# Quadrafire Castille not dropping pellets, flashes orange 3 times



## thz123 (Feb 28, 2012)

My Castille was running fine this morning when I shut it down. At lunch I turned it on. Dropped a few pellets then stopped. The circuit board is flashing three orange lights a couple of times and then it will flash blue four times. I keep the stove clean and 2 weeks ago I cleaned the chimney with the leaf blower. I have read that it could be the vacumn tube. Where do I find that? Any ideas on what is wrong? Thanks for the help in advance. Tom


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## DexterDay (Feb 28, 2012)

Look on the back of the stove for a square box or a circular looking thing. It will have a rubber hose about 1/4"-3/8" diameter on it, and the.other end will go to your auger drop chute. 

If your look at the auger chute, you should be able to see the hose
 Follow the hose to the vacuum switch in the back of the stove.

Remove hose from switch and blow in hose towards stove. This will clear the line and the barb on the chute of fines build up?


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## thz123 (Feb 28, 2012)

Is that on the left side of the unit? I have never cleaned the hose in 7 years...

I should also add that I have not checked the auger for a jam.


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## DexterDay (Feb 28, 2012)

If its never been cleaned, then its likely thats the cause. Mine is on the left (facing stove), but I also have a Classic Bay 1200. It should be easily see with a flashlight.

As for the jam.. Check for that also.


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## tjnamtiw (Feb 28, 2012)

The flashing orange/yellow light means the thermocouple is bad, I believe.  It is located inside that ceramic tube that is above the burn pot.  If it is bad, it won't sense 'proof of fire' and it will shut down the stove.  I don't know of anything else that will cause a flashing yellow light.


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## DexterDay (Feb 28, 2012)

tjnamtiw said:
			
		

> The flashing orange/yellow light means the thermocouple is bad, I believe.  It is located inside that ceramic tube that is above the burn pot.  If it is bad, it won't sense 'proof of fire' and it will shut down the stove.  I don't know of anything else that will cause a flashing yellow light.



Good call.. I've never paid any attention to the lights on my Box. Although on my stove, there is only a very small (very) crack to see through. 


Tjnamtiw will get you down the right track.....


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## tjnamtiw (Feb 28, 2012)

Thanks Dex.  

If you have a digital volt meter, UNPLUG the stove.  THEN trace the thermocouple wire back to the control box area or where ever its terminals are attached.  With the meter set to millivolts DC, connect it to those terminals and then apply heat to the thermocouple tip at the burn pot with a propane torch or cigarette lighter.  The millivolts should top out at about 50.  If you don't see any voltage, the thermocouple is bad.  You can also pull it out of the ceramic cover and if it is separated at the end, it's bad.


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## thz123 (Feb 28, 2012)

I blew out the vacumn tube and now the auger turns. The unit goes through the normal start up. Then it shuts down. The red light is on and now a green light. no fire...also the blower motor shuts off now before the combustion blower stops.


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## tjnamtiw (Feb 29, 2012)

Well, that is, indeed, strange  The red and green lights are lit when the thermocouple sends a signal that the temp is at 200* (green) and 600* (red).  That means that the thermocouple is working, at least for now. 

 Are you still getting a flashing orange light?  

Your 4 blue flashes are normal if you have a free standing Castile.  The blower motor normally will shut off before the combustion blower if you never got fully up to temperature so that's OK.  
You say 'the red light is on and now a green light'..........  do you mean that the red light WAS on but went out and the green came on?  That would be the normal sequence when shutting down.  Both would not be on at the same time.


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## DexterDay (Feb 29, 2012)

Is the thermocouple seated inside the end of the ceramic cover? Also make sure the ceramic cover is sticking out over the end of the pot a 1/2" 

Maybe the thermocouple is getting hot enough to initialize, but then fails to make temp, or loses temp because the tip isnt touching the cover? Or cover isnt out far enough. 

Vitally important that the two surfaces touch and the ceramic tip is over the fire pot.


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## tjnamtiw (Feb 29, 2012)

DexterDay said:
			
		

> Is the thermocouple seated inside the end of the ceramic cover? Also make sure the ceramic cover is sticking out over the end of the pot a 1/2"
> 
> Maybe the thermocouple is getting hot enough to initialize, but then fails to make temp, or loses temp because the tip isnt touching the cover? Or cover isnt out far enough.
> 
> Vitally important that the two surfaces touch and the ceramic tip is over the fire pot.



All good, vital points  Still want to know about flashing light, though.   Gotta rule that one out first before looking for all the other many possibilities.


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## thz123 (Feb 29, 2012)

Thanks for all the help. I was really frustrated last night.


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## pro5oh (Sep 15, 2014)

I was having the same problem after doing a b-mod wiring install.  After double checking everything, I bumped the control box and it shut off for a split second.  Once I fully seated the control box everything was back to normal. PHEW!


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## Mumfrumson (Dec 23, 2016)

thz123 said:


> My Castille was running fine this morning when I shut it down. At lunch I turned it on. Dropped a few pellets then stopped. The circuit board is flashing three orange lights a couple of times and then it will flash blue four times. I keep the stove clean and 2 weeks ago I cleaned the chimney with the leaf blower. I have read that it could be the vacumn tube. Where do I find that? Any ideas on what is wrong? Thanks for the help in advance. Tom



Same thing just happened to me.. The light was a steady orange on my Castile insert. Had been running all day reached temp and shut down. Althought the light came back on it would not drop pellets.  I removed the vacuum  hose from the shinny metal box (tin) on the back right of the stove. Blew it out and the stove started dropping pellets. As a quick check you can remove the micro switch from that shinny (tin) box and manually hold the lever. The pellets should  start to drop.  This is not a long term fix, just a test. clean the vacuum hose. you'll be all set.





thz123 said:


> My Castille was running fine this morning when I shut it down. At lunch I turned it on. Dropped a few pellets then stopped. The circuit board is flashing three orange lights a couple of times and then it will flash blue four times. I keep the stove clean and 2 weeks ago I cleaned the chimney with the leaf blower. I have read that it could be the vacumn tube. Where do I find that? Any ideas on what is wrong? Thanks for the help in advance. Tom


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