# empress pellet stove problems



## katehambly@gmail.com (Jan 5, 2008)

Hi, we are relatively new to the pellet stove craze as well.  We have a very "leaky" 270 year old farmhouse.  After spending $700 a month last winter on heating oil we knew something had to be done.  we bought a Quad MT Vernon and are rally happy with it.  It didn't heat the whole 4000sq feet of our house like we hoped so we just bought a empress insert 3 weeks ago to put in our family room.  It worked amazingly well for 3 weeks and now we can't seem to keep it lit.  We press on, the pellets drop into the burner pot the igniter lights them we get a nice tall flame for about 5 minutes and then the flame goes out and the pellets keep dropping but it does not reignite them.  after a while the blower turns to blowing colder air and t then we get a flashing red light and so we try the cycle again.  This has happend the last 2 days so we called the place where we bought the stove and they recommened thouroughly cleaning the stove, which we did and it still doesn't work.  We are going to call again tomorrow and have a tech come out and take a look.  I'd just thought I'd put our problem out there and see if this has happened to any of you or if you might have a suggestion.
Thanks!
Kate


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## hearthtools (Jan 5, 2008)

first things to check

with the stove running after 10 minute start up.
move the air control that is under the ash pan in front from side to side.
do you get a difference in flame?
when you slide it to the left - the flame will get lazy
when you slide it to the right + the flame will get lower and more intence.
IF NOT

That dumb ash pan latch that takes a Screw driver to latch. It the ash pan shut and latched?
make sure no pellets are behind the drawer holding it up.

Is you front door glass shut tight?

Is all the holes in the burn pot clear

Is the burn pot holder and liner in the correct placement.
The burn pot holder need to have its hooks in the holes
and the burn pot liner need to be all the way down in the burn pot and the big ignitor hole to the back


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## katehambly@gmail.com (Jan 5, 2008)

Thanks for the tips, we contacted the stove place and they think we may need a new control board, they are dorpping one off on Monday, we'll try that if that isn't the problem, they are going to send a guy out on tuesday to check it out.  Whats wierd is that it couln't be an installation problem because it worked great for 3 weeks.  Today we can't even get it to ignite.  I'll let you know what the problem was after Tuesday.  Thanks again,
Kate


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## hearthtools (Jan 5, 2008)

I would still try all the steps I noted as you wait for a tech.


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## katehambly@gmail.com (Jan 7, 2008)

We did, thanks, as of today, the stove would not light at all.  We turnedit on, the blower started and then after 10 minutes of nothing the #3 red button would flash, so we just turned it off so we didn't waste electricty.  We are picking up a new sensor panal, tomorrow, maybe that will fix it if not, they are sending out a tech on Tuesday.  Thanks again for your help!
Kate


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## hearthtools (Jan 7, 2008)

Did it feed pellets?
Did the ignitor get hot?
There is 2 fuses on the board (last years boards)
one is for the ignitor and auger
the other is for the Main power and blowers.
You cant tell they are bad by looking at them you have to use a ohm meeter or just change them.


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## katehambly@gmail.com (Jan 7, 2008)

Thanks,
We just replaced the sensor panel and that was it.  It works perfectly now.  My husband is considering hooking the stove up to a progamable thermastat.  Would you guys recommend this?  Where exactly do you hook it in?
Thanks guys!
Kate


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## davevassar (Jan 8, 2008)

I considered it, but after using mine for a few months now, I decided against it. I manage the heat output wuth the different settings. When it's warmer out, 40-50, it goes on setting 2. 30-40, setting 3. Below that, setting 4. It maintains fairly well  by me manually maintaining it that way.


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## hearthtools (Jan 8, 2008)

historic farmhouse in pa said:
			
		

> Thanks,
> We just replaced the sensor panel and that was it.  It works perfectly now.  My husband is considering hooking the stove up to a progamable thermastat.  Would you guys recommend this?  Where exactly do you hook it in?
> Thanks guys!
> Kate



A standard Wired or Wireless thermostat on the HI low mode works best
the ON and OFF mode just causes Head aches


on hi low when you room get to the set tempature of the stat the stove will go on low and turn the blower down.
when the stat needs heat or calls for heat it will put the stove back to your feed rate setting on the board.

Best to run it on high feed with stat 
or no lower than 3


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## au2183 (Jan 9, 2008)

hearthtools said:
			
		

> Best to run it on high feed with stat
> or no lower than 3



Why 3 or higher Rod?


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## hearthtools (Jan 9, 2008)

au2183 said:
			
		

> hearthtools said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



The stat in hi low mode runs the stove on 1 when it is not calling for heat
and on 3 or what every setting you put the board at when the stat is calling for heat.
so if you run the stove lower than 3 the stove will never get hot enough to burn off hot.
the stove stays cleaner when you run it hotter.

and higher heat will bring up the heat in the home faster and save pellets.


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## Philip (Jan 9, 2008)

My Empress manual says "If the unit has been placed in the HI/LOW mode, the unit will be taken to a low or idle setting when the thermostat is not calling for heat.  When the thermostat calls for heat, the unit will go to the setting that is displayed on the control board Heat Indicator. If the heating load is not great enough when the stove is on low, the high limit switch will turn the stove off and the switch will have to be manually reset.  To reset the high limit switch, remove the right cabinet side.  The switch is found behind the control panel. Avoid setting off the high limit switch."  I understand all of that but I have no idea how to avoid setting off the high limit switch and the manual doesn't elaborate.  When it got warm outside last weekend, I had to turn the stove off when the room temperature got to 79 degrees.  So I'm guessing that since the stove wasn't on a thermostat and was set on manual, I didn't have any problem with the high limit switch??  Or am I missing something here?  If I had it on a thermostat and set on HI/LOW would I have had a problem with the High Limit switch?


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## hearthtools (Jan 9, 2008)

Philip said:
			
		

> My Empress manual says "If the unit has been placed in the HI/LOW mode, the unit will be taken to a low or idle setting when the thermostat is not calling for heat.  When the thermostat calls for heat, the unit will go to the setting that is displayed on the control board Heat Indicator. If the heating load is not great enough when the stove is on low, the high limit switch will turn the stove off and the switch will have to be manually reset.  To reset the high limit switch, remove the right cabinet side.  The switch is found behind the control panel. Avoid setting off the high limit switch."  I understand all of that but I have no idea how to avoid setting off the high limit switch and the manual doesn't elaborate.  When it got warm outside last weekend, I had to turn the stove off when the room temperature got to 79 degrees.  So I'm guessing that since the stove wasn't on a thermostat and was set on manual, I didn't have any problem with the high limit switch??  Or am I missing something here?  If I had it on a thermostat and set on HI/LOW would I have had a problem with the High Limit switch?



what page is that on?

The hight limit switch will only trip of the stove overheats.
and that normaly only happens when the Convection fan fails for some reason or if the stove is dirty.
Then you have to Reset the switch.
in 4 seasons and 3 ton a season using the windsor/empress I never had the high limit trip.
I have had two on customers but it was because of a problem with the convection blower.


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## Philip (Jan 9, 2008)

Empress Technical Manual - top of page 19 under Thermostat Installation.  I thought it was strange that the high limit switch could be tripped just by having the stove set on low when the room was warm.  Your explanation makes complete sense.  Thank you.  Now I won't worry about hooking up a thermostat to the stove.


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## Steve33 (Feb 1, 2009)

So when the Empress gets to the desired temperature and goes into "rest" mode it will use the same amount of pellets at 3 as it would at level 1?  I have found your posts extremely helpful...thanks.  I find it interesting about not turning the stove below level 3 in the winter. We have had trouble getting our empress to be efficient so far.

Steven

Why 3 or higher Rod?[/quote]

The stat in hi low mode runs the stove on 1 when it is not calling for heat
and on 3 or what every setting you put the board at when the stat is calling for heat.
so if you run the stove lower than 3 the stove will never get hot enough to burn off hot.
the stove stays cleaner when you run it hotter.

and higher heat will bring up the heat in the home faster and save pellets.[/quote]


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## hearthtools (Feb 5, 2009)

Steve33 said:
			
		

> So when the Empress gets to the desired temperature and goes into "rest" mode it will use the same amount of pellets at 3 as it would at level 1?  I have found your posts extremely helpful...thanks.  I find it interesting about not turning the stove below level 3 in the winter. We have had trouble getting our empress to be efficient so far.
> 
> Steven



Im confused what your question is?

with the thermostat calling for heat. Or the wires TOGETHER. the stove runs in Normal mode. and the feedrate/room air blower at the rate set on the 1 - 5 control board. the Yellow light above the on/off botton will be solid at this time. 
(except at the 10 minute start up then the stove runs at its start up mode and the light will flash.)


when the thermostat is NOT calling for heat or the wires are apart. the stove runs at a LOW MODE at a little less that 1# per hour and the room air blower will be at the lowest setting. NO MATTER WHAT YOU HAVE THE FEED RATE SET AT. the Yellow Light above the on/off button will be flashing at this time.

So to keep your stove cleaner and running at the best Efficiency it is best to run the 3 setting or higher. because the stove will go to low when you dont need the heat.


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