55 SHPAH

[jmorgtwo]

Agreed. Sounds to me there is something either wrong with the controller as Smokey points out (just stuck permanently on low)... or the only other thing that comes to mind is if its really plugged up. I had that somewhat happen... and while I doubt I could place my hand on the glass the stove was limited so much that the heat output on high wasn't much different then low.


Does the glass get covered in black soot, or white/grey ash? You say the pellets burn fine but that you have to clean out the pot about every 12 hrs. That doesn't exactly add up, unless your pellets are just super ashy. If your getting soot and a quickly clogging burnpot this is sounding similar to how mine was. When mine is running clean, with Somersets, I could easily go 2 days before cleaning the burn pot. When mine was plugged up barely limping along, 24hrs the burn pot was 3/4 full of crusty stuff.

Do you hear the combustion fan increase when you crank it up from 1 to 9? Does the timing interval get quicker dumping pellets when you crank it up?

It is quite possible for these stoves to get plugged up in short order, so that could seem to happen from new. I think for me it got plugged up in like 2 weeks of being installed. Shop vac wasn't even enough, I had to use the leaf blower and bang the back of the firebox to get it running right again.

If its not heating your house how have you gotten along for 3 years? Lets not get too many issues going at once. The stove may be inadequate even if its burning correctly. Mine can't keep my place warm much below freezing (I have multiple stoves to handle the heating). But that has nothing to do with ESW, most stoves are well overrated. So lets just focus on determining if the stove is running right or not, then once it is running right we can see if its adequate or not for your home.

The glass gets covered in black soot. The glass starts to darken within a couple hours. Once the burn cycle stretches longer then that, it gets so dark that the flame is not visible.

The combustion fan does become louder when i up the level of the stove.

Due to the poor performance of this stove i have had to increase my propane usage by about 60-70% compared to what i spent before i bought and installed this pellet stove. I have seen that much of a jump just trying to keep my house between 60-65 degrees. .

If most stoves are overrated, how in the world does that not have anything to do with ESW? It is straight up deception and dishonesty on their part. I bought the stove simply because it was rated to heat a house that was nearly double my size. Had they given it a rating of 500 sq ft, i wouldn't have gone done this road.

 

[jmorgtwo]

The time between the auger starts and the time the auger is running. Both can change (depends on controler etc...) it is the on off time sequences that determine fuel feed rate. Some systems have a fixed cycle time some a variable. I don't own an ESW product so I don't know about your particular stove.

I measured the time in between augur cycles. There were slight changes in cycle times, but not much. All measurements were taken with the stove in 1-4-1 and heat range 3

1. 6.4 seconds
2. 6.4 seconds
3. 6.35 seconds
4. 6.32 seconds
5. 6.32 seconds
6. 6.20 seconds
7. 6.3 seconds
8. 6.22 seconds
9. 6.19 seconds

I don't know enough about these results to really know if there is a problem with my controller or not. Also i am sure there is some human error in my stop watch calculations (a tenth of a sec here or there), but as you can see there is very little change between the low and high end of my stove.

 

[OhioBurner©]

When I get home I'll compare those times to mine. But it seems more obvious now its not 'stuck' on low if the times and combustion fan are changing (though those times don't look very much different). Did you leave the room blower constant (set on 9) while you turned the heat up and down to listen to the combustion blower? The combustion blower is much quieter than the convection blower so you need to make sure the convection blower isn't changing. Another way would be to leave it set on 1-1, as quiet as possible, then adjust the LBA up to 9 and back down. I think you should here at least 1 or 2 increases in that range.

If your getting a lot of black soot then its not burning right (just like mine, and the other gal's thread here in the last few days). Its not just stuck at low. Low shouldn't produce black soot. ESW should not have said that was normal stove operation. Have you cleaned out and inspected the combustion blower and the back port of the stove for buildup at least?

Your stove will run much hotter when its working correctly, therefore you can't judge the ESW rating of 2000 sqft. yet. I would wager a PAH working well would easily heat your home if its well insulated in your climate. My point was that all companies seem to exaggerate these numbers, so don't single out ESW. My Jotul and Hearthstone are both rated at heating 1800 sqft each, and with them both running will only handle my 2400 sqft house down into the teens if its windy out. ESW may overrate their stoves a little more than others though, can't really say for sure.

 

[jmorgtwo]

When I get home I'll compare those times to mine. But it seems more obvious now its not 'stuck' on low if the times and combustion fan are changing (though those times don't look very much different). Did you leave the room blower constant (set on 9) while you turned the heat up and down to listen to the combustion blower? The combustion blower is much quieter than the convection blower so you need to make sure the convection blower isn't changing. Another way would be to leave it set on 1-1, as quiet as possible, then adjust the LBA up to 9 and back down. I think you should here at least 1 or 2 increases in that range.

If your getting a lot of black soot then its not burning right (just like mine, and the other gal's thread here in the last few days). Its not just stuck at low. Low shouldn't produce black soot. ESW should not have said that was normal stove operation. Have you cleaned out and inspected the combustion blower and the back port of the stove for buildup at least?

Your stove will run much hotter when its working correctly, therefore you can't judge the ESW rating of 2000 sqft. yet. I would wager a PAH working well would easily heat your home if its well insulated in your climate. My point was that all companies seem to exaggerate these numbers, so don't single out ESW. My Jotul and Hearthstone are both rated at heating 1800 sqft each, and with them both running will only handle my 2400 sqft house down into the teens if its windy out. ESW may overrate their stoves a little more than others though, can't really say for sure.

The times are indeed very close. When you factor in the human element of running a stop watch, they are close enough together that i am not ruling out the "stuck" scenario. When i started the test, I lowered both the heat and blower to 1. On my stove every time you increase the heat range 1 level, the blower automatically increases as well.

When i set the settings to 1-1-1 and increased the lba i could hear multiple increases from the blower.

 

[slvrblkk]

I think I should have explained this better. With the stove set to 1-4-1, set the heat level to 1 and take a couple readings. Increase heat level to 2 and take readings....and so on all the way through heat level 9. You have to see if the auger cycle gets quicker as you turn the heat level up.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

I measured the time in between augur cycles. There were slight changes in cycle times, but not much. All measurements were taken with the stove in 1-4-1 and heat range 3

1. 6.4 seconds
2. 6.4 seconds
3. 6.35 seconds
4. 6.32 seconds
5. 6.32 seconds
6. 6.20 seconds
7. 6.3 seconds
8. 6.22 seconds
9. 6.19 seconds

I don't know enough about these results to really know if there is a problem with my controller or not. Also i am sure there is some human error in my stop watch calculations (a tenth of a sec here or there), but as you can see there is very little change between the low and high end of my stove.

In heat range 3?

Heat range 1 time =
Heat range 2 time =
Heat range 3 .....

....

Heat range 9

Heat ranges are firing rates and are the first of the two upper numbers the second being the convection blower rate. Heat range nine should result in about 4 times the amount of fuel dumped in heat range 1

You shouldn't see much variation in time if the stove is set 1-4-1 and left in heat range 3.

What are you changing which of the controls?

 

[jmorgtwo]

In heat range 3?

Heat range 1 time =
Heat range 2 time =
Heat range 3 .....

....

Heat range 9

Heat ranges are firing rates and are the first of the two upper numbers the second being the convection blower rate. Heat range nine should result in about 4 times the amount of fuel dumped in heat range 1

You shouldn't see much variation in time if the stove is set 1-4-1 and left in heat range 3.

What are you changing which of the controls?

When i did the test i started with the stove in heat range one and increased to nine. The heat range 3 i referenced was the mode my stove is in. (my does not have mode a,b,c,d, like many esw stoves do)

 

[jmorgtwo]

I think I should have explained this better. With the stove set to 1-4-1, set the heat level to 1 and take a couple readings. Increase heat level to 2 and take readings....and so on all the way through heat level 9. You have to see if the auger cycle gets quicker as you turn the heat level up.

That is exactly what i did. Stove was set at 1-4-1 and in mode 3.

 

[slvrblkk]

Is it supposed to be in HR #3? I've never read anywhere about heat level/modes on the single auger stoves so I'm not sure.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

When i did the test i started with the stove in heat range one and increased to nine. The heat range 3 i referenced was the mode my stove is in. (my does not have mode a,b,c,d, like many esw stoves do)

Then say mode 3, now can you tell how long the auger is on for each cycle, if the cycle is fixed then the auger on time has to change.

ETA: slvrblkk we will get it all figured out.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

If you time the auger on times for several cycles in the same heat range we can also tell if gaskets might be getting bad but your hearing will have to be very good to tell when it stops turning.

The more information that is in this thread to better.

 

[jmorgtwo]

If you time the auger on times for several cycles in the same heat range we can also tell if gaskets might be getting bad but your hearing will have to be very good to tell when it stops turning.

The more information that is in this thread to better.

Augur run times:

1. 1.35
2. 1.40
3. 1.37
4. 1.45
5. 1.34
6. 1.46
7. 1.38
8. 1.29
9. 1.37

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Now absent a bad jumper or connections it looks like the controller might be part of the problem.

 

[jmorgtwo]

Now absent a bad jumper or connections it looks like the controller might be part of the problem.

I tend to believe the controller could be the issue as well.

 

[slvrblkk]

x3

Right now assuming it is the controller, have you ever tried a reset of it?

 

[jmorgtwo]

Yes one of the ESW tech talked me through it over the phone in the past. Did not seem to change anything.

 

[slvrblkk]

Hopefully Mike see this and can verify some things.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Mike has a link to this thread in a PM from me, so he should see it.

 

[jmorgtwo]

Mike has a link to this thread in a PM from me, so he should see it.

Okay perfect. Thanks for your help.

 

[stoveguy2esw]

just read the thread (thanks for the heads up Smokey)

it does indeed seems the control board is reading an open

try this test and see if it reads a dash in both windows

stove shut down and unplugged

1. plug in
2. immedaitly press the "low fuel feed" AND the "air on temp" and release. this will bring up a dash in the heat range , and if the stat circuit is closed a dash in the blower speed.

if the dash appears in the blower speed then the circuit is closed and it should advance the feed rate if open it would only feed at its lowest rate regardless of the heat range setting as it thinks it is on a stat and the stat is not calling for heat. the room blower would not be affected so it would speed up as that number was advanced.

it does look by the numbers you provided above that the stove is running on low all the time, essentially burning a 24 hour bag is this about where the consumption rate has been?


oh , and whats the serial number on the unit so i can look it up in my system

 

[jmorgtwo]

just read the thread (thanks for the heads up Smokey)

it does indeed seems the control board is reading an open

try this test and see if it reads a dash in both windows

stove shut down and unplugged

1. plug in
2. immedaitly press the "low fuel feed" AND the "air on temp" and release. this will bring up a dash in the heat range , and if the stat circuit is closed a dash in the blower speed.

if the dash appears in the blower speed then the circuit is closed and it should advance the feed rate if open it would only feed at its lowest rate regardless of the heat range setting as it thinks it is on a stat and the stat is not calling for heat. the room blower would not be affected so it would speed up as that number was advanced.

it does look by the numbers you provided above that the stove is running on low all the time, essentially burning a 24 hour bag is this about where the consumption rate has been?


oh , and whats the serial number on the unit so i can look it up in my system

When i did the test i got the dash in the heat range. Nothing appeared in the blower speed.

I would say a bag per 24 hours is very close to what i go through.

serial number is 4682
manufacture dates appears to be 05/11 ( very faint stamping hard to read)

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

The controller isn't seeing the jumper for whatever reason and that is why the stove never changes the amount of fuel dumped into the burn pot and you don't see more heat.

Is there any chance that jumper is actually bad? Just tossing it out there, leaving no stone unturned and remembering the guy that had a busted t-stat wire and another with the connection on the plastic insulation and a few others such as my BIL with a screw though a t-stat run such that is was always calling for heat.

 

[jmorgtwo]

The controller isn't seeing the jumper for whatever reason and that is why the stove never changes the amount of fuel dumped into the burn pot and you don't see more heat.

Is there any chance that jumper is actually bad? Just tossing it out there, leaving no stone unturned and remembering the guy that had a busted t-stat wire and another with the connection on the plastic insulation and a few others such as my BIL with a screw though a t-stat run such that is was always calling for heat.

I checked my jumper once again this morning. Both screws are tight, and there are no thermostat wires running into the jumper. Anything beyond that, I have no clue how to check if a jumper is bad or not.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

If the jumper is all metal with no insulation the visual check you did was fine. Otherwise an ohmmeter or continuity checking device could be used to check the jumper with it outside of the circuit.

I'm sure that Mike will see that you are up and running right.

 

[stoveguy2esw]

ok, i found you in my system, tried to call the number on youre warranty card we have on file , but no answer (i guess we all have to work sometime lol)

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