Condensation ??

If you have anthracite in the stove it will not smoke. Some water vapor from initial volatiles is all. Something else in the stove is smoking. Perhaps some oil coating to prevent rust.

Most importantly get a manometer to properly set up the balance between combustion air and draft. You must have negative draft in the fire chamber area.

Investigate or maybe others on the forum could inform you of what other makes of stokers use to insure safety in the event of draft failure.

For pressure switch that is generic and need not match any proprietary control board look to getting a Fields WMO-1.

$55.25 at http://www.SupplyHouse.com (26 in stock)

That's probably a good idea McGiever but with the probes and electrical that would be way out of my league, I better stick with the straight part swap lol

Question Cyrus............

Did this DVC ever work correctly since you have owned it ???

If so, then something must have changed to now create the condensation or lack of draft causing the condensation. Is it possible that something came loose after you cleaned it and put it back together ??

Rick

No Rick it had this problem when I bought it, just thought it was a good stove for the $$ and I like trying to figure things like this out, but I wasn't quite expecting to buy the computer board as well as the pressure switch, but still I will have another good stove when its fixed.. If you go back and look a guy by the handle PAMack had it and he posted his findings and problems here too, he sold it on ebay and I bought it in hopes of fixing it for my garage.

Here's PAmacks Story:

Harman DVC 500 Low Burn

Cyrus2508 wrote:............................................ he sold it on ebay and I bought it in hopes of fixing it for my garage.

Be careful having ANY coal stove in a garage. Gas fumes from a leaking vehicle, mower, gas tank, etc. could pose a problem with a flaming stove........

Most insurers do not allow things like a coal stove that have a flame under 18" up from the floor. Some place their stoves on blocks to get them even higher.

I once had an issue with the fuel tank springing a leak on the generator in my home garage. Luckily I check my stove every morning and night. That garage door never went up so fast in its life and the generator spent some time outside until I could fix it.

Rick

Well I had a small breakthrough last night, I notice when I put the stove in TEST mode the exhaust draft fan spins a lot faster and the smoke from the hopper goes away Hmmm.... could it really be that easy a bad exhaust fan motor ??? Now is it the motor that's bad or the computer control board ?? Anyhow I feel I am making some progress !!!

Cyrus2508 wrote:Well I had a small breakthrough last night, I notice when I put the stove in TEST mode the exhaust draft fan spins a lot faster and the smoke from the hopper goes away Hmmm.... could it really be that easy a bad exhaust fan motor ??? Now is it the motor that's bad or the computer control board ?? Anyhow I feel I am making some progress !!!

I don't know much of anything about stokers, but I would venture to say YES, the exhaust fan running at a slow speed during actual operation will not evacuate the exhaust from the system and allow it to come out anywhere it can, due to the combustion blower forcing air into the system.

That's what I'm thinking SWPaDon.. I'm also thinking its the control board because the fan motor runs up to top speed in test mode why doesn't it in regular mode ??

Cyrus2508 wrote:That's what I'm thinking SWPaDon.. I'm also thinking its the control board because the fan motor runs up to top speed in test mode why doesn't it in regular mode ??

That DVC-500 is a close cousin to that P-68 pellet stove you operate, as far a controls are concerned.
The exhast fan motor and feeder motor speeds are both adjustable to control/ramp up the rate of heat up and down.
This is somewhat like what the Coal-trol controller accomplishes on some coal stokers.

By all means check out that exhaust motor...but don't get hung-up on it being the issue.
How are the rheostats? Now, that's a well know issue.
Running in TEST mode Maaaay... just bypass the rheostats.

Don't forget to RTFM! For Operational Technical Guidance.
Just throwing new parts at this stove can turn out to be a very expensive way to a less expensive fix.

McGiever I get lost on some of the stuff your saying I'm not sure I understand rheostats are you saying the exhaust fan is adjustable like as in a dial ?? I don't believe there is a dial I thought the exhaust fan was set at a continuous speed but im not sure ?? Also what does RTFM mean ???

Cyrus2508 wrote:McGiever I get lost on some of the stuff your saying I'm not sure I understand rheostats are you saying the exhaust fan is adjustable like as in a dial ?? I don't believe there is a dial I thought the exhaust fan was set at a continuous speed but im not sure ??

It is all spelled out in the manual, I have good basic understanding of many models, but your specific manual tells you how to set up and run.
Have you researched what others have discussed in other "DVC-500" discussions here prior?

I would investigate why your coal smokes. If you are burning bit coal, the stove was not designed for it.

Cyrus2508 wrote:McGiever I get lost on some of the stuff your saying I'm not sure I understand rheostats are you saying the exhaust fan is adjustable like as in a dial ?? I don't believe there is a dial I thought the exhaust fan was set at a continuous speed but im not sure ?? Also what does RTFM mean ???

RTFM=Read The Freaking Manual.