Harman Accentra insert lower temp limits

[tiger]

Coming up on one year's ownership. This past weekend I turned the max-feed dial to a whisker over 3, and the same for the temp reading on Stove Temp (I will continue to use Stove temp and not Room temp, so let's not go there) and the fan setting barely on. Still, rather warm in the living room at +/- 78 degrees F, when ambient outdoor temps are over 40F daytime, maybe 30F nighttime, approx. So, is there a lower limit on where I can set the temp and still have continuous run? No mention of that in the owner's manual.

Still getting some experience of the flames "licking" the glass, coming out of the firebox at a big enough angle from the vertical, that must be contributing to the glass getting dirty in the top center after some hours of operation, I'd clean-while-hot if there was a way to do such a thing without damaging the glass. Any thoughts on minimizing this?

And After a couple of weeks of e-mailing the person I bought the stove fro to get that first deep cleaning while I watch-n-learn, I called -- that person does not work there any more. I should have that appointment set up momentarily. The "front half' of the stove looks pretty good with weekly cleanings.

Thinking about making a change in use. Instead of running it all weekend, Friday night to Monday morning, and no other times, thinking about shutting it down at night and letting the boiler do it's part, then starting it up in the mornings. This would "free up" pellets for weekday evening burns. As a primary reason for the those is appearance/ambiance, and we cannot see it at night, sorta makes sense if there's no downside. Hmm...

 

[F4jock]

I have the same insert. No, you can't safely clean the glass hot.

If you're going to run in stove temp the stove will do what it does. Since you don't want to consider other modes of operation IMO further discussion is pointless. Just do what you intend to do and be happy.

 

[bags]

You can set the feed rate at 1 and stove/constant temp at 1 with the igniter on auto if you want and it will run and blow air still. The flame will be minimal but there will be aflame and the blower will still push warm air at whatever speed you want.

Burning lower rates is what jacks up your glass. Hotter = Better in that regard. I would say you can "clean" the glass while hot. Put on a welders glove and use a DRY towel quickly. You will not get the glass real clean but most of the ash and build up will go away. Enter at your own risk!

If you only want to use it for ambiance a gas fire log set might have been cheaper, easier, cleaner, and better suited. Just a thought.

 

[bags]

No, you can't safely clean the glass hot.

If you gear up and take a risk you could possibly get sub standard results. But what good are they? He was asking for options to clean HOT GLASS with a fire burning so I delivered one. If you have an 8 year old it might be a good chore. LOL! Make sure you donate to the burn victims charities 1st!

Also keep in mind tiger is a risk taker. He hauls pellets in a Boxter! Kinda like packing a Sterno stove lunch in a paper bag. Now that would be some sack lunch!

 

[F4jock]

If you gear up and take a risk you could possibly get sub standard results. But what good are they? He was asking for options to clean HOT GLASS with a fire burning so I delivered one.

Yeah Bags I know, but the only way to get really clean glass is with a liquid ( I'm not a devotee of ash.) and that's a no-go hot. Sounds like the OP already has his / her mind made up as to operating modes and is looking for the "dream."

 

[bags]

Yeah Bags I know, but[/quote]

Hey, Sometimes unconventional warfare works and other times it gets you killed! Those dials were put on Harmans to give the tinker types something to ease the boredom with........

 

[F4jock]

Yeah but everyone wants to operate outside the envelope. You get a stove that can maintain a set room temp, refuse to operate it in that mode and complain that your house is too warm when operating it in a constant temp mode. So instead of operating it whereby it automatically maintains temp by shutting itself down one chooses to do so manually to apparently save pellets and go to oil, oil that is probably more expensive. The logic eludes me but hey, it ain't my stove. . . . . .

 

[tiger]

You get a stove that can maintain a set room temp, refuse to operate it in that mode and complain that your house is too warm when operating it in a constant temp mode.

Mellow out, F4. You are 100% right, if I did Room Temp, I'd have whatever temp I desired -- and I am making a conscious compromise because I want the ambiance of a continuous flame, and probably have too much stove anyway for the size of the house (esp this far South). All I wanted to know was was there a lower limit on Stove Temp operation setting. Apparently Yes, but that's contributing to the obscured glass.

Maybe one weekend I'll try Room Temp, I would not be surprised if the unit was flame-free more than 50% of the time if I did.

 

[F4jock]

Mellow out, F4. You are 100% right, if I did Room Temp, I'd have whatever temp I desired -- and I am making a conscious compromise because I want the ambiance of a continuous flame, and probably have too much stove anyway for the size of the house (esp this far South). All I wanted to know was was there a lower limit on Stove Temp operation setting. Apparently Yes, but that's contributing to the obscured glass.

Maybe one weekend I'll try Room Temp, I would not be surprised if the unit was flame-free more than 50% of the time if I did.

Not if you put the igniter in "Manual." That gives you a 2.5 second pellet feed for maintenance burn when you hit temp. Lowest possible.

Try this: Feed 4. Room Temp (Fan) Max. Ignighter Manual. Room Temp Setting "X" degrees.

 

[bags]

No time to mellow out. There is serious bid-ness to be tak'in care of 'round here. LOL! F4 will get you set straight. No time for games and complaints. We are all about the heat and the nice flames here, brah! < Whatever they say out on the left coast.... Low burn = Halloween glass on the right coast.

Tiger you are north of me and going to a low maintenance burn set right for ambiance would likely give you the huggy kissy flame and some decent average heat not cooking you out if dialed according to outside temps but get ready for the Halloween glass. Witches, ghosts, and gremlins will appear. BOO!

 

[tiger]

Not if you put the igniter in "Manual." That gives you a 2.5 second pellet feed for maintenance burn when you hit temp. Lowest possible.

Try this: Feed 4. Room Temp (Fan) Max. Ignighter Manual. Room Temp Setting "X" degrees.

I'm willing to try that, thanks. No harm done if I don't like the results.

 

[F4jock]

P

I'm willing to try that, thanks. No harm done if I don't like the results.

Please let me know what happens. Interested.

 

[tsmith]

If you are looking for flame ambiance and not heat, put it in stove temp 4 or less and in manual mode, and you will get fireplace mode. Lots of flame and no heat coming into the room unless the inside stove temp gets too warm then the room blower will come on for a little bit.

 

[fire451]

it's actually good that the stove shuts down now and again and cools, I use this opportunity to scrape the fire pot good, poke out the little holes, throw a little Windex on the glass. good to go again

 

[tiger]

If you are looking for flame ambiance and not heat, put it in stove temp 4 or less and in manual mode, and you will get fireplace mode. Lots of flame and no heat coming into the room unless the inside stove temp gets too warm then the room blower will come on for a little bit.

Thanks, that's interesting, but I actually want heat -- just less of it, and with continuous flame; I probably overstated it with "a primary reason for the those is appearance/ambiance", too easy to read that as THE primary reason. 79F in the room is common, we've seen 83F , my wife wouldn't care until you could bake biscuits on the coffee table but I think 76F is more reasonable (and thus, I dunno, 69F in the far rooms). Plus the bonus of fewer LB/day pellets.

 

[Peterfield]

Thanks, that's interesting, but I actually want heat -- just less of it, and with continuous flame; I probably overstated it with "a primary reason for the those is appearance/ambiance", too easy to read that as THE primary reason. 79F in the room is common, we've seen 83F , my wife wouldn't care until you could bake biscuits on the coffee table but I think 76F is more reasonable (and thus, I dunno, 69F in the far rooms). Plus the bonus of fewer LB/day pellets.

One thing that jumped out at me is there are other posts where users complain that the BTU value of a particular pellet brand they are burning is low. North American is a brand that comes to mind that are consistently reported to produce poor heat compared to other brands. Maybe using one of these "low" BTU brands will get you into a desired temperature range.

 

[F4jock]

Thanks, that's interesting, but I actually want heat -- just less of it, and with continuous flame; I probably overstated it with "a primary reason for the those is appearance/ambiance", too easy to read that as THE primary reason. 79F in the room is common, we've seen 83F , my wife wouldn't care until you could bake biscuits on the coffee table but I think 76F is more reasonable (and thus, I dunno, 69F in the far rooms). Plus the bonus of fewer LB/day pellets.

Did you try the settings I suggested?

 

[MuchoBueno]

One thing that jumped out at me is there are other posts where users complain that the BTU value of a particular pellet brand they are burning is low. North American is a brand that comes to mind that are consistently reported to produce poor heat compared to other brands. Maybe using one of these "low" BTU brands will get you into a desired temperature range.

I know I'm the only one that thinks so but I get high ash and high heat from North Americans. Serious. The amount of ash is ridiculous. I have to empty out my ash pan every 4 or 5 days but I get good heat from those. Also I've been running in room temp mode since december(got stove in November 2014) and I couldn't be happier. In Room Temp Manual, the stove reaches the chosen temp and ramps down to a maintenance burn until it senses the room temp drop and it starts up again. Pellets start feeding, room blower kicks on low until it reaches a higher temp then it kicks on full throttle. It's just a wonderful way to heat my house without constantly messing with the knobs. That almost drove me crazy now that I think of it.

 

[F4jock]

I know I'm the only one that thinks so but I get high ash and high heat from North Americans. Serious. The amount of ash is ridiculous. I have to empty out my ash pan every 4 or 5 days but I get good heat from those. Also I've been running in room temp mode since december(got stove in November 2014) and I couldn't be happier. In Room Temp Manual, the stove reaches the chosen temp and ramps down to a maintenance burn until it senses the room temp drop and it starts up again. Pellets start feeding, room blower kicks on low until it reaches a higher temp then it kicks on full throttle. It's just a wonderful way to heat my house without constantly messing with the knobs. That almost drove me crazy now that I think of it.

I suggested that to Tiger. No feedback as yet.

 

[MuchoBueno]

I suggested that to Tiger. No feedback as yet.

He had his stove for a year. There's no way I could have run this thing in stove mode for a year. I woulda gone nuts.

 

[tiger]

Did you try the settings I suggested?

Not yet but I will.

Ironically, now the weather pattern is changing, we're forecasted to stay below averages-for-the-date and next Tuesday about 25 degrees below average; kinda takes the urgency out of finding a way to keep the burn low, doesn't it? Last night I did a 4-hr burn, flame stayed relatively even and the house was comfortable but not too warm.

 

[F4jock]

Not yet but I will.

Ironically, now the weather pattern is changing, we're forecasted to stay below averages-for-the-date and next Tuesday about 25 degrees below average; kinda takes the urgency out of finding a way to keep the burn low, doesn't it? Last night I did a 4-hr burn, flame stayed relatively even and the house was comfortable but not too warm.

Well let me know please.