Harman 52i smoke from hopper

Hey guys and gals. New to the forums. Have a Harman Accentra 52i insert I purchased new around 6 years ago.

Works amazing, but this season I started getting a bit of smoke from the hopper when it's low and I open to refill.

I'm pretty good at cleaning the insides and the fine box behind the auger.

Maybe something else I need to clean?

I think there's a large vacuum line that connects to the back of the auger. Maybe it's plugged up?

Is this common?

Thx

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I know nothing about pellet stoves but smoke out of the hopper would scare the chit out of me!

 

Smoke in the hopper of any Harman is a problem. Empty out the hopper, put it in test mode and watch the slide plate inside the hopper to make sure it’s closing all the way. You may have to hold your hopper lid switch closed to allow the auger to turn.

 

So I let the stove run til hopper was empty.

Had a look at the slide plate, it's nice and clean no signs of major exhaust passing through there.

It's hard to have a good look at it, but from what I can tell it's closing all the way. I used a mirror and flashlight to get a good look at it. Same mirror I use to clean the holes in the burn pot.

I've had this insert stove ~6 seasons now, bought it new. Never had any smoke in the hopper.

Only get a bit when it's really low and I open it to pour in more pellets.

I've read some people complain about smoke in the hopper after installing an outside air kit. I ran 1st season without the OAK and added it second season, and never had smoke in the hopper, so I'm not going to take the *that's normal with a cold air intake* answer as acceptable hahaha.

Something has to be causing it.

Say my slide plate *wasn't* closing all the way. How do I clean that? I routinely pop the cover off the side of the slide plate/auger housing from the back of the stove and vac out the fines, but never did any more in depth cleaning to that area.

Thx for the input.

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Is it doing it all the time or occasionally? Maybe the vent draft has subsided with time. Is there soot building up inside the firebox?

 

This definitely doesn't sound right. Your sure its from the hopper? As others have pointe out, hope it isnt gummy stove but as the slide plate appear free it either isnt this or is in beginning stages.

Being an insert maybe there is something "different" than a free standing to leak into the hopper?

Someone more familiar with inserts should be able to help

Lousyweather
badbob

 

The only time I ever had smoke in my hopper it was due to an unexpected restriction on the air intake. Check your full air path in and out, just to be sure.

 

It does it almost consistently. Only if the hopper is low and I open it to add pellets. Slide plate looks spotless clean no gummy anything. No sut on the plate or in the hopper.

It doesn't seem like there's a buildup of smoke in the hopper when I open it. More like opening it is sucking a little bit of smoke into it. It's very light not heavy smoke.

And I think if I was to leave the hopper open a few minutes, the bit if smoke would clear out a d no more smoke would be entering the hopper.



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Does the firebox/door glass get dirty faster with black soot than normal or previous years? Can you take a draft reading?

 

I don't think it does... Maybe a little quicker hadn't really noticed.

I don't have a draft meter unfortunately.

What are you thinking?

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How's the hopper gasket look.No leaks?I think you need a draft meter.Check that hopper gasket.

 

Hopper gasket is in good shape.

When I open the hopper the flame jumps up and you can hear additional air being sucked in through the hopper. I close the lid and flame goes back to normal.

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I'm in Canada. Are draft meters cheap, maybe off Amazon? I'm going to have a look.

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Can you describe the setup with the vent and OAK, just trying to put scenario's in the troubleshooting. The air getting pulled in the stove when opening the hopper sounds normal and should whisk away any smoke accumulated in the hopper. Smoke shouldn't be there as fresh air is passing through the auger assembly towards the burnpot. Opening your hopper lid slowly to evacuate the smoke could be your remedy until we figure out what's happening. Pics are a asset for info on troubleshooting.

 

Worth a look:
Who has the Gummy Fix on their Harman? See pic - How do u like it?

 

Yeah my stove has that tube. It's a ~6yr old Accentra 52i insert.

It's probably the one thing I've never thought to clean. I'm going to slide the stove out and pull that tube and vacuum it.

Would make sense that it's getting plugged up with fines and causing the tiny bit of smoke in the hopper.

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It's an insert in a fireplace in my basement. It's in a brick chimney that's 2 stories tall and extends ~5ft above the soffit of the roof it goes through.

Inside the chimney is a 4" liner that runs straight up to the cap at top of brick chimney.

The outside air kit is 3" I believe, whatever harman recommended. It's maybe 4ft long tops.

My basement is 2/3rds below ground level, and the OAK runs through the brick behind the stove and is maybe 2ft off ground level, shortest path I could do while installing the kit. I put a nice metal intake cover that faces down so no rain/snow and has a mesh guard so no critters try and go in it. There's no snow accumulated around it outside, and I check the intake a few times a year make sure the mesh grill doesn't plug up, but its always spotless, never had to clean the OAK.

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Was the stove dealer installed or diy? If dealer, there should be draft reading recorded in your manual.

 

It was DIY.

For 5 years, I did not have this faint smoke in the hopper. Just this season.

Keep in mind it's faint. Hardly detectable amount of smoke. But it's there.

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TLDR......but...
We havent seen any modern gummy stoves, so, likely not that.

Check your intake path, of course!

It would be EXCEEDINGLY HELPFUL to have a draft reading at the vac switch before opening the hopper and after! This would be part of a good diagnosis.

Another thing is, where in the house is the stove? Is it low in the house, say, the basement? If the house is tight, and, as we all know, hot air rises, a very low pressure situation could be created where the stove is, which, if high enough, can actually pull smoke from the firebox into the hopper when the hopper is opened. A qualitative way to check this would be to open the hopper when the pellets are low and before anyone has opened a door or window in the house (first guy up in the am?).....see if smoke comes out. If it does, then, close the hopper. Open a nearby window or door, wait a minute, and then open the hopper again and see if you get smoke or not. If no smoke at that point, you know what your issue is.....tight house, crating a negative pressure situation. By opening a window or door, you're equalizing the pressure in the room, and it shouldn't smoke.