# St. Croix???



## snowrider (Dec 5, 2007)

Anyone own a St. Croix? I have a Harman that I am going to dump soon. The dealer closest to me sells and services St. Criox. He said out of any line they have carried, these are by far the best with the least issues. Now, of course he's going to tell me that. Does anyone have experience with them???


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## Xena (Dec 5, 2007)

I have the Prescott EXP.  Bought it new in Oct 2005,
brother and I installed it, zero issues (knock on wood)
and we have been burning as our main source of heat
going on three years now. Love it more with every cold day.


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## snowrider (Dec 5, 2007)

I'm going to look at the St Criox line up today and am already leaning to the EXP. The dealer said they dumped Harman years ago and stayed with St. Croix as they have had very few issues with them. Do you mean to tell me you dont have squealing!! Excess carbon build up!! Loud Banging!! Smoke in your hopper Feed Motor problems

I'm done with Harman. After looking over the last 6 pages in this forum, it's clear that Harman has some serious issues....

Thanks for the reply


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## Xena (Dec 5, 2007)

F7Joker said:
			
		

> I'm going to look at the St Criox
> line up today and am already leaning to the EXP. The dealer said they dumped
> Harman years ago and stayed with St. Croix as they have had very few issues
> with them. Do you mean to tell me you dont have squealing!! Excess carbon build up!!
> ...



You're welcome!

Nope. Never had a mechanical problem of any kind,
and it burns 24/7 from November to April every winter other
than down time for cleaning.   I did have the right side firebrick
panel break in half, but it's only there for aesthetics so I'm not
too concerned.  I've been in touch with the company that distributes
parts for St Croix, and they told me the firebrick is going to be replaced
with steel panels that are painted to look like a brick pattern so I
will most likely buy those when they become available (eta feb/march 08).

The EXP model rocks btw. Huge ash pan.  I empty it once a month
and even then it's not full.

We shot a video last year of the stove operating steps
if you would like to have a look here is the link.   Volume wasn't
up enough on the vid camera so you may need to turn it up a bit
to hear it.  
http://s12.photobucket.com/albums/a203/sporty04/?action=view&current=St_Croix_Prescott.flv


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## paulslush (Dec 5, 2007)

I service a small amount of St.croix pellet stoves out here in Western ma. The most common failure is the igniter that sells for around 90.00. Most calls are the result of poor maintenance or none at all in some cases. I have an older model Pepin that burned back into the hopper from not being cleaned out at all. I took it all apart and cleaned it and tested it, its been working fine for two years for me. The biggest problem we have is getting parts from our distributor, it takes a long time...............very long time.....!
Yes the fire brick does crack over time so if they come out with a steel panel that sounds like an improvement. Just remember there
are mechanical parts that over time may require service. A good annual cleaning, taking the back off and cleaning all the dust out and lube the motors and shaker grate cam will go along ways for trouble free operation.


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## smirnov3 (Dec 5, 2007)

I think part of the reason there are so many Harman owners with problems is that there are so many Harman owners. It is a very popular stove

(maybe we should have a survey to see how many of what make stove people use - 1 vote per stove that you burn)


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## Xena (Dec 5, 2007)

Anton Smirnov said:
			
		

> I think part of the reason
> there are so many Harman owners with problems is that there are so many
> Harman owners. It is a very popular stove.
> 
> ...



Possibly but it doesn't account for the entire picture.
You have to remember that despite it's popularity,
many people don't want anything to do with computers
and the internet.   Additionally, most pellet stove owners don't seek
out a forum such as this one until they have problems.
Regardless, like the OP said, the stove and it's warranty
are only as good as the dealer that stands behind it..
or in his case, the dealer that drops the ball which seems
to be the bigger problem.


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## GVA (Dec 6, 2007)

[quote author="F7Joker" date="1196886391"] The dealer said they dumped Harman years ago and stayed with St. Croix as they have had very few issues with them. I'm done with Harman. After looking over the last 6 pages in this forum, it's clear that Harman has some serious issues....
quote]
Yeah talk to that dealer about what happens to all of the support for the St Croix line if he dump's them too like he did with me and many other Harman owners That bought a stove from him.....  No I'm not gonna name the dealer I don't partake in that crap...  but he's in N. R......... right?  :-/ 

Like you said it all depends on your dealer......


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## snowrider (Dec 6, 2007)

Thanks for the heads up GVA. That's good to know. My dealer called me this evening and it looks like he will be standing behind my stove.  Yup, your right NR.. I guess you bought your Harman there and was dropped like them right???

Who the f--- can you trust these days anyway????

Thanks again


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## mkmh (Dec 6, 2007)

I own a St Croix and a Harman. The St Croix has been our primary stove, purchased in Fall 2005. We have probably run about 6 tons of pellets through it with only one very minor issue. Last year I encountered a clogged vacuum hose which would not allow the stove to ignite. My dealer diagnosed it over the phone and I fixed itin 20 minutes or so. Very good stove over all.
This year I have been getting some noise coming from my auger which has me worried a little. I've done a good job with maintenence so far, but eventually parts do wear out.
Downside for the stove is the small ash pan, and the fact that it seems to require more frequent cleanings than my Harman. It is also a bit louder overall. 
If I had it to do over again I definitely would have bought one with a larger ash pan. The Hastings needs to be dumped about once per week at the rate I burn.


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## russfamily@hotmail.com (Dec 16, 2007)

I have a St Croix Prescott EXL (think so, the one with the legs on it). I've never had a pellet stove before, but I love it. It heats my house incredibly! 1600 sq feet down stairs and keeps 1100 sq feet upstairs perfect for sleeping. As far as bangs and problems-none. I bought mine 2nd hand (2005 model). My only issue is the brick panels. they have shattered and cracked in many places. I'm ready to remove them altogether. Can it run without them? I definitly would buy a metal set from the company in the spring-the old ones are garbage! Thanks for the video, had to learn to clean it from videos like yours and from YouTube. Tough finding pellets here though, really have to watch for them. Some dealers are selling them for $7.50 a 40 lb bag! WHAT A RIP.-thanks Russfamily

re: Nope. Never had a mechanical problem of any kind,
and it burns 24/7 from November to April every winter other
than down time for cleaning.   I did have the right side firebrick
panel break in half, but it's only there for aesthetics so I'm not
too concerned.  I've been in touch with the company that distributes
parts for St Croix, and they told me the firebrick is going to be replaced
with steel panels that are painted to look like a brick pattern so I
will most likely buy those when they become available (eta feb/march 08).

The EXP model rocks btw. Huge ash pan.  I empty it once a month
and even then it's not full.

We shot a video last year of the stove operating steps
if you would like to have a look here is the link.   Volume wasn't
up enough on the vid camera so you may need to turn it up a bit
to hear it.  
http://s12.photobucket.com/albums/a203/sporty04/?action=view&current=St_Croix_Prescott.flv[/quote]


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## Xena (Dec 16, 2007)

russfamily welcome to the forum!  Nice to see another
Prescott owner on here.    Yes, you can remove the
firebrick.  I've spoken with engineers at the MFG,
three dealers, and the company that supplies parts
for Eventemp.  They've all confirmed that it is totally safe
to run the stove without the panels as they are only
there to make it look nice.  
I was told the steel panels will be available sometime around
Feb/March.  You can order them from your dealer.


You're welcome on the video.  At some point I hope to do
one on the monthly cleaning (ash traps and ash pan).
The manual is not so clear imo when it comes to the cleaning
process. More illustrations would have been better I think.


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## dp2002 (Dec 25, 2007)

Yes, I have a St Croix Hastings model (about month old) and there are many features about the stove that I like (auto start and Smartstat) but the stove has an annoying rattling sound. I bought it from a dealer near me in MA, but they have failed to even check it out after 5 phone calls and a visit. So as other people have said, the dealer can make all the difference. I am now going directly to St Croix to see if they will help at least check this out. But from my experience so far, I would not buy another St Croix. I also bought a pellet stove from Abuchons (shop heater, about 2 month old) and believe it or not, that stove has been excellent. It's quiet and runs flawlessly. But I will update here if things change with St Croix. Good luck!




			
				F7Joker said:
			
		

> Anyone own a St. Croix? I have a Harman that I am going to dump soon. The dealer closest to me sells and services St. Criox. He said out of any line they have carried, these are by far the best with the least issues. Now, of course he's going to tell me that. Does anyone have experience with them???


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## mkmh (Dec 26, 2007)

dp2002 said:
			
		

> Yes, I have a St Croix Hastings model (about month old) and there are many features about the stove that I like (auto start and Smartstat) but the stove has an annoying rattling sound. I bought it from a dealer near me in MA, but they have failed to even check it out after 5 phone calls and a visit. So as other people have said, the dealer can make all the difference. I am now going directly to St Croix to see if they will help at least check this out. But from my experience so far, I would not buy another St Croix. I also bought a pellet stove from Abuchons (shop heater, about 2 month old) and believe it or not, that stove has been excellent. It's quiet and runs flawlessly. But I will update here if things change with St Croix. Good luck!



I have the Hastings too, and consider it to be a somewhat noisy stove. If you are interested in checking out the rattling noise yourself, here are a couple things to look at. 
1. Make sure the cast iron top is seated properly on teh stove. A couple times after cleaning I didn't have it on perfectly and I got a loud rattle when the fan kicked on high
2. Make sure the back pannels are seated securely and tightly on the back of the stove. The metal is very thin back there, so if they are not seated tightly against the back of the stove it'll make a heck of a lot of noise. 

I would wait a couple years before thinking the St Croix is inferior to the Aubuchon stove. I believe Aubuchon sells the "cheap charlie/pelpro" line, and i've heard mixed reviews on those over time. They use high quality parts in the St Croix, so you may find that it "ages" better in the long run. I've run nearly 10 tons of pellets through my St Croix with very minimal issues and zero replacement parts <knock wood>. Pretty decent considering I am well into my 3rd heating season.


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## dp2002 (Dec 29, 2007)

I appreciate the advice.  I did try your suggestions and everything looked ok.  The dealer where I bought the stove finally stopped by to check out my complaint today. ( I had not emailed St. Croix yet because even though it was weeks, I wanted to give the dealer another chance to have a look before I caused any problems for them).  What the dealer told me was that it was the versatile motor causing the rattling noise and that this rattling noise is basically inherent in stove designs with versatile motors.  I asked him if he could leave the versatile motor disconnected but he advised against that.  So now I will ask St. Croix if they have a solution for this rattling issue.  If I can't solve it I plan to sell the stove with only 6 weeks of use, but I won't keep it if I have to listen to this annoying noise.  I'll let you know how it goes with St Croix.  

Regarding the Aubuchon stove, you may turn out to be right in the long run, I will have to see if it last the test of time, but the stove is still running quiet and great (probably becuase it doesn't have a versatile motor).  The dealer told me I may have problems with clinkers (sp) with some pellets and stoves without a versatile motor, but I have not run into this problem as of yet.

Thanks again for your suggestions..


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## Xena (Dec 29, 2007)

dp2002 said:
			
		

> What the dealer told me was
> that it was the versatile motor causing the rattling noise and that this rattling
> noise is basically inherent in stove designs with versatile motors.





Do you mean the versa grate motor?

If so, I think your dealer is full of doo doo.   My St Croix has the versa grate motor
and no rattles here going on three years and my stove gets hard use.


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## mkmh (Dec 29, 2007)

Too bad the dealer was not helpful. I'm assuming that they were referring to the Versa Grate Motor. If I recall, I may have been getting some noise from my motor after season one, but adding some lubrication took care of the issue. I don't understand why the dealer would not have tried this, as it is in the PDF training materials.

If your only "beef" with the stove is the noise then I would call St Croix. I'm quite sure they will be able to help you, as I don't think the noise you're hearing is normal.

Not a ton of detail here, but a pretty good reference
http://www.fieldtoflue.com/documents/St_Croix_Training-Pellet.pdf


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## dp2002 (Dec 30, 2007)

Yes, it is the versa grate motor I am talking about.  (Shows my ignorance on this stove..).  

The dealer disconnected the versa grate motor and the noise stopped, he then swapped the motor, but the noise continued, so I am
convinced he is in the right area of the rattling.  Maybe to your point, it's not the motor itself, maybe it's something connected to the motor.  I did go and listen to the one the dealer has running and I can hear the same noise with that one too.  What's interesting is that the stove did not have this rattling noise the 1st few days I ran it.  I think the dealer was helpful because the noise is now isolated to a specific area.

The link to the St. Croix Training pdf gave me some new information on the versa grate motor (better illustrated breakdown than the owners manual) and other good info too.  Thanks! That educated me a bit more and from the diagram I am able to see areas that could potentially cause rattling.  Prior to today I didn't realize it was the versa grate system, so I am looking at this more closely now.

When I get some time I am going to inspect all this very carefully before I call St Croix.

I had no experience with pellet stoves before November 07, so all this stuff is new to me.  Prior to that I have always gone out behind my house and cut wood and threw it in Vermont Castings stoves.  All in all I think pellet stoves are excellent technology and other than this noise I would have no complaints.

Thanks guys for all your help.  I'll let you know how I make out.


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## mkmh (Dec 30, 2007)

Hi DP. That is good to hear that the dealer did their due-dillagence swapping out the motor. It was definitely starting to sound like you were working with somebody who might not really understand the stove. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I do consider the Hastings to be a bit of a noisy stove. However, it doesn't sound like the rattles are are normal. Mine has definitely done some of that at times, but if that was the typical operating noise I would be looking to sell my stove, as you are.
Sounds like you are on the right track with it, and I look forward to hearing how things work out.

Best regards


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## russfamily@hotmail.com (Jan 6, 2008)

AHHHHHH! my st croix prescott EXL stopped working. The Auger isnt moving-I'm cold. Think its the motor, unsure. Unpluged and repluged-no avail. Live in Long Island NY (11742)and there are no dealers here at all. If I need a motor, do any other companys use the same auger motor? Any one know were to get one. Any quick fixes out there?-thanks


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## pegdot (Jan 6, 2008)

Hey, can't help you with the problem but you might want to start a new thread so you'll get more immediate attention. Good luck!


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## dp2002 (Jan 6, 2008)

russfamily said:
			
		

> AHHHHHH! my st croix prescott EXL stopped working. The Auger isnt moving-I'm cold. Think its the motor, unsure. Unpluged and repluged-no avail. Live in Long Island NY (11742)and there are no dealers here at all. If I need a motor, do any other companys use the same auger motor? Any one know were to get one. Any quick fixes out there?-thanks



If you can't find parts, the dealer near me say that they stock parts for the St Croix stoves.  You could probably have them send you a motor over night.  They are in MA.  Their number is (508) 987-2897.

Good luck!
dp


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## Xena (Jan 6, 2008)

russfamily said:
			
		

> AHHHHHH! my st croix prescott EXL stopped working.
> The Auger isnt moving-I'm cold. Think its the motor,  Any one know were to get one. Any quick fixes out there?-thanks



I would properly troubleshoot before throwing parts
at it.   The manual has a troubleshooting section.
If you don't have a manual you can dl it in pdf format
http://www.eventempinc.com/stcroix/stoves/stoves.html


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## hearthtools (Jan 6, 2008)

Anton Smirnov said:
			
		

> I think part of the reason there are so many Harman owners with problems is that there are so many Harman owners. It is a very popular stove
> 
> (maybe we should have a survey to see how many of what make stove people use - 1 vote per stove that you burn)


They are Popular Back east but not so much west of the Mississippi.
Due to the fact they are make on the east
the same goes for hearthstone, Woodstock, Kozyheat.
Most all other Pellet stoves are made On the NORTH WEST USA and Canada.
not untill Recently Harmon has been sold in this area.
and they only sell a few per year.


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## hearthtools (Jan 6, 2008)

zeta said:
			
		

> russfamily said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


ZETA Good words
I use them all the time.
DONT THROW PARTS AT A STOVE
throw a brush and a vacuum at it.


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## russfamily@hotmail.com (Jan 7, 2008)

Thanks-good advice. Gave it a good summer cleaning today. No avail. Family came over with a continuity tester/meter. Guess what, the motor works, but not getting any electricity. wires + fuses are good too. Think its the control board. Cheap heat just got more expensive. Place some calls in am for a control board. Any other parts telephone numbers to call if anyone knows of them? -thanks russfamily from NY, PS it cold! 




			
				hearthtools said:
			
		

> zeta said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## hearthtools (Jan 7, 2008)

Follow the steps here first before spending the money on a control board
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/13499/


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## dp2002 (Jan 8, 2008)

mkmh said:
			
		

> Hi DP. That is good to hear that the dealer did their due-dillagence swapping out the motor. It was definitely starting to sound like you were working with somebody who might not really understand the stove. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I do consider the Hastings to be a bit of a noisy stove. However, it doesn't sound like the rattles are are normal. Mine has definitely done some of that at times, but if that was the typical operating noise I would be looking to sell my stove, as you are.
> Sounds like you are on the right track with it, and I look forward to hearing how things work out.
> 
> Best regards



Update on my St Croix Hastings:

Two things happened,

1) The Versa Grate motor got even louder
2) The stove started to squeek/squeal

The dealer had put the original motor back in during the service call, so when the stove started squealing we called the dealer again and they came back to have a look (different guy).  He replaced the versa grate motor and also noted that the versa grate shaft was out of alignment.  He aligned it and lubed it and now the rattling and the squeal is gone.  This guy really knew what he was doing.  I think the last guy was not as knowledgable on the stove.

BTW: I sent an email to St Croix (in parallel, not realizing the 2nd tech was showing up based on my waiting experience) and St Croix was excellent.  They called the next day, were very interested in my dissatisfaction, and wanted to understand the situation and make sure that the problems were solved (already solved when I talked with them).

So in the end I am pleased with the dealer and very pleased with St. Croix's responsiveness and now I really like my Hastings stove.

dp


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## jnooley (Jan 10, 2008)

Hello,
   I had a similar but maybe not the same issue yesterday. I turned on my St. Croix Prescott and it would act like it was going to start up but would idle back down after 30 seconds or so. My #2 light was blinking. I saw this thread and called the dealer listed earlier in this thread(thanks "firestarter"). I spoke to Joan who gave me a couple cleaning tips I did not know. She told me to take out the two side fake brick panels on the inside of the stove and clean/vacuum out the vent holes behind them. Also, she told me to open up the left side panel(two screws) and vacuum out the vacuum hose. I used a good strong shop vac to do it. Then I put everything back together and it started right up. Also, as others have mentioned, I went through my manual troubleshooting first which I found at http://www.eventempinc.com/stcroix/downloads/downloads.html. Hope this helps.


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## jnooley (Jan 10, 2008)

russfamily said:
			
		

> AHHHHHH! my st croix prescott EXL stopped working. The Auger isnt moving-I'm cold. Think its the motor, unsure. Unpluged and repluged-no avail. Live in Long Island NY (11742)and there are no dealers here at all. If I need a motor, do any other companys use the same auger motor? Any one know were to get one. Any quick fixes out there?-thanks



Sorry I'm a newbee as you might guess.  My comment below was directed at the "russfamily" Prescott stove issue....
Hello, 
I had a similar but maybe not the same issue yesterday. I turned on my St. Croix Prescott and it would act like it was going to start up but would idle back down after 30 seconds or so. My #2 light was blinking. I saw this thread and called the dealer listed earlier in this thread(thanks “firestarter"). I spoke to Joan who gave me a couple cleaning tips I did not know. She told me to take out the two side fake brick panels on the inside of the stove and clean/vacuum out the vent holes behind them. Also, she told me to open up the left side panel(two screws) and vacuum out the vacuum hose. I used a good strong shop vac to do it. Then I put everything back together and it started right up. Also, as others have mentioned, I went through my manual troubleshooting first which I found at http://www.eventempinc.com/stcroix/downloads/downloads.html. Hope this helps.


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## mkmh (Jan 10, 2008)

Really good to hear that the versa grate problem got fixed, as well as the vacuum issue noted in the above post. Looks like we're building a pretty nice base of St Croix owners out here which is great to see. I also ran into the issue of the plugged vacuum hose a while back, but actually did not know about removing the brick panels. I'm going to do that next weekend. I can imagine it is probably filthy since i've never done this in 3+ years of ownership!

Thanks for posting


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## jnooley (Jan 10, 2008)

mkmh said:
			
		

> Really good to hear that the versa grate problem got fixed, as well as the vacuum issue noted in the above post. Looks like we're building a pretty nice base of St Croix owners out here which is great to see. I also ran into the issue of the plugged vacuum hose a while back, but actually did not know about removing the brick panels. I'm going to do that next weekend. I can imagine it is probably filthy since i've never done this in 3+ years of ownership!
> 
> Thanks for posting



Thanks mkmh. I'm glad I found this forum. I also should have noticed your previous post about your vacuum hose problem which would have saved me a phone call or two. BTW, my auger was making a funny noise last year also. My dealer suggested I wait until my pellet bin was empty, shut down the stove and then stick the hose of the shop vac down inside the auger hole and suck out as much as I could. After that my auger noise went away. It might be worth a shot if you haven't tried that yet. Good luck.


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## Xena (Jan 10, 2008)

The firebrick panels pop out very easily.  From day one I've made
it part of my monthly stove cleaning regimen to vac behind them
and vac the ash traps.   If it's been unusually cold and we've been
burning through more pellets than normal, I will do the cleaning
every two weeks instead of monthly.



Any update yet russfamily?  Curious to find out what was wrong with your stove.


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## jnooley (Jan 11, 2008)

zeta said:
			
		

> The firebrick panels pop out very easily.  From day one I've made
> it part of my monthly stove cleaning regimen to vac behind them
> and vac the ash traps.   If it's been unusually cold and we've been
> burning through more pellets than normal, I will do the cleaning
> ...



Good advice on the cleaning Zeta. I think keeping up on the maintenace is huge on these stoves. To answer F7Joker, my stove is a Prescott EXL and the only issues I've had are the brick panels breaking, the clogged vacuum hose(see previous post) and the clicking auger noise which I resolved by sucking out extra pellet crumbs from down in the hole. I've had it since Oct 2006. Other than that, I've been very happy(and warm ). Hope this helps. 

*I'm also anxious to hear the fix on the russfamily stove?


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## russfamily@hotmail.com (Jan 12, 2008)

Hi everyone, Sorry to take so long with getting back. Work schedule and My dishwasher and Kitchen stove blew. Needless to say I've been fixing everything! ANYWAY, After testing what I thought was everything and expecting to be the circuit board. Contact a place and they send the part. $165 later(shipping ect..) I install, plug in-Nothing , a big goose egg, NOTHING $#@@!!  Don't throw parts at it is ringing through my head over and over again. I'm all set to shamefully write you back after endless hours and toiling when I say to myself, Just test the safety switches again. Bingo!! The high limit switch-Yeah baby. I bypassed it for the minute and its now working. Cheap Heat again I have to order the high limit switch, but I'm back. Thank you everyone for the help- Russfamily.
PS anyone know if any other brands carry a the same make high limit switch. Or is it just St Croix Prescott EXL type?


*I'm also anxious to hear the fix on the russfamily stove?[/quote]


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## hearthtools (Jan 12, 2008)

russfamily said:
			
		

> Hi everyone, Sorry to take so long with getting back. Work schedule and My dishwasher and Kitchen stove blew. Needless to say I've been fixing everything! ANYWAY, After testing what I thought was everything and expecting to be the circuit board. Contact a place and they send the part. $165 later(shipping ect..) I install, plug in-Nothing , a big goose egg, NOTHING $#@@!!  Don't throw parts at it is ringing through my head over and over again. I'm all set to shamefully write you back after endless hours and toiling when I say to myself, Just test the safety switches again. Bingo!! The high limit switch-Yeah baby. I bypassed it for the minute and its now working. Cheap Heat again I have to order the high limit switch, but I'm back. Thank you everyone for the help- Russfamily.
> PS anyone know if any other brands carry a the same make high limit switch. Or is it just St Croix Prescott EXL type?
> 
> 
> *I'm also anxious to hear the fix on the russfamily stove?


[/quote]

What is the limts on the switch?
I might have the correct one.


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## rebelliners (Jan 21, 2008)

Well I’m vary happy I found this form. I hate to wright but I want to share my views on the ST. Croix. Prescott EXL. The first thing is i've owned my stove sense 9/28/2005 I live In western New York just out side of Buffalo, NY and If you don’t no buffalo it is vary vary cold as matter in fact its 5* out rite now and its anywhere from 30* to 0* October threw March. I have put approximately 12 to 14 ton threw this stove and it runs 24 7.  In this form I will give my pros and cons theirs no doubt that i’ve got my moneys worth my average heat bill was 400-500 a month the stove has got my heat bill down to 500-600$ a year. So no matter what I can't wine too much LOL the St. Croix is my only heat I do have a furnace in the house but hate to turn it on and give those money sucking Gas Company’s a dime LOL. I have had a lot of problems i’ve replaced the bricks 5 times, the pressured safety switch once the shaker plate, burn pot and that dame igniter once. And let’s not forget about the hell day im telling you folks this one beware on my own fault one night I left my Ash Cleanout rod open I mean pulled all the way out. This is the rod located on the bottom underneath the burn pot. I don’t now if any of you have done this but I never will again. What happens is when that’s left pulled out it gets a significant dose of oxygn and burns really big but not fast anoff. So a really long story short I had a small house fire. You see when I woke up I noticed the glass was vary dark and I was leavening for work in a hurry well the best part is im a fireman and a 911 emergency dispatcher for my county. I got to my truck and said you no what something wasn’t rite and I remembered a church fire that happened about two weeks prior we lost the hole church upon investigation of the church they found that the pellet stove burned in to the hopper. I went back in the house and noticed the ash rod was pulled out. And when I opened the to of hopper the hole stove was on fire and within minutes my house was full of smoke and my ADT fire alarm was going off. Theirs nothing more embarrassing when your place of work calls you and wants to no if they should dispatch fire and ems. I told them go ahead. That’s when the fireman in my self kicked in I ran and got a metal garbage can and shoveled the burning pellets as fast as I could running out side and dumping them in the cold snow and breathing in some fresh air. When my boys should up on the fire truck we immediately started are positive pressure fans and cleared the smoke so we could see. At this time I was on My Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) another words the big thing firemen where so we can breath. What I learned was not to shut the stove off. But to get all the pellets out you can shut the top and crank it up what it did was finally get all the pellets out of the auger that were still on fire. All said and done I had light smoke damage and a burnt ego LOL. Their was no damage to stove and after a good cleaning it was ready to go in an hr. I want to tell you I honestly believe that I have the cleanest pellet stove in the world being used sense day one I clean it every day people no joke ever dang day a full clean I’m talking bricks out  top to bottom vacuumed Oh I no its way over kill but that’s how I am. I'm righting tonight because i'm at my wits and i’m just venting. To night the F**ken dang Versa Grate Motor took a crap remember how I told you I clean it every day well I noticed ash building up in the burn pot I mean soled pack ash and It would of done the same thing when I had that fire now that its not clearing the ash it just keeps building up when I found the ash was more then half way up the pellet shoot. Now I need to find this motor and who knows what else i’m going to need. And the same old sorry as every one else finding a dealer who can help. Well sorry if I wasted your time. I have a lot more I could tell you and some serious tips for cleaning and preparing for next season I’ve  had that stove out three times and been up and down it. I have another really good couple of stories that I learned the hard way, STAY TUNED FOR PART TWO SOON TO COME. Thanks for reading sorry for the crap spelling.


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## jnooley (Jan 22, 2008)

RebelLiners said:
			
		

> Well I’m vary happy I found this form. I hate to wright but I want to share my views on the ST. Croix. Prescott EXL. The first thing is i've owned my stove sense 9/28/2005 I live In western New York just out side of Buffalo, NY and If you don’t no buffalo it is vary vary cold as matter in fact its 5* out rite now and its anywhere from 30* to 0* October threw March. I have put approximately 12 to 14 ton threw this stove and it runs 24 7.  In this form I will give my pros and cons theirs no doubt that i’ve got my moneys worth my average heat bill was 400-500 a month the stove has got my heat bill down to 500-600$ a year. So no matter what I can't wine too much LOL the St. Croix is my only heat I do have a furnace in the house but hate to turn it on and give those money sucking Gas Company’s a dime LOL. I have had a lot of problems i’ve replaced the bricks 5 times, the pressured safety switch once the shaker plate, burn pot and that dame igniter once. And let’s not forget about the hell day im telling you folks this one beware on my own fault one night I left my Ash Cleanout rod open I mean pulled all the way out. This is the rod located on the bottom underneath the burn pot. I don’t now if any of you have done this but I never will again. What happens is when that’s left pulled out it gets a significant dose of oxygn and burns really big but not fast anoff. So a really long story short I had a small house fire. You see when I woke up I noticed the glass was vary dark and I was leavening for work in a hurry well the best part is im a fireman and a 911 emergency dispatcher for my county. I got to my truck and said you no what something wasn’t rite and I remembered a church fire that happened about two weeks prior we lost the hole church upon investigation of the church they found that the pellet stove burned in to the hopper. I went back in the house and noticed the ash rod was pulled out. And when I opened the to of hopper the hole stove was on fire and within minutes my house was full of smoke and my ADT fire alarm was going off. Theirs nothing more embarrassing when your place of work calls you and wants to no if they should dispatch fire and ems. I told them go ahead. That’s when the fireman in my self kicked in I ran and got a metal garbage can and shoveled the burning pellets as fast as I could running out side and dumping them in the cold snow and breathing in some fresh air. When my boys should up on the fire truck we immediately started are positive pressure fans and cleared the smoke so we could see. At this time I was on My Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) another words the big thing firemen where so we can breath. What I learned was not to shut the stove off. But to get all the pellets out you can shut the top and crank it up what it did was finally get all the pellets out of the auger that were still on fire. All said and done I had light smoke damage and a burnt ego LOL. Their was no damage to stove and after a good cleaning it was ready to go in an hr. I want to tell you I honestly believe that I have the cleanest pellet stove in the world being used sense day one I clean it every day people no joke ever dang day a full clean I’m talking bricks out  top to bottom vacuumed Oh I no its way over kill but that’s how I am. I'm righting tonight because i'm at my wits and i’m just venting. To night the F**ken dang Versa Grate Motor took a crap remember how I told you I clean it every day well I noticed ash building up in the burn pot I mean soled pack ash and It would of done the same thing when I had that fire now that its not clearing the ash it just keeps building up when I found the ash was more then half way up the pellet shoot. Now I need to find this motor and who knows what else i’m going to need. And the same old sorry as every one else finding a dealer who can help. Well sorry if I wasted your time. I have a lot more I could tell you and some serious tips for cleaning and preparing for next season I’ve  had that stove out three times and been up and down it. I have another really good couple of stories that I learned the hard way, STAY TUNED FOR PART TWO SOON TO COME. Thanks for reading sorry for the crap spelling.



Thanks for posting RebelLiners. Now you've got me thinking that maybe I lost my versa grate motor too. I noticed that the ash was building up about a week ago but thought that maybe I just had a bad batch of pellets. How did you know that the motor died? Did you have to put your ear the motor in the back? One other thing, I can't believe how bad these brick panels are. They are really pathetic!  I am going to try to make it through the winter with these but they are cracking all over the place.


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## rebelliners (Jan 24, 2008)

To see if your versa grate motor is working is easy open up the left side of your stove while it is in a full burn and the blower motor is on. On the bottom you will see this little motor there is a really small shiny shaft that should be spinning if its not spinning it aint working. Another way to check is look at the shaft that comes out of that motor and follow it with your eyes and you will see it stops in the middle of the stove with a unscented cam is should be spinning nice a slow. I replaced mine and it running like a champ.


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## Xena (Jan 24, 2008)

RebelLiners said:
			
		

> To see if your versa grate motor is working
> is easy open up the left side of your stove while it is in a full burn and the blower motor is on.




The versa grate motor is visible/accessible from the right side 
if you're facing the stove.  The operation manual shows a good
diagram of what it looks.


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## jnooley (Jan 24, 2008)

zeta said:
			
		

> RebelLiners said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Man...thanks a ton guys! I opened up both sides so that I could get a good look from both directions. Sure enough, the allen screw that holds the cam to the shaft had somehow loosened up. The cam was sitting there on the bottom. I put the cam back on, tightened it up and I am off and running. I'll be owing lots of beers to this forum before long.


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## Xena (Jan 25, 2008)

jnooley glad to hear it was a simple fix for you!


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## vam1721 (Jan 24, 2010)

I have a ST Croix Hastings and I love it. Great stove but I am starting to get a noise from the auger like a groan only on start up cycle when stove is cold. Once stove  gets warm noise goes away about three minutes. Does anyone have any ideas. I am very good about maintenance and cleaning.


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## krooser (Jan 24, 2010)

You could try using a little powered graphite poured down hopper and mixed in the pellets... it will lube the auger.


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## woodsman23 (Jan 25, 2010)

I have a st croix afon bay and besides the igniter going bad it has been a great stove. Plenty of heat and easy cleaning and it run 24/7 for 2 weeks vefore having to clean it. Very happy with it. I run mine on setting 3 all the time and use the thermostat mode for the coldest months then smartstat for warmer months all off a thermostat monuted on the wall. I have put close to 12 tons trough it aand no problems except the dam igniter...


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## MCPO (Jan 25, 2010)

I almost bought a St Croix at one time myself. The St Croix brand came highly recommended.
 Honestly, After reading this forum for two years I`m convinced most pellet stoves do what they were designed to do and most do it well . Some a bit better than others maybe but the spread is narrow. They all need to be cleaned regularly and they all are subject to wear and consequently need repairs. Most of us here are mechanically skilled enough to perform most repairs and that in itself can be an equalizer among different brand stoves.


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## krooser (Jan 26, 2010)

jnooley said:
			
		

> RebelLiners said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



The Cerra-Brick panels are decorative only... I threw mine out after the first year with my used stove... no need to replace them.


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## magsf11 (Jan 26, 2010)

the only problem that i have had is with my exhaust motor. the bearings are going and it has stoped working a few times. going to replace it this spring. and yes the bricks do stink mine are all cracked. its like puting a puxxle together when i replace them after the stove cleaning. since this is my only heat source I have no complants have burned 14 ton threw it. I to am from just outside buffalo ny and it has been cold here, but the house is at 73. happy heating. jim


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## mogie55/looking (Mar 6, 2010)

Iam lookiking at a St. Croix Hastings as a suppement to my out door stove for a lower level family room. BUt what I see on this forum is everyone looking for parts for their pellet stoves. I have found that for my outdoor stove I can order parts from Grainger at wwww. grainger.com for about 1/3 to 1/2 of the price a dealer charges if you can get a manufacture and part # off what you need. I am a do it yourself type of guy. and I know alot of you are to. I hope this helps


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## Xena (Mar 6, 2010)

Jim - shoot an email to St Croix via their website about the
refractory panels.  You should be able to get a set of the 
steel ones.  I can't recall how much but a few years ago
I got them and they are great.  The new stoves come with 
steel panels afaik.


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## tchdngrnby (Mar 6, 2010)

Xena said:
			
		

> Jim - shoot an email to St Croix via their website about the
> refractory panels.  You should be able to get a set of the
> steel ones.  I can't recall how much but a few years ago
> I got them and they are great.  The new stoves come with
> steel panels afaik.



Call these folks.  1-866-AutoRain (288-6724) or cut and paste into your browser: https://www.autorain.com/index.php 

I purchased a set of stainless steel panels to replace the Cerra Brick panels in my St. Croix EXL.  They come as a set of 3.  Paid $89.00 plus tax.  Shipping would be a bit more depending on your area.  I was in Spokane and picked them up while I was working there.  

Paul V


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## Xena (Mar 6, 2010)

I got my steel refractory panels on the house
from St Croix but my stove was still in the warranty period. 

So I don't see much of anything listed on that autorain
site for the Prescott models but fwiw, the panels cost
about that same price quoted by poster above from any dealer who sells 
the St Croix line of stoves afaik.


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