Can't get my pellets to feed :-(

[akthor]

They still show the part available on the website?

I'm sorry but I am not paying $300 for their blower upgrade, that's f@cking ridiculous! Especially since they sell the auger motor at more than 5 times the price you can find it elsewhere. I have to believe they are doing the same with the blower.

The blade replacement option has been discontinued by AES. They said it was stressing the smaller blower motors too much, thus the new high output cumbustion blower.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Burns much better on 3 and 4 than on 1 and 2.

Top two rows are covered front and back.

So if I can get in there and pull info or number off the fan think I can find a suitable upgrade at a decent price like the auger motor?

The upgraded fan blade is like $25, worth trying?

Information and a search should find something.

Start by also filling the number 2 and 4 holes (every other hole) in row 3 both front and back.

 

[jrsdws]

Yeah I tried the blade replacement route too but that was what they told me. Here are a couple of pictures of my cast iron pot after some modifications. The hole size and placement are different than on your corn pot, but you can use this as a starting point. The whole idea essentially is to try to direct as much air through the BOTTOM of that burn pot. The holes up the sides are for helping burn corn completely.
I also still have a piece of aluminum tape over the air wash slot with some holes punched in it. The glass stays clean enough for me and this makes a big difference in the amount of air going into burn pot. Another common air leak is the ash pan drawer. I added gasket material there and again it made a big difference. You can simply try duct tape over it temporarily to see if it helps. For temporary pot mods use that aluminum foil tape. It won't last a long time but you'll be able to see the results. I used stove mortar on this pot so it's semi-permanent yet reversable.

 

[DexterDay]

Plug every other hole on 3rd row as Smokey suggested, or steal more air wash air. Thats gonna be a big contributor also. IMO.

Prob get just as much air from the air wash, as the pot holes.

 

[akthor]

Will do with the air wash i will cover the whole thing and poke holes, how big and how many holes did you make?

I bought stove cement for a more permanent modification to the pot once I find what works with the tape.

I replaced all the door seals already and have done the dollar bill test, all good with the door and ash pan door. I can't seem to do the same with the pellet hopper door due to hinge placement on it? What have you done with your pellet hopper door?

 

[DexterDay]

Just leave a couple small holes in the center of the foil. About 3 or 4 holes, made with a 1/4" drill bit. This will be enough to keep the glass clean in the middle. A trade off for a good burn (dirty glass). Just needs cleaned more often.

As for the holes. The cement will work in the cast pot because it is very thick and it has something to grab hold. But the stainless pot will probably not hold the cement very well. Shouldn't need more than the top 2 rows though.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Since we appear to be in air leak finding mode make certain that the joints on the auger feed tube that goes up to the drop chute is sealed (rtv) and that your auger flight cover is sealed.

Can you post a picture of the hooper lid showing the hinges.

 

[DexterDay]

There is also a gasket for the hopper, under the main body of the stove. Not the lid itself. The upper, inner perimeter. If that makes sense?

The body needs removed (pulled off/up) and its a 1/2" or 5/8" wide flat or tape gasket.

Does the Ash pan seal tight? Does the dollar pull easily? Or is there decent resistance?

 

[akthor]

I revealed all the seams in the hopper with rtv. Figured I might as well while it was empty.

I am at work but I will post a pic of the hopper lid and show you what I mean tomorrow.

The ash pan door is very tight and you barely if any at all are able to pull a dollar bill thru.

 

[DexterDay]

There is a gasket under the body of the stove. If you were to draw an outline on top of the stove, of the actual hopper size/dimensions. Then the gasket goes around the top of that.

It may seem hard to understand.

The hoper lid wont seal any tighter than it does now. Its not a locking hopper. But the gasket underneath will effect the burn, if its mucked up.

My buddy got a new stove that had a bad gasket from the factory. Just a thought to check it?

 

[akthor]

So you can see in the pic the lip that goes around the inside of the pellet hopper door opening. Originally there was just two pieces about 2" long on the long lip on the opposite side of the hinge. I tried putting new flat gasket all around the lip but since the hinge is where it's at it actually made the door not close all the way so I took the side pieces off and left the long piece on but even this doesn't do much for making the door airtight.

 

[akthor]

pic might help

 

[DexterDay]

That gasket aint gonna do much. Its the gasket under the top, thats gonna do something. Its under the inner perimeter.

Cant describe it any better. But if you look at the stove, make a dotted line around the very top of the stove. Under your dotted line, is where the gasket is. The door will not seal fully. Was never intended too.

Some units they seal everything up on. On others, its not sealed or thought of at all.

My Quadrafire Classic Bay has ZERO sealing on the hopper lid. No sort of gasket. The whole top of the stove lifts up and has no gasket. And this stove has a Very Violent Burn. Lots of leaks through the auger because of this (when pellets are low) and 3 large pieces of glass, means lots of air wash, plus a hole from the thermocouple lead coming into the firebox (over 1/2" in diameter). All of these points are burn pot bypasses and the stove still burns great. If I were to plug my air wash, seal my hopper and lid, and seal the T/C hole, the pellets wouldnt even drop in the pot. They would come out of the chute and be blasted up by air. Way to much air.

My point is, stoves are designed to run with certain leaks. Some stoves have more leaks than others. Sealing as much as you can on that stove will help with the burn. But only so much you can do with the hopper lid. Keeping the hopper as full as you can will help some. The more pellets you have in the hopper, the harder the stove will have to pull through the auger chute.

Take the body of the stove off and replace the upper gasket. Then, if the burn is still slow. Close off some more holes. But 3 rows front and back seems excessive (if you need to do them all). After 2 rows, my buddies stove needs the damper closed to reduce air to the pot.

 

[akthor]

Heres a video of my fire how does it look?

http://s1073.photobucket.com/albums/w384/thor5734/

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

That doesn't look too bad, I wouldn't use a flat gasket for the lid if any. You need something that can be compressed quite a bit using very little weight when there isn't a latching system.

The gasket dexter is talking about seals the rim of the hopper to the shove shell.

 

[DexterDay]

That burn isnt bad. But we need to know, is how long it was burning, on what level, and where was your damper?

If the stove had been running for 5 hrs and it had no build up, on level 3 and damper is wide open. Then thats not bad.

But if the stove just started, on level 2, and damper is wide open, is different.

The difference is how long it burned and do you have to intervene by stirring the pot and/or removing pellets?

 

[akthor]

Stove was running for about 1/2 hr on level 2 with damper 1/2 open. Hasn't been cold enough yet to run it 4 or 5 hours. So if it looks like that after a few hours that's pretty good?

 

[DexterDay]

Depends... I am on bag 5 now. Been burning off and on (whenever stove says to start/on stat) for a couple weeks.

Have not touched my Quad. Been through 5 bags and plan to go at least 5 more before I clean the glass. Have yet to even pull the ash dump on the bottom of the pot. Opened the door and felt in the pot. Only a couple little chunks So I will let it go......

So a 1/2 hr is good. But hours on end are better. Are you always burning with the damper closed 1/2 way?

Just wondering? If it starts to build up after several hours. Then more air is needed. Its gonna take time. There is a learning curve with anything you do. So take your time. Find out what pellet it likes (what brand are you burning)?