# Hampton GCI60 Control Panel Problem



## Kicker13 (Nov 19, 2012)

This is my first post here...looking for some help. I had a Regency Hampton GCI60 installed about a year ago and it has worked great until now. Two days in a row now I have had the hopper full of pellets, but the stove randomly turned off and the light on the control panel blinks (as it does when it runs out of pellets). Seeing that it was still full, I pressed the red power button like I have done 100 times, but it does nothing. It was completely unresponsive. I turned the circuit breaker off and back on and everything started working. There is no way I should have to kill power to the unit every other day or so just to keep it running - something must be wrong with the control panel, right? Has anyone else had trouble like this?


----------



## SmokeyTheBear (Nov 19, 2012)

Wrong

What light was blinking?


----------



## kykel (Nov 19, 2012)

SmokeyTheBear said:


> Wrong
> 
> What light was blinking?


 #3


----------



## SmokeyTheBear (Nov 19, 2012)

That #3 light is only saying that the stove thinks it is out of fuel, that can be caused by the fire burning too low (aka blowing the fire out, due to air and feed trims or damper being a bit off or hit while doing things around the stove) or anything that stops the pellets from entering the burn pot and catching fire (bad or failing auger motor, among other things, hopper lid switches).

As for the action of the controller there may have been another issue that caused the #3 to appear that requires that the controller be reset before it will act on the power button.

Frequently a high limit trip is one such error that can show up on the control board as a #3 because the auger gets shut down. It will depend on what the controller sees when as to which will be displayed when you get to see it.

A vacuum fault can sometimes lock a control board up, making the on/off button useless.

Is the high limit on that stove an auto reset switch by any chance or is it a manual reset?

ETA: And were there pellets in the burn pot and were they burned or unburned?


----------



## Kicker13 (Nov 19, 2012)

Yup, it was definitely the #3 light. Also, there really weren't any unburned pellets left in the pot.
As far as a reset switch...if there is one, I don't know about it. Just in case it helps, I uploaded a pic of the controls.


----------



## jtakeman (Nov 19, 2012)

I'm pretty sure if you press and hold the on/off button for 2 seconds it should reset. Cycling the power also does it, But you also loose the retained memory(heat setting-trim settings) and it will go to factory default settings.


----------



## Kicker13 (Nov 19, 2012)

Hmmm...I will give that a shot next time it freezes up. Of course, since my original post the stove has been burning non-stop without a problem...


----------



## stovelark (Nov 19, 2012)

Hi Kicker-   Flashing number 3    normally a proof of fire switch error (exhaust temp sensor sw).  If your stove is a year old, might not have been cleaned yet.  If it was cleaned, might be cool running pellets or a buildup on switch (forward of comb blower) from cool running pellets causing the nuisance shutdowns.  Might actually be bad too, and need changing. Flashing 2 is vacuum    3 is proof of fire,   4 is hi temp shutdown.  Hope this helps.  Air damper setting should be about 1/2 inch out of stove body.  Good luck.

Stovelark
Enviro EF3 pellet FS
Enviro Empress FPI AC pellet
Enviro Kodiak 1700 FS wood (presently burning)


----------



## MAZ624 (Nov 26, 2012)

Kicker13 said:


> This is my first post here...looking for some help. I had a Regency Hampton GCI60 installed about a year ago and it has worked great until now. Two days in a row now I have had the hopper full of pellets, but the stove randomly turned off and the light on the control panel blinks (as it does when it runs out of pellets). Seeing that it was still full, I pressed the red power button like I have done 100 times, but it does nothing. It was completely unresponsive. I turned the circuit breaker off and back on and everything started working. There is no way I should have to kill power to the unit every other day or so just to keep it running - something must be wrong with the control panel, right? Has anyone else had trouble like this?


 
I came across this post after experiencing a similar problem with my new GCI60 which I installed about 2 months ago.  The stove was operating at heat level 3 and then I noticed the flame was very low.  It appeared to be operating at heat level 1, though the LED for level 3 was on solid (not blinking).  I tried to power the stove off and it would not respond.  It also would not respond to any other button.  I powered the stove off by flipping the circuit break to the circuit it was plugged in to.  The stove came on in heat level one and started what appeared to be the normal start cycle where it feeds pellets at a programmed rate.  After a while it exits the pre-programmed mode, but it will not respond to any button presses.  I have cycled power several times with no change in behavior.  The first time I saw the problem (one day earlier), a power cycle fixed it, but now it doesn't help.


----------



## flynfrfun (Nov 26, 2012)

Mark Zani said:


> I came across this post after experiencing a similar problem with my new GCI60 which I installed about 2 months ago. The stove was operating at heat level 3 and then I noticed the flame was very low. It appeared to be operating at heat level 1, though the LED for level 3 was on solid (not blinking). I tried to power the stove off and it would not respond. It also would not respond to any other button. I powered the stove off by flipping the circuit break to the circuit it was plugged in to. The stove came on in heat level one and started what appeared to be the normal start cycle where it feeds pellets at a programmed rate. After a while it exits the pre-programmed mode, but it will not respond to any button presses. I have cycled power several times with no change in behavior. The first time I saw the problem (one day earlier), a power cycle fixed it, but now it doesn't help.


 
Sounds like your stove is in hi/low mode and not manual.  It goes to heat level 1 once the thermostat is satisfied.  Make sure you are in manual mode.


----------



## SmokeyTheBear (Nov 26, 2012)

It sounds like the stove is polling for something and not responding to the controls.

It will poll the vacuum switch and regulate the fuel feed by turning the auger off until the switch closes again. If that switch is opening and closing a lot it can cause the fuel feed to decrease quite a bit resulting in a low flame.

Some things that can cause this are wind gusts directly into the venting, a failing combustion fan or bad wiring or connections to the vacuum switch or combustion fan.

Bad connections between the daughter board and main board.

Then we have a failing control system.

Is your stove on a surge protector and has it experienced a power failure?


----------



## MAZ624 (Nov 26, 2012)

SmokeyTheBear said:


> It sounds like the stove is polling for something and not responding to the controls.
> 
> It will poll the vacuum switch and regulate the fuel feed by turning the auger off until the switch closes again. If that switch is opening and closing a lot it can cause the fuel feed to decrease quite a bit resulting in a low flame.
> 
> ...


 
The stove is a manual mode.  I've change the setting back and forth a few times just to make sure.  It is definitely in manual mode.  The system ran continuously all day yesterday, last night and this morning before it failed.  Definitely no power failures, brownouts, or surges.  It is on a surge protector.


----------



## SmokeyTheBear (Nov 26, 2012)

For a test and only for a test jump the vacuum switch and see how the stove acts.  Remember this is a test and you do not run it this way for long.


----------



## MAZ624 (Nov 26, 2012)

SmokeyTheBear said:


> It sounds like the stove is polling for something and not responding to the controls.
> 
> It will poll the vacuum switch and regulate the fuel feed by turning the auger off until the switch closes again. If that switch is opening and closing a lot it can cause the fuel feed to decrease quite a bit resulting in a low flame.
> 
> ...


 
If it is polling often, I would think it would eventually get around to seeing the power switch depressed if I hold it, which it doesn't.


----------



## MAZ624 (Nov 26, 2012)

SmokeyTheBear said:


> For a test and only for a test jump the vacuum switch and see how the stove acts. Remember this is a test and you do not run it this way for long.


I will have to leave the top cover open until the fire is exhausted, unplug it and pull the unit out to do this.  Is there any other way?


----------



## SmokeyTheBear (Nov 26, 2012)

Not that I'm aware of, if there is no access other than that (some surrounds open up I don't know about yours).

This is your call and it is only a start in tracing out the problem.

I'm out of here, keep us posted on what you do and what happens, remember this is only for testing and you should never burn this way.


----------



## francis.g (Nov 26, 2012)

had an intermittent #3 fault on my m55.  It would go through the start up cycle, but once it finished the normal start up, it didnt see the exhaust temp switch closed, so it would immediately go into shutdown mode and set the #3 fault.  Replaced the exhaust temp switch, good to go.


----------



## francis.g (Nov 26, 2012)

i think you could jump out the switch in your case, but i did not because my problem was intermittent


----------



## MAZ624 (Nov 26, 2012)

SmokeyTheBear said:


> Not that I'm aware of, if there is no access other than that (some surrounds open up I don't know about yours).
> 
> This is your call and it is only a start in tracing out the problem.
> 
> I'm out of here, keep us posted on what you do and what happens, remember this is only for testing and you should never burn this way.


Thanks for you help.  I will keep this thread posted as I learn more.  One thing that is interesting, when I power cycle the stove using the circuit breaker, it powers up on and running at heat level 1 as apposed to power up off and needing to be turned on using the power switch.


----------



## SmokeyTheBear (Nov 27, 2012)

Mark Zani said:


> Thanks for you help. I will keep this thread posted as I learn more. One thing that is interesting, when I power cycle the stove using the circuit breaker, it powers up on and running at heat level 1 as apposed to power up off and needing to be turned on using the power switch.


 
Most stoves have a sequence they go through when they see power following a power failure. Turning the stove off in the manner you did is considered a power failure, you need to read that part of your manual. Some stove just reset the controller (heat level 1), check the POF and if still engaged continue running as though nothing happened others reset the control engage the blowers and enter shut down or a fixed timeout to clear exhaust gases and cool the stove down.


----------



## Kicker13 (Nov 27, 2012)

Well, at least I'm not the only one with this problem. I am hesitant about fooling around with the unit by myself (at least for right now since it is so new), so I actually have the guy that installed it (and serviced it back in October) coming tomorrow morning to look at it. I will post what he thinks is the problem.


----------



## MAZ624 (Dec 1, 2012)

Kicker13 said:


> Well, at least I'm not the only one with this problem. I am hesitant about fooling around with the unit by myself (at least for right now since it is so new), so I actually have the guy that installed it (and serviced it back in October) coming tomorrow morning to look at it. I will post what he thinks is the problem.


When I talked to the dealer I bought the stove from, he said it would be 4 days before he could get someone out to look at it. Being an engineer and not wanting to use my propane boiler for the next 4 days, I took a look. What I found is that there is a ribbon cable that connects the switch panel to the controller inside the unit. The cable was not sufficiently secured to the frame inside the unit when it was built and the excess cable fell and was rubbing against the blower motor hub. The friction from the hub turning wore through the cable's insulation and damaged three wires. See the picture below. This is what made the control panel unresponsive.  (I cut the cable above the damaged area in a failed attempt to repair it).

I contacted the dealer I bought it from and he pulled the cable off his floor unit. After replacing it, the unit works fine.

I hope this helps others.




All the best


----------



## Kicker13 (Dec 4, 2012)

MAZ624 said:


> When I talked to the dealer I bought the stove from, he said it would be 4 days before he could get someone out to look at it. Being an engineer and not wanting to use my propane boiler for the next 4 days, I took a look. What I found is that there is a ribbon cable that connects the switch panel to the controller inside the unit. The cable was not sufficiently secured to the frame inside the unit when it was built and the excess cable fell and was rubbing against the blower motor hub. The friction from the hub turning wore through the cable's insulation and damaged three wires. See the picture below. This is what made the control panel unresponsive. (I cut the cable above the damaged area in a failed attempt to repair it).
> 
> I contacted the dealer I bought it from and he pulled the cable off his floor unit. After replacing it, the unit works fine.
> 
> ...


 
Funny...I had the guy that installed/serviced my stove look at it last week and that is exactly what he found. I am still waiting for the replacement (apparently Regency is a pain to deal with if you are not the actual distributor). For now I just wrapped the exposed wires with electrical tape and zip-tied the cable to the frame so it would no longer rub against the blower motor. I was told to leave the unit pulled out and not use it, but it was cold this past weekend and I only want to run my electric baseboard if absolutely necessary. I suppose the mfg thought they'd save money by skimping on the zip ties, haha. At least we know how to fix it now

I have also noticed that my #4 and 5 lights no longer work. I am hoping this will be fixed with the installation of the new cable in a few days.


----------



## Cleetussnow (Jan 3, 2013)

The lights on my unit went dim tonight, and then disappeared completely.  I cant see what the settings are.  The flame setting buttons appear to work, meaning the messages the board is sending information still, ndni have to listen to the fan to know wha flame setting it's on.  Weird....

I am going to bet I have a bad connection as well somewhere...but I will have the dealer come here tomorrow or this weekend to check out what's going on.  I have an insert so it is more of Pain to pull out and check myself.


----------



## MAZ624 (Jan 3, 2013)

Cleetussnow said:


> The lights on my unit went dim tonight, and then disappeared completely. I cant see what the settings are. The flame setting buttons appear to work, meaning the messages the board is sending information still, ndni have to listen to the fan to know wha flame setting it's on. Weird....
> 
> I am going to bet I have a bad connection as well somewhere...but I will have the dealer come here tomorrow or this weekend to check out what's going on. I have an insert so it is more of Pain to pull out and check myself.


Its not that bad to pull out if you are up to it.  I purchased two pieces of angle iron from Home Depot for $8 each.  They are the same thickness as the frame, so the unit rolls right out onto the angle iron and pushes back in with no trouble.  My unit is level with the floor, so I don't have to worry about the unit being higher the the floor when it rolls out.


----------



## Kicker13 (Jan 4, 2013)

Agreed, it really isn't that bad to pull out and push back in.

On another note I neglected to report back after I got the new cable installed. The unit functions as it should. All of the issues I was having were apparently due to that cable...a couple of the individual wires in the cable were actually completely severed!


----------



## Cleetussnow (Jan 5, 2013)

I called my dealer 2 times since thursday, and no calls back.  Even the owner blew me off when I had him on the phone - took a message for the service department, supposedly.  

So I may be pulling it out and checking into things myself.  I know another shop which might be more reliable nearby anyway.


----------



## Brokenwing (Jan 6, 2013)

Cleetussnow said:


> I called my dealer 2 times since thursday, and no calls back. Even the owner blew me off when I had him on the phone - took a message for the service department, supposedly.
> 
> So I may be pulling it out and checking into things myself. I know another shop which might be more reliable nearby anyway.


 
That sounds familar with my gc60, the dealer is not help at all. Hmm what is going on with these regency dealers.


----------



## kneedles (Dec 18, 2014)

As soon as I get home, will check the cable.  Still have a frozen gearbox that will have to be replaced, as well as gaskets for the augur motor.  The stove is designed badly, too many things to break or go wrong.  Less is more.



quote="MAZ624, post: 1279069, member: 24981"]When I talked to the dealer I bought the stove from, he said it would be 4 days before he could get someone out to look at it. Being an engineer and not wanting to use my propane boiler for the next 4 days, I took a look. What I found is that there is a ribbon cable that connects the switch panel to the controller inside the unit. The cable was not sufficiently secured to the frame inside the unit when it was built and the excess cable fell and was rubbing against the blower motor hub. The friction from the hub turning wore through the cable's insulation and damaged three wires. See the picture below. This is what made the control panel unresponsive.  (I cut the cable above the damaged area in a failed attempt to repair it).

I contacted the dealer I bought it from and he pulled the cable off his floor unit. After replacing it, the unit works fine.

I hope this helps others.

View attachment 83311


All the best[/quote]


----------



## kneedles (Dec 18, 2014)

I encourage everyone who ishaving problems with Regency to file a complaint through the better business bureau.  If they get enough negative, it will drive their rating down,can if he wants to stay in business, I would think he would take care of his customers.


----------



## Skier76 (Dec 18, 2014)

They fixed the ribbon on newer stoves. I checked mine before it was installed and it was zip tied to the frame.


----------

