How your stove works - The facts are pretty straightforward, but how you get people to properly interpret the facts is the hard part.
It's your toy, run it the way you want as long as you understand what's going on behind the scenes!
Everything noted below is based on me seeing what the stove is doing via the Harman diagnostic tool during the various operation methods. I get to see feed rates, max feed rates, current esp temps, esp set temps, room sensor temperatures, room sensor target temperatures, knob positions, switch positions, etc.
Here are the facts:
Stove temp - 100% driven the the esp. Temp dial corresponds to a fixed esp temperature. For simplicity, let's assume a setting of 3 = 300 degrees esp temp. The stove will ramp feed up/down to always be as close to 300 degrees as possible. In stove temp the stove doesn't care what the room temp is, only the esp temp. The room might be 60 or 90 degrees doesn't matter, all it cares about is maintaining an esp temp of 300.
The stove will not shut off in stove temp regardless of whether the igniter switch is set to auto or manual.
Stove temp, switch to manual - I call this fireplace mode. Distribution fan will not turn on unless the temp knob is set to 5 or higher. This is designed to give a nice fire, but not a ton of heat in the room. Most goes up the chimney.
Stove temp, switch to auto - distribution fan operates normally to push heat into the room, regardless of stove or room temperature. There is a caveat to this, if you have your room temp set to 1 (very low) then the distribution blower might shut off because the esp temperature is below the lowest setting allowed for the distribution blower to run.
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Room Temp - The stove is 100% driven by the room temp sensor. The stove will automatically adjust feed and esp temp to achieve the room temp set point. Once the set point is reached, the stove will slowly throttle up/down to maintain temperature. If it's 20 degrees outside, your heat load is high and the stove will feed more pellets to get the esp temp hot enough to maintain room temperature set point. If it's 60 degrees outside, the stove will feed as little as possible and keep as low an esp temp as possible to maintain room temperature.
Igniter switch to manual, stove will go into maintenance burn in between calls for heat - prevents igniter cycling, might use a few more pellets in this mode...maybe...
Igniter switch to auto, stove will initiate the shut down process in between calls for heat - igniter could cycle several times per day, depends on set point and heat load. If there is a call for heat during the shutdown process, the stove will start feeding pellets provided that the esp temperature didn't go below the low limit. So, on really cold days, the stove might not shut off, even if it's on auto.
So there's the facts, interpret away...
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And more...
Let me elaborate on why I believe room temp is an issue for some, maybe most. Where Harman FALLS SHORT is the user interface. We simply DONT have enough data.
Ideally, there would be 2 additional simple electronic displays on the control board, 1 for the room probe temp actual and 1 for the room probe set temp. This would eliminate 100% of the misinterpretations on how room temp works since you would have 2 very important pieces of information.
Here's a recant of my first experience with room temp - I hung the room temp sensor of the back of the stove (like the installer told me to) and set the temperature dial to 70 degrees, the room was COLD. I looked at the dial, I've set it to 70, but the room is cold, what gives...? Maybe I'll try stove temp, bang, lots of heat...yea. Stove temp works better. At least that was my initial impression...


>Information below is factual and helpful to understand how everything works, but the fact remains that you won't have access to the proper temperatures unless you pony up for a Harman diagnostic tool. You will need to use trial/error to find the balance. It's very doable, just takes a little time and effort. Sorry!<<<<<<
If I would have had a simple digital readout telling me what the room temp actual value was, I would have seen that the sensor was seeing 80 degrees while hanging on the back of the stove. If the knob is set to 70 and the sensor sees 80, the stove will go out while on auto or go down to maintenance if the igniter switch is set to manual.
Placement of the room sensor is the 100% key to success. You need to find a place that allows the room sensor to read the actual room temperature (away from drafts, stove heat, etc) in order to keep the room/area comfortable and consistent with your intended setting.
This is why I say it's also important to have a digital readout for desired temperature. "Hello Harman, A trim pot is sooooo 1970's." If you know exactly what the probe temperature is and what the set temperature is, then you can use a simple thermometer (in a comfortable location) to insure all 3 agree. If your stove is set to 70, your room temp says 70 and your thermometer says 70, your dialed in and good to go for the rest of the winter, provided you don't move the room temp sensor.
If your thermometer says the room is 67, but your stove is set and reads 70, then you know your temp sensor is too close to the stove, move it farther away to get all 3 to match.
If your thermometer says 73, but your stove is set and reads 70, then you know the temp sensor might be too close to a draft, outside, wall, cold floor, etc. and you should move the temp sensor to a different location or try to isolate it from drafts or hard surfaces. As I noted before, its very doable to get things lined up, it just takes a little time and effort with the minimal information Harman gives us on the control panel.
Rant - C'mon Harman, get with the program and leap into the 2000's and give everyone access to what's going on

Great stove, lots of potential if you give your customers enough data to run the stove properly