Auger question

[Bugly]

Hello all,
Kevin here from NE Pa. So its a cold time for my stove to stop working lol. I have a Lopi Yankee pellet stove and have had it for 17 years. I have replaced the auger motor maybe 10 years ago. I replaced the exhaust blower 1 1/2 years ago. That's it and it has run fine most of the time. About 10 days ago I noticed a lazy flame and shut it down to clean. I usually do a good clean once a week. Started it up and it turned on but no pellets from the auger. I bench tested my blower fan and auger motor. They each tested fine. I blew out the tube that connects from the pressure switch to the exhaust fan. It was clogged but I cleared it out. Figuring that was my issue I put it together and it whirled into action. It seemed to take a while for the pellets to begin to drop though. Within 3 days the lazy flame returned and I cleaned it the 4th day. Checked the tube it was clear. Put it together and turned it on. No pellets from the auger and I got the auger fault. The auger on light went on but no movement. I turned off the stove and bench tested the auger it in its place. The motor hummed but would not turn. It was working a half hour earlier.
So my question is, is my auger motor on its way out? I thought the first time the motor got stuck by a pellet but not twice in 5 days. I've never had a pellet stuck.

Thank you in advance for any guidance. I just want to be reasonable sure it's the motor before I replace it.

Kevin

 

[johneh]

If the auger itself is not jammed and the auger motor is fed a full 120
volts to run but just hums then I would replace the auger motor.

 

[Rascus]

Just for due diligence: I would empty out the hopper as best as I could and see if the auger will turn without any weight on it and then try to turn the auger by hand (de-energize the machine first). I have heard of folks having issues with auger bearings and/or bushings binding up after years of use. This being said, I am unsure of the build of your stove, so this could be something that you don't have to worry about

Editing to add: I just did a quick Google search to see what stove you are working with and the first review of the stove had a lot of good things to say but did mention "I had to replace the auger bearings this summer," so it may be worth looking into

 

[zrock]

When is the last time you cleaned out the hopper and vacuumed out all the fines? A few years ago i had my stove pack up so tight with fines that it sheared the auger pin. Now i watch the stove and i can tell by the heat output that the fines are building up. I usually clean the hopper 2x a season and probably get 1-2 cups of fines out of it..

 

[johneh]

To check the auger you have to disconnect the auger motor
The auger motor is a gear reduction unit and almost impossible to turn by hand
This way you can also bench test the motor.

 

[Kevin Grims]

Hello. I tried all those things with my Lopi Leyden. Turns out that the problem was a quick fix. There is a collar with a set screw in it (attached to the motor) that clamps onto the auger shaft. Tighten it. Works again!

 

[Bugly]

Thanks to everyone for the advice and direction. Turns out I had a bad (damp) batch of pellets. They did not appear to be wet or swollen but did feel heavier than others I have tried. Took everything apart and bench tested the auger. Works fine. Took out the auger and cleaned everything well. I noticed some buildup at the base of the hopper where the auger spins. Cleaned this out to original. I Then cleaned the base of the auger where the set screw lives. Used some lubricant spray and a bit of grease. Spins nice with no obstruction. Different batch of pellets and I am good now for over a week. Now I can take apart my stove in 5 minutes lol. TS will even exchange the remaining pellets for new ones.

Thank you all again,

Kevin

 

[Ssyko]

Awesome! ! ! Knowing your stove is the key 👍