# Quiet Harman replacement fans



## forya (Jan 31, 2012)

I've seen some people talk about some aftermarket distribution and combustion fans that are much quieter.  I have a 2009 Harman accentra insert and I am sick of turning the tv up so much when the stove is running.


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## smoker62 (Jan 31, 2012)

Yep , me too with my P61A. I am moving it to the basement rec room and getting a wood burner.


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## krooser (Jan 31, 2012)

I thought those Harman's were whisper quiet... who knew?


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## smoker62 (Jan 31, 2012)

They are when their off. LOL, Clean or dirty its not quiet.


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## forya (Jan 31, 2012)

I have been looking, where would I find these quiet fans?


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## gfreek (Jan 31, 2012)

I'm in agreement....  Let us know if  you find anything


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## smwilliamson (Jan 31, 2012)

You know that the fans can be turned down? The distance between L and H on the mode settings.


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## smoker62 (Jan 31, 2012)

Mine makes more noises than just the fan. Buzzing, vibrating , all kinds of annoying noises.  Yes , I think anyone who has one would know about the fan speed . Youd have to be a real dufus to not know . I sometimes have to wedge my scraper tool between the hopper bin and stove to stop an annoying buzzing noise . Had two different service techs out and they said theres nothing wrong with it.  Took the tins off , tightened everything I could find and still makes noise. Thats why its going in the basement.


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## ironpony (Jan 31, 2012)

the only noise mine makes is the 
tinkling of pellets falling into the auger


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## Harman Lover 007 (Jan 31, 2012)

smwilliamson said:
			
		

> You know that the fans can be turned down? The distance between L and H on the mode settings.



Good one Scott :lol:


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## Harman Lover 007 (Jan 31, 2012)

smoker62 said:
			
		

> They are when their off. LOL, Clean or dirty its not quiet.



Did you really expect whisper quiet operation of a beast of a stove capable of 61K BTUs? My P61A doesn't make any of the noises you describe other than the blower.


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## jdege (Jan 31, 2012)

ironpony said:
			
		

> the only noise mine makes is the
> tinkling of pellets falling into the auger



I have a new Accentra insert and agree with you. The distibution fan is no different than the noise from a window unit AC or a decent size fan. I would like no noise but I do not ser that happening when I am heating approx 2k sqft from a single location.


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## Lousyweather (Jan 31, 2012)

yea, the old "my fan is too noisy argument"......pretty subjective, but some folks fans really are pretty noisy.......then again, there's always those folks who think it should make NO noise......


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## forya (Jan 31, 2012)

Mine used to be much quieter. At first I used to just hear the tinkering of pellets falling into the auger.  My combustion fan started first, now my distribution fan is noisy. They are cleaned twice a season.  The motors are just louder.


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## bcb1 (Jan 31, 2012)

forya, the distribution motor on the Advance seems to be very easy to remove.  Not sure about your Accentra since it's an insert, I'm guessing it would be more of a pain to remove.  But if you could take it off and put in on a bench to clean and test it that's the route I would go.  If it's noisy on the bench, you could take it to a motor repair shop and they could repair it for you (or just sell you another one depending on the cost of repairing versus replacing)

Agree that noises are very subjective, what's noisy to one person might not be at all bothersome to another person.

That said, I think the combustion fan in my new Advance is relatively quiet, while the Distribution fan sounds similar to a window AC unit on medium to high setting.  I really don't mind the noise of fans that run constantly because they become white noise in the background.  I dislike the cyclical noise that the auger motor makes, it's very hard to get used to a motor that is constantly turning on and off.

With all of the threads here being about noises in pellet stoves- auger noises, fan noises, screeching noises, grinding noises - you'd really think that the stove companies would eventually catch on and start making a quiet stove.  Yes, all fans and motors make noise, but those noises can be insulated and shielded.  Maybe someday....


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## mfglickman (Jan 31, 2012)

My hot air furnace sounds like a plane landing when it starts and shuts down...and there are a few returns that are louder than a window AC. So I am looking forward to cheaper loud blowers with my XXV.


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## John97 (Jan 31, 2012)

Can those motors be oiled?


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## smoker62 (Jan 31, 2012)

Harman Lover 007 said:
			
		

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I never said I expect whisper quiet. Where did you get I said that ? I answered a post  by saying they are when their off . Thats a fact. 

Mine really sucks. Dont mean to get you in a wad because your a Harman lover , not my intent . I know how loud it was when I bought it. Thats not what I am referencing. Mine grinds , creaks , buzzes , vibrates , makes all kinds of annoying sounds it didnt make when it was new. 

Two different dealers techs came out checked it over and wanted 150 bucks service call to tell me everything is fine , normal . Thats how they sound.  If all you can hear is pellets falling , you must be dropping them yourselves with the stove off. I cant believe that for a second. LOL. Either that or your hearing aid needs new batteries. 

It must be worn out , it is 9 years old. I guess for 3k + i cant expect better huh ?


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## tonyd (Jan 31, 2012)

On my Accentra, I have found that removing the decorative grate on the discharge port (ran all last season like this) and laying a folded towel in front of the lower skirt reduces quite a bit of blower noise. The air is pulled in from the two sides. And with the grate off, it blows 25% more air at a much lower setting. One caution. With the grate off, Its possible to get pellets in the discharge slot while loading the stove, the pellets will catch fire and blow out into the room. Very dangerous. I did put mine back on after experiencing it . My son loads the stove on occasion and just not sure how careful he will be at all times. Better safe then quiet. O yea I raised 4 children . My stove dosent make a sound.


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## Harman Lover 007 (Jan 31, 2012)

smoker62 said:
			
		

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Judging from your response, I'd say I'm not the one with his panties in a bunch. I don't have a hearing aid(yet) and I wasn't the one who said all I hear is the pellets tinkling. I sense you are upset with all the noises your stove makes and I don't blame you. It's too bad you can't find decent service techs to straighten it out for you.


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## smoker62 (Feb 1, 2012)

Hahah, I wear boxers but to each their own. Hey Im not judging you , wear whatever your comfy in. Anyways , thats something we can agree on . I am frustrated by this Harman.

It cranks the heat and does its job , just hate the noise MINE makes. And I dont like the occasional exploding startup either. Still dont know how the smokes blown into the room.


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## forya (Feb 1, 2012)

I did find replacement fans in the 100-200 dollar range, I just wanted to know what the experiences were with people who tried the aftermarket ones, and which aftermarket ones people used.  I do believe something is going wrong with my combustion motor either a bearing or brushes or something.  It is still working, but is a lot nosier.


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## bcb1 (Feb 1, 2012)

Replacing bearings in a combustion motor ought to run about $50 to $70 give or take a few bucks.  not sure what a new one runs but I'm betting just doing new bearings will save you a few dollars.


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## Harman Lover 007 (Feb 1, 2012)

smoker62 said:
			
		

> Hahah, I wear boxers but to each their own. Hey Im not judging you , wear whatever your comfy in. Anyways , thats something we can agree on . I am frustrated by this Harman.
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> It cranks the heat and does its job , just hate the noise MINE makes. And I dont like the occasional exploding startup either. Still dont know how the smokes blown into the room.



Well, hang around here a while and someone might come along and help you out. I've had 2 Harmans over the course of more than 15 years and I've never heard of the exploding startup in a Harman. YOUR stove does have issues and it needs to get fixed, ASAP.


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## maglite67 (Feb 1, 2012)

we are now taking the p series motors apart and siliconing the housing to dampen vibrations


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## Lousyweather (Feb 1, 2012)

Harman Lover 007 said:
			
		

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Exploding startup on Harman's tends to happen when ignition is delayed and there are alot of unburned pellets in the pot...they smolder and create smoke, which is largely comprised of tar droplets....COMBUSTIBLE tar droplets......when ignition is reached, these droplets all combust at once, causing a pressure wave throughout the stove, often putting pressure on the gaskets, especially the door.....often smoke will escape during this phase. As for the "why" as to how this happens......in my experience its almost always a stove in need of service (cleaning). As for having a tech come out to look at your stove, which is 9 years old, its not under warrantee, so, why shouldnt the tech be paid for his time? Even if the stove is somewhat noisy, even though he didnt change anything, well, his time is worth SOMETHING. Insurance, fuel, payroll, etc. Look at it this way: a 9 year old vehicle.....does it run just like a new one? Can you take it to the garage and have a mechanic work on some noise for nothing? No. It makes more noise, moving parts start to wear, etc, as it gets older. I guess I dont understand why thats so hard to understand. Eventually, it might even break down. It is mechanical. When it does, either you get the parts yourself and fix it for free (your time isnt worth anything either, just like the techs isnt), or find someone to do the work for nothing. I think you might find it difficult to find someone in this day and age to work for nothing.


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## BobMac (Feb 1, 2012)

This place has fans for a not so bad price.Don't know if there any different than the harmans or not.

http://www.cshincorporated.com/product_info.php/products_id/3462


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## Harman Lover 007 (Feb 1, 2012)

Lousyweather said:
			
		

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Thanks, LW, I couldn't have said it better myself.


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## smoker62 (Feb 1, 2012)

Lousyweather said:
			
		

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You guys sure like to put words in peoples mouths. I never said the techs time was worthless. I said I was tired of paying 150 for finding nothing wrong. I understand he has to get paid . Maybe you should read my post again. As for a dirty stove, thats also not the case. And my burn pot is scraped clean before every startup. I dont run my stove constantly . I turn it on when needed. Usually at night when we get home from work and turn it off before bed. I dont burn but maybe a bag every two -3 days. I clean the stove per the manual but more frequent than called for . As far as your car analogy, thats just a bunch of bull. My dad has the Harman insert, my brother has the P68A. We bought them all within a month of each other . Mine is far worse than theirs . You pay a mechanic to fix a noise and it usually gets found and fixed. If my car is far noisier than the day I bought it , it needs repairs. If someone tells me its because its old , thats why it noisier , I would tell them to kiss my a@@. Thats a ridiculous statement. My truck is an 04 with 140,000 miles . Its as quiet as the day I bought it , hmmm , thats just not right is it.


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## Harman Lover 007 (Feb 1, 2012)

smoker62 said:
			
		

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I'm all set. Reading the 10 posts you've made over the 3 days you have been a member here, I've got a pretty good sense of where you are coming from....


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## smoker62 (Feb 1, 2012)

Yeah quick to judge because I have a bad stove with issues , a lack of quality service in my area but Im the bad guy. Every company has a lemon once in a while , I dont doubt that. I have legitimate complaints , and a lack of a qualified dealer network in my area. Is that my fault ? I have a stove that a tech listens to , decides it is noisy and starts taking it apart. Cant find anything wrong, ok , then why is it noisy?  Am I supposed to be happy and live with it. Dont judge me because you are happy with yours. 

You are finding fault with me because my stove has an issue. Nice . I was a member here for a long time when I started researching stoves . I didnt post enough in latter years to keep my account active , so dont act like im a newbie that came to start crap. Is this board only for praise or can a guy post about a bad issue to maybe help someone else who may need to know . 

From reading your 2 posts , I can see you may be an arrogant a@@. But unlike you , I dont judge people so your probably right about everything.


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## Harman Lover 007 (Feb 1, 2012)

smoker62 said:
			
		

> Yeah quick to judge because I have a bad stove with issues , a lack of quality service in my area but Im the bad guy. Every company has a lemon once in a while , I dont doubt that. I have legitimate complaints , and a lack of a qualified dealer network in my area. Is that my fault ? I have a stove that a tech listens to , decides it is noisy and starts taking it apart. Cant find anything wrong, ok , then why is it noisy?  Am I supposed to be happy and live with it. Dont judge me because you are happy with yours.
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> You are finding fault with me because my stove has an issue. Nice . I was a member here for a long time when I started researching stoves . I didnt post enough in latter years to keep my account active , so dont act like im a newbie that came to start crap. Is this board only for praise or can a guy post about a bad issue to maybe help someone else who may need to know .
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> From reading your 2 posts , I can see you may be an arrogant a@@. But unlike you , I dont judge people so your probably right about everything.



I think you are helping me make my point. Have a great day.


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## smoker62 (Feb 1, 2012)

You never really made a point but ,I definetly will , you have a great day as well.


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## rickwai (Feb 1, 2012)

smoker62 said:
			
		

> You never really made a point but ,I definetly will , you have a great day as well.


 Try a different brand of pellets. I have seen a explosivee start w/ harmans w/ one brand of pellets and I dont know which. Also a stuck or partially stuck air intake damper/flapper will cause a hard start. I have seen this more on the pf100 and the pb105.


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## smoker62 (Feb 1, 2012)

You know, now that you mention it I dont remember this happening when I used Goldenfires but that was years ago. I now use Dejnos because the make them 5 miles from me. I get them at a good price as well.

Maybe that could contribute. I also scrape my pot clean but there has been times where the stove loaded so many pellets they were getting pushed off the end of the pot and droppinbg unburned ones into the ash pit before it was lit. Only a few times that I recall.  I also had times when I would shut the stove down, room temp to off, and in the morning it was still burning nrunning. The latest episode , the stove was off , never turned on for the day as it was mild temps, I woke up at 3 am smelling smoke and thought the dang house was on fire. I got up to a smoldering stove with no fans running and smoke in the house.


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## PJPellet (Feb 1, 2012)

smoker62 said:
			
		

> You know, now that you mention it I dont remember this happening when I used Goldenfires but that was years ago. I now use Dejnos because the make them 5 miles from me. I get them at a good price as well.
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> Maybe that could contribute. I also scrape my pot clean but there has been times where the stove loaded so many pellets they were getting pushed off the end of the pot and droppinbg unburned ones into the ash pit before it was lit. Only a few times that I recall.  I also had times when I would shut the stove down, room temp to off, and in the morning it was still burning nrunning. The latest episode , the stove was off , never turned on for the day as it was mild temps, I woke up at 3 am smelling smoke and thought the dang house was on fire. I got up to a smoldering stove with no fans running and smoke in the house.



The one time my stove had the explosive ignition there were too many pellets fed into the burnpot.  That was my fault, I was cleaning the hopper that wasn't quite empty and I was pushing them down into the auger area when the slide plate was open.  I never thought just that little extra amount of pellets would cause so much trouble.  It was loud and scared the heck outta me and my wife.  The smoke seemed to escape from around the door.  I wonder if you could try slowing down the amount of pellets being fed into your burnpot via the dip switches on your control board?  

When I first bought my stove the dealer warned me about these explosive ignitions and I never had one until that one time.  It was very unpleasant.  I have a paper with different stove models and their corresponding dip switch settings.  I cannot post it right now but I can later if you would like to have it for reference.  Maybe you could experiment with the dip switch settings to hopefully at least fix this problem.  Let me know.


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## Lousyweather (Feb 1, 2012)

theres a couple rasons why there might be too many pellets in the pot......the most common being that the stove didnt light on its first ignition cycle, and pushed more pellets into the post on subsequent cycles.......why does ths happen? usually a dirty igniter...almost always a dirty igniter......and scraping the burnpot frequently IS NOT cleaning the igniter at all....in fact, it might actually be forcing even more ash into the igniter area. That being said, it IS good practice to clean and scrape the burnpot......just dont forget to also clean the ignitor as well.

9 years old.......probably fans getting tired.....the funny thing is, if the stove makes so much noise, how come the techs didnt say...."hey! thats yer combustion blower..."......or"thats yer distribution blower......"? Fairly easy to hear a noise and figure out whats making it....at that point, you can tell the customer how much the new part is, and give them the option of replacing it then and there, or waiting till the noise is really bad and relacing it then, or even selling the part to the customer and letting them replace it. Of course, there would also be the charge for the service call. We inform customers of what that charge is prior to coming out, so, its not a shock to them when you get there.

As said before, noises are fairly easy to diagnose, but ACCEPTABLE noise is another matter. No two stoves will sound alike, due to the idiosynchracies of manufacturing, age of the unit, level of cleanliness, ambient noise in the home, the quality of the hearing and/or hearing aids of the end user and tech, etc. Unfortunately, there isnt a spec on how many decibels a stove can put out and have it be "acceptable", although I do like the idea, because it would solve the issue  at hand as well......its either above or below the "acceptable" limit......if below, its no argument, no part gets changed, and the tech still gets his house call fee.....if above, the part gets changed out to be at or below acceptable limits, and the customer pays for the part and the house call....pretty simple (im assuming the stove is no longer under warrantee)...........still, the issue is a subjective one....whats acceptable?

My car analogy...I still stand by it. As machines age, they tend to make more noise, leak more fluid, and require repairs. Some of the things you might do yourself, some you hire a mechanic for. Now, if that mechanic made a house call to tell you your car is rattling due to a heat shield over your catalytic combustor, tells you it'll be $500 bucks to fix it,and you elect not to, he is still due his house call, even though he didnt fix it. Call me an arrogant a@@, or a dufus, thats fine, but hey, I did a service by coming out, finding the problem, and basically doing what the customer says. Pay me. (lol)   

In short, delayed ignition, as mentioned earlier, is nearly ALWAYS due to a stove which hasnt been maintained properly or PM'd properly, be it either the fault of the tech servicing the unit or the owner. That comes from the experience of working with quite literally thousands of stoves, as well as having received Harman tech training....but hey, im just a dufus.


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## jtakeman (Feb 1, 2012)

Lousyweather said:
			
		

> ....but hey, im just a dufus.....



Hope you weren't expecting us to disagree with you! ;-) hehe jk-jk

Hey servicing all those thousands of stoves make you all rich like? :cheese:


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## Lousyweather (Feb 1, 2012)

j-takeman said:
			
		

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not at all, J, not at all...believe it or not, its amazing how much it costs just to show up and tell someone their stove is dirty and thats why its not running!   And you can charge all you want, but what do you do when someone looks you in the eye after doing their service work and just tells you that they have no money to pay you.......blah!

Im thinking I might fit in really well with the warm and cuddly folks at the DMV, always  smiling, happy to be there, servicing the wonderful folks of the area! What was that old saying...."service with a smile..."?


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## smoker62 (Feb 1, 2012)

Lousyweather said:
			
		

> theres a couple rasons why there might be too many pellets in the pot......the most common being that the stove didnt light on its first ignition cycle, and pushed more pellets into the post on subsequent cycles.......why does ths happen? usually a dirty igniter...almost always a dirty igniter......and scraping the burnpot frequently IS NOT cleaning the igniter at all....in fact, it might actually be forcing even more ash into the igniter area. That being said, it IS good practice to clean and scrape the burnpot......just dont forget to also clean the ignitor as well.
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> I clean the igniter often enough, I open it up to clean the fines out and vac with my Cougar ash vac with a rubber line attached for flexibility. Is there a better way to clean the igniter ?
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Well Im glad you said it. Are you the guy that does not know the fan speed control ?? Because my reference to a Dufus was made in light to that fictual individual. Why would you interpret that as you ???  The same with arrogant a@@. Again not directed at you . Although now I think I tagged that unjustly. You seem to just twist my words to suit your point of fact and then feel good about yourself. My stove is as clean as it can be . I maintain it more than I should , I am anal about maintenance on anything I own. 

Can you not comprehend the fact that maybe , just maybe , I have some defective mechanical issues ? After all , it is mechanical and can break. I read that in this thread some Dufus posted above LOL.


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## Lousyweather (Feb 1, 2012)

yea, I can see Im going nowhere with this....I think Ive already gone past the point of diminishing returns here, *yawn*.....time to going on to something (anything) more productive....


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## smoker62 (Feb 1, 2012)

Hey, thats probably a good thing. Nothing I like better than a good pissing match. I can go on for days , I really enjoy them.  Your still wrong in so many ways about me  , even if you are a Harman expert. Maybe you taught one of those techs. Haha, sorry , that was uncalled for. Its good to see some of the posters are not such stuffy shirts as you and Harman Lover.  Sorry if I offended you stiffs by insulting a stove.


I will move on and try some of the other suggestions given, most importantly finding a knowledgable tech to come out . 

I had fun , didnt you LOL. Maybe we can take the girls dancing sometime , ; )


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## Harman Lover 007 (Feb 2, 2012)

smoker62 said:
			
		

> Hey, thats probably a good thing. *Nothing I like better than a good pissing match. I can go on for days , I really enjoy them.  Your still wrong in so many ways about me  , even if you are a Harman expert. Maybe you taught one of those techs. Haha, sorry , that was uncalled for. Its good to see some of the posters are not such stuffy shirts as you and Harman Lover.  Sorry if I offended you stiffs by insulting a stove.*I will move on and try some of the other suggestions given, most importantly finding a knowledgable tech to come out .
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> I had fun , didnt you LOL. Maybe we can take the girls dancing sometime , ; )



Your true colors are showing more than ever. I respectfully request, based on my past posts and performance, that the moderator close this thread.


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## smoker62 (Feb 2, 2012)

You started throwing dirt and now cant handle the aftermath .  Your past posts and performance , haha . Now thats truly a square,.  Yep, I dont like you . You sound like a real whiner.Take your ball and go home.  But its funny you keep coming back to look. Theres hope for you yet. Cant we all just get along , geez. Cheers mate .


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## Harman Lover 007 (Feb 2, 2012)

smoker62 said:
			
		

> You started throwing dirt and now cant handle the aftermath .  Your past posts and performance , haha . Now thats truly a square,.  Yep, I dont like you . You sound like a real whiner.Take your ball and go home.  But its funny you keep coming back to look. Theres hope for you yet. Cant we all just get along , geez. Cheers mate .



Another productive, informative post.....


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## jtakeman (Feb 2, 2012)

It could also just be some lube? I'd start there. Amsoil or one of those super lubes might get it quited down. 

Another way to quiet a fan is go straight to the bearings. We had a cooler in our lab. The original fan would drive you nuts. I tore it down. Got the numbers off the orig bearings and crossed them to some ceramics. It was almost silent and no vibes. I also attacked the compressor motor. Which hummed like the dickens. 

Also the fan with transmit noise thru the housings. Might want to use a dampening gasket.


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## smoker62 (Feb 2, 2012)

I need to sincerely apologize to Forya for turning his thread to chit. And most other posters as well.  That said , I stand by comments . Thanks to those that actually offered useful advice.

I was a member for years before and never had issues. Well there was Frank , but thats another story. Lots had issues with Frank.


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## fossil (Feb 2, 2012)

This just simply is not the friendly exchange of information and support the Hearth.com forums are known for.  Rick


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