Breckwell shuts off and on at heat level 4

[hearthtools]

YOU DONT BLOW INTO THE SWITCH
YOU BLOW FROM WHERE THE HOSE CONNECTED TO THE SWITCH TO THE STOVE
If you blew into the switch with Compressed air you may have Blown the Diaphragm in side the switch.

You can gently blow and suck into the switch and see if you HEAR the diaphragm move in and out.


the Barb/Port/Hard tube that the hose connect to the stove(NOT THE SWITCH) is there the problem NORMALY is.

 

[hearthtools]

That pile of ash come from behind the blower on the right side of the stove. So...stove venting WAS blocked! Just not in the pipe like I assumed- it was blocked before and into the blower on the right side.
I expect that when I start it up again, that everything will be good. I just have to wait for the pile of pellets in the ash pan to quit smouldering.
Hearthtools, thanks for all the help!

This is why in every Post in the past few days. Accross this board.
for you and the other people having the same problem,
I sound like a Parrot

PULL THE combustion Blower and clean behind it

You also want to pull the room air blower and get all the dust bunnies out of it also

 

[Sagesmom]

Yeah, I went way overboard with the compressed air. <blush>
Maybe I'll check the diaphragm tomorrow.

 

[Sagesmom]

I can hear the diaphragm move back and forth.
I stuck a hard wire into the port in the stove, and it's clean.
I accidentally yanked the hose and it ripped near the port. But.. I think everything is operational.
I have no idea what the problem is.
Can I just keep running with the vacuum switch bypassed?

 

[Sagesmom]

Bump.....

 

[hearthtools]

Yes you can but i did not tell you that.

it is a safety feature ONLY that is suppose to shut the auger system down if your flue is blocked
but I have only seen them work if the door is open or the ports are pluged.
I dont stock the switches

 

[Sagesmom]

So you think the switch is bad then?

 

[hearthtools]

So you think the switch is bad then?

if you are sure the Flue and cap is clear
The combustion motor is turing fast enough and clean
The combustion chambers are clean
The vacuum tube is good and no kinks or holes
the vacuum port is clear.

To test the vacuum switch
Put a OHM meter on the two wires to the switch
gently suck on the hose going to the switch and see if the Switch closes and you have continuity (closed circuit ) to the wires.
if not then the switch is bad.

if the switch closes and you have a closed loop with slight negitive vacuum then you dont have enough vacuum going through the port and hose to the vacuum switch.

NOTE TO OTHERS
SOME STOVE HAVE THE SWITCH ran to a port with POSITIVE pressure so this is not for all stoves
only stove that have the vaccum switch connected BEFORE or AT the Combustion blower. or in the Ash pan.

 

[hearthtools]

OH
and NOT DOOR LEAKS
and your ASH PAN IS SHUT AN SEALED.
Or a crack in firebox.

 

[savage]

Sagesmom-

I too had a lot of ash come out of the flue when I used the dryer brush. I thought it would solve the problem, but eventually the #2 light came back on anyway. So then I bypassed the vacuum switch. That worked for a while. No more number 2 problem, but the pellets did start to eventually overfeed again.

I have cleaned and checked almost everything, but ..... I never checked the port yet or put a wire in there.

But with the switch bypassed anyway, why does it matter now? I still would have the problem with an overflow of pellets. If I got the switch to work, then I would just get to the overflow issue first instead of the number 2 light first. So the overflow is what first needs address. Solving this most likely will solve the switch problem.

One thing that I do notice is that the damper never really does much to alter the appearance of the flames. I noticed that there is one small hole in the floor of the fire box. I have noticed it for a while though, and it never posed a problem before this month. It looks perfectly round and intentional, and in the past was never a problem. Maybe I should block this up?

Door seal seems fine with the dollar bill test. I made sure the ash doors were all screwed back tight and that the back vent pipe was on tightly.

 

[hearthtools]

Sagesmom-

I too had a lot of ash come out of the flue when I used the dryer brush. I thought it would solve the problem, but eventually the #2 light came back on anyway. So then I bypassed the vacuum switch. That worked for a while. No more number 2 problem, but the pellets did start to eventually overfeed again.

I have cleaned and checked almost everything, but ..... I never checked the port yet or put a wire in there.

But with the switch bypassed anyway, why does it matter now? I still would have the problem with an overflow of pellets. If I got the switch to work, then I would just get to the overflow issue first instead of the number 2 light first. So the overflow is what first needs address. Solving this most likely will solve the switch problem.

One thing that I do notice is that the damper never really does much to alter the appearance of the flames. I noticed that there is one small hole in the floor of the fire box. I have noticed it for a while though, and it never posed a problem before this month. It looks perfectly round and intentional, and in the past was never a problem. Maybe I should block this up?

Door seal seems fine with the dollar bill test. I made sure the ash doors were all screwed back tight and that the back vent pipe was on tightly.

If you are NOT seeing any change in the fire when you Pull the damper in or out then you have a Air flow Problem.

normal what I show people after I install a stove and fire it up
is with the stove running good and the air adjusted. I LOOSEN or open the ash pan door just a little and show them how the fire will go Tall and Lazy so they know what they dont want see. and normaly the problem is the ash pan or door not shut.

1) Door and/or ash pan not sealing.
2) Leak in the firebox from a crack/ Bad Exchange tube or bad weld. ( I have fixed some Breckwells with Cracks Down the back of the firebox by the auger shoot)

2) Flue and or Cap Blocked

3) combustion blower not turning fast enough and getting good combustion.

 

[Sagesmom]

The stove ran well with the switch bypassed all day yesterday.
Guess I'll have to look for cracks, check the switch current and look at the blower.
Sigh.
At least I haven't spent a lot of money trying to fix this so far....

 

[savage]

below..

 

[savage]

Hearthtools-

When you say PULL the combustion blower, what does this entail? Because so far I have only vacuummed and brushed as far as I could into door C (ash door) and unscrewed the vent pipe and brushed it out and cleaned out the combustion blower as far as I could from the vent pipe side. But so far I have not actually UNSCREWED the entire motor from the stove to clean it any further. It was easy to clean the fins on the convection blower, because they are exposed and accessible. The combustion blower is encased though. So I figure you mean that we should take out the entire unit and clean it out from the inside?

 

[hearthtools]

Hearthtools-

When you say PULL the combustion blower, what does this entail? Because so far I have only vacuummed and brushed as far as I could into door C (ash door) and unscrewed the vent pipe and brushed it out and cleaned out the combustion blower as far as I could from the vent pipe side. But so far I have not actually UNSCREWED the entire motor from the stove to clean it any further. It was easy to clean the fins on the convection blower, because they are exposed and accessible. The combustion blower is encased though. So I figure you mean that we should take out the entire unit and clean it out from the inside?

In most cases if you are having a problem and you cant figure it out
it is best to take the Motor our of the houseing (if you have that type) and inspect and clean the exchast chamber.

This photo is not the same blower as Breckwell but if you have this type of blower all you need to do is remove the motor from the housing
if you have the old style then you have to take the whole housing off the stove.
http://www.hearthtools.com/parts/removeEf161.jpg