# Ardisam Castle HPS10 pellet stove is choked up! Like the BabyCountryside!



## Don2222 (Mar 30, 2013)

Hello

Working on the Castle HPS10 stove. The fire is dies soon after the start cycle. Checked hose and vacuum switch, even tried a new vacuum switch. Fire still dies.

Therefore I put the Manometer on the vacuum port which goes into the back of the fire box on the right side. The reading was only -0.29 WC during the start up cycle! ! !

The Vacuum switch is set for approx -0.25 WC so there is not enough air pressure to keep the stove going.

The manual only mentions there is an exhaust cleanout plate, I pulled the exhuast fan when I cleaned it and cleaned that area.

I left a message with Ardisam and they left a message on my phone stating there is a known issue of the exhaust chamber being plugged! Ah Ha !

So I will ask for a procedure Monday but in the meantime I noticed 2 slots in the fire box up high on each side of the heat exchanger. Similar to the BabyCountryside only the slots are larger.

So does anynone have any ideas on cleaning? I know the leaf blower trick but cannot make a mess outside.

There does not look like there is a horizontal chamber, just 2 vertical chambers. Unlike the Baby CountrySide it looks like these chambers do Not drop into the ash pan! This may explain the extreme clog up.

What about putting the shop vac up to the open exhaust blower plenum cleaning cover? (See part# 10 in exploded view) Then blasting each of the chambers with 150 PSI of compressed air?

Pic 1 - Manometer shows -0.28 WC
Pic 2 - Shows Ardisam vacuum switch
Pic 3 - Ardisam vacuum switch with yellow arrow that shows it is set for approx 0.25
Pic 4 - Shows exploded view with red arrow pointing to exhaust blower cleanout cover part # 10


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## Don2222 (Apr 1, 2013)

Hello

Finally talked to the Ardisam Support tech Kim. She said there is an issue with the 2 vertical exhaust chambers behind the fire box. They can get really plugged up!. She suggested a long brush inserted into each corresponding slot in the top left and top right of the fire box. Push the brush down like a router reuter and ream out the clogged ash. An air compressor might work but a brush can work better.

There is a 90 Deg bend and No pics or diagram of these chambers!


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## Don2222 (Apr 6, 2013)

Hello

Worked on the Ardisam Castle stove again. First I hooked the manometer to the vacuum port and the ac cord to the exhaust blower for a baseline reading. The baseline was -0.28 WC.
Then I cleaned out the slots in the top of the firebox. These slots go straight back and then take a 90 Deg bend into the large exhaust chamber in back of the fire box. Then I hooked the shop vac up to the exhaust cleanout at the bottom and tried blasting the chamber out. That was not enough. I had to remove the top of the stove with the 2 phillips recesssed screws on each side. Then I removed the catch pan by unscrewing the 4 phillips head screws near the back. Under that was a top cleanout for that whole back plenum. I stuck a brush down and the blasted it with the 150 PSI compressor. That did the trick but had to make 2 custom lytherm gaskets for the top and exhaust plenum cleanouts.

Put it all back together and fired up the exhaust blower with the AC test cord. The air pressure just about doubled.
New reading is -.60 WC

Pic 1 - One of two top slots in fire box that must be cleaned.
Pic 2 - Left pic of back chamber
Pic 3 - Right pic of back chamber
Pic 4 - exhaust cleanout in bottom left of stove
Pic 5 - Top stove cleanout under stove top and catch pan. See two wing nuts holding cleanout cover
Pic 6 - Final manometer reading shows -0.60 -- enough to keep vacuum switch closed!

Fired up the stove and it works like new!

Click on pics to see slide show.


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## boo boo (Apr 6, 2013)

As usual Don You da man


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## Don2222 (Apr 6, 2013)

boo boo said:


> As usual Don You da man


 
Thanks boo boo
I just got a Harman P61 to perk up so maybe we can get together on the Harman features and inner workings?


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## olddawgsrule (Feb 9, 2014)

Very happy to find this thread!

This is my Forrester!
Didn't know that cleanout was at the top under the cover!!
Just order some gasket material, again thank you for the link!

Now, have you figured out how to oil the auger?
Picking up a squeal with certain pellets..


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## olddawgsrule (Feb 9, 2014)

Don2222 said:


> Hello
> 
> Working on the Castle HPS10 stove. The fire is dies soon after the start cycle. Checked hose and vacuum switch, even tried a new vacuum switch. Fire still dies.
> 
> ...




Is this where it should be set?
Have a new one coming and wish to be certain


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## Don2222 (Feb 9, 2014)

olddawgsrule said:


> Is this where it should be set?
> Have a new one coming and wish to be certain



Yes. You must clean out the back chamber for it to work well. 

As far as the auger squeal goes, you need to pimp your auger. 
See
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...-little-auger-burs-pimp-my-auger-pics.102423/


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## olddawgsrule (Feb 11, 2014)

Nice thread there Don!
Looks like I'll be cleaning deeper than ever and come warm weather 'Pimping' my auger..

You figure out who the real manufacturer is?


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## olddawgsrule (Feb 11, 2014)

Don2222 said:


> Yes. You must clean out the back chamber for it to work well.
> 
> As far as the auger squeal goes, you need to pimp your auger.
> See
> https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...-little-auger-burs-pimp-my-auger-pics.102423/



Don, you are pretty darn knowledgeable on this stove, so if I may ask:

What can I do to stop the burn pot from clunking up??

I coud tell you what I've tried, but I rather hear from you what I should be doing..


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## Don2222 (Feb 11, 2014)

olddawgsrule said:


> Don, you are pretty darn knowledgeable on this stove, so if I may ask:
> 
> What can I do to stop the burn pot from clunking up??
> 
> I coud tell you what I've tried, but I rather hear from you what I should be doing..



Selkirk DT stops the caked ash in the burn pot dead before it spreads!


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## rich2500 (Feb 13, 2014)

olddawgsrule said:


> Nice thread there Don!
> Looks like I'll be cleaning deeper than ever and come warm weather 'Pimping' my auger..
> 
> You figure out who the real manufacturer is?


 
The stoves are made overseas but Ardisam does have engineers over there overseeing the production of the stoves


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## Don2222 (Feb 13, 2014)

rich2500 said:


> The stoves are made overseas but Ardisam does have engineers over there overseeing the production of the stoves



I know the engineer Pete, he is a great guy and really stands behind his product.  After working with him on a troubled stove I have much more confidence in their product support!


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## Mt Bob (Feb 13, 2014)

I admire your persistence to do it right,but a $1000. stove,2 service calls in less than 12 months=1/3 to 1/2 that price?


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## rich2500 (Feb 13, 2014)

Don2222 said:


> I know the engineer Pete, he is a great guy and really stands behind his product.  After working with him on a troubled stove I have much more confidence in their product support!



I have not had any problems with my stove but before buying I called Ardisam(no on hold for 1/2 hr.) and spoke with a customer service rep.(asked where the stoves are made, part prices(most are 1/2 the price of my old stove) etc.) and also a stove tech. and was very  impressed with their support.the serenity does not have those hidden areas to get blocked up like the HPS.Time will tell but I like the controller on the stove,It's very quiet and heats my 1200sq. ft. house on heat setting 1 to 72 deg. when it's 1 deg. outside.


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## Mt Bob (Feb 13, 2014)

rich2500 said:


> I have not had any problems with my stove but before buying I called Ardisam(no on hold for 1/2 hr.) and spoke with a customer service rep.(asked where the stoves are made, part prices(most are 1/2 the price of my old stove) etc.) and also a stove tech. and was very  impressed with their support. The serenity stove has none of those hidden areas to get blocked up like the HPS does.


 Yep I heard the new versions are pretty good units,never worked on one.


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## rich2500 (Feb 13, 2014)

bob bare said:


> Yep I heard the new versions are pretty good units,never worked on one.


they are very simple, first thing I did when I got mine was to pull the side covers off of it to see what the guts looked like.


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## bondo (Feb 13, 2014)

Ardisam also has Cumberland Stove Works. I would be extremely surprised if these aren't made in China. They shipped all their production jobs there years ago. I drive by their factories here in Cumberland everyday and there are only a hand full of vehicles there. They do their biodiesel thing here yet and I think that is about yet. I won't share what I think about Ardisam but I will say I will not own anything made by them anymore. Their pellet stoves might be great and I might be missing out. However I have owned Ardisam made items before and we will say I am not impressed.


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## Mt Bob (Feb 13, 2014)

They


bondo said:


> Ardisam also has Cumberland Stove Works. I would be extremely surprised if these aren't made in China. They shipped all their production jobs there years ago. I drive by their factories here in Cumberland everyday and there are only a hand full of vehicles there. They do their biodiesel thing here yet and I think that is about yet. I won't share what I think about Ardisam but I will say I will not own anything made by them anymore. Their pellet stoves might be great and I might be missing out. However I have owned Ardisam made items before and we will say I am not impressed.


they are made in china,and sold under several names.Depends on the model,maybe all of them by now.Following ussc format.


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## olddawgsrule (Feb 15, 2014)

Thanks to you Don2222 and showing that lower clean-out, the stove has never been so clean nor running as well!
Man did I clear some junk out of there...

I'm about to replace the pressure switch and forgot to mark the proper port on the old one when I took it out..
Believe it was the top one..

Do you need a picture??


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## Don2222 (Feb 15, 2014)

It is the top port on the vacuum switch.


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## John_NYC70 (Feb 20, 2014)

Don2222 said:


> Hello
> 
> Worked on the Ardisam Castle stove again. First I hooked the manometer to the vacuum port and the ac cord to the exhaust blower for a baseline reading. The baseline was -0.28 WC.
> Then I cleaned out the slots in the top of the firebox. These slots go straight back and then take a 90 Deg bend into the large exhaust chamber in back of the fire box. Then I hooked the shop vac up to the exhaust cleanout at the bottom and tried blasting the chamber out. That was not enough. I had to remove the top of the stove with the 2 phillips recesssed screws on each side. Then I removed the catch pan by unscrewing the 4 phillips head screws near the back. Under that was a top cleanout for that whole back plenum. I stuck a brush down and the blasted it with the 150 PSI compressor. That did the trick but had to make 2 custom lytherm gaskets for the top and exhaust plenum cleanouts.
> ...



Don,
I have the same pellet stove and it choked up too. It had buildup around the feed hole above the pot and the flames must have gone up the pot and ignited the pellets in the hopper. My wife shut it off when she saw it was burning funny. I noticed the fan was still running and saw smoke swirling around through the glass when I got up at 3:45AM. The temp on the monitor kept going up. I didn't know what where the smoke was coming from and when I lifted the hopper I saw a little smoke. I moved the pellets with my hand and saw some pellets at the bottom where red hot. I panicked and started removing the pellets and put a little water on the red hot ones. After I removed them all, the bottom half of the empty hopper was black and smelled really bad. I tried my best to clean it, but I still want to go back and clean it better. I cleaned out the slots at the top of the firebox, I cleaned the exhaust fan and vacuumed inside and I vacuumed the area around the auger. When I tested the stove, the auger keeps getting jammed. Does the auger have to be removed and cleaned? How do I do this if needed?


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## olddawgsrule (Mar 31, 2014)

Don2222, if I may, A friend bought a Castle Serenity and I can not find a good diagram to show him where the ports are to clean-out his stove.

I've advised him to vacuum the out-lets weekly, but he can't find them..
I've checked the online manual and it doesn't show where they are..
Nor does it show the clean-outs for seasonal cleaning.

You know of a good diagram out there?


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## Don2222 (Mar 31, 2014)

olddawgsrule said:


> Don2222, if I may, A friend bought a Castle Serenity and I can not find a good diagram to show him where the ports are to clean-out his stove.
> 
> I've advised him to vacuum the out-lets weekly, but he can't find them..
> I've checked the online manual and it doesn't show where they are..
> ...


No, I do not. Try calling Ardisam and see what they say.


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## Don2222 (Mar 31, 2014)

olddawgsrule said:


> Don2222, if I may, A friend bought a Castle Serenity and I can not find a good diagram to show him where the ports are to clean-out his stove.
> 
> I've advised him to vacuum the out-lets weekly, but he can't find them..
> I've checked the online manual and it doesn't show where they are..
> ...



I did not get a chance to remove the auger, but if you remove the auger motor, then I assume the auger would be easy to get to.


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## rich2500 (Mar 31, 2014)

There is only one port to worry about on the serenity and that is the exhaust outlet,you remove the ashpan and the exhaust outlet will be on the left side of the burnpot all the way at the bottom.you can get a shop vac hose in the outlet up to the fan blade.





And this is the serenity brochure


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## rich2500 (Mar 31, 2014)

rich2500 said:


> There is only one port to worry about on the serenity and that is the exhaust outlet,you remove the ashpan and the exhaust outlet will be on the left side of the burnpot all the way at the bottom.you can get a shop vac hose in the outlet up to the fan blade.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Just wanted to add that it is recommended to annually pull the exhaust blower and clean the housing,fan and venting.


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