Now I have a question about the auger can you manually rotate that auger now that the auger motor has been removed?
Can't get my pellets to feed :-(
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Holy! That's wayyyyyyy cheaper than what magnum is charging for a new motor. That will work?
Yes auger turns easily.
Yes auger turns easily.
Ok now do you know how to use the ohm scales on that multimeter if so I want you to remove the wires on the vacuum switch and attach the probes from the multimeter to the vacuum switch and then having removed the end of the tube from the vacuum switch that goes to the barb on the stove from the barb on the stove and gently suck on the tube and tell us what the meter says when it is put on the ohm scale. By gently sucking on the tubing and then releasing it you should get a reading on the meter.
ETA: I'm looking for possible blockage and if the switch itself is defective.
ETA: I'm looking for possible blockage and if the switch itself is defective.
No, on the ohm setting (little horseshoe symbol) and do not start the stove.
ETA: I'm running out of steam so I'm out of here until tomorrow.
The motor doesn't look really fried from where I sit. Akthor, if you have a charger for car batteries ( 12 V DC ), you have a power source with the right specs to perform a perfect function test.
But safety first... we don't want to fry your charger: Automotive chargers normally have a resettable fuse ( short circuit protection ) on the front panel. If the copper windings inside your motor are totally melted together, the charger is shorted when its voltage is applied to the motor. This short circuit may damage the charger, so before any testing, please check that the charger has some sort of protection.
Otherwise the test goes like this: Simply connect the red cable from the charger to the motor terminal with the red dot and the black cable to the other terminal. If we are lucky the motor should spin and continue to do so, without any smoke.
This function test is much better than testing with an ohmmeter, besides your ohmmeter is not capable of testing in the low ohmic range.
I can't wait to hear the verdict
So the vacuum switch must have been the culprit form the first place? Or perhaps a combination of a faulty vacuum switch and some corroded connections... the photo of especially the hopper shows signs of severe corrosion. Maybe it was stored in a damp place before Akthor bought it?
Good luck
Bo
![[Hearth.com] Can't get my pellets to feed :-(](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/76/76386-549f0e05cf8e6b302f862021c50b3b71.jpg?hash=__IjWJZC5T "[Hearth.com] Can't get my pellets to feed :-(")
But safety first... we don't want to fry your charger: Automotive chargers normally have a resettable fuse ( short circuit protection ) on the front panel. If the copper windings inside your motor are totally melted together, the charger is shorted when its voltage is applied to the motor. This short circuit may damage the charger, so before any testing, please check that the charger has some sort of protection.
Otherwise the test goes like this: Simply connect the red cable from the charger to the motor terminal with the red dot and the black cable to the other terminal. If we are lucky the motor should spin and continue to do so, without any smoke.
This function test is much better than testing with an ohmmeter, besides your ohmmeter is not capable of testing in the low ohmic range.
I can't wait to hear the verdict
So the vacuum switch must have been the culprit form the first place? Or perhaps a combination of a faulty vacuum switch and some corroded connections... the photo of especially the hopper shows signs of severe corrosion. Maybe it was stored in a damp place before Akthor bought it?
Good luck
Bo
I don't have a charger but I have a portable jumper/power box thing. Basically a car battery with jumper cables.
That should work as well, only beware of one thing... if the motor is shorted in its windings, some sparks will fly when the connection is established. Take care!
Let's hope that the motor just spins and spins. The test takes five minutes or so. Looking forward to hear your result.
I doubt of the vacuum switch is shot, they are very reliable but the tubing could be cracked or barbs/tubing could have ash in them or if there are two ports or more than two connection points on the switch and the wrong ones are being used. Corrosion on the connections is also a possibility as well, however it is possible it could be a bad vacuum switch.
If the stove worked just before its tumble I'd be tempted to rule out corrosion and look towards ash having been loosened up and deposited in a "bad" place or everything actually works and there is too much air getting into the firebox somehow and the switch just isn't seeing what it needs to see.
If the stove worked just before its tumble I'd be tempted to rule out corrosion and look towards ash having been loosened up and deposited in a "bad" place or everything actually works and there is too much air getting into the firebox somehow and the switch just isn't seeing what it needs to see.
On pg 36 of the manual, it talks about ignitor replacement and actually shows a picture of a DC model's guts. It shows the auger on the left of this picture also. Looks like a couple of nuts holding it on.
ok hooked up the jump box and motor turns. So I guess next I will do the Ohm thing with the vac switch.
Smokey if that motor you linked to works i would still buy one for backup
Smokey if that motor you linked to works i would still buy one for backup
Make sure the rubber hose is free of cracks, dry-rot, holes, etc. Maybe cut 1/2" off of each end. Blow out the hose (remove end from vacuum switch and blow through the hose, towards the stove. So if the barb is plugged with ash, this will blow it free.
If the auger spins outside the auger flight, then try it back inside the stove. Its possible that something may be bent from when it tipped? If that checks out? Then vac switch is prob the culprit.
If the auger spins outside the auger flight, then try it back inside the stove. Its possible that something may be bent from when it tipped? If that checks out? Then vac switch is prob the culprit.
Fixed it yay!
Put the auger motor back in, it definitely didn't spin before because it makes a very distinct and audible noise when the motor clicks on and spins. So put in back in, kept the vac jumped and yes the motor pulses on and off and if I hold the auger button down it stays on like it should to prime the auger.
So undid the the jumper hooked back up the vac and nothing. So I got thinking and the TWO wires that go to the vac sensor are gray, no black stripe or anything to designate + or - so I think maybe even so there is a positive and negative? So I get down where I can look underneath the vac and what do I see? THREE spades that wires can hook to and not TWO. Even tho I only got two wires to hook to it? So I'm like WTF? So I had been hooking it up to the spades on the right and left so I unhooked the left and hooked to the one facing the BACK of the stove and VIOLA it works!
I have no idea why it didn't work in the beginning or why it didn't work when I first jumped the VAC. Something was wrong somewhere. Maybe a bad connection and with the plugging and unplugging of things it's good now. I really think the motor was vapor locked or sumthin cuz the first couple of times I touched the jumper box to it to test it nothing happened it was till like the 3rd or 4th touch that there was a little crackle of sparks and the motor started working.
And I was obviously getting the 2nd blinks light cuz I hooked the vac sensor back up wrong after jumping it.
Now I just need to run it for a few hours and make sure all is good which I will do later when it cools off outside.
I can't thank you all enough for your time and patience with me and for all your help. Anytime you are in my area let me know the beers are on me.
Put the auger motor back in, it definitely didn't spin before because it makes a very distinct and audible noise when the motor clicks on and spins. So put in back in, kept the vac jumped and yes the motor pulses on and off and if I hold the auger button down it stays on like it should to prime the auger.
So undid the the jumper hooked back up the vac and nothing. So I got thinking and the TWO wires that go to the vac sensor are gray, no black stripe or anything to designate + or - so I think maybe even so there is a positive and negative? So I get down where I can look underneath the vac and what do I see? THREE spades that wires can hook to and not TWO. Even tho I only got two wires to hook to it? So I'm like WTF? So I had been hooking it up to the spades on the right and left so I unhooked the left and hooked to the one facing the BACK of the stove and VIOLA it works!
I have no idea why it didn't work in the beginning or why it didn't work when I first jumped the VAC. Something was wrong somewhere. Maybe a bad connection and with the plugging and unplugging of things it's good now. I really think the motor was vapor locked or sumthin cuz the first couple of times I touched the jumper box to it to test it nothing happened it was till like the 3rd or 4th touch that there was a little crackle of sparks and the motor started working.
And I was obviously getting the 2nd blinks light cuz I hooked the vac sensor back up wrong after jumping it.
Now I just need to run it for a few hours and make sure all is good which I will do later when it cools off outside.
I can't thank you all enough for your time and patience with me and for all your help. Anytime you are in my area let me know the beers are on me.
If the glass was missing when you tried it, it wouldn't have had any vacuum. Or if you had the door open, ash pan, etc..
Your still gonna need to mod the air wash. And possibly the pot. But buying the High CFM combustion blower and the pellet pot will cure the burn issues and no "Mod's" are needed.
Glad its working. Looking forward to some burning pics! !
Your still gonna need to mod the air wash. And possibly the pot. But buying the High CFM combustion blower and the pellet pot will cure the burn issues and no "Mod's" are needed.
Glad its working. Looking forward to some burning pics! !
Glad you ran it down and now you know a whole lot about your stove than you did to begin with.
I'd order one of those motors since your actual voltage going to the motor from your system is likely close to the 14 that your power supply puts out and that going to a 12 volt motor that is nominally 1.6 rpm is likely actually going to run at 1.8+ which is close enough. Olso considering where you are I'd look into setting up a battery back up for the stove.
I'll leave you with a warning since the stove motors all work on dc and can be reversed you really need to get that stove OAKed or you could inadvertently end up using your air intake as an exhaust (and people get a bit miffed at me when I mention the OAK is considered to be part of the venting and must be metal) which isn't a good thing at all.
One other thing on here if there is no picture it never happened.
Enjoy the heat and drop in anytime and lend a helping hand.
I'd order one of those motors since your actual voltage going to the motor from your system is likely close to the 14 that your power supply puts out and that going to a 12 volt motor that is nominally 1.6 rpm is likely actually going to run at 1.8+ which is close enough. Olso considering where you are I'd look into setting up a battery back up for the stove.
I'll leave you with a warning since the stove motors all work on dc and can be reversed you really need to get that stove OAKed or you could inadvertently end up using your air intake as an exhaust (and people get a bit miffed at me when I mention the OAK is considered to be part of the venting and must be metal) which isn't a good thing at all.
One other thing on here if there is no picture it never happened.
Enjoy the heat and drop in anytime and lend a helping hand.
No I didn't try until I got the glass in and seals replaced.
Is there a source for a new blower motor besides Magnum? Like with the auger motor?
A new blower motor thru them is quite pricey. But they also wanted over $100 for the auger motor.
Is there a source for a new blower motor besides Magnum? Like with the auger motor?
A new blower motor thru them is quite pricey. But they also wanted over $100 for the auger motor.
There are sources for every motor that aren't from Magnum. There are after market parts for everything on that stove except for the control board and with enough need I'm sure someone could make one of them.
There are several folks on here that run with their own control boards.
It isn't something to lightly get into because the stoves safety certifications aren't with the stove modified in that manner.
Forum member Snowy Rivers runs a couple of old Whitfield stoves using her own control design and build, she burns hazelnut shells in them. The same simple controller using off the shelf parts for both stoves.
There are several folks on here that run with their own control boards.
It isn't something to lightly get into because the stoves safety certifications aren't with the stove modified in that manner.
Forum member Snowy Rivers runs a couple of old Whitfield stoves using her own control design and build, she burns hazelnut shells in them. The same simple controller using off the shelf parts for both stoves.
OAK is Outside Air (Intake) Kit it is mandatory for your stove. A lot of folks that got stoves that need them installed don't and it can lead to burn issues.
ETA: It is a flexible metal tube that is sealed to the stoves air intake on one end and goes outside to terminate in the lovely Maine air in your case on the other end. Usually the kit has the tubing, clamps and outside wind and critter shield.
I made my OAK with a dryer vent kit and a 3" to 4" adapter also made of metal.
Got a good cheap source for the high CFM blower fan? I would replace the one that blows heat into the room since its a bit loud, these look like big PC fans and I know you can get quieter ones in those too.
Got a good cheap source for the high CFM blower fan? I would replace the one that blows heat into the room since its a bit loud, these look like big PC fans and I know you can get quieter ones in those too.
Are you asking about the damper setting? The air vent needs to always be open except during the non burn season.
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