Harman Ignitor

[bogieb]

3 minutes? my feedrate is 3.5 and it takes longer than that just till fill the burn pot from cold start..then couple minutes till sparks or fly ash,
[I still feel this is the norm for my rig. since it has been since day 1...]

My P61A is the same. takes 7-10 minutes before I get any kind of flame (sparks fly earlier of course but your experience is typical to me - since the day it was put in). I was shocked when I put in my St.Croix and it started burning in 3-5 minutes from a cold start. I don't think anything is wrong with the Harman, it just does things differently.

 

[F4jock]

removing was the wrong word even though I read " loosen"...
does the Igniter and shield both come off or down when you do it that way?:

If you remove the screws the igniter and shield come down together. You pull the igniter cleat of the shield, clean, reassemble and replace.

 

[F4jock]

My P61A is the same. takes 7-10 minutes before I get any kind of flame (sparks fly earlier of course but your experience is typical to me - since the day it was put in). I was shocked when I put in my St.Croix and it started burning in 3-5 minutes from a cold start. I don't think anything is wrong with the Harman, it just does things differently.

Interesting. My Harman runs full bore on restart for one minute no matter the feed setting. If the auger was loaded this fills the burn pot about 2/3s. It then sits and cooks for two minutes during which I get ignition and flame. Not sure why mine seems the exception except that maybe I've replaced the original 13 fin igniter with the new 15 fin model.

 

[F4jock]

3 minutes? my feedrate is 3.5 and it takes longer than that just till fill the burn pot from cold start..then couple minutes till sparks or fly ash,
[I still feel this is the norm for my rig. since it has been since day 1...]

Yep. Three minutes. My burn pot fiills in about a minute. I explained the sequence timing in another post right above.

 

[Tonyray]

3 minutes? my feedrate is 3.5 and it takes longer than that just till fill the burn pot from cold start..then couple minutes till sparks or fly ash,
[I still feel this is the norm for my rig. since it has been since day 1...]

hmm..
maybe the larger BTU stoves, P61-68 with bigger burn pots require more pellet amounts pre-start?
my Auger seems to turn in metered amounts... I don't think it is one continues turn till filled...
Interesting....and I have the 15 fin Igniter also...
funny we should be discussing this because yesterday on room/auto it appeared to fire up long before the burn pot filled up.
1st time I ever saw that..

 

[F4jock]

hmm..
maybe the larger BTU stoves, P61-68 with bigger burn pots require more pellet amounts pre-start?
my Auger seems to turn in metered amounts... I don't think it is one continues turn till filled...
Interesting....and I have the 15 fin Igniter also...
funny we should be discussing this because yesterday on room/auto it appeared to fire up long before the burn pot filled up.
1st time I ever saw that..

As I understand it the initial fire fill is a one minute continuous feed followed by a two minute ignition followed by metered feeding based on ESP etc. If no heat is detected you get another thirty-second feed.One thing. If you start with an empty auger you won't fill the pot first time out and thus yout won't be over the igniter.

 

[Harman Lover 007]

Not that this issue needs any more added to it but the Harman startup phase is a timed cycle controlled by the control board and dip switch settings. Depending on the quality of pellets, everyone's "cold stove" to "we have ignition" will vary. Adjusting the feed rate during startup makes absolutely no difference. The ESP senses the proper stack temp, turns the distribution on and the igniter off.

 

[NHbrewer]

Question about Harman Accentra insert Ignitor:
I've noticed that after my "Ignitor" switch lights up (red ligh), it takes a long time (5-10mins) before I actially see sparks and the pellets lighting up.
Is that normal? Or sign of any trouble with the ignitor?
Its a new stove - barely 2months.

Does your burn pot look like mine with the holes on the sides?

I have the same problem with long ignite times even after I clean it. I figured it was just the nature of this stove. I was told by the dealer and a Harman tech that it's caused by those extra holes. This style pot has been redesigned and Harman is replacing them at no cost.

 

[Tonyray]

Not that this issue needs any more added to it but the Harman startup phase is a timed cycle controlled by the control board and dip switch settings. Depending on the quality of pellets, everyone's "cold stove" to "we have ignition" will vary. Adjusting the feed rate during startup makes absolutely no difference. The ESP senses the proper stack temp, turns the distribution on and the igniter off.

As usual, I will take " your take' as Gospel..

 

[F4jock]

Not that this issue needs any more added to it but the Harman startup phase is a timed cycle controlled by the control board and dip switch settings. Depending on the quality of pellets, everyone's "cold stove" to "we have ignition" will vary. Adjusting the feed rate during startup makes absolutely no difference. The ESP senses the proper stack temp, turns the distribution on and the igniter off.

Honest?

 

[NHcpa]

Does your burn pot look like mine with the holes on the sides?
View attachment 148333
I have the same problem with long ignite times even after I clean it. I figured it was just the nature of this stove. I was told by the dealer and a Harman tech that it's caused by those extra holes. This style pot has been redesigned and Harman is replacing them at no cost.

Curious if you have a link to the burn pot replacement...I don't see it.

 

[Harman Lover 007]

Honest?

Yup...honest...

 

[F4jock]

Yup...honest...

Thanks. I was beginning to wonder if anyone actually reads the thread in its entirety or just the last post before responding . . . . .

EDIT: When I got up this morning my Harman Accentra insert was in the process of shutting down. Took the opportunity to clean the glass, drop the ash out of the igniter chamber and knock a few clinkers off the firepot. Going on five weeks with no major cleaning. Ash pan didn't need emptying so I didn't. Stove just restarted. Ignition time from feed to fire was two minutes. Don't know what to say.

 

[Harman Lover 007]

Thanks. I was beginning to wonder if anyone actually reads the thread in its entirety or just the last post before responding . . . . .

Well, I was replying to your post to give it a few tweaks. The ignition cycle has a default timing setting. Depending on the stove model, dip switches 1, 2, & 3 are set differently to either add +21, +43, or +64 seconds to the default or subtract -21, -43, -64 seconds from the default. So some stoves will, in fact, light faster. There was some inaccurate info earlier in the thread and so many of us like to be sponges and soak it all up, so I thought I would jump in and try to clarify.
The problem is, with each model year there are control board revisions, so my 2010 P61A doesn't have the same dipswitch settings as a 2014 model. So for those of us that have or will have to replace a control board at some point, that will come with specific instructions as to how to set the dipswitches. Hope this helps, without confusing the issue.

 

[F4jock]

Well, I was replying to your post to give it a few tweaks. The ignition cycle has a default timing setting. Depending on the stove model, dip switches 1, 2, & 3 are set differently to either add +21, +43, or +64 seconds to the default or subtract -21, -43, -64 seconds from the default. So some stoves will, in fact, light faster. There was some inaccurate info earlier in the thread and so many of us like to be sponges and soak it all up, so I thought I would jump in and try to clarify.
The problem is, with each model year there are control board revisions, so my 2010 P61A doesn't have the same dipswitch settings as a 2014 model. So for those of us that have or will have to replace a control board at some point, that will come with specific instructions as to how to set the dipswitches. Hope this helps, without confusing the issue.

Interesting. While I knew it was a timed cycle I wasn't aware that Harman had tweaked it although I assumed that models with larger firepots would need a different initial feed time. In any case good information. Can't say why mine fires so quickly relative to others but not about to worry about it. Now that I have it dialed in I really pretty much ignore it. Haven't actually cleaned it in going on five weeks. Performance is great.

 

[dhall28]

there are some harman 52i that when experiencing difficulty lighting or don't light can get a part or two replaced under warranty, the burnpot, as one user showed, and the combustion blower cover also. depends on what you have and what is going on. they are replacing them as needed because lots of people are not effected by it.

 

[Harman Lover 007]

Interesting. While I knew it was a timed cycle I wasn't aware that Harman had tweaked it although I assumed that models with larger firepots would need a different initial feed time. In any case good information. Can't say why mine fires so quickly relative to others but not about to worry about it. Now that I have it dialed in I really pretty much ignore it. Haven't actually cleaned it in going on five weeks. Performance is great.

I was going to post all the stoves and their respective start cycles but because that changes with newer stoves and board revisions, it would just muddy the water....
I can tell you that the Accentra Insert (depending on when it was made) has one of the shortest/fastest ignition cycles.

 

[Harman Lover 007]

As usual, I will take " your take' as Gospel..

....yikes!

 

[F4jock]

I was going to post all the stoves and their respective start cycles but because that changes with newer stoves and board revisions, it would just muddy the water....
I can tell you that the Accentra Insert (depending on when it was made) has one of the shortest/fastest ignition cycles.

Got mine seven seasons ago.

 

[F4jock]

....yikes!

Hmmmm. Maybe instead of "Minister" we oughtta elevate you to "Reverend"?

 

[Harman Lover 007]

Got mine seven seasons ago.

OK so if you have the original board, your dip switches "should" be OFF, ON, ON. -64 seconds from default.

 

[Tonyray]

As usual, I will take " your take' as Gospel..

"as usual" was not correct..
should have been " from now on"...
gotta believe you have learned something in 19 yrs

btw: been 3.5 feed rate this year. lot cleaner glass & burn..
just might grow some & inch it up to 4 before spring.. Maybe.

 

[Harman Lover 007]

"as usual" was not correct..
should have been " from now on"...
gotta believe you have learned something in 19 yrs

btw: been 3.5 feed rate this year. lot cleaner glass & burn..
just might grow some & inch it up to 4 before spring.. Maybe.

Careful now....baby steps my friend....baby steps....

 

[Harman Lover 007]

I certainly don't know everything Harman....but when I do know, I share it. This forum has evolved tremendously in 4 years of my participation here. Some good, some not so good. There are several members who no longer post here that were very valuable contributors.....several others have popped up who try to help but unfortunately fall short. It's Christmas Eve so let's leave it at that....Merry Christmas to you all.

 

[F4jock]

Just got done cleaning my Harman Accentra insert after five weeks burn. Took about forty-five minutes. More ash than last time but nothing blocked or excessive. Timed restart from pellet feed start to flame: One hundred and seven seconds.