought a spare igniter years ago, so if it goes, I am prepared (if I can find it anyway )

 

First start up of the P61a on 10/6/24





And P43 first fire on the 7th. After taking the pic I did see that the room temp probe was not where it needed to be (like off the ground), so looped it around the control panel door as usual.

 

After a cleaning my Harman has always had a longer start up time

 

It's that time of year again
Made a phone call to the nut plant Monday and they are operating full speed ahead now.
Tomorrow we are going to head down and get out first load of shells for the season......

We have had a few nights so far that we ran the little stove through the night......

Weather is going to be nice this week.....This will make the unloading process a pleasant job indeed.

Always nice during the first load of the season.....

Trying to dodge bad weather later on can be sketchy......

 

10 day forecast shows next week to be mid-50's during the day, low 40's at night. May do the window shrink film this weekend. Not so much to fire up the P43 but to retain the sun heat we get . House has been 68 during the past few days, 65 at night.

Sam

 

Critters may have finally staged that counterattack

Sam

 

Wow, I didn't realize you had to clean them harmoans??