Not trying to be a Debbie Downer. But your Harman has at least 2 safeties. A High limit and a vacuum. I'm sure it has more. But I personally don't own a Harman. Someone else can truely tell you how many there are. They have to have these, due to Human Error. Again, I'm not trying to stir anyhing up. Just want to make you feel a little safer, with your stove.brihvac said:
heating through the night?
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The Harman Accentra ESP (probe) will shut the stove down if the unit has failed to light within the 36 minute start cycle. The stove will also shut down if the control has calculated poor or incomplete combustion occurring for more than 50 minutes. There may be other safety factors the ESP and control board are doing while they monitor and control the stove operation. Hope that helps.
When I first installed mine I was a little reluctant to leave it but now I don't give it a second thought unless there is a good reason. Same as my oil furnace.
If it was any less safe than other heating appliances I don't think it would be possible for a pellet stove to get the national and international certifications to meet local codes.
When I first installed mine I was a little reluctant to leave it but now I don't give it a second thought unless there is a good reason. Same as my oil furnace.
If it was any less safe than other heating appliances I don't think it would be possible for a pellet stove to get the national and international certifications to meet local codes.
Pellet-King said:
Don't listen to advice like this. You DO save money by lowering your heat at night and when you are not home. I understand some not wanting their stoves to go off because then the furnace might come on - but how about just keeping the thermostat all the way down?
I heat with wood and pellets - my electric is all set at 60 except for the down stairs comes on from 5-7 AM and heats up to 70. So at night, some rooms get down to 60 ...
Perhaps many have experienced, like me, a slow recovery due to the fact that MOST pellet stoves are more area heaters than whole house, and as such just take longer to recover, usually at a higher burn rate, so there is no SIGNIFICANT savings, especially when you factor in what you are already saving and the comfort stuff. I burn my stove 24/7 once it starts, and my oil pig only ever comes on for hot water. Have a 2 story 1800 ft old colonial. stove in corner of open first floor, keep 1st fl @ around 70 and that makes upstairs mid 60's. Burn about 3 1/2 ton per year. My stove is only rated for 38K BTU- my guess ( just that- no calcs) is that a primary heat source for this house would be spec'd at around 100K BTU.
In a former life, I built heaters that heated things like the Astrodome, and filled the tentlike structures that allowed the Alaska Pipeline to be built with warm air, Johnson Air Rotation Systems, and some were 7 MILLION BTU combination oil/gas fired units. I was final fire test technician and in charge of the electrical shop. There is very little here that can go wrong in a pellet stove, if it is properly maintained, and even then, the safeties would shut it down if it gets too hot or there is a blockage of the flue or loss of combustion blower. But, like anything else, chit can go bad quickly. And, lightening can hit as well.
In a former life, I built heaters that heated things like the Astrodome, and filled the tentlike structures that allowed the Alaska Pipeline to be built with warm air, Johnson Air Rotation Systems, and some were 7 MILLION BTU combination oil/gas fired units. I was final fire test technician and in charge of the electrical shop. There is very little here that can go wrong in a pellet stove, if it is properly maintained, and even then, the safeties would shut it down if it gets too hot or there is a blockage of the flue or loss of combustion blower. But, like anything else, chit can go bad quickly. And, lightening can hit as well.
jrsdws
Feeling the Heat
I keep our biomass furnace running 24/7. At first we were turning up the auger to 3 overnight to keep the house warm. Now I've discovered I can crank her up to 3 or 4 for an hour in the evening....getting the exchange tubes and ductwork nice and hot...then dial her back to 2 for the night. In this weather (low to mid 20's overnight) she maintains about 71deg overnight. Right now with the mid 30deg and higher days, I dial down to 1 during the day.
For a quick warm up when necessary, I run her up at 4 for a half hour, then down two 3 for a half hour, while running an infra-red space heater in the main living space. I can bring the temp up 4deg in an hour in most weather.
For a quick warm up when necessary, I run her up at 4 for a half hour, then down two 3 for a half hour, while running an infra-red space heater in the main living space. I can bring the temp up 4deg in an hour in most weather.
Snowy Rivers said:
I think you posted this once before, Snowy, and it made so much sense about all the 'stuff' in the house being heat sinks, that I changed my Programmable Thermostat to keep it warmer at night. 71 instead of 68. It takes much less time to get back to 73 in the morning now and the bedroom is still nice and cool for sleeping at night. I am a firm believer in your theory
AND I am also convinced I use less pellets. My little Sante Fe loves me too since I don't work it to death every morning! My heat exchanger mods help that too.
brihvac said:
I was more than a little dismayed to read your rather rude rant against, I believe, Dexter Day! If you took the time to read your owner's manual, as I just did, you would see that you have MORE safeties on your stove than most of us! Your ESP control, as someone else stated, gives you a couple of high limit safeties plus continual processor monitoring, your room temp probe will shut it down if it is damaged, you have a hopper lid safety, you have a vacuum switch safety (low draft pressure switch), and a back draft preventer.
I think you were out of line with your comment. 'There's always on in every forum' applies to you too.
Thanks Tjnamtiw, I didn't know if he was directing that at me or Smokey. Either way. I have now been informed through a PM from an unidentified sender. That Harmans have 6 safties. Yes 6. More than most stoves out there. Goes to show how many people don't read the manual. If one is going to own a stove. Then one should learn how it operates.tjnamtiw said:
brihvac
New Member
tjnamtiw said:
FYI, It was Smokey. Dexter Day gave me a great answer and explained what I needed to know. I also bought my Harmon used so I got no manuals and I have never owned a stove before(as stated in earlier threads). All I did was asked a simple newbie question and got a smart answer from Smokey. And Im the one whos rude? You consider my one comment (that had nothing to do with you) a rant? Are you serious? As far as me being "always one in every forum", you are correct. I am a newbie getting flammed by veterans for asking a simple question on running a stove whrn not at home. Obviously you guys think its a stupid question. I apologize for not knowing. I was looking to you guys for advice. I also apologize for any disrespect on my part or any feelings I may have hurt
brihvac
New Member
We all try to be as civil as possible. When you ask "Veteran's" what they do, and then they tell you that it is rather safe.... You should take it for what its worth, I have been slammed on and wrong about numerous things. ( $#IT happens) But these "Vet's" were telling you that it is safe to burn while your gone, sleeping, etc... Whether you take this advice or not, is up to you. (Isnt that why you asked the question?) I am Not trying to stir the pot. I hope your question was answered. Your desicion either way. It takes some longer than others to feel comfortable with leaving a FIRE burning in there house. But it's just that, a "contrlled fire". So long as your stove is in good working condition and kept clean, you should be fine. By the way, there are some really nice Forum members on here that run and operate stove shops, or supplies of that sort. A few that will send you a copy of your Harman manual by email. Even though the one gentleman sent me mine, I dont feel its my place to give his name. (I have been burning for awhile, but still "New" to the forum also). Some "Vet" will probobly come on and post "His" Forum name for you.
Here is a web link to Harman's Accentra Insert manual:
(broken link removed to http://www.hearthnhome.com/downloads/installManuals/Accentra_Insert.pdf)
Even thought your stove may be an older unit this manual will be a big help. I am constantly referring to the manual for mine for maintenance, trouble shooting procedures, drawings, pictures, and so on.
(broken link removed to http://www.hearthnhome.com/downloads/installManuals/Accentra_Insert.pdf)
Even thought your stove may be an older unit this manual will be a big help. I am constantly referring to the manual for mine for maintenance, trouble shooting procedures, drawings, pictures, and so on.
brihvac
New Member
I was in the club that turned the heat down over-night. After reading this thread I decided to check the fuel usage for both methods. My house has almost no insulation so the heat loss must be high. I have pellet furnace which uses a little more fuel than a pellet stove.
With the outside temperature relatively consistent( in the high 30s) I was burning 2-1/2 to 3 bags of pellets in 24 hours when turning the thermostat down to 60 for 9hrs overnight and back to 70 during the day.
When leaving the thermostat at 70 and not changing it my pellet usage went down to 2 to 2-1/4 bags a day.
I have changed clubs, saving pellets, and getting up to a more comfortable house.
With the outside temperature relatively consistent( in the high 30s) I was burning 2-1/2 to 3 bags of pellets in 24 hours when turning the thermostat down to 60 for 9hrs overnight and back to 70 during the day.
When leaving the thermostat at 70 and not changing it my pellet usage went down to 2 to 2-1/4 bags a day.
I have changed clubs, saving pellets, and getting up to a more comfortable house.
X2. I use less running 24/7 on low. Than on thermo on a higher setting. House is more comfortable too.exoilburner said:
X3. I think it has to do with the fact that these stoves are very slow to reheat the room and that may have to do with the well-discussed fact on other threads that they are not nearly as efficient as we were led to believe.
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