# Quadrafire Castile Convection Blower



## theodddogout (Jan 7, 2013)

I have a 2004 Quadrafire Castile that's been acting up lately.  It's been squealing and when the unit shuts down, it doesn't restart automatically.  It whirs and clicks but nothing happens unless I throw a hand full of pellets in pot and then eventually it start up and runs.  Pushing the reset button only clicks but nothing happens.  I cleaned it out, took out and cleaned the vacuum hose, replaced the gasket etc.  The stove shop said it needed a better cleaning  and came out and did that.  They heard the squealing and said the convection blower (think he called it the blower motor) needed replacement that it was the bearings and it could die anytime but they did not have one to replace it and they thought that was why I was having problems.  They said it was really hard to replace.  I guess my questions are, does it sound like the convection blower could be the problem?  Are they hard to replace?  How do I know it's not the exhaust blower, I believe I've seen a picture of the exhaust blower named as the convection blower and now I'm confused. The vacuum switch, igniter, thermocouple and cover are all fairly new.  The control box was recently tested and was ok.  Thank you...


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## begreen (Jan 7, 2013)

The need to put pellets in the burn pot is an interesting clue. What if the squeal is coming from the auger? Has this been checked? Have you tried cleaning it out and spraying some silicone on it?


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## theodddogout (Jan 7, 2013)

It is interesting, I did take the auger out but I didn't silicone it, I thought maybe it had a jam but it didn't.  It seems so many things have to happen to make it all run smoothly, I can't seem to figure out the sequence.  The interesting part is the lack of sound, it clicks and the faintest noise like something wants to work but isn't and it stays like that until I put the pellets in, it still take a few minutes before it starts but it does.  If it helps, it doesn't squeal each time the pellets drops and it quiets down after the fires been burning a while with an occasional few minutes of squealing for no rhyme or reason that I can tell.  The weird thing is the pellets aren't seeming to burn into fly away ash like they used to, it stay's in the pot (until I empty it)  But that only started after I changed the gasket.  As it turned out I put it on the last time with the open end down instead of up and I don't know if doing that hurt the stove at all.  This was probably too much information, but I thought just in case I'm missing something obvious I'd through it out there : )


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## mralias (Jan 7, 2013)

theodddogout said:


> The weird thing is the pellets aren't seeming to burn into fly away ash like they used to, it stay's in the pot (until I empty it) But that only started after I changed the gasket. As it turned out I put it on the last time with the open end down instead of up and I don't know if doing that hurt the stove at all. This was probably too much information, but I thought just in case I'm missing something obvious I'd through it out there : )​


 
Combustion blower is the exhaust blower. Convection blower is the blower that distributes the heat. Do you get the noise on start up? The first fan to come on is the Combustion blower. Is that when the noise starts?  Not restarting automatically and having to throw pellets in to get it going means you have other issues besides the noise. Please clarify step by step what happens when you start your stove. 

The ash issue not coming out of the pot is an air flow issue. Something needs to be cleaned or the gasket was not replaced correctly. Door gasket leak perhaps?


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## BradH70 (Jan 7, 2013)

Having a bad convection blower would not cause startup probelms.

Here are a few theories that I have:
1. Your auger shoot is jammed with fines and not enough pellets are being fed to get the stove started or run continuously. My stove clicks every time the auger turns, I believe it is just the mechanical slack being absorbed by the auger motor turning. You need to take the all the pellets out of the hopper and remove the feed rate plate to really get to that area.

2. You have the reverse auger motor syndrome. Pellets would never get fed to the burn pot if this is the case. Do you have a capacitor in line on the positive terminal of the auger motor?

3. The combustion (exhaust) blower is going bad and the bearings are squealing. If this is the case, then the fan blades may not have enough RPM's to create enough air flow to ignite the pellets. I doubt this is the problem though, if it were, the vacuum switch would not open resulting in the auger motor never turning. Even a noisy bad combustion blower (mine for example) will create enough air flow for proper stove operation.


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## theodddogout (Jan 7, 2013)

mralias said:


> Combustion blower is the exhaust blower. Convection blower is the blower that distributes the heat. Do you get the noise on start up? The first fan to come on is the Combustion blower. Is that when the noise starts? Not restarting automatically and having to throw pellets in to get it going means you have other issues besides the noise. Please clarify step by step what happens when you start your stove.
> 
> The ash issue not coming out of the pot is an air flow issue. Something needs to be cleaned or the gasket was not replaced correctly. Door gasket leak perhaps?


 
When I start the stove it just hums, and one click.  Nothing starts, no blowers, no auger turning.  The igniter does heat up.  If I hit the reset button, nothing but a click.  If I throw pellets into the pot, it hums a few minutes longer then blowers start.  Something does squeal once it starts up and it starts up slowly.  I cleaned the stove and then stove shop service guy came out a couple days ago to deep clean top to bottom thinking that was the problem.  In addition to me cleaning the vacuum tube, I also cleaned the hole on the side of the feeder tube where it joins.  I cleaned the vent pipe from inside to out, I removed the stove pulling it forward and used a vent cleaner brush pulling from inside towards outside the house.  I told the stove guy about replacing the gasket, he looked at it but didn't say it was wrong.  It seems snug.  After he cleaned it, it started up ok for a couple days, slow but automatic, but last night it reverted back to not starting automatically.  All he said was it seemed like the blower motor was going and if it went the house would get smoky and that he didn't have the part as they were on back order which means a wait and another service call.


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## theodddogout (Jan 7, 2013)

BradH70 said:


> Having a bad convection blower would not cause startup probelms.
> 
> Here are a few theories that I have:
> 1. Your auger shoot is jammed with fines and not enough pellets are being fed to get the stove started or run continuously. My stove clicks every time the auger turns, I believe it is just the mechanical slack being absorbed by the auger motor turning. You need to take the all the pellets out of the hopper and remove the feed rate plate to really get to that area.
> ...


 
I'm sorry, but I'm not sure what a capacitor in line is or what it looks like, there are two white wires, one black and one red going into the motor..  Once the stove gets going, the auger doesn't seem to have any trouble dropping pellets if that helps at all....


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## mralias (Jan 7, 2013)

theodddogout said:


> *When I start the stove it just hums, and one click. Nothing starts, no blowers,* no auger turning. The igniter does heat up. If I hit the reset button, nothing but a click. If I throw pellets into the pot, it hums a few minutes longer then blowers start.​


 
This is not the way it is suppose to work. You have a combustion blower issue. That needs to be fixed first before you try to use the stove. That blower should start as soon as the stove calls for heat. Can you spin it by hand?  It could be clogged, snap disk tripped or just defective. I would remove blower and clean it and also direct connect to AC to see if fan is defective. (Only do this if you feel safe working with AC voltage)  Reslove that issue first.


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## theodddogout (Jan 7, 2013)

mralias said:


> This is not the way it is suppose to work. You have a combustion blower issue. That needs to be fixed first before you try to use the stove. That blower should start as soon as the stove calls for heat. Can you spin it by hand? It could be clogged, snap disk tripped or just defective. I would remove blower and clean it and also direct connect to AC to see if fan is defective. (Only do this if you feel safe working with AC voltage) Reslove that issue first.


 
I can spin it by hand no problem but I will try and take it out to clean it and thanks for the suggestion...  I'll have to skip the AC connect, I love mechanical but I'm wimpy on electrical.


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## mralias (Jan 7, 2013)

I believe it was DexterDay that posted this pellet stove cycle before but it may help you with your issue as well. Take a look at it so you know what is suppose to come on and when.


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## DexterDay (Jan 7, 2013)

If the stove starts, the "Hum" is likely the combustion blower, the squeal after the fire starts, is likely the convection blower (does air start coming from the stove when it squeals)? 

As for no pellets at start up? The click, may be the "Call" for heat? My Stove "clicks" when the light comes on. 

But, no pellets is confusing? When was the last time you vacuumed out the fines from the hopper? When was the last time the Flame Height was set (On High it should be 4"-6" above the pot).

Sounds like everything is working? If it was vacuum related, it wouldn't run at all, if the flame is burning, the combustion blower must be spinning, and the convection (room air) is what sounds like is squealing? 

My 2 pennies


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## SwineFlue (Jan 7, 2013)

I get a distinct click each time the auger fires ( a relay closing???).  It's louder than the initial CALL click.  I just now set the stove (and convection blower) to 'high' and I can still hear the clicks even in the next room.  

You hear this click, but the auger does not turn?


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## theodddogout (Jan 8, 2013)

mralias said:


> I believe it was DexterDay that posted this pellet stove cycle before but it may help you with your issue as well. Take a look at it so you know what is suppose to come on and when.


This is great and very helpful, Thanks!


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## theodddogout (Jan 8, 2013)

mralias said:


> This is not the way it is suppose to work. You have a combustion blower issue. That needs to be fixed first before you try to use the stove. That blower should start as soon as the stove calls for heat. Can you spin it by hand? It could be clogged, snap disk tripped or just defective. I would remove blower and clean it and also direct connect to AC to see if fan is defective. (Only do this if you feel safe working with AC voltage) Reslove that issue first.


I took out the combustion blower and cleaned it....  It was kind of messy and I vacuumed out the area it came from as well.  It spun freely before and after I cleaned it.  I also cleaned the convection blower while I was in the area, that also spun freely.  I put it back together but it's still doing the same thing.  But, I started it up with the right side panel off and my ear close by.  The combustion blower isn't coming on when it first starts up,  the squealing starts when it finally does start up after the hand tossed pellets ignite.

Jumping ahead if this is at all related, I was watching the pot and it seemed like the pellets are dropping faster than they are burning.  The feed rate is on it's lowest setting, but it seemed like they were coming fast.  But, it could also be that I never sat and watched the pot that close before.  I didn't know if that had something to do with the extra ash in the pot.  And thank you very much...


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## theodddogout (Jan 8, 2013)

SwineFlue said:


> I get a distinct click each time the auger fires ( a relay closing???). It's louder than the initial CALL click. I just now set the stove (and convection blower) to 'high' and I can still hear the clicks even in the next room.
> 
> You hear this click, but the auger does not turn?


That's right, once the fire get's going, then the auger works fine, it's just at start up that it clicks and nothing.


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## theodddogout (Jan 8, 2013)

DexterDay said:


> If the stove starts, the "Hum" is likely the combustion blower, the squeal after the fire starts, is likely the convection blower (does air start coming from the stove when it squeals)?
> 
> As for no pellets at start up? The click, may be the "Call" for heat? My Stove "clicks" when the light comes on.
> 
> ...


Thanks for your 2 pennies!  That is what the click is, after closer listening upon start up process it seems to squeal when the exhaust blower starts.  Which is a couple minutes after the hand tossed pellets ignite.  I honestly don't think I ever set the flame height, 4-6" sounds about where it it.  I have the pellet feed on low but they seem to be coming out fast, but I never really watched it that close until last night.  I vacuumed out the hopper about two weeks ago, but I didn't remove the feed rate slider.  I did take out the auger to see if it was jammed but it came out nicely.  For some dumb reason, I didn't think to try and clean the auger housing when I did that, do you think it would help at all?


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## BradH70 (Jan 8, 2013)

theodddogout said:


> That's right, once the fire get's going, then the auger works fine, it's just at start up that it clicks and nothing.


 
By any chance does the auger start working at the same time the Convection blower turns on? I know it is probably a long shot but could your auger have been miss wired at some point?

I still think you should try to verify that the auger is turning the proper direction. You can do this by cleaning out the hopper to expose the auger and then starting up the stove. The auger will turn several time to try and feed pellets into the pot for the start up cycle. While it is doing this, you can watch the auger and see which direction it is turning.


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## DexterDay (Jan 8, 2013)

theodddogout said:


> Thanks for your 2 pennies!  That is what the click is, after closer listening upon start up process it seems to squeal when the exhaust blower starts.  Which is a couple minutes after the hand tossed pellets ignite.  I honestly don't think I ever set the flame height, 4-6" sounds about where it it.  I have the pellet feed on low but they seem to be coming out fast, but I never really watched it that close until last night.  I vacuumed out the hopper about two weeks ago, but I didn't remove the feed rate slider.  I did take out the auger to see if it was jammed but it came out nicely.  For some dumb reason, I didn't think to try and clean the auger housing when I did that, do you think it would help at all?




There are 2 bearings on that motor (combustion/exhaust). Get some 3-n-1 oil (Blue Bottle) or SAE 20 oil and put a few drops on them (fore and aft of motor) they are sealed, so spin the motor when you apply it, then spin, apply a couple drops, spin. 

(Stove unplugged of course) 

This will possibly breathe some life into that tired blower. Until you get a new one  
I add a couple drops every few months to all of mine (sealed or not)


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## theodddogout (Jan 9, 2013)

BradH70 said:


> By any chance does the auger start working at the same time the Convection blower turns on? I know it is probably a long shot but could your auger have been miss wired at some point?
> 
> I still think you should try to verify that the auger is turning the proper direction. You can do this by cleaning out the hopper to expose the auger and then starting up the stove. The auger will turn several time to try and feed pellets into the pot for the start up cycle. While it is doing this, you can watch the auger and see which direction it is turning.


The auger doesn't start the same time as the blower, it actually starts after I finally get the blower started.  But, long story short I was able to see the auger turn and it was turning in the right direction (clockwise) luckily : )


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## theodddogout (Jan 9, 2013)

DexterDay said:


> There are 2 bearings on that motor (combustion/exhaust). Get some 3-n-1 oil (Blue Bottle) or SAE 20 oil and put a few drops on them (fore and aft of motor) they are sealed, so spin the motor when you apply it, then spin, apply a couple drops, spin.
> 
> (Stove unplugged of course)
> 
> ...


Thank you for all your tips : )
I think I will get a new combustion blower and install it this weekend.  I can't afford another service call and I didn't really have much trouble taking it out to clean and putting it back in and as far as I know the stoves no worse off!  I think I learned enough from all the helpful suggestions and spending time with it to trust that it's the blower.  Once that step works, I'll see if the rest of the steps run correctly, the diagram helped a lot so thanks very much....


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## mralias (Jan 9, 2013)

theodddogout said:


> Thank you for all your tips : )
> I think I will get a new combustion blower and install it this weekend. I can't afford another service call and I didn't really have much trouble taking it out to clean and putting it back in and as far as I know the stoves no worse off! I think I learned enough from all the helpful suggestions and spending time with it to trust that it's the blower. Once that step works, I'll see if the rest of the steps run correctly, the diagram helped a lot so thanks very much....


 
Please make sure to replace the blower gasket at the same time. It should come with one depending on where you buy it. Let us know how you make out. Good luck!


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## BradH70 (Jan 9, 2013)

theodddogout said:


> Thank you for all your tips : )
> I think I will get a new combustion blower and install it this weekend. I can't afford another service call and I didn't really have much trouble taking it out to clean and putting it back in and as far as I know the stoves no worse off! I think I learned enough from all the helpful suggestions and spending time with it to trust that it's the blower. Once that step works, I'll see if the rest of the steps run correctly, the diagram helped a lot so thanks very much....


 
Where do you plan on getting your new combustion blower? I may be on the hunt for a replacement for the noisy combustion blower in my Castile.


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## DexterDay (Jan 9, 2013)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000W3Q4QO/ref=redir_mdp_mobile?redirect=true&ref_=oss_product

Came from this thread Better built combustion blower for your quad


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## mralias (Jan 9, 2013)

DexterDay said:


> http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000W3Q4QO/ref=redir_mdp_mobile?redirect=true&ref_=oss_product
> 
> Came from this thread Better built combustion blower for your quad


Think I can use this on a CB1200i? Sure much cheaper.


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## DexterDay (Jan 9, 2013)

I did, but the 6 outer holes need to be reamed open another 1/32" to 1/16" of an inch. 

Its not much at all, but it needs a slightly bigger hole to get all 6 to line up. 

This is not the same type of motor (factory is sealed bearings) this is Brass Bushing (IIRC), and has an oil port. Also, sounds a little different than factory. 

No big deal in my opinion. Bored the 6 holes and dropped in some oil. I ran it for about 2 weeks (2 years ago) and then removed it, and set it on the shelf.


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## tjnamtiw (Jan 9, 2013)

I've been sitting back reading all the 'clues' and getting as confused as everyone else. I don't see how the igniter is coming on without the combustion blower coming on. I don't see how the auger is 'clicking' without the vacuum switch pulled in which would not be pulled in if the combustion blower is not running...... It's very simple to see if the combustion blower is running.  Do you see the fins on its end turning as soon as you plug the stove in?

You saying that the squealing starts a couple of minutes after throwing pellets in the pot and they ignite. It SURE SOUNDS like the air whistling through the small holes in the burn pot on initial startup, especially if there's a healthy dose of pellets in the pot. The fact that it's not feeding initially could easily be a bridging at the top of the pellet chute, which can be seen with a small mirror and flashlight or a jam at the feed gate next to the bottom of the auger. Of course, the auger could also be turning backwards as someone suggested, necessitating emptying of the hopper. But that DOESN'T explain the fact that, from your comments, the stove runs OK after the initial startup.

You mention a buildup of ash in the burn pot. You should be pulling the dump valve daily when you clean out the pot. Also, when the stove is set on LOW, from my experience the vacuum switch being pulled in is touch and go if there are any vacuum leaks anywhere. I would first suggest that you try a startup on HIGH. Also, make sure that all 8 little holes in the bottom of the burnpot sides are open. Also the igniter slot. Have you found all of them? Then pull out the ash tray and look at the dump valve. Is there a gap on the side opposite the pivot? In other words, is the dump valve plate hanging down away from the bottom of the burn pot? Now, the door gasket. When the stove is cold, put a dollar bill in the door and close the door on the dollar. It should be difficult to pull the dollar out. If it comes right out easily, then the gasket needs to be replaced.


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## jlupi (Jan 9, 2013)

I know scott from pelletstoveservice.com/ stated at one point the motor could replaced for $40 approx at grainger.


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## theodddogout (Jan 10, 2013)

BradH70 said:


> Where do you plan on getting your new combustion blower? I may be on the hunt for a replacement for the noisy combustion blower in my Castile.


I got it at Fallons Home & Hearth in Hampton...  I like them....  But with that said, from reading other messages you can get non Quad ones cheaper but you probably already read that : )


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## theodddogout (Jan 10, 2013)

tjnamtiw said:


> I've been sitting back reading all the 'clues' and getting as confused as everyone else. I don't see how the igniter is coming on without the combustion blower coming on. I don't see how the auger is 'clicking' without the vacuum switch pulled in which would not be pulled in if the combustion blower is not running...... It's very simple to see if the combustion blower is running.  Do you see the fins on its end turning as soon as you plug the stove in?
> 
> You saying that the squealing starts a couple of minutes after throwing pellets in the pot and they ignite. It SURE SOUNDS like the air whistling through the small holes in the burn pot on initial startup, especially if there's a healthy dose of pellets in the pot. The fact that it's not feeding initially could easily be a bridging at the top of the pellet chute, which can be seen with a small mirror and flashlight or a jam at the feed gate next to the bottom of the auger. Of course, the auger could also be turning backwards as someone suggested, necessitating emptying of the hopper. But that DOESN'T explain the fact that, from your comments, the stove runs OK after the initial startup.
> 
> You mention a buildup of ash in the burn pot. You should be pulling the dump valve daily when you clean out the pot. Also, when the stove is set on LOW, from my experience the vacuum switch being pulled in is touch and go if there are any vacuum leaks anywhere. I would first suggest that you try a startup on HIGH. Also, make sure that all 8 little holes in the bottom of the burnpot sides are open. Also the igniter slot. Have you found all of them? Then pull out the ash tray and look at the dump valve. Is there a gap on the side opposite the pivot? In other words, is the dump valve plate hanging down away from the bottom of the burn pot? Now, the door gasket. When the stove is cold, put a dollar bill in the door and close the door on the dollar. It should be difficult to pull the dollar out. If it comes right out easily, then the gasket needs to be replaced.


Well, it wasn't that simple to see if it was turning, it's a corner unit, but I did and It's not turning at start up, It's trying, i could see it trying but getting no where.  It is where the squealing is coming from once it gets going.  These things I now know.  I also know it's not turning backwards and I had removed the auger to check for jams.  I always pull the dump valve.  There is no gap that I could see.   All the holes are open, I just cleaned them and do so every now and then.   I just replaced the gasket and it's tight with the exception of the top which only has tape.  It is an older model with the open on top.   I plan on replacing the blower this weekend and when that's working good I'll see what else is still going on.  Thanks very much for your suggestions


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## theodddogout (Jan 10, 2013)

mralias said:


> Please make sure to replace the blower gasket at the same time. It should come with one depending on where you buy it. Let us know how you make out. Good luck!


Thank You I will !


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## DexterDay (Jan 10, 2013)

Have you tried lubing the 2 bearings yet? 

Cant hurt and you prob have some lube lying around the house? 

The 2 bearings are on the ends of the motor. Remove the black cooling fan on the end and one is right behind it, the other is just before the front cage/fan.


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## tjnamtiw (Jan 11, 2013)

theodddogout said:


> Well, it wasn't that simple to see if it was turning. (the auger or the convection fan??) it's a corner unit, but I did and It's not turning at start up, It's trying, i could see it trying but getting no where. It is where the squealing is coming from once it gets going. These things I now know. I also know it's not turning backwards (the auger or the convection fan?) and I had removed the auger to check for jams. I always pull the dump valve. There is no gap that I could see. All the holes are open, I just cleaned them and do so every now and then. I just replaced the gasket and it's tight with the exception of the top which only has tape. It is an older model with the open on top. I plan on replacing the blower this weekend and when that's working good I'll see what else is still going on. Thanks very much for your suggestions


You mention "it' a few times and it gets confusing as to what you are talking about.


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## theodddogout (Jan 13, 2013)

tjnamtiw said:


> You mention "it' a few times and it gets confusing as to what you are talking about.





tjnamtiw said:


> You mention "it' a few times and it gets confusing as to what you are talking about.


I'm sorry....  I meant it's hard to see the Fan turning and  the Auger is not turning backwards.  I confuse myself...


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## theodddogout (Jan 13, 2013)

I didn't lube the fan, but I did replace it....  It probably would have helped (lubing it) but from the look and sound of the fan, I couldn't imagine it lasting much longer.  The new one is so quiet.  When it first started, I wasn't sure it was working.  The blower now comes on like it's supposed to and no more squealing, yey! but the stoves still not running right.  According to the operation chart, everything is working good until step 6.  The pellets seem to be having trouble igniting and there's still a lot of ash in the pot, the flame is still high.  The feed rate is still all the way down.  I'm going to check the stove over again today, I just replace the blower late yesterday.  It's probably something obvious that I'm just missing...


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## DexterDay (Jan 13, 2013)

Is the entire ignitor glowing red? 

Here is the other page of that Schematic. If you stop at 6, then the bottom 8 holes may be plugged, ignitor hole may be plugged, or the gate needs to be opened to allow more fuel in for ignition. 

What setting are you running and how tall is the flame? 

What setting is your control box set to?


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## tjnamtiw (Jan 13, 2013)

You say it's having a hard time igniting and then you say the flame is HIGH.  ???  Do you get the green and then red lights in the control box?  It's not the red call light I'm talking about. If you have a lot of ash in the pot at start up, it sounds like you have some really lousy pellets or, as DexterDay is hinting at, you have low air flow through the pot.  Normally there is so much air swirling in the pot that it blows the ash out.  I can burn for a day or two and have NO ash in the pot except maybe an 1/8 of an inch at most.  If you aren't blowing the ash out with a new combustion blower then you really have a restriction in either the exhaust system or you are bypassing the burnpot with the airflow.


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## theodddogout (Jan 13, 2013)

DexterDay said:


> Is the entire ignitor glowing red? No, it's not glowing red.  It was just replaced by the stove shop servicer.
> 
> Here is the other page of that Schematic. Thanks very much... If you stop at 6, then the bottom 8 holes may be plugged, ignitor hole may be plugged, or the gate needs to be opened to allow more fuel in for ignition.  I had checked all the holes earlier and cleaned them, but using a mirror I just discovered a 1 1/2" slot at the bottom of feet pot across from the igniter and I cleared that.  It started up better with no problems.  I just started it so I don't know the ash situation yet but I don't see any ash blowing around.
> 
> ...


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## theodddogout (Jan 13, 2013)

tjnamtiw said:


> You say it's having a hard time igniting and then you say the flame is HIGH. ??? Yes, when the fire finally get's burning it is high.  Do you get the green and then red lights in the control box? Yes, the red call light comes on, then the green light on the control box after it ignited and then red light on the control box after that.  It's not the red call light I'm talking about. If you have a lot of ash in the pot at start up, it sounds like you have some really lousy pellets or, as DexterDay is hinting at, you have low air flow through the pot. Normally there is so much air swirling in the pot that it blows the ash out. I can burn for a day or two and have NO ash in the pot except maybe an 1/8 of an inch at most. If you aren't blowing the ash out with a new combustion blower then you really have a restriction in either the exhaust system or you are bypassing the burnpot with the airflow.


Yes, I never had this trouble with the burnpot filled with ash either.  This is new.  I recleaned all the holes in the burn pot plus one I missed.  The exaust system has been cleaned by me and the stove servicer a week and a half ago inside to outside the house.  Before I replaced the blower, I brushed and vacuumed once more.  I am using Ambiance Pellets, I'm on my second ton.  I thought they were supposed to be good, the first ton was.  But, I did notice a weird blue tint in the ash a few times the past couple of weeks and no I did not  leave anything including parts of the bag in the hopper or stove.   I know that can happen.


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## tjnamtiw (Jan 13, 2013)

When DexterDay says what feed rate your box is set on, he means when you first plug the stove in, count how many times the blue light flashes in a row.  Then report back.  It will repeat itself.


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## DexterDay (Jan 13, 2013)

tjnamtiw said:


> When DexterDay says what feed rate your box is set on, he means when you first plug the stove in, count how many times the blue light flashes in a row.  Then report back.  It will repeat itself.



Yes. The heat setting I was asking for was the low, med, or High. And as tjnamtiw says above, the control box setting I ask of, is determined by the number of times the box flashes (the actual control box, not the red call light on the side) or you can unplug the stove and look at the control box itself. It will have a Dial with a number on it. 

The feed gate shouldn't need to be 100% closed. If mine is over 50% of the way closed, my stove shuts down, due to, to little fuel. Here is a shot of my feed gate. Showing open, 50% line (below this it wont run or start correctly), and full closed  

Can you empty the hopper and take a pic of the feed gate and how much of the auger is covered when fully closed? If its fully closed, I still suspet an airflow problem or the control box may be set for 10% more feed?


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## theodddogout (Jan 14, 2013)

DexterDay said:


> Yes. The heat setting I was asking for was the low, med, or High. And as tjnamtiw says above, the control box setting I ask of, is determined by the number of times the box flashes (the actual control box, not the red call light on the side) or you can unplug the stove and look at the control box itself. It will have a Dial with a number on it.
> 
> The feed gate shouldn't need to be 100% closed. If mine is over 50% of the way closed, my stove shuts down, due to, to little fuel. Here is a shot of my feed gate. Showing open, 50% line (below this it wont run or start correctly), and full closed
> 
> ...


I've never seen a blue light but to make sure I unplugged the stove, started it up and no blue light. Unplugged, I took out the control box and no blue light, only the red and green on top, no other bulb. There is no dial or anything on the control box, would it be inside? There is no mention of a flame control setting other then the feed rate adjuster in the hopper. My hopper looks much different. When I get home tonight I will empty it and take a picture.  From memory which is horrible, It seems like a couple inches but I'll double check.  I should add that I only put the feed rate at the lowest setting after I started having problems with the high flame and high ash in the fire pot.  Doing so hasn't helped much with either.  It seems like more pellets are falling than they should.  I thought maybe that's why the high ash, is it possible for an overabundance of pellets to prevent the ash from blowing around?   Cleaning all the holes in the firepot yesterday did not help the ash situation in the pot, but it did help with the igniter. and it seems to be igniting correctly.    Yey!


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## DexterDay (Jan 14, 2013)

My mistake. I thought you had the new control box ? Your bod isn't clear then. Its grey? No? 

The venting is 100% clean and clear? And Termination cap isn't all cruded up? 

How is your Door gasket? Open the door (no Fire in stove!) And place a dollar bill in several spots along all 4 sides of door, close door and try to remove the bill with door latched. Does it pull out easily in any places??


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## theodddogout (Jan 15, 2013)

DexterDay said:


> My mistake. I thought you had the new control box ? Your bod isn't clear then. Its grey? No?
> 
> The venting is 100% clean and clear? And Termination cap isn't all cruded up?
> 
> How is your Door gasket? Open the door (no Fire in stove!) And place a dollar bill in several spots along all 4 sides of door, close door and try to remove the bill with door latched. Does it pull out easily in any places??


No, I still have the old original grey box... 

As far as I know the venting is all clear.  When I had the stove pulled out of the pipe leading outside, I have a vent cleaner and pulled it through from inside to outside several times till it came clean.  The short  vent coming from stove I cleaned what I could see and vacuumed.  When I had the blower out I cleaned the whole housing area and up.  I don't know what the service guys cleaned, one was inside one was out but I didn't watch them.  I did hear the vacuum.  I don't know what the termination cap is, I'm guessing the hood at the end of the vent outside?  How far off am I ?  : )

The door is wicked tight on the three sides, no gasket on the top just tape as instructed ( It's a 2004 so it's open on top not bottom)  I'm sorry if I'm repeating myself.  I just replaced the gasket a couple weeks ago.  The last time I replaced it was 2-3 years ago but I did it wrong and had the gasket go all around.  It didn't dawn on me that it was why the glass got dirty so fast.  I would assume I'd follow the gasket pattern that was on there, but I guess I didn't and can't remember for sure.  But the bottom started fraying and ash was coming out through the bottom of the door.  I thought the gap was why the blower wasn't starting and replaced the gasket.  I looked up directions this time and that's how I figured out I screwed up last time.   Here's a picture of my hopper...


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## Peter Martin (Jan 8, 2014)

I too am having the squealing sound on my Castile insert.  I can't tell if it is coming from the convection blower or the combustion blower, but I'm pretty sure it's one of those two.  The squealing started right after I gave the stove its most thorough cleaning in its 3 year lifespan.  I blew a lot of compressed air around the combustion and convection blowers.  I wonder if that could have upset something that is now causing the squealing.  I'd like to take the blowers out, but I haven't seen any instructions on how to do so.  Is it intuitive, or are there some written instructions available somewhere?

Thanks.


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## tjnamtiw (Jan 8, 2014)

tjnamtiw said:


> You say it's having a hard time igniting and then you say the flame is HIGH.  ???  Do you get the green and then red lights in the control box?  It's not the red call light I'm talking about. If you have a lot of ash in the pot at start up, it sounds like you have some really lousy pellets or, as DexterDay is hinting at, you have low air flow through the pot.  Normally there is so much air swirling in the pot that it blows the ash out.  I can burn for a day or two and have NO ash in the pot except maybe an 1/8 of an inch at most.  If you aren't blowing the ash out with a new combustion blower then you really have a restriction in either the exhaust system or you are bypassing the burnpot with the airflow.


Does your flame look like this > www.pensandcalls.com/castile.mpg  ?


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## tjnamtiw (Jan 8, 2014)

Peter Martin said:


> I too am having the squealing sound on my Castile insert.  I can't tell if it is coming from the convection blower or the combustion blower, but I'm pretty sure it's one of those two.  The squealing started right after I gave the stove its most thorough cleaning in its 3 year lifespan.  I blew a lot of compressed air around the combustion and convection blowers.  I wonder if that could have upset something that is now causing the squealing.  I'd like to take the blowers out, but I haven't seen any instructions on how to do so.  Is it intuitive, or are there some written instructions available somewhere?
> 
> Thanks.


Pull the insert out as far as you can after unsnapping the top of the housing connected to the flex liner.  For the combustion blower, unplug and you will see 6 bolts around a circular plate.  You may see some of the gasket protruding around it.  Get a new gasket before starting!  That guarantees that the old gasket will not be damaged.    Once you have those 6 bolts out the entire blower assembly will slide right out and you can clean the impeller and the space behind it, which tends to collect crap and contribute to your squealing.  While it's out, clean out the area inside where the impeller was.

For the convection blower, it's held in place (at least mine is.  Some reported that theirs was held with bolts) with one thumb screw and magnets.  The instructions say that the thumb screw is only for shipment and should be removed at installation.  I like the security.  Once you unplug the blower and remove the thumb screw, if it's there, the blower can be removed out the right side.  Be careful in both cases not to knock any connectors loose on the snap disks or anything else.  

Assembly is the reverse.  It's easy except for pulling the darn think out and dealing with the ash that WILL fall out of the chimney liner all over the place.  Of course, now is the time to clean that liner!

Enjoy.


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## Peter Martin (Jan 22, 2014)

Thanks, that's very helpful.  Do you think there is any hope in trying to lube the convection blower?  I'm pretty sure now it's the convection blower that is the problem, but I would like to try and salvage it if possible.

Thanks again,


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## tjnamtiw (Jan 22, 2014)

Some people have said that they found temporary relief in lubing the bearings but I haven't pulled the bearing to see if they are sealed or just shielded.  If they are shielded, then it might help.  Of course, if they are making noise, they have already torn up the races so lubing might give you time to get a spare in house.  When mine finally go, I'll get a spare and then rebuild the old one with new bearings as a spare for either stove.  Of course, if I were smart, I'd have one on the shelf already but the BOSS doesn't like to see money sitting on a shelf and, besides, they aren't my primary heat source. Short answer would be 'why not give it a try to lube them?).  I'd try a lube with teflon or graphite if you can find it or maybe a few drops of synthetic oil if you use it in your car.  The graphic oil can be found as a house lock lube.


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## DMKNLD (Jan 23, 2014)

Following the ebb and flow of this thread, I had a similar problem at the beginning of last year with my Quad Castile, that is the same age as yours, and ended up throwing a bunch of new parts at the problem - igniter, thermo-couple, snap disk, etc. It ended up being my older style grey control box going bad, which my local Quad dealer let me swap out a new style clear control box from his floor model Castile. That solved the pellet feed problem, so he sold me the box for half price. That's excellent dealer service, IMO, which keeps me going back to him, even though I could generally get replacement parts cheaper on-line.

After a replacement control box fixed my pellet feed problems, then my combustion blower started to squeal on start - up, reducing the air flow and thus the burn efficiency,so I replaced the blower and gasket in the middle of last winter, and it has run great ever since. 

Not unlike cars, where parts seem to have a functional life span where several things start to wear out around the same time, you may have that going on with your stove, like I did. If you've got 10 years use now on your OE control box, that may be your problem.

Good luck, and keep us posted on your outcome.


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## smalltown (Jan 23, 2014)

Peter Martin. The instruction manual for my freestanding Castile shows step by step how to remove the convection blower en route to removing the combustion blower. I would think the manual for the Castile insert would show the same. If it doesn't I would gladly E-mail a copy of my free standing manual.

As for determining if the noise is from the convection blower or the combustion blower the combustion blower starts up immediately when heat is called for. The convection blower would not be running until the stove heats up enough.


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## Augmister (Jan 25, 2014)

Peter Martin said:


> I too am having the squealing sound on my Castile insert.  I can't tell if it is coming from the convection blower or the combustion blower, but I'm pretty sure it's one of those two.  The squealing started right after I gave the stove its most thorough cleaning in its 3 year lifespan.  I blew a lot of compressed air around the combustion and convection blowers.  I wonder if that could have upset something that is now causing the squealing.  I'd like to take the blowers out, but I haven't seen any instructions on how to do so.  Is it intuitive, or are there some written instructions available somewhere?
> 
> Thanks.



I replaced both the combustion blower and igniter this year on my 2006 for the first time.  The Castille performs and sounds now just like the day I turned it on for the first time.  Overtime, that ash does get into that blower and they have to be swapped out.  After eight years, I have no complaints... I think the blower was about $300.  I am now using a Powersmith Ash Vac almost every day for two minutes to keep the ash down that builds up over time in your system.   If I go another eight years on this blower, no complaints.  Also, take off (unclip) the convection blower on the bottom at least once a year and grab your air compressor for a thorough air cleaning. Bearings are sealed here too but you won't believe the crap that will fly out of those fins!


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