squeak

The stove has developed a squeaking sound. But it only happens occasionally. When it happens it'll just make three or four small squeak sounds in a row, then it will stop for a long time before happening again.

Prior to the season a friend showed us how to add oil (we used some kind of standard motor oil at his recommendation?) to two small caps in the stoker mechanism under the hopper. I'm told this spreads throughout the mechanism. So, why any squeaking would occur is a mystery especially since it comes and goes on its own.

My guess would be an accumulation of fines in the stoker. These harman stokers really need to be disassembled and cleaned at the end of every season. That means remove the stoker motor, pushed block, pillow blocks, etc. Fines get packed in around the pusher block. This is especially true when you are using coal that is damp or wet as you mentioned in another post.

coalkirk wrote: ↑

Wed. Feb. 06, 2019 9:30 am

My guess would be an accumulation of fines in the stoker. These harman stokers really need to be disassembled and cleaned at the end of every season. That means remove the stoker motor, pushed block, pillow blocks, etc. Fines get packed in around the pusher block. This is especially true when you are using coal that is damp or wet as you mentioned in another post.

Is disassembling it fairly simple with common tools like a screwdriver or a socket wrench? I saw a diagram in the manual.

It is very simple to take it apart, a few wrenches, I forget the exact sizes.

Do what I do now when working on anything with more than one part - take cellphone pictures as you go so that putting it back together will be easy (er)!

Yes as Bob said very simple. Great tip on the cell phone pics too. I do that all the time. Much easier than writing everything down or trying to remember.