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Harman Stoves Stove Maintenance

A pellet stove gives you the convenience of all-day heating without having to constantly load, unload, and clean out wood each day. Still, it requires ongoing cleaning and maintenance to ensure your system functions correctly and maintains ideal heat.

The good news is that Harman models make cleaning and maintenance easy. This guide shows you how to do it.

These instructions are for the Harman® Absolute43 and Absolute63 models.

What Happens if You Don't Maintain Your Pellet Stove?

If you don't clean and maintain your system regularly, you will face several issues over time.

A buildup of carbon and fly ash will make the stove less efficient and unable to reach and maintain the temperatures you need
You will have an unsafe blending of fuel and air that can lead to a fire
The smoke can change from clear to dark, creating stains on interior and exterior walls
You will have a weak, yellow flame
When one part breaks, the entire stove may be inoperable until repaired.

Harman's EASY Touch Control System Makes the Process Simple

The Absolute43 and Absolute63 models come with a touch control system called EASY Touch. It indicates how much fuel you burned and notifies you when cleaning and maintenance are needed. When the time comes, the screen will prompt you with one of three messages:

Scrape Burn Pot and Reset
Empty Ash Pan and Reset
Total Clean and Reset

Next to each message will be a red checkmark. Press the checkmark to remove the message after you have completed each task. This notifies the system when a task is completed so it knows when to remind you again.

Here are the instructions for cleaning and maintenance corresponding to each instruction:

Scrape the Burn Pot and Reset

The Scrape Burn Pot and Reset message shows up after about a week of stove operation.

Put on heat-resistant gloves and open the fire viewing door
Take your burn-pot scraper and use it to pull the flame enhancer toward you to access the grate surface. (Note: there is not a flame enhancer on Absolute63 models)
Use your scraper to move spent ashes toward you and into the ash pan
Without putting the fire out, continue scraping along the pan underneath the fire and toward the auger to loosen and expel carbon deposits. If the fire goes out, close the door to let the fire start again.
When done, push the reset checkmark on the EasyTouch control system.

Empty the Ash Pan and Reset

Similar to the burn pot cleaning and maintenance, you should see a notification after about one week of operation.

Turn the unit off using the Easy Touch system.
Wearing heat-resistant gloves, open the ash pan door, remove the ash pan and close the door again.
Empty the ash into a closed metal container positioned away from combustible materials. Leave the ash inside the container until it has cooled completely, and then discard.
Replace the ash pan.
Press the power icon on the Easy Touch system.
Press the reset checkmark on the EasyTouch control system to reset the system.

Total Clean and Reset

After burning about one ton of pellets, you are prompted to do a total clean. Here are the steps:

Press the power icon on the Easy Touch system to turn off the stove.
Wait for the stove to shut down and cool completely (typically around 15 minutes.)
Using the EASY Touch control system, press the "Menu" button on screen one and then press "Test" to run the combustion blower. Press the "Combustion Blower" button once so that it runs at full RPMs. It will read as "Max."
Open the fire viewing door and run your scraping tool along the heat exchanger. Debris should fall easily into the ash pan.
Tap your scraper on the burn pot's top edge to loosen any debris further.
Pull the flame enhancer forward and scrape it. (Note: Absolute63 models do not have a flame enhancer).
Scrape the burn pot. Be sure to scrape near the lower corners near the auger opening where carbon deposits often form.
Clean any carbon or debris from the burn pot holes using the provided Allen wrench.
To clean the Absolute43 igniter, do the following:
1. Loosen the screws of the burn pot grate, remove the grate, and clean the entire area -including the holes.
2. Use the brush to clean the igniter.
3. Do a vacuum throughout the entire area. An ash vac or a shop vac with a fine dust filter will do.
4. Reinstall the burn pot grate and flame enhancer.
To clean the Absolute63 igniter, do the following:
1. To reach the lower burn pot cleanout cover, loosen the two thumb screws.
2. Take your vacuum and clean the fly ash out of the burn pot.
3. Replace the cover. (Note: ensure the cleanout opening is sealed completely before retightening the thumbscrews.)
After completing the above igniter cleaning steps, turn off the combustion fan by pressing the combustion fan icon three (3) times, from "Max" to "Off."
Unplug the stove to disconnect the power.
Open the ash door and remove the ash pan.
Remove the combustion inlet cover.
Use the provided paintbrush to carefully clean the blower wheel without bending or damaging the fan blades.
Clean the flue by sliding your flue brush behind the combustion fan blades. (Note: moving the brush inside too far can damage the exhaust sensing probe sitting just inside the flue.)
Vacuum the entire area to collect any leftover ash and residue.
After cleaning, reinstall the combustion inlet cover, insert the ash pan, and close the ash pan door.
On the EASY Touch control system, press the combustion fan icon three (3) times to turn it off.
To clean the glass, wait until the glass is completely cool. It is important not to spray any liquids on the glass if it is hot.
Use a soft, non-synthetic cloth to wipe down both sides of the glass, or you can use a blend of vinegar and water or a nonabrasive glass cleaner

You can now use your unit until you are prompted again for the next total clean, which comes after burning another ton of pellets.

You're Ready!

By fulfilling all the cleaning and maintenance steps as prompted, you will have a cleanly running system that provides the constant temperatures you need while maximizing the life of your unit.