wood pellets or corn?

[biomass burner]

hello all i have a Harman PC45 and burning ''fiber energy products'' wood pellets that came from Arizona i bought from TSC and am not real impressed with them lots of ash and even tar build up. im mixing 1/3 corn and its helping with more heat and less ash. been thinking next year going to just corn but have to have the stove switched diagnostically to do so. even my glass window has build up daily that needs cleaned off from these pellets. whats the negative with strait corn burning ? thanks am new to this bio heat lol

 

[Bioburner]

The 45 if a newer stove will not need to much. If straight corn use the smaller holed fan plate, there is a small holed burn tray and use of the reflector-grain cap to help keep the temps up in the pot as well as a stirrer. Depending on how dry the corn can go with up to half corn-pellet mix in the pellet tray with the pellet gate and just keep the feed in the corn range under 4 as on the dial.
If need more details or tips drop a PM.

 

[Husky]

Corn is cheap this year but who knows what it will be in the future. I would stick with burning 50/50 mix, unless the switch over is easy to switch back and cheap. This way you can always burn half your stock as corn if the price stays cheap and other half pellets. Who knows what pellets will cost next year. I am guessing that with the cheap price of oil, propane and gas this year, you will find that many our cutting back on the pellets and using their furnaces more. I'll bet that there will be an over stock of pellets this spring and summer which will push the price of pellets back down. Many will have a good portion of their pellet stock left from over buying this season to carry into next season.

 

[biomass burner]

The 45 if a newer stove will not need to much. If straight corn use the smaller holed fan plate, there is a small holed burn tray and use of the reflector-grain cap to help keep the temps up in the pot as well as a stirrer. Depending on how dry the corn can go with up to half corn-pellet mix in the pellet tray with the pellet gate and just keep the feed in the corn range under 4 as on the dial.
If need more details or tips drop a PM.

thanks friend. i did change out the smaller hole fan plate and burn pot with stir and then the stove would lite and then shut itself down even the feed auger wouldn't run at this point. i changed the fan cover back to the larger hole and it ran fine so i contacted Harman Teck support and this was there reply:
Thank you for your inquiry.


When switching from wood pellets to burning corn you also need to adjust the dip switch controls on the control board along with doing all the changes you have already done. For corn burning switches 3, 7 and 8 should be on while all others are switched off. For wood burning switches 1, 7 and 8 should be on while all the others are switched to off.
what ever that means?? lol ill let you know if i can get anyone to do just that.

 

[biomass burner]

Corn is cheap this year but who knows what it will be in the future. I would stick with burning 50/50 mix, unless the switch over is easy to switch back and cheap. This way you can always burn half your stock as corn if the price stays cheap and other half pellets. Who knows what pellets will cost next year. I am guessing that with the cheap price of oil, propane and gas this year, you will find that many our cutting back on the pellets and using their furnaces more. I'll bet that there will be an over stock of pellets this spring and summer which will push the price of pellets back down. Many will have a good portion of their pellet stock left from over buying this season to carry into next season.

you have a good point. thanks

 

[rona]

hello all i have a Harman PC45 and burning ''fiber energy products'' wood pellets that came from Arizona i bought from TSC and am not real impressed with them lots of ash and even tar build up. im mixing 1/3 corn and its helping with more heat and less ash. been thinking next year going to just corn but have to have the stove switched diagnostically to do so. even my glass window has build up daily that needs cleaned off from these pellets. whats the negative with strait corn burning ? thanks am new to this bio heat lol

Burning corn in a 45 is easy and you can switch the diagnostics yourself. There is a series of micro switches called "dip switches" covered by that black coating on the control board. Slice it open and using a small screwdriver pry up a small piece of metal covering part of the dip switches. The stoves came with all the switches down or off which is what Harman suggests for corn. Very simple process. You need a special plate that covers the fan. There is two plates available as Bioburner mentioned. You will also be using a agitator that fits onto the auger which will stir the corn in order to get a better burn. Burning corn will give you a new problem as that agitator I mentioned will build up with slag as I call it which will mean you should have two agitators and replace them when ever they get built up with hard crud. I set them in water which will dissolve that crud after a couple hours so you can reuse them when you need them.
Having said that I suggest you try different blends of pellets/corn mixes until you get a mix that will minimize buildup on the agitators. If you run the 45 hard and hot you can expect the agitator to be replaced in one season. That reflective grain cap will also not make two seasons either. But running at a more moderate temp both items will last longer

 

[Bioburner]

First 2 pictures are of a older board that burns straight corn and was just pulled for a cleaning. Second two are for the stove I have currently running. Switches are very easy to change with a sharp object like an awl or such. There was a revision of boards in 2010. I have not had good luck with the customer help of late. Seems they now have someone read a manual to tell you how to run a stove and they have no idea probably of what these stoves are other than its a paycheck for them. Next will be customer service from India. Did they ask what age your stove was?

 

[biomass burner]

Burning corn in a 45 is easy and you can switch the diagnostics yourself. There is a series of micro switches called "dip switches" covered by that black coating on the control board. Slice it open and using a small screwdriver pry up a small piece of metal covering part of the dip switches. The stoves came with all the switches down or off which is what Harman suggests for corn. Very simple process. You need a special plate that covers the fan. There is two plates available as Bioburner mentioned. You will also be using a agitator that fits onto the auger which will stir the corn in order to get a better burn. Burning corn will give you a new problem as that agitator I mentioned will build up with slag as I call it which will mean you should have two agitators and replace them when ever they get built up with hard crud. I set them in water which will dissolve that crud after a couple hours so you can reuse them when you need them.
Having said that I suggest you try different blends of pellets/corn mixes until you get a mix that will minimize buildup on the agitators. If you run the 45 hard and hot you can expect the agitator to be replaced in one season. That reflective grain cap will also not make two seasons either. But running at a more moderate temp both items will last longer

thanks so much for that information will be very helpful im still a learner lol

 

[biomass burner]

First 2 pictures are of a older board that burns straight corn and was just pulled for a cleaning. Second two are for the stove I have currently running. Switches are very easy to change with a sharp object like an awl or such. There was a revision of boards in 2010. I have not had good luck with the customer help of late. Seems they now have someone read a manual to tell you how to run a stove and they have no idea probably of what these stoves are other than its a paycheck for them. Next will be customer service from India. Did they ask what age your stove was?

they never did ask the year of the stove no. i agree though i like Harman stoves but you dont get much service on them even the guy i bought it from im finding out has no clue about them. im leaning on keeping it in pellet mode and mix corn with pellets. Harman did say if i blended? i should leave it in pellet settings

 

[Bioburner]

That little stove has been a very high learning curve for me but using for a bit different purpose. The project stove is almost ready to go. Just need a proper cleaning of the board and some testing.
The second set of board pictures I posted are working well in our stove and others burning straight pellets or blending.

 

[biomass burner]

That little stove has been a very high learning curve for me but using for a bit different purpose. The project stove is almost ready to go. Just need a proper cleaning of the board and some testing.
The second set of board pictures I posted are working well in our stove and others burning straight pellets or blending.

the pictures you sent were very helpful thanks so much for all your help Have a Merry Christmas!

 

[rona]

the pictures you sent were very helpful thanks so much for all your help Have a Merry Christmas!

they never did ask the year of the stove no. i agree though i like Harman stoves but you dont get much service on them even the guy i bought it from im finding out has no clue about them. im leaning on keeping it in pellet mode and mix corn with pellets. Harman did say if i blended? i should leave it in pellet settings

The lack of customer support from Harman was the reason I no longer own one. The local dealer passed away and poof there went any chance of warranty work or warranty of parts. This happened at the same time as Harman was being bought out by the owners of QuadraFire. I called the Harman company and told them the story and basically got the brushoff to bad so sad goodbye. This was the reason I switched brands and bought on E-Bay as I can get parts and have taught myself how to take care of these stoves as there is no mysterious ESP probe that seems to get the blame if the stove burps.
I can repair and run a PC45 but try and buy parts from Harman direct. They just said go see your dealer. Sorry he is no longer with us. OH I see that's to bad goodbye.

 

[johninwi]

I know little of successful corn burning but oyster shells are great for making the klinker break up and be managable. I have noticed that if i sprinke a small amout of shell in the pot before startup it stays cleaner, this is in addition to adding them to the corn/pellet mix. I believe bioburner stated he uses 1 cup per 5 gallons, i've not used near that much which could be part of the problem i'm having. Another thing i've noticed, or imagined, not sure which yet, is that the klinkers stick to a cold burn pot much harded than a hot one. i was putting a couple coffee cans of just pellets in an empty hopper to get everything hot before the corn mix made it to the burn pot. I think it helped, possible real, possibly imagined, unsure.

The changing of the dip switches is as easy as Rona said, just don't use a pencil, the possibility of the graphite from the "lead" getting into the switch supposedly exists.

 

[Bioburner]

Pencil lead is a poor conductor. Graphite is a pretty fair conductor though. Graphite paint and powder is a stove very good friend.

 

[BrotherBart]

Pencil lead is graphite. Favorite trick in my younger, meaner days was drawing a line on spark plugs in an engine with a pencil.

 

[Bioburner]

Pencil lead is graphite. Favorite trick in my younger, meaner days was drawing a line on spark plugs in an engine with a pencil.

I just googled about the conductivity of graphite. Artists pencils are pure graphite. Whats in cheap pencils probably not I use graphite for other things other than stoves for the high temp qualities. Science projects making graphite circuits where interesting.

 

[BrotherBart]

Yeah they mix clay with the graphite these days. Probably wouldn't work quite as well on the spark plugs if I was still that mischievous.

 

[Bioburner]

Yeah they mix clay with the graphite these days. Probably wouldn't work quite as well on the spark plugs if I was still that mischievous.

Just have to break down and spend a couple dollars on a good pencil. New keyboard is working well

 

[SidecarFlip]

When burning corn (or a mix) and pushing the air volume to achieve a better, hotter burn, something else occurs... Your agitator erodes away, or at least the fingers do. Thats because 3 series stainless in an oxygen rich flame heated, erodes (oxidizes away) so you want to balance the combustion air to agitator life or in a pot type stove, remove the agitator entirely and learn to pull kninkers, which is what I do.

 

[Bioburner]

Have a biscuit with your Christmas corn.

 

[rona]

When burning corn (or a mix) and pushing the air volume to achieve a better, hotter burn, something else occurs... Your agitator erodes away, or at least the fingers do. Thats because 3 series stainless in an oxygen rich flame heated, erodes (oxidizes away) so you want to balance the combustion air to agitator life or in a pot type stove, remove the agitator entirely and learn to pull kninkers, which is what I do.

Does the 6039 feed corn into the pot from the bottom like the 45 does?

 

[SidecarFlip]

Does the 6039 feed corn into the pot from the bottom like the 45 does?

No. It feeds from above. Why it's a true multifuel. It's potted with an agitator running above the pot stirring the 'mess'. I used to have a bottom feeder but it presents too many issue with corn, least in my opinion, including very frequent cleanings.

The 39's and 41's can run no agitator at all with a corn/clinker pot. I'm running an agitator because I'm mixing pellets and corn. If I was straight corn, I'd switch pots to my clinker pot and pull the stirrer rod entirely.

You can run the OEM pot with straight corn but you must enlarge some of the combustion air holes and be prepared to pulll the clinker daily. With a true clinker pot pulling ther clinker becomes a 3 day interval, possibly longer depending on feed rate..

Again, personally speaking, I prefer a top/drop feeder for corn and or a pusher pot in a corn furnace where the corn is pushed up in the pot from the bottom and the ash/clinker spills over into the ash pan.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Have a biscuit with your Christmas corn.View attachment 148517

Nice bisquit. You are quite the cook if I don't say so myself. A bit of frosting and they migh pass for edible......

 

[Bioburner]

Bixby makes one about every 15 hours on low setting of around 8k btus +-

 

[SidecarFlip]

Bixby makes one about every 15 hours on low setting of around 8k btus +-

Is that your wastebasket dried corn? I keep eyeing the mesh wastebasket sitting next to my desk and thinking 'wastebaskets have other uses......'