# Pelpro 120 stove starts but the combustion fan keeps going on and off



## vrosario63 (Mar 15, 2014)

I just purchased a Pelpro Home Heater 120...After I did my installation I started the stove as I would my older Pelpro stove and it started without an issue. After about one hour I decided to increase the auger speed to 3 and 4. As soon as I did so, it would run for about 2 minutes and the combustion fan would shut off almost as it were stalling out. About 30 seconds or so later it would come back on. I decided to check it at all feed rates and found that it does it in feed rates 2, 3 and 4...I called Pelpro and they send me a new combustion fan and a new control board, but to no avail as it still does the same thing. Does anyone have any ideas as to this issue of which I am having with my Pelpro 120...? I am about to call Northern Tool and have them come pick this thing up....


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## Mt Bob (Mar 15, 2014)

That should not happen.Sounds like stove is mis-wired.


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## vrosario63 (Mar 16, 2014)

It's been running all night with the convection fan (Heat Exchanger) on 3 and my feed rate on 1. As soon as I try to increase the feed rate it will stall and the combustion fan shuts off. It will stay like that for about 30 seconds or more then start up. About 20 seconds or more later it will shut down again. As soon as I return it to feed rate 1 it starts to run normal again....


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## vrosario63 (Mar 16, 2014)

Just ran a full test on the 2 boards, one being the original and the other the replacement. I found that both boards are doing the same exact thing. I found that both boards come from the same batch from the manufacturer. I installed a toggle switch to control the 120 volts to the combustion motor and the stove is now running at all feed rates as well as convection fan rates. The short seems to be coming from the boards output to the combustion fan which is the yellow wire. This only happens once you take it out of feed rate 1 which on this board is a separate circuit. My Pelpro home heater 120 has a production date of February 2014. If anyone else has any other ideas please feel free to reply...


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## Lake Girl (Mar 17, 2014)

You should contact Pelpro to identify that both boards have the same problem so they can deal with the board manufacturer ...  save someone else the same grief.


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## vrosario63 (Mar 17, 2014)

I have already emailed them as to this issue. Now if they decide to investigate or even test the board is another issue. When I first contacted them as to what my problem was, they were hesitant to even say it was the board. So they sent me a board and a combustion fan. All of this even after I told them that I am an electromechanical technician. I know that when I call them later on during the day, they are going to tell me to test the snap disc's as well as the wiring. All of which I have already done so...Let's see what they say. I will keep everyone posted as to this.


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## Mt Bob (Mar 17, 2014)

I understand you are a tech. but a dead short would involve something burned up.You have an open.


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## undr (Mar 17, 2014)

is it high temp over heating? when i run mine on max (4) with the draft not adjusted properly it cooks the stove ( i can smell the burning paint smell). i have never let it get hot enough to shut down the stove though.
just a guess really


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## vrosario63 (Mar 17, 2014)

bob bare said:


> I understand you are a tech. but a dead short would involve something burned up.You have an open.


I made some changes to my post as to the findings on the control board...It is not a dead short to ground or neutral but a control short as in once it comes out of the number 1 feedrate, a secondary portion of the board takes control and brings the combustion fan up to full speed...


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## vrosario63 (Mar 17, 2014)

undr said:


> is it high temp over heating? when i run mine on max (4) with the draft not adjusted properly it cooks the stove ( i can smell the burning paint smell). i have never let it get hot enough to shut down the stove though.
> just a guess really


If your stove is getting too hot and not shutting the auger feed down, then your hi temp (240 deg.) snap disc is not working meaning it is staying closed. It should open on rise and turn off the auger feed...


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## undr (Mar 17, 2014)

it may shut it down on its own, but i don't let it get that hot. i usually only need to run it on 4(max) for a few hours at a time if its *friggin* cold out. That said i will have to check that snap disk to make sure nothing is broken.


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## vrosario63 (Mar 17, 2014)

undr said:


> it may shut it down on its own, but i don't let it get that hot. i usually only need to run it on 4(max) for a few hours at a time if its *friggin* cold out. That said i will have to check that snap disk to make sure nothing is broken.


Keep me posted on what you find....


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## vrosario63 (Mar 17, 2014)

Well, I talked to Pelpro customer service and they are completely lost so they had to send the information I provided them and my phone number to there technicians. The service tech will be contacting me to see if they can help resolve the issue....I am about to install a AcuTron 2 or St. Croix control board in it and be done with it.


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## Mt Bob (Mar 17, 2014)

Good info,let us know.Just for kicks why don't you unhook the fan hi(125) switch and see what happens.


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## vrosario63 (Mar 18, 2014)

bob bare said:


> Good info,let us know.Just for kicks why don't you unhook the fan hi(125) switch and see what happens.


Already did so and had the same results...Jumped out the loop (i.e. hopper switch, vacuum switch and H250) which stops the auger from feeding, same issue. It all points to a bad batch of boards, as I mentioned early in my posts. I switched out the control board with a AcuTron 2 and it works...


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## Mt Bob (Mar 18, 2014)

vrosario63 said:


> Already did so and had the same results...Jumped out the loop (i.e. hopper switch, vacuum switch and H250) which stops the auger from feeding, same issue. It all points to a bad batch of boards, as I mentioned early in my posts. I switched out the control board with a AcuTron 2 and it works...


 Would be nice if you could charge them for your time!Maybe a box of new parts for spares!


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## bflat (Mar 21, 2014)

vrosario63 said:


> Already did so and had the same results...Jumped out the loop (i.e. hopper switch, vacuum switch and H250) which stops the auger from feeding, same issue. It all points to a bad batch of boards, as I mentioned early in my posts. I switched out the control board with a AcuTron 2 and it works...


Same exact issue with pelpro home heater 120, Acutron IV  manufacture date january 2014.  Just installed it and it works fine on feed rate 1 in manual mode, but when you try and set it to 2,3,or 4 the combustion blower shuts down. Also it is only the combustion fan that shuts off, the auger and convection blower keep running as they should. One thing i noticed is if you turn the combustion fan trim pot "clockwise"  when set to these other speeds the blower will kick in, having to turn it farther clockwise for each higher speed. Strange considering the manual states that the combustion fan is only controlled by the trim pot  for speed 1, and that clockwise is to decrease the fan speed. A couple of other issues i noticed is when you press the start button, it turns on the blowers, auger and igniter like normal,
but only for a few seconds and then shuts back off, with just the convection blower light solid and auger light flashing.
Then press start again and it goes thru it's normal startup cycle. Also when adjusting the combustion fan trim pot while in speed 1, i noticed if you turn it all the way counterclockwise to increase, the fan stops.
I will be calling Pelpro on  Monday. Let us know what they told you their going to do about this.


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## vrosario63 (Mar 22, 2014)

Get ready they are going to tell you to disconnect the low limit on the combustion housing. Then the will tell you that you have a bad combustion fan. They do not want to hear that there is an issue with there control board. Send me a private message and I will send you my temporary fix as to this issue.


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## vrosario63 (Mar 23, 2014)

bflat said:


> Same exact issue with pelpro home heater 120, Acutron IV  manufacture date january 2014.  Just installed it and it works fine on feed rate 1 in manual mode, but when you try and set it to 2,3,or 4 the combustion blower shuts down. Also it is only the combustion fan that shuts off, the auger and convection blower keep running as they should. One thing i noticed is if you turn the combustion fan trim pot "clockwise"  when set to these other speeds the blower will kick in, having to turn it farther clockwise for each higher speed. Strange considering the manual states that the combustion fan is only controlled by the trim pot  for speed 1, and that clockwise is to decrease the fan speed. A couple of other issues i noticed is when you press the start button, it turns on the blowers, auger and igniter like normal,
> but only for a few seconds and then shuts back off, with just the convection blower light solid and auger light flashing.
> Then press start again and it goes thru it's normal startup cycle. Also when adjusting the combustion fan trim pot while in speed 1, i noticed if you turn it all the way counterclockwise to increase, the fan stops.
> I will be calling Pelpro on  Monday. Let us know what they told you their going to do about this.





bflat said:


> Same exact issue with pelpro home heater 120, Acutron IV  manufacture date january 2014.  Just installed it and it works fine on feed rate 1 in manual mode, but when you try and set it to 2,3,or 4 the combustion blower shuts down. Also it is only the combustion fan that shuts off, the auger and convection blower keep running as they should. One thing i noticed is if you turn the combustion fan trim pot "clockwise"  when set to these other speeds the blower will kick in, having to turn it farther clockwise for each higher speed. Strange considering the manual states that the combustion fan is only controlled by the trim pot  for speed 1, and that clockwise is to decrease the fan speed. A couple of other issues i noticed is when you press the start button, it turns on the blowers, auger and igniter like normal,
> but only for a few seconds and then shuts back off, with just the convection blower light solid and auger light flashing.
> Then press start again and it goes thru it's normal startup cycle. Also when adjusting the combustion fan trim pot while in speed 1, i noticed if you turn it all the way counterclockwise to increase, the fan stops.
> I will be calling Pelpro on  Monday. Let us know what they told you their going to do about this.


Well I'm running the Pelpro 120 with the control panel from my Pelpro Bayview and it is working without any issues. This would prove to me that the control board is the issue as I stated to them and not anything else. There are going to be a lot of people out there that are not going to be happy with their purchase of any Pelpro/Glow-Boy product if this issue is not resolved....


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## vrosario63 (Mar 24, 2014)

Well, just got off the phone with the tech and they are sending me yet another board. This new board should be here within the next 3 days. Lets see what happen when this board arrives and I install it...I am not taking the chance and I am purchasing a variac as a stand by...


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## bflat (Mar 24, 2014)

I,m glad to hear that their sending you a board, I hope it works this time. Unfortunately for me, after cooling down a bit, I decided to return the stove anyway  and buy a different brand. With a brand new product having two things wrong with it already, I figured where am I going to be in a year when the warranty runs out and their $300 plus board fails again. Of course any product can fail, but as far as this stove goes, I have no trust whatsoever. Then on top of that the problem with their customer service made me decide going with a different stove was the right choice. Thanks for your help and advice. Good luck with everything.


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## bflat (Mar 25, 2014)

I am curious if anyone else has had the same problem with HHT customer service. Such as being rude, talking over you and not listening to what you have to say, trying to blame the problem on anything but their product, or trying to tell you the stove is working fine when you know it's not. I was on the phone with them for 2 hours, and it was the worst experience I have had with any company or customer service in my life, and i have dealt with many over the years.
My Pelpro 120 had a bad auger motor and a bad control board out of the box. It is one thing when you have been using your product for some time and a problem develops. When a company won't fix their product that they sent out broken from the factory, what does that tell you about the future of that company? Hopefully this isn't another case where good quality  brands who's reputation were built by someone else, are destroyed by a company that buys them out, and cost cuts to the point that the product quality is ruined.


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## vrosario63 (Mar 26, 2014)

bflat said:


> I am curious if anyone else has had the same problem with HHT customer service. Such as being rude, talking over you and not listening to what you have to say, trying to blame the problem on anything but their product, or trying to tell you the stove is working fine when you know it's not. I was on the phone with them for 2 hours, and it was the worst experience I have had with any company or customer service in my life, and i have dealt with many over the years.
> My Pelpro 120 had a bad auger motor and a bad control board out of the box. It is one thing when you have been using your product for some time and a problem develops. When a company won't fix their product that they sent out broken from the factory, what does that tell you about the future of that company? Hopefully this isn't another case where good quality  brands who's reputation were built by someone else, are destroyed by a company that buys them out, and cost cuts to the point that the product quality is ruined.


I contacted Danson and they told me that they sold Pelpro to Hearth and Home Technologies over 2 years ago. I guess when that happen they no longer care about quality being that they also own Harman Stove as well as many others. I am waiting to see if this new board will work. The board is due to be here on Thursday and as I told the customer service rep, as the boards get here and do not work I will continue to call. When they finally do get a board to me that does work, I am going to put all the bad boards in a box and ship them right back to them....The stove is working fine as of right now being that I am using a Acutron 2 board with it from my other Pelpro unit. Let see how all this turns out and sorry to hear that you returned your unit. Pelpro at one time as a Danson product did make one of the best pellet stoves on the market...


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## vrosario63 (Mar 27, 2014)

Well of cause as expected the new board did not work...Not only did it not work but it was worse than the others....When I first plug it in the ignite when on and nothing else. I then unplug it and tried to start it but as I pushed the start button it would not respond. I pulled the board only to find that there were 2 screws missing, these screws hold the board to the face panel. I pulled 2 screws from the other board and installed them. I then reinstalled the board in the stove. I hit the start button and it started as normal. After it completed it's start cycle I then push the feed rate button to bring it up to 3 and guess what it failed....Same issue as before and that now makes 3 board that do not work...What part do they not understand that these boards are not working from the manufacturer it self...I reinstalled my control board from the older Pelpro Bayview and presto...it works...I don't know what else to do but they are going to have to fix this one way or another.....


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## rich2500 (Mar 27, 2014)

Can you return the stove,if so that is exactly what I would do if their cutomer service is that bad.I almost bought a pelpro stove my self but from the sounds of your dilema I'm glad I didn't.Either way best of luck and keep us posted


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## bflat (Mar 27, 2014)

vrosario63 said:


> Well of cause as expected the new board did not work...Not only did it not work but it was worse than the others....When I first plug it in the ignite when on and nothing else. I then unplug it and tried to start it but as I pushed the start button it would not respond. I pulled the board only to find that there were 2 screws missing, these screws hold the board to the face panel. I pulled 2 screws from the other board and installed them. I then reinstalled the board in the stove. I hit the start button and it started as normal. After it completed it's start cycle I then push the feed rate button to bring it up to 3 and guess what it failed....Same issue as before and that now makes 3 board that do not work...What part do they not understand that these boards are not working from the manufacturer it self...I reinstalled my control board from the older Pelpro Bayview and presto...it works...I don't know what else to do but they are going to have to fix this one way or another.....


Man that does not surprise me, I am taking mine back tomorrow. I hope you can get yours returned somehow and be done with it. Don't tell me that they can't send out a known good board the first time. Are they pulling these boards off of returned stoves and hope that one works or what? Their has to be more people out there that are having the same problem than vrosario63 and myself. Their is no way this is isolated to just a few people. The company admitted to me that they had a known bad batch of boards, so where are some of these people. Something smells fishy here that their is not more posts on this issue. The bad / dangerous thing is that their may be people out their that are operating their stoves like this and don't know any better. I did read a post, but i don't remember where, that their stove would clog up with soot when they ran it over feed rate one. The combustion blower completely shutting off at any feed rate is not normal for this stove. If HHT keeps this up, people could be burning their houses down if the owner doesn't realize their is a problem. Seriously, HHT customer service told me after my 2 hour ordeal with them that I quote  "sounds like your stove is running normal". I had it running on feed 4 at their request, and the combustion blower kept turning on and off about every 3-4 seconds. The entire combustion chamber was a complete sooty mess within minutes.


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## Jeff1978 (Oct 22, 2014)

bflat said:


> Man that does not surprise me, I am taking mine back tomorrow. I hope you can get yours returned somehow and be done with it. Don't tell me that they can't send out a known good board the first time. Are they pulling these boards off of returned stoves and hope that one works or what? Their has to be more people out there that are having the same problem than vrosario63 and myself. Their is no way this is isolated to just a few people. The company admitted to me that they had a known bad batch of boards, so where are some of these people. Something smells fishy here that their is not more posts on this issue. The bad / dangerous thing is that their may be people out their that are operating their stoves like this and don't know any better. I did read a post, but i don't remember where, that their stove would clog up with soot when they ran it over feed rate one. The combustion blower completely shutting off at any feed rate is not normal for this stove. If HHT keeps this up, people could be burning their houses down if the owner doesn't realize their is a problem. Seriously, HHT customer service told me after my 2 hour ordeal with them that I quote  "sounds like your stove is running normal". I had it running on feed 4 at their request, and the combustion blower kept turning on and off about every 3-4 seconds. The entire combustion chamber was a complete sooty mess within minutes.


 

I Read this thread I'm having the same issues, I just got my second board in and it cycles in feed rate 2, the other two boards did it in feed rates 2, 3, 4. I'm so fed up. Can't they test these boards out before they send them? I have two stoves, right now I'm using the acutron 2 from my older stove in my newer one and its working fine. currently awaiting a phone call back from them!


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## vrosario63 (Oct 22, 2014)

Jeff1978 said:


> I Read this thread I'm having the same issues, I just got my second board in and it cycles in feed rate 2, the other two boards did it in feed rates 2, 3, 4. I'm so fed up. Can't they test these boards out before they send them? I have two stoves, right now I'm using the acutron 2 from my older stove in my newer one and its working fine. currently awaiting a phone call back from them!


I am still waiting for a resolve on this. They never did anything after sending me 3 control boards, a combustion fan and the wiring harness. I ended up installing a pot that control the combustion fan. I have about 3 months left to the expiration of the warranty. Then I guess I will never now. The only fix would be buying a older control


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## Jeff1978 (Oct 23, 2014)

vrosario63 said:


> I am still waiting for a resolve on this. They never did anything after sending me 3 control boards, a combustion fan and the wiring harness. I ended up installing a pot that control the combustion fan. I have about 3 months left to the expiration of the warranty. Then I guess I will never now. The only fix would be buying a older control



Well I figured mine out. I tryed the new control board in my old stove and it worked just fine, at that point i was really scratching my head. Reinstalled it back into my new stove and combustion fan started to cycle in feed rate 2. Now after 3 boards i noticed the trim pod screw for combustion fan is set at almost max (ccw). I put the stove back to feed rate 1 and turned the screw ccw till it stopped and the combustion fan started to cycle. So its something with the position of this screw and the combustion fan cycling . Anyways i turned screw to its middle set point and everything is working fine. I'm satisfied enough, i quit tinkering with it, hope you find success playing with that fan adjustment.


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