Ok, so weird issue. I just bought a new vacuum switch, it works as it should, but when I actually hooked it up to the auger feed, there doesn't seem to be enough suction. If I pull suction, with mouth, the motor will turn on.put the hose back to the proper spot on the auger feed, nothing. I've cleaned it out extensively, new front door seal, new auger motor. I'm at a loss. Please help. Tia
My auger feed on my P61 Harman stove will not work. I have bypassed the vacuum switch and the auger works. I have another P61 stove with a functioning switch that I borrowed and installed on the problem stove. Still no luck. My door gaskets are good and I have thoroughly blown out and cleaned the stove and vent pipes. I even blew compressed air into the vacuum tube. After watching this video I am wondering if I have a problematic tube. It is good as far as I can see it but I am not sure how the other end goes into the stove and how to replace it. Can you give an idea or do you have some other suggestion?
Thanks for contacting us. It depends on the year of the P61, but with most the vacuum switch tube goes from the switch into the feed system housing. There may be silicone around it holding the tube in place which will need to be cut to pull it out. Let us know what yours looks like. If you do pull it out, important to make note of how much of the tube was in the feed housing. Glad you checked the vent pipe, door, glass, and ash pan door gaskets, be sure to check the hopper gasket as well. It can also be good to make sure the combustion fan is operating at proper voltage during start-up to lock in the vacuum switch. It should be near line-voltage on start-up. Keep us posted, happy to help!
Ok I direct powered the auger motor and it ran fine so I reconnected it. I then jumped the pressured switch and it didn't run, so i put that connection back and then jumped out the high limit switch and again no difference? I did also put the new plug in cord on, no difference. Just don't get it, the high temp switch does have a manual reset, but not sure when I pushed the button it did anything, but I guess it doesn't matter because I jumped it and it didn't work.
Hi Susan, thanks for the message back. Glad you were able to run the auger motor to direct power to ensure the motor was good. Also glad you were able to troubleshoot both the high limit and pressure switch by jumping them. It's the best way to rule things out. Sounds like it is not the high limit or pressure switch causing the auger motor issue here. The only thing left that controls the fuel feed would be the circuit board. Is there by chance a dealer near you that could test your current circuit board? You might also be able to reach out to Regency direct and see if they offer a testing service for the circuit board if you don't have a dealer nearby that can test it. Keep us posted, happy to help.
Great vid but I have a few Qs: 1) my approximately 10-11 year-old Harman Accentra-2 stove had been running fine in October for a couple weeks when suddenly it made a pop/thud noise and completely shut off, the auger motor and both fans. I bypassed the vacuum switch and sure enough, it's running great once again. But it sounds like only the auger motor should stop when the switch trips? If so, I am puzzled why my stove completely shut off. 2) My switch only has two prongs and one connector for the tube. Part number 3-20-6866. How do I correctly test it? 3) My switch is mounted horizontally, exactly like you say it shouldn't be. Why would that be? Thank you for any assistance!
Thanks for contacting us. 1. The vacuum switch is only electrically in line with the auger feed motor. Unless the wires coming to the switch or one of the prongs grounded out on the stove somewhere, I don't see how the vacuum switch could have caused all your motors to shut down. We would suggest getting a good flashlight to check all the component wires and connections. 2. Your vacuum switch is negative pressure, Negative nozzle port. Follow that in the video here to test. 3. Wouldn't be sure if it's the original switch and mount. Over the years Harman has made changes to both the switch and mount style. If you do end up getting a replacement switch, we would recommend the switch is mounting vertical for best performance. Quick Question: Was the status light blinking on the control board when everything shut off? Keep us posted. Happy to help.
@@EarthSense Thank you for the reply. The status light was not blinking, nothing looked amiss on the control panel. I cleaned the stove thoroughly after bypassing the vacuum switch and decided to try the old switch again (a new one is on order). And it worked! But one week later the stove is suddenly acting up again, the auger motor works, the control panel looks good, but it makes a humming sound and never ignites after feeding pellets. It almost sounds as if the exhaust fan is not running correctly even though its status light is on. Could this possibly be a control panel issue?
Update: I believe I have figured out the problem. While it was acting up this morning (feeding pellets and otherwise just making a humming noise), I took off the back panel and observed that the exhaust motor fan was not spinning. Using a screwdriver, I gently prodded it and it began spinning. Eventually the stove lit just fine. So the motor is getting power (hence the control board light being lit and the humming noise) but it's like it's jammed. This seems to explain the abrupt shutoff a month ago. I will be certain to put the vacuum switch back on but do you recommend a new exhaust motor? Or perhaps just cleaning/oiling it? Thank you as always for any assistance! PS Your videos are so awesome and helpful! 👍
@@patoconnor9600 Thanks for the messages. Great troubleshooting on your end! Yes, absolutely sounds like the culprit is the exhaust motor. Harman uses a sealed bearing motor here, so lubrication wouldn't be able to penetrate the motor bearings. You can certainly clean it well, but in most cases like this where the motor hums and will start turning with some help, it would indicate a failing motor and a replacement would most likely be in order. Here is the motor for reference - pellethead.com/product/harman-heatilator-ecochoice-combustion-blower-exhaust-draft-fan-motor-oem/ Here is a video showing replacement of the exhaust fan. ruclips.net/video/np1dlYITcpw/видео.htmlsi=m03alsrFQUpND-Xu Keep us posted on everything, glad we were able to be of help.
Thanks for contacting us. Please provide more details so we can assist. What stove make and model do you have. Which switch did you bypass - Vacuum switch, limit switch, hopper switch? We NEVER want to leave a safety switch bypassed, troubleshooting only. Please provide as many details as possible. Thanks.
Also, double check your venting configuration. If the vent is kinked or has to much ash built up it will trip the vacuum switch and shut down the auger. Send some more info and we will help best we can. Thanks.
@@EarthSense Its a hampton GCI60, I bypassed the pressure/vacuum switch just to make sure everything was working before I put it back in, but it does the same thing even when i plug back in to the switch. Sometimes I turn it on the auger turns until I push it in and other times the auger doesn't turn at all when I plug it in. We did also replace the daughter board and that seems to be working fine, we did that because the buttons had worn thru the plate and it just needed to be done. When there was no auger turning, I bypassed the pressure switch to see if it made a difference but it didn't. Wires in the back look fine, I followed the wiring diagram to check the wires and all seem like they should, the power cord was pinched at some point so I ordered a new one that hasn't come yet, but find the whole thing very odd. Blower fan and chain are working even though there are no pellets dropping, cleaned out the hopper and pulled the auger to make sure there were no clogs.
@@susangeary1374 Thanks for the message back. Yeah, definitely an odd one here. Besides the circuit boards, there are only 2 safety switches that are in line with the auger motor, the vacuum switch and the high limit switch. Let's bypass the high limit switch to see if the auger motor operates correctly. For reference, this is what the switch looks like pellethead.com/product/pellethead-replacement-enviro-vistaflame-regency-hudson-river-high-limit-snap-switch-200-degree-manual-reset/ If possible, let's also run the auger motor to direct power to see if there is any issue with the motor itself. Here's a video on creating a test cord to do this. ruclips.net/video/rlmiCYI2WPk/видео.htmlsi=7ekzhv6v-XIJ3eSm Keep us posted, happy to help. Thanks.
I am experiencing a condition on my Harman Accentra 52i-TC (2022) where it just stops feeding pellets and starts flashing "hopper lid open". While this is is flashing, the diagnostic screen still shows "Pressure switch closed". No visible issues with the hopper lid gasket or front door gasket. No visible hopper lid door switch. The wiring diagram on the machine only refers to a "pressure switch" and no vacuum switch. What could be causing this? I would think if the draft was inadequate, or there was a door gasket leaking, the pressure switch would show "open" on the diagnostic screen.
Thanks for contacting us Dustin. Yes, in your 52i-TC it will be called a pressure switch not a vacuum switch. There is a tilt switch inside the display screen that could be causing the issue here. We believe there is a calibration setting for it, but it may be the display screen itself. Here is the direct number for Harman Customer Support. They should be able to provide some options here for further troubleshooting to get you back up and running. 800.664.3119. Hope that is helpful, keep us posted.
@@EarthSense Thank you for your reply! That is exactly what fixed it. Shortly after posting, I had recalled seeing posts somewhere about the hidden "dealer settings" on the Harman Accentra TC model and figured out the quasi-secret way to get back into that menu. Then I found the "Lid Calibration" page therein. All I had to do is re-calibrate it and voila! Fixed. Amazing that there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about this online. I found ONE reference to the setting on a page for a replacement hopper lid gasket on a 3rd party replacement parts retailer, buried on the page. All I could find is people saying this was probably an issue with the pressure switch (but mine was still reading "closed" on the display).
@@dustinriordan7051 Most excellent Dustin! So glad to hear you were able to get in there, access, and adjust - more importantly you are back up and running again! If anything else comes up keep us posted, always happy to help!
Where does the power come from and what determines the power for the pressure switch? Quadrafire 1200 pellet stove has no power to the switch. Blower motors all work snap discs are working no power to the thermostat
Thanks for contacting us. There is no power supply to the pressure switch. As the diaphragm opens and closes with pressure or vacuum it simply creates or breaks the circuit to the auger feed motor. I saw your second message and will respond to that as well. Thanks.
@@EarthSense there are two wires connected to the pressure switch when there is pressure it should connect the two wires completing the circuit. Where does the power come from for that wire? I know out of the brain box but something Elsa makes that determination? I have no power at the vac. Switch
@@JimHaskell-es8pe Hey Jim, the wires that run to the pressure switch will go into the junction box wire harness assembly where your control box plugs into. Unless the wire was loose inside the junction box, the control board/brain box is providing the electrical signals. We have run across issues before with the junction box, although not that common and it usually has to do with the receiving end for the control box.
Hey Jim, I just left a comment on the other post for you. Thanks for confirming you have replaced the control box. I think we either have an issue with the thermostat terminal block or we have an issue with the Junction Box wiring harness where the control box slides into. See the other comment I left and keep us posted. Happy to help. Thanks.
Yes, you can certainly bypass for troubleshooting, however we never want to leave a safety switch bypassed. I will include a link here below that will show you how to make a jumper wire to do so. Keep in mind that even if the auger works when bypassed, it may not be the switch itself. Any air loss or air blockage can cause the switch to stay tripped. Checking ohms on the switch will let you know if the switch is good or bad. From there, if it is good we can check the other areas that may be causing the switch to trip. Happy to help if needed. Creating a Jumper Wire: ruclips.net/video/FDVkbsHS95U/видео.htmlsi=-zfm8vIUsIl9Ohw8
Great video, and very easy to understand. Thank you
So glad to hear it was helpful, thanks!
Ok, so weird issue. I just bought a new vacuum switch, it works as it should, but when I actually hooked it up to the auger feed, there doesn't seem to be enough suction.
If I pull suction, with mouth, the motor will turn on.put the hose back to the proper spot on the auger feed, nothing.
I've cleaned it out extensively, new front door seal, new auger motor. I'm at a loss. Please help.
Tia
My auger feed on my P61 Harman stove will not work. I have bypassed the vacuum switch and the auger works. I have another P61 stove with a functioning switch that I borrowed and installed on the problem stove. Still no luck. My door gaskets are good and I have thoroughly blown out and cleaned the stove and vent pipes. I even blew compressed air into the vacuum tube. After watching this video I am wondering if I have a problematic tube. It is good as far as I can see it but I am not sure how the other end goes into the stove and how to replace it. Can you give an idea or do you have some other suggestion?
Thanks for contacting us. It depends on the year of the P61, but with most the vacuum switch tube goes from the switch into the feed system housing. There may be silicone around it holding the tube in place which will need to be cut to pull it out. Let us know what yours looks like. If you do pull it out, important to make note of how much of the tube was in the feed housing. Glad you checked the vent pipe, door, glass, and ash pan door gaskets, be sure to check the hopper gasket as well. It can also be good to make sure the combustion fan is operating at proper voltage during start-up to lock in the vacuum switch. It should be near line-voltage on start-up. Keep us posted, happy to help!
Ok I direct powered the auger motor and it ran fine so I reconnected it. I then jumped the pressured switch and it didn't run, so i put that connection back and then jumped out the high limit switch and again no difference? I did also put the new plug in cord on, no difference. Just don't get it, the high temp switch does have a manual reset, but not sure when I pushed the button it did anything, but I guess it doesn't matter because I jumped it and it didn't work.
Hi Susan, thanks for the message back. Glad you were able to run the auger motor to direct power to ensure the motor was good. Also glad you were able to troubleshoot both the high limit and pressure switch by jumping them. It's the best way to rule things out. Sounds like it is not the high limit or pressure switch causing the auger motor issue here. The only thing left that controls the fuel feed would be the circuit board. Is there by chance a dealer near you that could test your current circuit board? You might also be able to reach out to Regency direct and see if they offer a testing service for the circuit board if you don't have a dealer nearby that can test it. Keep us posted, happy to help.
@@EarthSense Thanks for all the suggestions we will check that information out.
@ You're welcome Susan, please keep us posted, here to assist however we can. Thanks.
Great vid but I have a few Qs: 1) my approximately 10-11 year-old Harman Accentra-2 stove had been running fine in October for a couple weeks when suddenly it made a pop/thud noise and completely shut off, the auger motor and both fans. I bypassed the vacuum switch and sure enough, it's running great once again. But it sounds like only the auger motor should stop when the switch trips? If so, I am puzzled why my stove completely shut off.
2) My switch only has two prongs and one connector for the tube. Part number 3-20-6866. How do I correctly test it?
3) My switch is mounted horizontally, exactly like you say it shouldn't be. Why would that be?
Thank you for any assistance!
Thanks for contacting us.
1. The vacuum switch is only electrically in line with the auger feed motor. Unless the wires coming to the switch or one of the prongs grounded out on the stove somewhere, I don't see how the vacuum switch could have caused all your motors to shut down. We would suggest getting a good flashlight to check all the component wires and connections.
2. Your vacuum switch is negative pressure, Negative nozzle port. Follow that in the video here to test.
3. Wouldn't be sure if it's the original switch and mount. Over the years Harman has made changes to both the switch and mount style. If you do end up getting a replacement switch, we would recommend the switch is mounting vertical for best performance.
Quick Question: Was the status light blinking on the control board when everything shut off?
Keep us posted. Happy to help.
@@EarthSense Thank you for the reply. The status light was not blinking, nothing looked amiss on the control panel. I cleaned the stove thoroughly after bypassing the vacuum switch and decided to try the old switch again (a new one is on order). And it worked! But one week later the stove is suddenly acting up again, the auger motor works, the control panel looks good, but it makes a humming sound and never ignites after feeding pellets. It almost sounds as if the exhaust fan is not running correctly even though its status light is on. Could this possibly be a control panel issue?
Update: I believe I have figured out the problem. While it was acting up this morning (feeding pellets and otherwise just making a humming noise), I took off the back panel and observed that the exhaust motor fan was not spinning. Using a screwdriver, I gently prodded it and it began spinning. Eventually the stove lit just fine. So the motor is getting power (hence the control board light being lit and the humming noise) but it's like it's jammed. This seems to explain the abrupt shutoff a month ago. I will be certain to put the vacuum switch back on but do you recommend a new exhaust motor? Or perhaps just cleaning/oiling it? Thank you as always for any assistance!
PS Your videos are so awesome and helpful! 👍
@@patoconnor9600 Thanks for the messages. Great troubleshooting on your end! Yes, absolutely sounds like the culprit is the exhaust motor. Harman uses a sealed bearing motor here, so lubrication wouldn't be able to penetrate the motor bearings. You can certainly clean it well, but in most cases like this where the motor hums and will start turning with some help, it would indicate a failing motor and a replacement would most likely be in order. Here is the motor for reference - pellethead.com/product/harman-heatilator-ecochoice-combustion-blower-exhaust-draft-fan-motor-oem/
Here is a video showing replacement of the exhaust fan. ruclips.net/video/np1dlYITcpw/видео.htmlsi=m03alsrFQUpND-Xu
Keep us posted on everything, glad we were able to be of help.
I replaced the auger motor and jumped out the bypass switch and everything works, UNTIL i push the unit back in then the auger motor stops running?
Thanks for contacting us. Please provide more details so we can assist. What stove make and model do you have. Which switch did you bypass - Vacuum switch, limit switch, hopper switch? We NEVER want to leave a safety switch bypassed, troubleshooting only. Please provide as many details as possible. Thanks.
Also, double check your venting configuration. If the vent is kinked or has to much ash built up it will trip the vacuum switch and shut down the auger. Send some more info and we will help best we can. Thanks.
@@EarthSense Its a hampton GCI60, I bypassed the pressure/vacuum switch just to make sure everything was working before I put it back in, but it does the same thing even when i plug back in to the switch. Sometimes I turn it on the auger turns until I push it in and other times the auger doesn't turn at all when I plug it in. We did also replace the daughter board and that seems to be working fine, we did that because the buttons had worn thru the plate and it just needed to be done. When there was no auger turning, I bypassed the pressure switch to see if it made a difference but it didn't. Wires in the back look fine, I followed the wiring diagram to check the wires and all seem like they should, the power cord was pinched at some point so I ordered a new one that hasn't come yet, but find the whole thing very odd. Blower fan and chain are working even though there are no pellets dropping, cleaned out the hopper and pulled the auger to make sure there were no clogs.
@@susangeary1374 Thanks for the message back. Yeah, definitely an odd one here. Besides the circuit boards, there are only 2 safety switches that are in line with the auger motor, the vacuum switch and the high limit switch. Let's bypass the high limit switch to see if the auger motor operates correctly. For reference, this is what the switch looks like pellethead.com/product/pellethead-replacement-enviro-vistaflame-regency-hudson-river-high-limit-snap-switch-200-degree-manual-reset/
If possible, let's also run the auger motor to direct power to see if there is any issue with the motor itself. Here's a video on creating a test cord to do this. ruclips.net/video/rlmiCYI2WPk/видео.htmlsi=7ekzhv6v-XIJ3eSm
Keep us posted, happy to help. Thanks.
I am experiencing a condition on my Harman Accentra 52i-TC (2022) where it just stops feeding pellets and starts flashing "hopper lid open". While this is is flashing, the diagnostic screen still shows "Pressure switch closed". No visible issues with the hopper lid gasket or front door gasket. No visible hopper lid door switch.
The wiring diagram on the machine only refers to a "pressure switch" and no vacuum switch.
What could be causing this? I would think if the draft was inadequate, or there was a door gasket leaking, the pressure switch would show "open" on the diagnostic screen.
Thanks for contacting us Dustin. Yes, in your 52i-TC it will be called a pressure switch not a vacuum switch. There is a tilt switch inside the display screen that could be causing the issue here. We believe there is a calibration setting for it, but it may be the display screen itself. Here is the direct number for Harman Customer Support. They should be able to provide some options here for further troubleshooting to get you back up and running. 800.664.3119. Hope that is helpful, keep us posted.
@@EarthSense Thank you for your reply! That is exactly what fixed it. Shortly after posting, I had recalled seeing posts somewhere about the hidden "dealer settings" on the Harman Accentra TC model and figured out the quasi-secret way to get back into that menu. Then I found the "Lid Calibration" page therein. All I had to do is re-calibrate it and voila! Fixed. Amazing that there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about this online. I found ONE reference to the setting on a page for a replacement hopper lid gasket on a 3rd party replacement parts retailer, buried on the page. All I could find is people saying this was probably an issue with the pressure switch (but mine was still reading "closed" on the display).
@@dustinriordan7051 Most excellent Dustin! So glad to hear you were able to get in there, access, and adjust - more importantly you are back up and running again! If anything else comes up keep us posted, always happy to help!
Where does the power come from and what determines the power for the pressure switch? Quadrafire 1200 pellet stove has no power to the switch. Blower motors all work snap discs are working no power to the thermostat
Thanks for contacting us. There is no power supply to the pressure switch. As the diaphragm opens and closes with pressure or vacuum it simply creates or breaks the circuit to the auger feed motor. I saw your second message and will respond to that as well. Thanks.
@@EarthSense there are two wires connected to the pressure switch when there is pressure it should connect the two wires completing the circuit. Where does the power come from for that wire? I know out of the brain box but something Elsa makes that determination? I have no power at the vac. Switch
@@JimHaskell-es8pe Hey Jim, the wires that run to the pressure switch will go into the junction box wire harness assembly where your control box plugs into. Unless the wire was loose inside the junction box, the control board/brain box is providing the electrical signals. We have run across issues before with the junction box, although not that common and it usually has to do with the receiving end for the control box.
I have replaced the control box and still the same no power
I have replaced the control box
Hey Jim, I just left a comment on the other post for you. Thanks for confirming you have replaced the control box. I think we either have an issue with the thermostat terminal block or we have an issue with the Junction Box wiring harness where the control box slides into. See the other comment I left and keep us posted. Happy to help. Thanks.
Can I by pass it to see if it's bad
Yes, you can certainly bypass for troubleshooting, however we never want to leave a safety switch bypassed. I will include a link here below that will show you how to make a jumper wire to do so. Keep in mind that even if the auger works when bypassed, it may not be the switch itself. Any air loss or air blockage can cause the switch to stay tripped. Checking ohms on the switch will let you know if the switch is good or bad. From there, if it is good we can check the other areas that may be causing the switch to trip. Happy to help if needed.
Creating a Jumper Wire: ruclips.net/video/FDVkbsHS95U/видео.htmlsi=-zfm8vIUsIl9Ohw8
Thank you
You are most welcome@@vickilewerenz7061
If you have any future questions or needs please let us know!
V helpful 🎉
Thank you!
You're most welcome! If you need anything else please let us know!