Burn pot fire dance

I don't even open the door on my stove during the several bags between cleanings besides I usually wait for the boss to be gone (normally once a week on Thursdays when she goes to quilt club). She has issues if there is any smoke spillage or pellet dust releases. Bear doesn't need any blowback from those blunders,

 

That's why it's nice to have a stove that you can turn on just the combustion blower during cleaning.....all the dust just gets sent up the exhaust, not into the room......one of the things I loved about the Englander control panel.....you can turn all the electric fans & motors on individually or all together through the test mode.

 

I am confused, the OP seems to be talking about P-series Harman's, then there are several mentions of drop-feed stoves.

I don't recall ever seeing this type of behavior with either Harman. The flame of the drop-feed Hastings would wax and wane as pellets were dropped or consumed, but that is the only thing I can relate to.

The P43 has a very short OAK, the P61a has a fairly long OAK at ~7-8' and both OAKs face prevailing winds. The location may or may not be a defining difference. I believe the manual says to avoid, if possible, placing an OAK on the lee side of the house - maybe that is a contributing factor for some (obviously I have no idea how others' OAKs are situated).

 

b, you should be able to relate to the ash ejection on the Hasting the waxing and waning of the fire is not the dance. Harmans do not need a dance as long as their burn platforms get a daily scrap.

 

The discussion about the waxing and waning of the fire in drop-feed stoves was a curiosity of Eric VW. It is not the same thing I am describing. Pretty sure the behavior I describe is probably specific to Harmans, or at least bottom-feed stoves. I suspect the Advance, Accentra, and XXV would exhibit this behavior as well, all having a relatively similar burn pot and air flow system.

I do find it pretty curious that you, having two P-series stoves, have never seen the flame dance before. Even before this became a prevalent behavior a couple months ago, I used to see it from time to time, and when it happens you can't mistake it. If your door glass is clean and it's dark in the room when it happens, the effect on the walls and ceiling is as if there is a strobe light in the room. Maybe your stoves are in a temporal-flux free zone!

 

That's because she never stops running around to smell her stove(roses) as she goes on her daily business

 

its TEST mode in Harman....with the door open, the feeder wont run, nor the igniter, but the other fans will.

 

I've noticed this behavior with my stove as well.Maybe it's caused by changing draft conditions due to wind.The only way to tell is if you had a draft meter connected during the pulsing.

 

Maybe re-insulating the sill created a CVD situation in the house? Continuously Variable Draft. Is that a real thing?

 

never seen that in my 52I. don't touch the burn pot till 25 or so bags and the pan is full. then i'll clean. no issues with speed bumps or excessive hole blockage. of course, I burn mostly softwoods

 

So we are narrowing it down to the HWoodies
Getting closer.................

 

Maybe I just need to pay more attention. Since the P61a is in the basement, in a room that I only go to for specific duties, like feed the stove, it could be doing it and I just don't notice it. But I do like to watch the flame as it starts a heating cycle .

The P43 is in the living room and since I usually sleep there, one would think I would notice if it was happening. Even if I was in bed, the stove is in a direct line with the door to the room, and the headboard is such that I face head-on to the door, so I get good light when it is running.

 

Maybe that is what the more expensive pellets give you - heat and a light show?

 

A scrap of what?

 

In test mode, you can even test the ignitor in an Englander.

 

Yup, that too.....

 

See if the stove(s) keep time while playing this, TT ?

 

It is weird when it happens.Sometimes I just stare at the flame pulsing and I wonder what the hell is going on.Then I just open another beer and forget all about it.

 

I only burn blends and softies and I have it happen on occasion. I don't see it being the flapper either, I can't picture the flapper moving as fast as the flickering of the flame.