Accentra smoke in hopper update

[Trying To Keep Warm]

Just checked stove -- pellets getting low -- and there is the smoke back again in hopper. So much so at one point that when I shine a flashlight through the glass door the bottom is almost hard to see through the smoke.

I'm going back to the dealer tomorrow. Now I'm convinced this stove has a major flaw in it.

 

[Dougsey]

Sorry to hear that the smoke is back.

You've only had that stove for 3 or 4 months, right?

 

[Trying To Keep Warm]

This is my second winter with it. No problems last winter. Very strange because the stove now seems to be burning with a better more even flame after hole drill.

Have you run your pellets fairly low and ever see any smoke? Smoke does not come through with a good amount of pellets in the hopper.

Can't be the outside fresh air -- outside air was "warm" today.

 

[Dougsey]

I ran the hopper out yesterday so I could vacuum out the fines... no smoke.

But this is my first season with this stove and maybe this problem won't effect me until next year.

How often do you scrape your burnpot?

I scrape mine every day or two or three depending on pellets used. What I'm finding is that the need to scrape is reduced quite a bit when burning New England Canadian pellets (softwood). I could probably go a week without scraping with these pellets if I wanted to.

 

[Trying To Keep Warm]

I scrape the burnpot as often as you do. I keep the stove very clean.

Interesting about your New England Canadian pellets. I hear around here that they create less ash than the New England pellets from NH and burn better. I'm almost tempted to buy a few bags of the Canadian and run them through as a test.

I'm off the the dealer tomorrow and plan to bring back copies of all the info sheets about this mod I had done.

What I'm really worried about is this -- if I keep the hopper full I'll have no smoke, but what is happening in the auger tube and surrounding area? Is resin staring it's slow build up again -- and totally out of site!

By the way I have a Quadrafire Castile fireplace insert in the living room. I use the same pellets and have had no issues with that stove at all.

The Accentra is in my kitchen in a corner.

 

[freebird77]

Trying to keep warm, Update on the hopper smoke problem?

 

[Trying To Keep Warm]

I've been running my Accentra FS quite often since the middle of October. And I must say without any trace of smoke in the hopper!!

Late last winter I had the jumper tube mod done in the rear of the stove. This most definately fixed the smoke problem. Flame is much better and I have a much cleaner burnpot -- with very little scraping.

Next time I have the stove apart for cleaning I'll try to get some photos of the first hole mod and the later tube mod. Did not get photos last year.

I often wonder what would happen if the power goes off with the stove burning away. Well last week the lights went out -- sub station power problem. The flame slowly faded away and there was quite a bit of smoke still in the stove but it did not leak out. I think the my five foot vertical pipe run helped with it's "chimney draft". Make sense?

I did vacuum out the combo. motor area the next day. Thought some soot might bind it up since it was not shut down properly.

Anybody out there experiencing any smoke in their hoppers? Hope not -- it was a real pain prior to the fix.

Trying To Keep Warm.

 

[Matt715]

Does anyone have a pic of the holes drilled in the burn pot? I think I have had the jumper tube mod done (there is a clear piece of tube running into the back of the hopper area- see pic) but I don't have a 2 scribed below the auger. I have quite a problem with carbon buildup by the end of the auger and up into the auger tube and if I don't keep the feed setting on a 3 or above it really builds carbon quickly especially if I have it on room temp and the stove goes to an idle state. Maybe the 5 hole mod will help this out? A service tech is coming out to check out my woofing issue (which he has never heard of before) and I would like to have everything taken care of in one appointment if possible.

Thanks,

Matt

 

[freebird77]

Smoke in my P61 last spring . They came out and did the tube thing, and it seemed ok, but now its back, sometimes. Dealer repairman is coming today to check it out, again. ill keep you posted.

 

[freebird77]

Technician came out today, pulled slider plate checked draft, which was ok, and took pics to send to harman. Have to call in a few days to see if they will replace the stove, or what. Ill keep you posted when I find out anything else.
Also, the man was actually early, and once again very neat and profesional. So far I cant complain about the service from Kitchen Hearth and Stove of Binghamton Ny

 

[GVA]

Does anyone have a pic of the holes drilled in the burn pot? I think I have had the jumper tube mod done (there is a clear piece of tube running into the back of the hopper area- see pic) but I don't have a 2 scribed below the auger. I have quite a problem with carbon buildup by the end of the auger and up into the auger tube and if I don't keep the feed setting on a 3 or above it really builds carbon quickly especially if I have it on room temp and the stove goes to an idle state. Maybe the 5 hole mod will help this out? A service tech is coming out to check out my woofing issue (which he has never heard of before) and I would like to have everything taken care of in one appointment if possible.

Thanks,

Matt

Disconnect that fresh air intake next time the stove woofs and see if it goes away..

 

[Matt715]

Disconnect that fresh air intake next time the stove woofs and see if it goes away..

So far after running it for about 2 hours w/o the fresh air hooked up I haven't had any woofing. When the installers installed the stove they just stuck the flex pipe in the stove intake and clamped it in the exhaust pipe w/o any silicone on it. I did try wrapping the joints about a week ago with duct tape to seal them up but it still was woofing. Does this mean that I have a resonant piece of tubing or my intake needs to be adjusted or??

 

[Matt715]

Well, its still woofing but not as much. I guess I will have to see what the repair guy has to say..

 

[millhouselives]

Having read this thread, now I am wondering if I should call dealer regarding this modification. My Accentra FS was purchase in August "08" and picked up by me in Sept. 08. I didn't install until 1st weekend in Nov. I just started my fifth bag of Lignetics Pellets.

Stove manufacturing date is May of "06" according to metal plate on back on stove. I have not had any smoke at all in hopper and I am wondering if I call the dealer are they going say something like "Oh! no smoke in hopper, then you don't need the mod."

In this thread there seems to be some confusion as to if this mod is optional by the dealer or if it is some type of technical bulletin issued to the dealers (you know maybe something like a safely recall). Seems to be it would be something that the dealers would want to do asap before things get real bad in stove. It would save them money I would think to do the mod and not have to replace parts or stove.

So I am also wondering why some Accentra FS stoves have smoke in hopper problem but others don't or is it something that will develope over time. thanks

 

[freebird77]

Im having it with my P61. Awaiting word from the dealer.

 

[Bxpellet]

My Advance had the same problem, the dealer said it was a Tech. Bulletin by Harman. I even have the diagram that was faxed to me showing the Mod, with directions on how to do it.

 

[Matt715]

Millhouselives-

My stove was made in '06 and installed this fall but the tube mod was done at some point in time before I got it (as seen in the pic above). You may just want to pull a panel off the back of the stove and see if you've had it done before you call them. I have checked my hopper many times at various levels of pellets since reading this post and I have never seen or smelled a hint of smoke in my hopper.

Having read this thread, now I am wondering if I should call dealer regarding this modification. My Accentra FS was purchase in August "08" and picked up by me in Sept. 08. I didn't install until 1st weekend in Nov. I just started my fifth bag of Lignetics Pellets.

Stove manufacturing date is May of "06" according to metal plate on back on stove. I have not had any smoke at all in hopper and I am wondering if I call the dealer are they going say something like "Oh! no smoke in hopper, then you don't need the mod."

In this thread there seems to be some confusion as to if this mod is optional by the dealer or if it is some type of technical bulletin issued to the dealers (you know maybe something like a safely recall). Seems to be it would be something that the dealers would want to do asap before things get real bad in stove. It would save them money I would think to do the mod and not have to replace parts or stove.

So I am also wondering why some Accentra FS stoves have smoke in hopper problem but others don't or is it something that will develope over time. thanks

 

[millhouselives]

Mattman193,

thanks, I will check the back of stove today, hope I am one of the lucky ones and that the mod is already done. I did look at the burner pot plate and I didn't see any extra holes.

 

[millhouselives]

Mattman193,

Didn't have chance to check until today, but looks like I am one of the lucky ones, there the clear plastic tube in back so looks like mod was done either at factory or dealer before I received. Thansk for the tip. Good luck to everyone else and hope you all get it done without too many hassles.

 

[Hammerjoe]

Is it possible to get pictures of those mods?
I am not sure what it is supposed to look like and I want to take them to my dealer and discuss about this.

 

[millhouselives]

hammerjoe,

look on page 3 of this thread mattman posted picture of tube in back of stove.

 

[Hammerjoe]

I saw that picture but I thought there were other mods as well or maybe I missed something?
The tube mod has been issued as a bulletin by Harman correct?
I need to confront my dealer with as much info as I can, because they are clueless.

 

[breklaw]

Is it me, or does it look like they are applying a negative pressure to the hopper, to suck out the smoke? Kind of like a car's emmission system sucks the gas fumes out of the gas tank and burns them? While that MAY get rid of the smoke, does it fix an underlying problem? Just a wild thought. Just where does the other side of that clear tube go? VERY INTERSESTING!!

 

[Matt715]

Is it me, or does it look like they are applying a negative pressure to the hopper, to suck out the smoke? Kind of like a car's emmission system sucks the gas fumes out of the gas tank and burns them? While that MAY get rid of the smoke, does it fix an underlying problem? Just a wild thought. Just where does the other side of that clear tube go? VERY INTERSESTING!!

That was my thought too was that they were creating negative pressure to keep the smoke out. I had a service tech out at my house this morning and he had mentioned that the "newer" stoves have a pressure sensor in the hopper so it shuts down when there isn't pressure in the hopper. I asked him about the "newer" models and he was dancing around the subject because I said mine was made back on '06 but I got it this year. Anyway, I'll try and remember to bring my inspection mirror home for work tomorrow and see if I can see where the tube actually goes.

 

[auerdone]

I have an Accentra. Some people say the newer ones have 5 holes drilled in the back of the burn box to help reduce carbon buildup, and some say 10 holes.

Anybody have a picture of the holes in the burn box.

Thanks