Harman Pellet Stove Will Not Light

Dealing with a Harman pellet stove that won't light? A little troubleshooting may help you figure out what's going on. Getting your stove working again quickly is important, especially in the winter, to keep your family safe and warm. A Harman pellet stove occasionally can fail to light under certain circumstances. Troubleshooting this issue when your pellet stove won't ignite requires only a few simple steps.

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Like all combustion appliances, pellet stoves need air to ignite properly. Under normal circumstances, the unit draws in the required air through the chimney flue and through air holes in the stove itself. If ash, soot, unburned pellets or any other debris obstructs the flue or the air holes, the stove won't ignite because the combustion chamber lacks the air it needs. Clear the chimney flue of animal nests, leaf piles or built-up ash and soot, and remove obstructions from the stove's air holes to see if that solves the problem.

Another critical component to the stove's igniting and firing is the fuel feeding into the stove. For pellet stoves, combustible pellets take the place of natural gas or other fuels. Open the stove's hopper and fill it with pellets if it's empty. Remove any "clinkers," or glass-like byproducts of pellet burning, from the hopper. Close the hopper and again attempt to use the stove after refilling.

If the electrical components of the pellet stove don't receive a good current, the stove will fail to operate normally. First, check the breaker that controls the circuit that the stove is using and make sure it's not tripped. Also make sure the stove's power cord is plugged in securely. Alternatively, the stove might have blown a fuse or its electrical components might be damaged, in which case you need to have the stove serviced to restore it to full working order.

Harman pellet stove troubleshooting may reveal other issues that are keeping it from lighting. These possibilities are less likely, but they're worth investigating if your stove still won't light. If one of the gaskets is damaged, the stove might not receive enough air for proper combustion. If you use a poor quality grade of pellet fuel or if the pellets are damp, they could fail to ignite. You should always use the type of pellets recommended in the manufacturer's instructions for your specific model of stove to avoid fuel issues. A failure of an individual part such as the feed motor or combustion blower can cause wider problems for the stove, in which case you need to have those components replaced.

Whether you're dealing with pellet stove starter issues, a lack of air or another issue, simple troubleshooting can get your source of heat working again with sometimes easy fixes. Contact Harman customer service if you cannot diagnose the problem through your own troubleshooting.