# P68 Harman pellet stove Squealling bad



## bullet45 (Feb 1, 2008)

I have a 8 week old p68 that is driving me nuts. Every 15 seconds or so, it makes a loud squeling sound. I have contacted my dealer and he tells me that it is normal and will go away. Has this happen to anybody elses stove? I thought I was buying the best stove, and now am getting worried I have some problems that I may have to live with. Any help would be appreciated. My e mail is bdm@charterinternet.com

Thanks

Brad


----------



## BignBeefy (Feb 1, 2008)

I had the same problem,the auger is squeaking on a klinker or something. Get a bright light,and a big flathead and clean that area well where the auger meets the burn pot.

Solved my problem,just dont bend the auger,although I would imagine it is hard to do


----------



## BubbRubb (Feb 1, 2008)

I have a P68 that is a little over 2 months old.  It started squealing very intermittently about a week ago.  It hasn't done it enough for me to really look at it yet.  I figured it was the auger encountering a longer-than-usual pellet.  I haven't been diligent in cleaning the clinkers that are near the auger as the tool they provide doesn't get in there real well.


----------



## bullet45 (Feb 1, 2008)

I have checked the auger, and it looks to be clean. I will run it empty (if it lasts that long as noisey as it is) If anybody else has any ideas please let me know.

Brad


----------



## webbie (Feb 2, 2008)

"It will go away"

Heck that is wishful thinking! I like an optimist.....

The fact is that some initial problems do solve themselves, but if you have used the stove for a couple of weeks and it still does the same thing, then your dealer should come out and fix it. 

And if a LOUD squealing sound in normal, ask him if he has any Harman factory tech bulletins he can send you which specify this. 

Here are a couple related threads:
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/11477/
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/11693/
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/11928/


----------



## bullet45 (Feb 2, 2008)

I did again call the dealer, and he said " you just gotta trust me it will go away" I told him I ran 3 tons of pellets thru it and it is not getting any better. He told me to call him on Monday if it is still making noise. I am going to read the threads and let it run out and dig into it myself tonight. Thanks for all your help.

Brad


----------



## aweya (Feb 2, 2008)

Do what BigandBeefy suggested. Clean around the auger where it meets the burnpot with a screwdriver. I had the same squealing with my advance and it drove me crazy.  It happened on occaision when I was using NE wood Pellets in the red lettered bag. I have been using Somerset for the past 3 weeks and not a peep. Finicky little devices these stoves.


----------



## bullet45 (Feb 2, 2008)

Yes they are, I burn Uncle jeds softwood, it burns very clean and hoy, and is priced right. It is made in Dale Wisconsin. It is all the little things you need to learn about these things that are not in the owners manual, and the dealers dont know anything. I am the largest power equipment dealer in the area, and if I handeled my customers the way Harman's dealers do I would be OUT of buissness. This site is great, and I have learned more in a few hours on here than I did from my dealer in the past 2 months.

Brad


----------



## freebird77 (Feb 3, 2008)

bullet45
I agree, these pepople here are very helpfull. So glad I stumbled onto this site after I purcheased my stove.
Wish I had more info then questions, but like mentioned these stoves are a learning process, and sometimes its hard to get answers from your dealer.


----------



## Redryder (Feb 3, 2008)

Back to the problem . . .  We had the same issue last year after running our P68 for about 3 months after purchase.  Whenever the feed light was on (auger running) a very noticeable screeching sound was heard at certain points in the auger's rotation.  At first, the dealer told us it was an oversized pellet that would eventually clear itself out.  Well, it didn't and a service tech came out.  What he wound up doing was removing the auger itself and filing off some burrs that were causing the squeak/squeal.  No sound after that.  This year, we had a repeat but it must have been an oversized pellet because it did work itself out after a good cleaning and continued running.  I read on another post about "gently" moving the auger with a long handled screwdriver into the burn pot but as long as the stove was/is under warranty, I'd rather have someone else deal with it.  Good luck and keep us posted . . .


----------



## ootski (Feb 6, 2008)

Whitfield Advantage Plus      My auger makes a tremendous squeal but only after I relight after a cleaning?????  I vacuumed down into the auger hole as far as I can get.  The squeal only lasts for about 1 minute.  There seems to be little or no dust in the bags of pellets I use but everyone around here thinks it may be dust......


----------



## KJF470 (Feb 6, 2008)

Three ton of pellets in 8 weeks? How many sq. ft. are you heating @ 2.7 bags of pellets per day? 
Did you really go thru 150 bags of pellets in 56 days?


----------



## bullet45 (Feb 6, 2008)

Yes, I heat a 3200 sq ft A frame, that is like heating 6500 sq ft because of the 38' ceilings. I used to pay 750.00 per month for gas bill now it is approx 400 per month and warm in the house. I run the fan wide open and the feed at 4


----------



## KJF470 (Feb 7, 2008)

That is alot of area to heat! I am heating 1728 sq. ft main floor vaulted ceiling over half of that with a Harman P68 and run feed on 2 & 1/2, temp at 70 degrees low/med blower speed and like the heat output! My first winter in this house gas bills were $190, $210, $200 for a 3 month period and was cold all the time with sweat shirt, sweat pants and wrapped in a blanket to watch a little tv. Complained the whole winter till I found out about wood pellet heating. Been relaxing in comfort for the 3rd winter now. Burned wood at home growing up and the heat seems to soak thru a person better. Just paid $3/bag for future fuels  pellets at Wal Mart over the weekend. They had the Penningtons also but were limited so I baught 60 bags of the future fuels. Want to have the best heat possible but still considering cost. Trying to maintain temp of 72-74 degrees on a bag a day!


----------



## trehugr (Feb 14, 2008)

Had the same problem at one point, along with quite a few others. First cleaned the burn pot/auger area well. Still did it. Used a large flathead and a hammer and one firm but not violent whack to the auger. Hasn't done it since.


----------



## trevorak (Feb 14, 2009)

Hello fellow pelletheads,

I have a P68 and the auger began squealing after about 4 months. One day the auger quit spinning just after beginning the fire starting sequence. Turns out the output shaft bearing froze up. The dealer was very responsive and gave me another motor and gearbox (4 RPM). Turns out here have been several revisions to the parts catalogue and owners manuals (believe they are on Revision 7) and the catalogue listed the 4RPM motor (haven't actually verified that). Well, the P68 I have is a 6RPM motor and the 4 RPM will not fill the burnpot enough to light the fire. Worked with the dealer, who was very responsive again, and have one on order. Not sure if this is going to be a common occurrence with the "rushed into production" P68's or if it was a fluke...but thought I'd let you all know.

Cheers!


----------



## bungalobob (Feb 14, 2009)

Check out this thread below from tmoran, something I will try if my squeak ever comes back. Sometimes the best fixes come from the owners themselves.

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/30045/


tmoran Posted: 02 January 2009 01:54 PM   [ Report ]   [ Ignore ]   [ # 9 ]  

firestarter

South Westerm NH
Total Posts:  9
Joined  2008-12-21 Yup, Scrape the bajeezus out of it! BUT.... I now know what causes the mysterious squeak I let my hopper go down to nothing today. First started by scraping the burnpot and around the end of the auger. Ran it in the test mode for a cycle. Still friggin’ squeaked!! Before I tore it apart and voided my warranty I called my dealer...again. AGAIN a service rep was not there and they told me to call back at 1:00 PM. I’m a mechanic by trade (Maintenance Manager for a local municipality) and ran it through another test cycle and watched how the pellet feeder at the bottom of the hopper slides to feed, then slides back. It is when the feeder slides back that it makes the squeak. Pulled the panel on the back so I had better access and watched how it worked, once again in the test cycle. If you hold out your pointing finger and thum and make a “C” it is a U shaped cam that a bearing rides inside to make it slide back and forth during the feed cycle. I worked back and forth it by hand and could simulate the noise. So I figured it could be the bushings it turns in. Covered everything up with paper towels and lubed the pivot points with penetrating oil. Worked the mechanism back and forth and put more lube to it. I found that there is a little in and out back lash, maybe an 1/8th of an inch. If the mechanism is out, more towards back of the stove it will squeak. If it is toward the front, it doesn’t. I feel it is the feeder slide inside the feeder box hitting on the sides that makes the squeak. So I went in search in my barn in the hopes of finding a double split shaft collar to hold it in place. I couldn’t find one but for right now I pushed the shaft in as far as it would go “in” and I am using a hose clamp on the very end of the shaft pushed tight to the outside mount. SILENCE It’s now 12:45 and I’ve got it fixed before I can even call them. I should go to work for these knuckle heads.


----------

