Harman Super Magnum Feeder Issue - HELP

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guysnydr
Member
Posts: 51
Joined: Sat. Jan. 09, 2016 2:39 pm
Location: Williamsport PA
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Harman Super Magnum
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Previous stove - Harman Mark III
Coal Size/Type: Rice
Other Heating: Oil Fired Forced Hot Air

Post by guysnydr » Tue. Dec. 15, 2020 7:19 pm

Hey all, I have an issue I could sure use some help with. Trying to fire up my Super Mag stoker for first time this season and it will not take off. I can get it to light, the combustion blower runs enough to get things started, but the fire won't take off, just wants to hover orange and never really get going. Almost like it's in low output mode, or idled down all the way, etc.. When I set the feed knob to TEST, the test shows a feed error (the feed error light runs for a bit during the test, then goes out). The combustion blower and distribution blower lights test okay and remain lit after test. The feed motor does seem to turn normally in test mode, and the motor also seems to run fine when unplugged from the control box and directly in to an extension cord. My push block mechanism seems to move back and forth okay, the bolt that moves the push block in the back is tight and the fork tolerance looks good (about 1-7/8"). Combustion blower sounds good. I am just at a complete loss here. Is my circuit board bad maybe, or? Oh, I should mention that when I turned it on for the first time this year, it ran for just a few seconds, then everything shut off like I unplugged it. Did that a few times, I turned the mode knob off and then back to room temp and that seemed to get it to run, but seems to be erroring out with some sort of feed issue. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Heating with forced hot air oil furnace right now but we are suppose to get a heck of a storm tomorrow and was sure hoping to have my stoker going since I can run it with my little Honda generator should we lose power. Thanks in advance for any assistance with this thing!

 
guysnydr
Member
Posts: 51
Joined: Sat. Jan. 09, 2016 2:39 pm
Location: Williamsport PA
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Harman Super Magnum
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Previous stove - Harman Mark III
Coal Size/Type: Rice
Other Heating: Oil Fired Forced Hot Air

Post by guysnydr » Tue. Dec. 15, 2020 7:24 pm

Image

 
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McGiever
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Posts: 10130
Joined: Sun. May. 02, 2010 11:26 pm
Location: Junction of PA-OH-WV
Stoker Coal Boiler: AXEMAN-ANDERSON 130 "1959"
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: BUCKET A DAY water heater
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 414A
Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar

Post by McGiever » Tue. Dec. 15, 2020 8:31 pm

Just a guess with that feeder error:
Has the pusher block and it's travel path been cleaned for a new season? With wet coal fines of previous season that area can get pretty crusty...almost like concrete.


 
guysnydr
Member
Posts: 51
Joined: Sat. Jan. 09, 2016 2:39 pm
Location: Williamsport PA
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Harman Super Magnum
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Previous stove - Harman Mark III
Coal Size/Type: Rice
Other Heating: Oil Fired Forced Hot Air

Post by guysnydr » Tue. Dec. 15, 2020 8:39 pm

I had ran it empty last season and let it shut down, at some point after it shut off, I then vacuumed out the bottom of the hopper. The push block seems to move okay and travels freely in case that helps.

 
guysnydr
Member
Posts: 51
Joined: Sat. Jan. 09, 2016 2:39 pm
Location: Williamsport PA
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Harman Super Magnum
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Previous stove - Harman Mark III
Coal Size/Type: Rice
Other Heating: Oil Fired Forced Hot Air

Post by guysnydr » Tue. Dec. 15, 2020 8:43 pm

The push block area looks clean to me and the push block is shiny. Scraper plate is in good shape as well.

 
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captcaper
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Joined: Thu. May. 29, 2008 11:55 am
Location: Northern N.H.

Post by captcaper » Wed. Dec. 16, 2020 5:48 pm

I keep my control board sprayed with WD 40 from behind and in front to seep into the controls. WD has saved my electrial issues many times over 35 yrs believe me.

If my room temp is close to the stove pre set temp it won't take off it seems. So what I do is put a bag of ice over the temp probe in the room. This fools the control board in thinking it needs heat fast. Once it takes off it's good for any temp swings in or outside.

I also unplug it. Set the knob to off. Use cowboy charcoal on the grate surrounded by some Rice. I fill up the hopper and behind the grate as well as up the ramp on the grate to the cowboy charcoal. Sprinkle a bit of Rice on top of the Cowboy. I light the cowboy with a torch and then turn the stove from off to about 1/3 . The cowbay starts a sparking and after a short while it starts taking off fast with burning the Rice. I then take the crushed Ice off the temp probe. If you don't have the remote temp probe then I can't tell you how to fool the stove. Open the windows I guess and get the room cold? Good luck.

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