Harman PF100 vs Oil furnace

[Ncon]

I would go back in and clean the heat exchanger baffles thoroughly. That's the most critical point of your furnace's heating efficiency. The manual has instructions for removing the plate that covers them. The manual recommends doing a cleaning once a month; I'd probably be in there every other week.

As the manual states: "Keep in mind that the cleaner the heat exchanger surface is kept, the higher the heat transfer efficiency will be."

Yes there are two plates that cover the hear exchanger.
When I bought the house there was so much ash build up the chains couldn't even move.
Took me several hours to clean to thoroughly the first time.
Older couple used to live in house and had oil furnace serviced annually and never had the pellet furnace cleaned/serviced. I actually was able to talk to tech who installed it for then in 2009. So I think/assume they never really used it as the pellets need to be brought a long to get to basement. It does have a silo and auger that fills the hopper automatically.
Easy to clean front of heat exchange but harder to clean the back of it. I'll have to investigate that a bit more and clean now regularly I think.

 

[rickwai]

I believe that it goes on a low heat setting for a time and if there is no call for heat it will then turn off. I think it is 30min

That is correct. When It gets cold out it is best to flip switch to manual so the pilot fire continues to burn. Takes a load off the igniter and more even heat.

 

[Jeremy6500]

That is correct. When It gets cold out it is best to flip switch to manual so the pilot fire continues to burn. Takes a load off the igniter and more even heat.

If mine goes complete out it takes a little time for it to come back up to temp and blow the correct temp of air. If it sits on a pilot burn when the thermostat is not calling it ramps the heat up fairly quickly.

 

[Ncon]

That is correct. When It gets cold out it is best to flip switch to manual so the pilot fire continues to burn. Takes a load off the igniter and more even heat.

Thanks, hadn't thought of that.
Temps got into low single digits last night so I had the oil furnace set a bit higher to back up pellet furnace.
It definitely has to kick on and help keep temps in the 60s.
As an indication of what I'm working with, when I bought the house a year ago the energy audit guy couldn't get a reading with the blower door test as it was so bad!

 

[Ncon]

So reading more and looking at different posts and manual my fan limit switch is not installed in the correct location.
If you look at pics you can see there are some mechanical baffles (maybe that's what they are called?) are above the switch so I think this is why it is located lower then recommended.

My guess at what effect this would have on settings is that they need to be higher then the manual recommends as the temperature at a lower distance will warm up a lot quicker then if installed at the 11in position it should be.
Thoughts or recommendations?

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

Good observation. It looks like you could set your temperature limit point a little bit higher. I'd give it a try.

 

[Ncon]

Can someone with a pf100 give me an idea of time between the fan cycles when there is a call for heat?
I might be able to use that timing to set temp range to what it is an adjusted approximation.
I know there will be plenty of variables but it'll be a starting point at least.