# Stove Temp vs Room Temp



## jdege (Nov 15, 2011)

I am a new owner of a Harman Accentra Pellet Insert and was wondering peoples opinion about running it on stove temp vs. room temp?

Thank you for the feedback.

Joel


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## aaronnoel (Nov 15, 2011)

most folks I think like room temp, not me however, I like stove temp. I like the stove to run steady and not turn on and off a lot. Less use on the igniter is a plus. In the cold of winter stove temp keeps my house feeling much warmer, never turning off and always pumping nice warm air.


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## jdege (Nov 15, 2011)

Thank you Noel, that was the same advice I received this evening from the guy who had to come out and look at the insert to solve and issue we were having with the ignitor. My only concern with stove temp was this time of year when the temp can warm up during the day.

Thanks again


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## Centurion (Nov 15, 2011)

Hi Joel, really nice stove.  Congratulations!  Had one of those and loved it but sold it to buy the Harman PB105 boiler.  Having a boiler keeps the pipes warm so no freeze up on the really cold nights.  Anyway, I liked the room temp best for our comfort.  I kept it set at 72* and the whole lower floor stayed at that temp.  The upstairs averaged about two degrees cooler.  Experiment a little and you will find out what suits your family best.


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## jdege (Nov 15, 2011)

Thanks Centurion, prior to the service tech today we were running on room temp, the comment about less wear on the ignitor caught my attention about stove temp. By the way I got a chuckle out of the fact that the ignitor problem we had was that the ignitor was installed upside down from the factory ??? Oh well, now were are set to go when it turns cold again up here in NH.


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## aaronnoel (Nov 16, 2011)

fall and spring are tricky on stove temp I will run mine on stove temp at night and turn off at 6am that way the house gets nice and toasty all night when night time temps are lower. If your stove is new you have full covered igniter replacement so no worries about wear and tear, I had my igniter replaced three times under warranty.


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## jdempsey (Nov 16, 2011)

Room temp also will burn a bit more electricity.

The ignitor likes plenty of juice to get it going. But it would have to cycle on and off considerably to make a huge difference on your electric bill. Thus best to have a thermostat with swing.


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## lbcynya (Nov 16, 2011)

Who said the stove has to shut off in room temp mode?  Keep the switch in manual and it will reduce heat output to maintain room temp desired without shutting off.   Room temp will prevent overshooting on warmer sunny days (wasting pellets).  I see no reason to have the stove shut off during the colder part of the winter since some bit of heat is awlays necessary.  Room temp, switch on manual works great.  You do have to experiment with sensor wire placement to "calibrate" location to actual room temp. Once you find the right spot, let it be. Or, you can ignore the temps on the control dial and simply turn the dial up/down until you find the right temp. Remember that position and you're good to go. 

Stove temp, for me is best for shoulder seasons where I run the stove from 4 to 10:30 pm.  In that case I run with the switch on auto so the blower runs normally and, no, the stove won't shut off with the switch on auto on stove temp mode.


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## LIpelletpig (Nov 16, 2011)

I prefer Stove Temp


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## thedak (Nov 16, 2011)

Stove Temp or gtfo


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## jdege (Nov 16, 2011)

Thanks for all the info, ran in stove temp last night on #1 and the down stairs was 72 (outside was only down to 38). I can see the benefit of stove temp when it gets colder outside.

Thanks again for all the advice.


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## Cincinnati Kid (Nov 16, 2011)

I run mine in Room temp with the ignitor set to manual, just like ibcyna posted.  I don't like the stove turning on and off all the time.  It really does not use that many more pellets because it runs very low when the room temp hits the desired temp.

Also, I don't run the stove during the shoulder months as I have a electric heat pump that is very efficient at temps in the 40-50's.  Typically when I run both my stoves temps are below 30 degrees.


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## lbcynya (Nov 16, 2011)

jdege said:
			
		

> Thanks for all the info, ran in stove temp last night on #1 and the down stairs was 72 (outside was only down to 38). I can see the benefit of stove temp when it gets colder outside.
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> Thanks again for all the advice.



So, let's elaborate on your evaluation.  Let's say last night was 38, but tonight will be 28, then your down stairs might be 68 instead of 72.  So you raise your stove temp value to 2 and the next 28 degree night the down stairs is 72...  Perfect.  Now what if it warms up again and you forget to move the stove temp from 2 to 1 and you go down stairs on the 3rd day and the room is 76.  Oops, overheated the room = wasted pellets.

Room temp = constant temp (for the most part) whether it's 38 or 28 outside.  Food for though.  

Some homes will react differently, so actual stove temp results may vary, but heat loss is heat loss, so you could overheat or underheat the room depending on the heat load required while on stove temp.  Stove temp provides constant heat, but your heat requirement is far from constant in the winter.  Temp, humididity, wind, sun, all are factors. Room temp DOES react to these external forces that impact comfort.  

Either way, do what works for you.  Just sharing the nitty gritty.


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## 76brian (Nov 16, 2011)

lbcynya said:
			
		

> Oops, overheated the room = wasted pellets.



Just curious here, would the wasted pellets cost the same as replacing the ignitor as needed? Or in an extreme scenario, the same as fixing a burst pipe and water damage if the ignitor fails to light the stove when I'm not home?

I'm with you on the room temp thing, I would rather use that definitely. I left my P43 on stove temp for one day last week, on it's LOWEST setting, and in 18 hours I used up a bag of pellets. The house was toasty warm, very nice... but it was only just near the freezing point outside. It gets MUCH colder than that here later in the winter. This worries me. I was really hoping a bag would last me at the very least a day in my small house.


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## lbcynya (Nov 16, 2011)

76brian said:
			
		

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Well, have you read the manual or any of the posts above?  Room temp with the switch on manual will not let the stove shut off until you shut it off.  Only with the switch on auto will the stove go out and relight. I'm not a big fan of letting the stove go out betwen calls for heat either (especially during the dead of winter), but that's another topic...


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## Marc P (Nov 16, 2011)

76brian said:
			
		

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I run my Harman Accenture insert on room temp. The feed rate and fans will increase and decrease as the room sensor dictates, but it does not routinely shut off and then ignite again. It idles down, and then revs up...but the flame remains. It would seem that in the dead of winter, the stove would never shut down completely, but I could be wrong since this is my first year.


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## Dougsey (Nov 16, 2011)

lbcynya said:
			
		

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YES!!


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## 76brian (Nov 16, 2011)

lbcynya said:
			
		

> Well, have you read the manual or any of the posts above?



Well thats pretty snarky... Maybe the wording of my post triggered that kind of attitude but it was not meant to. I genuinely think it would be cheaper to replace an ignitor every couple of years than it would be to use room temp or stove temp in manual mode, based on my experience setting my stove that way. The only thing I would worry about is the stove not lighting if I'm not there, causing a frozen pipe.


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## lbcynya (Nov 16, 2011)

76brian said:
			
		

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No snark, but you're kind of jumbling a few things together.  

First, let's define the 2 burning seasons:

1.  Shoulder season - I define that as temps consistently over 32 degrees at night.  Fall and spring, for the most part
2.  Burning season - I define that as temps consistently under 32 degrees during the day, colder at night.

During shoulder seasons, I run stove temp, switch on auto and I run the stove for 5-6 hours to take the chill out.  Stove temp + auto will not let the stove shut down, it just turns on the distribution blower.  I go through about a bag and a half a week (7 days) at this rate.  Igniter is used 7 times, once per day.

During burning season, I run on room temp, switch on manual to prevent the stove from shutting down.  During burning season the house always needs some heat to offset the losses, even if you set the stove back while you're not home.  Setting the stove back will put it into maintenance burn which is roughly .75 lbs per hour.  As noted above, room temp will likely fall quickly enough of cold, windy days for the stove to never reach maintenance burn levels.  

I would contend that your house is always consuming heat in the winter, so I would rather spend 80 bucks extra on pellets than 80 bucks for an ignitor since the goal is to offset the heat your house loses, not to buy igniters.  

Finally, it is my opinion that letting a stove go out between calls for heat is hard on the stove since you are heat cycling every component within the stove.  I deal with this issue on $300,000 machines, let alone a couple thousand dollar stove.  Keeping the stove in maintenance burn (if it ever gets there during burning season) reduces the fluctuation intensity of each heat cycle which can be beneficial long term.  Also, there is a lot of debate about the energy it takes to warm the stove back up vs. letting it stay warm and ready to go.  And, you have to factor the cost of a 300+ watt igniter kicking on several times per day into the total cost equasion.

Setting the stove switch to manual also solves your question about failing to relight and the pipes freezing....unless the power goes out.  ;-)


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## lessoil (Nov 16, 2011)

We use Room Temp mode.
Went to a Harman seminar a couple of years ago. Question of course was asked.
The Tech told the group that Room Temp was more efficient.
If the outside temps are not real cold or the temps rise during the day, our house temp
will swing the same as the outside temps. So if the temps get to mid 30's our house will
get too hot in Stove Temp mode even at lowest setting. In Room Temp mode the stove runs
the same as the furnace did. If at setpoint it shuts off. But, everyone has a different situation.
Our pellet use in Room Temp mode vs oil seems to be fairly accurate as far as BTU to BTU comparison.
4 tons has replaced 500 gal of oil.
Bottom line: Stay warm in whatever mode you choose and save money too!


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## 76brian (Nov 16, 2011)

lbcynya said:
			
		

> During shoulder seasons, I run stove temp, switch on auto and I run the stove for 5-6 hours to take the chill out.  Stove temp + auto will not let the stove shut down, it just turns on the distribution blower.  I go through about a bag and a half a week (7 days) at this rate.  Igniter is used 7 times, once per day.



I'll have to try this, thanks.

All I know is last week when I set it to room temp, manual, it would continue eating a crap load of pellets even after it had gone to a maintenance burn. The hopper was empty in about 18 hours. I thought it was ridiculous, though I know when running at a higher burn it will be a fair bit more efficient.


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## aaronnoel (Nov 17, 2011)

I just checked my stove out on room temp in manual and it seems to only go down to what I would call the lowest settings on stove mode, I can't see how that would save pellets, it seems to be the same as running the stove on stove temp low fan on 1 setting?


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## jedidiah578 (Nov 17, 2011)

lbcynya said:
			
		

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## Cincinnati Kid (Nov 17, 2011)

noelp68 said:
			
		

> I just checked my stove out on room temp in manual and it seems to only go down to what I would call the lowest settings on stove mode, I can't see how that would save pellets, it seems to be the same as running the stove on stove temp low fan on 1 setting?




I would suggest checking out your stove with same settings when it is well below 20 degrees for a few days. I would bet you will get a totally different end result.


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## lbcynya (Nov 17, 2011)

jedidiah578 said:
			
		

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## aaronnoel (Nov 17, 2011)

I will for sure try out stove temp manual in the dead of winter, as I'm always wanting to save pellets, but I don't understand one thing, how low will the stove go down to when on manual and the stove is at it's set temp? It seems to me that it will only go down as low as low fan on #1 so I don't see how that can save on pellets.


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## jdege (Nov 18, 2011)

I have tried running the stove on Room Temp Manual and the outside and top are getting warm/hot to the touch which was not the case in Room Temp Auto. Is this just a function of the stove running non stop but nit need ing non stop heat or do the stoves just run hot to the touch when on continuous run?


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## forya (Nov 18, 2011)

Room Temp for me.  I extended the probe wires to a good spot and run it at 72.  I am on my 3rd year burning and have not replaced my igniter yet.  I do have a MAP torch just in case It does go, and my Heat pump/Electric heat is set at 64 in case it doesn't light at night.  When it gets real cold it really doesn't cycle on and off though.


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## Trickyrick (Nov 18, 2011)

jdege said:
			
		

> I have tried running the stove on Room Temp Manual and the outside and top are getting warm/hot to the touch which was not the case in Room Temp Auto. Is this just a function of the stove running non stop but nit need ing non stop heat or do the stoves just run hot to the touch when on continuous run?



What happens is the distribution fan turns off and the stove is still running so it "heats up".  It is fine but it is a waste of heat.


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## lbcynya (Nov 18, 2011)

Trickyrick said:
			
		

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Stove distribution fan doesn't turn off on room temp, switch set to manual (unless it's on mantenance burn in which the distribution fan will over cool the stove and reduce efficiency).  How is a hot stove a waste of heat?  That's not wasted energy, just stored energy which will dissipate into the room at some point.  

My XXV get's nice and hot to the touch, love it.


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## tinkabranc (Nov 18, 2011)

I only run the stove in room temp during the shoulder seasons and switch it over to 
stove temp mid season.

Seems to keep the house a more comfortable temp and less wear and tear on the ignitor.


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## Trickyrick (Nov 19, 2011)

lbcynya said:
			
		

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If the distribution fan isnt running then more BTUs are going out the exhaust.  That is wasted heat.

I agree the distribution fan doesnt turn off in manual but in room temp it does.  that will allow the top and front to heat up and because you do not have turbulent flow through the exchanger you are wasting heat.


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## lbcynya (Nov 19, 2011)

Trickyrick said:
			
		

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My fan doesn't shut off on room temp, switch to manual...  I would presume the fan is motor controlled by the esp temp over anything else...


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## lessoil (Nov 19, 2011)

tinkabranc said:
			
		

> I only run the stove in room temp during the shoulder seasons and switch it over to
> stove temp mid season.
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> Seems to keep the house a more comfortable temp and less wear and tear on the ignitor.



Curious about what happens to room temperatures in stove mode when outside temp swings
from lets say -10 to +20. If you are comfortable with a certain setting at -10 and do not
change it, does it get too warm at +20? Do you have to re-adjust??


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## thedude110 (Nov 19, 2011)

It would be helpful if Harman would release an honest, pro-con chart of the two modes.


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## lessoil (Nov 19, 2011)

thedude110 said:
			
		

> It would be helpful if Harman would release an honest, pro-con chart of the two modes.



Yes a chart would be nice.


Here is what I have seen.
A Harman Tech at a seminar (2009) stated that Room Temp was more efficient.
We had a new control board installed this past Summer. 
I have noticed the following:
1) Startup is slower ie a much more gradual fire ramp up
2)When stove shuts down the auger does not run at all. It used to feed a small 
   amount to help keep fire from moving toward bin.
3) Does not keep temp on setpoint like the old board. More fluctuation.

**Igniter burned out last month. Original 13 fin from 2008**

So now I am running stove in Room Temp but with the igniter in manual. (This mode is in the book)
Another forum member pointed this out to me.
This seems to keep the temp more stable and also keeps the fire going. Saves on igniter use.


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## lbcynya (Nov 19, 2011)

*How your stove works* - The facts are pretty straightforward, but how you get people to properly interpret the facts is the hard part.  

It's your toy, run it the way you want as long as you understand what's going on behind the scenes!

Everything noted below is based on me seeing what the stove is doing via the Harman diagnostic tool during the various operation methods.  I get to see feed rates, max feed rates, current ESP temps, ESP set temps, room sensor temperatures, room sensor target temperatures, knob positions, switch positions, etc.  


*Here are the facts:*

*Stove temp *- 100% driven the the ESP (temperature probe in stove exhaust flow).  Temp dial corresponds to a fixed ESP temperature.  For simplicity, let's assume a setting of 3 = 300 degrees ESP temp.  The stove will ramp feed up/down to always be as close to 300 degrees as possible.  In stove temp the stove doesn't care what the room temp is, only the ESP temp.  The room might be 60 or 90 degrees doesn't matter, all it cares about is maintaining an ESP temp of 300.

_The stove will not shut off in stove temp regardless of whether the igniter switch is set to auto or manual._

*Stove temp, switch to manual* - I call this fireplace mode.  Distribution fan will not turn on unless the temp knob is set to 5 or higher.  This is designed to give a nice fire, but not a ton of heat in the room.  Most goes up the chimney.  

*Stove temp, switch to auto* - distribution fan operates normally to push heat into the room, regardless of stove or room temperature.  There is a caveat to this, if you have your room temp set to 1 (very low) then the distribution blower might shut off because the ESP temperature is below the lowest setting allowed for the distribution blower to run.

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*Room Temp* - The stove is 100% driven by the room temp sensor.  The stove will automatically adjust feed and ESP temp to achieve the room temp set point.  Once the set point is reached, the stove will slowly throttle up/down to maintain temperature.  If it's 20 degrees outside, your heat load is high and the stove will feed more pellets to get the ESP temp hot enough to maintain room temperature set point.  If it's 60 degrees outside, the stove will feed as little as possible and keep as low an ESP temp as possible to maintain room temperature.  

*Igniter switch to manual*, stove will go into maintenance burn in between calls for heat - prevents igniter cycling, might use a few more pellets in this mode...maybe...

*Igniter switch to auto*, stove will initiate the shut down process in between calls for heat - igniter could cycle several times per day, depends on set point and heat load.  If there is a call for heat during the shutdown process, the stove will start feeding pellets provided that the ESP temperature didn't go below the low limit.  So, on really cold days, the stove might not shut off, even if it's on auto. 

So there's the facts, interpret away...  

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*And more...*

*Feed Rates* - Feed rate us controlled by the stove ESP.  The stove will select a feed rate based on the actual temperature and target call for heat.  The larger the temperature delta (actual room temp vs. target room temp), the greater the feed rate will be.  10 degrees would be a large delta and the stove would feed to reach max ESP temp of about 500 degrees depending on stove model.  A 2 degree delta might only result in a feed rate of 20 seconds per minute even though the feed rate max dial is set to 4 (or 40 seconds per minute). The stove can vary the feed rate between 2.5 seconds per minute and the max feed rate *you* set.  A feed rate of 6 would represent continuous feeding if the ESP wasn't seeing sufficient temperatures to satisfy the call for heat.  

Feed rates can lead to incomplete combustion comes in 2 forms - 
1.  Pellets spilling over the edge of the burn pot before they are reduced to ash. 
2.  Smoke. 

Relative to #1 - when you run the stove wide open, the burning pellets should come no closer than 1 inch from the edge of the burn pot.  You should have burning pellets and about 1â€ of ash before the edge.  If pellets are bulging and close to the edge, you might not turn them to ash before spilling over the edge, wasting energy.  If the burn line is too close, dial the feed rate back a bit, may by 1/2 of a number (i.e. 3.5 to 3).  The stove doesn't run wide open once everything is up to temp, so this is only for scenarios where, for instance, the room is 65 and you want it 75 degrees.  When up to temp the stove will regulate itself form 5 seconds per minute of feed up to the limit you set.

Relative to #2 - smoke is also a sign of incomplete combustion, meaning that there is more fuel than air supplied by the combustion blower.  This too should be evaluated when the stove is running WIDE OPEN.  At night with a flashlight, youâ€™ll always see smokeâ€¦  During the day, smoke is rated based on opacity or how easily you can see through it.  Startup might be 50% opacity or fairly heavy smoke.  If you are 10% or less (barely visible), thatâ€™s reasonable and you aren't really wasting anything.  If you have to struggle to see it, youâ€™re probably good.  If you can easily see smoke and your flame is HUGE, try dialing back feed rate a bit to bring the air/fuel mix back into a more efficient range.  Once again, dialing it back by 1/2 of a number (ie 3.5 to 3).  

In most cases, you donâ€™t want to be below 3 or above 4.  Youâ€™ll also want to recalibrate after changing brands of pellets since the blend and size of pellet will cause it to burn/feed differently.

*Setting your feed rate too low doesn't save pellets and stove performance will suffer.*  Setting your feed rate too low is like putting a brick _underneath_ the gas pedal of your car.  Don't be tempted to set your feed rate too low.


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## PJPellet (Nov 19, 2011)

lbcynya said:
			
		

> The facts are pretty straightforward, but how you get people to properly interpret the facts is the hard part.
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This is a very accurate explanation.  
I have been fiddling with different settings on my P43.  I have found I like room temp the best.  I have found that for my installation and house that leaving the stove in room temp always, then putting the stove into manual when the temp gets below 35* works great.  Above 35* I flip it to automatic and it starts and stops as you would expect.  I put it in manual below 35* because I noticed that the stove would go into shutdown but before the combustion blower finally stopped the stove would need to re-ignite.  I love the way room temp works, and the only reason I even flip the switch to manual at that certain temp is to save on the ignitor.  All of this being said I still fiddle and play.  Bottom line for me is room temp in automatic works the best at my house.  It burns the least pellets and keeps the house at an even temperature.  Love it.


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## lbcynya (Nov 19, 2011)

Thanks PJ!

(Moved content to post 36, since this is the link referenced in my signature.)


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## referee38 (Nov 19, 2011)

I have a harman P-43 and was wondering about the best place for the sensor and from what I am reading I should have it away from the stove to get the best results. This is what I wanted to do so thatnks for helping with that.
Ed


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## lbcynya (Nov 19, 2011)

referee38 said:
			
		

> I have a harman P-43 and was wondering about the best place for the sensor and from what I am reading I should have it away from the stove to get the best results. This is what I wanted to do so thatnks for helping with that.
> Ed



Unfortunately, there's no good way other than the method I outlined above.  Mine is happiest directly under the stove exhaust outlet.  Corner install, basement, on tile floor over cement floor.  You might need to move yours elsewhere, on a wall, etc.  If it's on the floor, you shouldn't have to move it too far from the stove.  You can extend the room probe up to 25 feet using thermostat wire.  Just depends on your layout.  Best to try and find someplace easy and close before you go extending things.  

Second thought, you could use an IR temp gun to take surface temperatures around the stove area to find the temp that equals what you have set on the temp dial.  Let the stove run for several hours or a day to let everything find equilibrium before trying to find the sweet spot.


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## Harman Lover 007 (Nov 19, 2011)

lbcynya said:
			
		

> *How your stove works* - The facts are pretty straightforward, but how you get people to properly interpret the facts is the hard part.
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Dude, that is the best explanation I have ever heard for the operation of a Harman and it is exactly how I understood it to be....thanks.


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## 76brian (Nov 20, 2011)

lbcynya said:
			
		

> <snip>Ideally, there would be 2 additional simple electronic displays on the control board, 1 for the room probe temp actual and 1 for the room probe set temp.  This would eliminate 100% of the misinterpretations on how room temp works since you would have 2 very important pieces of information.



This is why I bought a cheap digital thermometer and placed it exactly where the room temp sensor is. Now I know precisely what the sensor is reading, and can interpret how to set the dial on the stove. I don't find the dial to be all that accurate, but it's close enough that it's easy to adjust based on what I see at the sensor.

All in all, I find "Room Temp" keeps that thermometer within a degree or two of what the stove is set to. It's not bad really... the slight difference could simply be a small variation in component values and the fact it's an analog control. Digital at the stove would be a great improvement though.

Thanks for the explanation, will clear things up for many I am sure!


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## Oink Oink (Dec 11, 2011)

lbcynya said:
			
		

> *How your stove works* - The facts are pretty straightforward, but how you get people to properly interpret the facts is the hard part.
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Can anyone explain how the feed rate plays into all of this?


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## Harman Lover 007 (Dec 12, 2011)

As I have said many times here in the past year, the feed rate on a Harman is a "set it and forget it" adjustment. My P61A is set at 3. The feed rate adjustment is a setting that controls the maximum rate that your stove will feed pellets when, and only when, the stove calls for it. Do a search on Harman feed rate.


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## Oink Oink (Dec 12, 2011)

So this is my strategy: Set the feed rate at 3.5 and forget it.

In the middle of the winter room temp using manual, so that the igniter doesn't have to be used heavily.
Shoulder seasons room temp set on auto, to save on pellets.

Good strategy?


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## subsailor (Dec 12, 2011)

Acorrding to my dealer, the feed rate only applies when in room temp. Not a factor in stove temp.


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## Harman Lover 007 (Dec 12, 2011)

subsailor said:
			
		

> Acorrding to my dealer, the feed rate only applies when in room temp. Not a factor in stove temp.



Well he doesn't know the product line he sells very well then. The proper way to set the feed rate in the first place is done in Stove Temp mode. It's in your owners manual.


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## Marg (Dec 15, 2011)

lbcynya said:
			
		

> Who said the stove has to shut off in room temp mode?  Keep the switch in manual and it will reduce heat output to maintain room temp desired without shutting off.   Room temp will prevent overshooting on warmer sunny days (wasting pellets).  I see no reason to have the stove shut off during the colder part of the winter since some bit of heat is awlays necessary.  Room temp, switch on manual works great.  You do have to experiment with sensor wire placement to "calibrate" location to actual room temp. Once you find the right spot, let it be. Or, you can ignore the temps on the control dial and simply turn the dial up/down until you find the right temp. Remember that position and you're good to go.
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So it does not matter if you use Stove Temp on Auto? On Manual can you run it on Stove Temp or Room Temp?

Marg


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## Marg (Dec 15, 2011)

Harman Lover 007 said:
			
		

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Stove Temp mode on Auto or Manual to set right feed rate? 

Marg


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## Harman Lover 007 (Dec 15, 2011)

Marg said:
			
		

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It doesn't matter. Do you have your owners manual? It tells you how to do it. I'll paraphrase it here:

Stove temp mode, dial at highest setting(7), blower on high, Feed rate at 3. Let the stove run full blast for at least 20-30 minutes. The edge of the roaring fire should come to within 1 inch of the edge of the burnpot without spilling unburnt pellets over the edge. If the pellets spill over, back off the feed rate a little. If the fire doesn't get to within an inch of the top of the burnpot turn the feed rate up a little until it does. It might take a little tweaking and you need to give the stove time to accept what you are doing if you make changes. (ESP is communicating with Control Board) I'd be very surprised if you ended up with a feed rate setting over 4. Good luck and wear your shorts and tee shirt. You'll be plenty warm while doing this!!

Marg, this is for you...Look at the bottom of page 9 under helpful hints....
http://hearthnhome.com/downloads/installManuals/Accentra.pdf

Subsailor, this is for you...Page 17 
http://hearthnhome.com/downloads/installManuals/P61A.pdf


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## subsailor (Dec 15, 2011)

How does the feed rate play into all of this? As mentioned in other posts, the stove is going to feed enough pellets to maintain the set temperature, whether it's in stove mode or room temp mode. It might take longer to get to the set temp if my feed rate is set at 3 instead of 4, but it will still maintain the set temp. Am I right or am I missing something?


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## Harman Lover 007 (Dec 15, 2011)

I posted the link to your owners manual above....


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## Harman Lover 007 (Dec 15, 2011)

subsailor said:
			
		

> How does the feed rate play into all of this? As mentioned in other posts, the stove is going to feed enough pellets to maintain the set temperature, whether it's in stove mode or room temp mode. It might take longer to get to the set temp if my feed rate is set at 3 instead of 4, but it will still maintain the set temp. Am I right or am I missing something?



Many Harman owners worry too much about the feed rate. Once you've done the procedure outlined above you can forget about it. What you say above, while technically correct, doesn't allow the stove to be at it's most "efficient" level. If your feed rate is too low, as you suggest above then yes, it will take longer for the stove to bring the room to the desired temp. On the contrary, if you have the feed rate set too high and the stove needs to aggressively burn to get to the desired temp then pellets will over feed and spill off the edge unburned and be wasted. Either way, it's inefficient in my book.


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## subsailor (Dec 15, 2011)

Harman Lover 007 said:
			
		

> I posted the link to your owners manual above....



Thanks.


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## Marg (Dec 15, 2011)

Harman Lover 007 said:
			
		

> Marg said:
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Thanks for this. I fixed my stove last night with the help of a Harman Tech. The chain had fallen off the auger. I then started up the stove on Auto and set feed rate to 3 and it filled up with smoke then ignited to a very high flame. It did not take long to get it to ignite. Your comments have been very helpful and had no idea that you could run it on room temp or stove temp on either Auto or Manual. I will go with your instructions and also printed them out and the pages on the manual. I do have a manual that I found online and had printed out some pages. This stove came with the house when I bought it and believe it or not the former owners burned trash in it, never cleaned it so I have given it proper care but have had problems each season with it.

Anyway. Good info.

marg


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## Honda (Jan 3, 2012)

Regarding the test of the feed rate as per Harman manual.  This 1" of ash in the burnpot, should this always be the case, or is it only when doing the test to set feedrate?  I have had my stove for 6 winters, always run feed on 3.5, maybe 4 on a few super cold -35c nights.  My burnline has always been about 2.5" from the front of burnpot.  Always curious if this is normal.  I always run on Stove temp. usually between 4 and 5.


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## Harman Lover 007 (Jan 3, 2012)

Harmanator said:
			
		

> Regarding the test of the feed rate as per Harman manual.  This 1" of ash in the burnpot, should this always be the case, or is it only when doing the test to set feedrate?  I have had my stove for 6 winters, always run feed on 3.5, maybe 4 on a few super cold -35c nights.  My burnline has always been about 2.5" from the front of burnpot.  Always curious if this is normal.  I always run on Stove temp. usually between 4 and 5.



The 1 inch line is the "set" line when doing the feed rate set. After that it may be rare for you to see the ash line that close to the edge of the burnpot.


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## pjonthemount (Jan 20, 2012)

Concerning the post on 'How your Harman stove works'...Brilliant
This was exactly the info I was looking for after trying all kinds of different settings and not getting really consistant results.
Since reading this post, the P43 is keeping the house at a nice, even temperature.
I think placement of the room temp probe was the biggest factor.

Burn on...


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## Harman Lover 007 (Jan 20, 2012)

pjonthemount said:
			
		

> Concerning the post on 'How your Harman stove works'...Brilliant
> This was exactly the info I was looking for after trying all kinds of different settings and not getting really consistant results.
> Since reading this post, the P43 is keeping the house at a nice, even temperature.
> I think placement of the room temp probe was the biggest factor.
> ...



Credit goes to lbcynya.


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## lbcynya (Jan 20, 2012)

Harman Lover 007 said:
			
		

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Thanks. Its been a lot of fun decoding the secrets of Harman stoves. 

Probably do a video next, showing stove settings and how they play out with the diagnostic tool display. This will also help squash some od the misperceptions about feed rate, etc.


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## Harman Lover 007 (Jan 20, 2012)

lbcynya said:
			
		

> Harman Lover 007 said:
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I have a good handle on how these Harman's work since I've had two of them in 15 years but that HHT diagnostic tool must be WAY COOL


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## mepellet (Jan 20, 2012)

lbcynya said:
			
		

> Harman Lover 007 said:
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I saw that you said that you paid good money for the diagnostic tool but couldn't find if you gave a price.  Is that information you can divulge to us envious Harman owners?


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