harmon xxv, test works, fans work, but auger pushes burning pellets into bin! won't fire up.

[chango]

i've gone through the manual and other threads but can't solve this:
test shows that feed and fans work, yet, after the pellets light (manual mode), the over active auger pushes the burning pellets off into the ash bin before the full fire can take hold.
i use gel to begin the fire, close the door, combustion fan appears fine, yet the flame won't spread to other pellets fast enough for a full burn to start.
thoughts?
thanks so much!

 

[DAKSY]

When was the last time the fines box was cleaned out?

 

[Washed-Up]

When I start mine manually I’ll leave the door open a bit and let the pellets burn down in the firepot…I’ll sit and watch it and don’t leave it alone until the fire burns down for safety, then I’ll close the door…always works for me…having the door slightly open stops the auger from pushing more pellets in

 

[chango]

When was the last time the fines box was cleaned out?

i've cleaned it very recently, that doesn't seem to be the issue... though i did think about airflow and tried to be sure it was well vaccuumed.

 

[chango]

When I start mine manually I’ll leave the door open a bit and let the pellets burn down in the firepot…I’ll sit and watch it and don’t leave it alone until the fire burns down for safety, then I’ll close the door…always works for me…having the door slightly open stops the auger from pushing more pellets in

usually, i do leave the door open, until the fire is established and the pellets have red edges.
when i close the door, the fire keeps going and the combustion blower seems to be working well, yet something is wrong and, as i mentioned, the fire doesn't grow big enough to handle the volume of pellets that are being pushed forward (even with the auger speed set very low).

 

[chango]

i found a youtube comment that mentioned the ESP sensor (an exhaust sensor responsible for controlling stove temp and pellet flow). if the sensor hasn't been cleaned, pellets continue to advance due to the temp data disconnect between fire and exhaust.
so, i cleaned the sensor (pulled it out of its slot right at the exhaust pipe connect on the back of the stove, scoured it with 000 steel wool, and replaced it. seems to have worked.
while i had the stove apart, i took the chance to replace the igniter and now things seem to be well in order, running smoothly.

it seems that with this advanced and well tuned stove (efficiency) there's definitely a delicacy to it's operation. i have an old england stove from the 90's that is still working perfectly and is so easy to maintain. parts are inexpensive and seem to last for decades. while it's nice to have this fancy harmon xxv, i do love the simplicity and functionality of the old england.

thanks for chiming in guys.

 

[rickwai]

I have never had luck manually starting a Harman. I have a P38 that I manually lit for 15 yrs and still struggled. I finally converted it to a P43 so I can have the auto ignition and thermostat. Now it just does its own thing and keeps my basement within 1-2 degrees. I shut it down about once a month or when the ash pan is full to give a quick cleaning and fire it back up.