Englander 25PDV need help!

[newpelletstoveguy]

In case anyone is looking for the best summary of issues I’m experiencing, here is the support email I just sent to [email protected]

“Hi guys,

I have an englander 25 PDV that’s having some problems. I will explain the issue, what I’ve done to troubleshoot, and what I think my best solution is, and I’d ask if you can confirm I’m on the right path.

Upon pressing the “on” button, start up would go for about 5-10 seconds then error code E2 followed by E1 and it shuts down. I took apart and emptied the ENTIRE stove piece by piece, all blower motors and tubes/exhaust are clear. Holes aren’t blocked, it’s clean clean.

When I bypass the flue vacuum switch, I no longer get error codes, and I can start the stove manually (does not light on its own, but igniter does get hot). However, top auger doesn’t feed when I have the vac switch bypassed.

When I bypass the Door Ajar vacuum switch (now both vacuum switches bypassed), top auger now feeds again. However, it continuously overfeeds until the pellets smother the fire, it fills with smoke, then I get the woofing or bursts of smoke and embers out the intake tube when the smoke ignites.

My question: should I start by replacing the vacuum switches first, and then replace the control board if I still have issues?

Also, can I use the PU-VS for both switches, or do I need the PU-VS-A mentioned in the DVD manual for the front switch? They appear the same, and I can’t find the PU-VS-A online anywhere.

Thank you
Mike “



Sent from Mike's iPhone X


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[newpelletstoveguy]

You can try new vac switches. Then run it and see if it still over feeds.

There are 3 electrical tabs on each switch. The wires were connected to the outer 2 tabs leaving 1 in the middle. Is that the correct wiring?

Also, the front vacuum switch (door ajar switch) had the tube hooked up to the black nipple, not the grey. It was this way since I bought the house and for a whole season of the stove working. Does that seem wrong to you? The other switch was hooked up as you explained it should be.

First switch was delivered today. Second one just cancelled because it was out of stock so I re-ordered from someone else. Will update once they’re installed. Can’t thank you enough for the help


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[Ssyko]

Both swithches are wired the same (wire diagram is in the manual) and hoses go on the vac side of the switch. To test which side you’ll need a multimeter on OHM’s setting. Hook the leads to the wite terminals of the switch and gently suck on the hose. If the switch makes contact and you get a reading on the meter that will be the side the hose goes to. But im sure they both go on the white or grey.

 

[newpelletstoveguy]

Both swithches are wired the same (wire diagram is in the manual) and hoses go on the vac side of the switch. To test which side you’ll need a multimeter on OHM’s setting. Hook the leads to the wite terminals of the switch and gently suck on the hose. If the switch makes contact and you get a reading on the meter that will be the side the hose goes to. But im sure they both go on the white or grey.

I do have a multimeter and will try that when I get home. You used to be an engineer for Englander or something? Lol I know it’s sort of a simple test but I would never think to do it.

You should be getting paid for this.

I’ll report back after work


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[newpelletstoveguy]

Both swithches are wired the same (wire diagram is in the manual) and hoses go on the vac side of the switch. To test which side you’ll need a multimeter on OHM’s setting. Hook the leads to the wite terminals of the switch and gently suck on the hose. If the switch makes contact and you get a reading on the meter that will be the side the hose goes to. But im sure they both go on the white or grey.

...this will also tell me if the switch is bad or not, right? 0 reading = bad switch?


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[Ssyko]

No im just an autobody technician. But i stayed at a holiday inn express lmao. Ive worked on quite a few and owned one. Yes it will tell you if it is functioning or not

 

[newpelletstoveguy]

No im just an autobody technician. But i stayed at a holiday inn express lmao. Ive worked on quite a few and owned one. Yes it will tell you if it is functioning or not

So I took the chimney pass-through 6” pipe out of the brick chimney, rusted hole right through (looks like it’s been like this for years, I’ve only lived here 2 winters). Beyond that it was clogged with what I don’t even want to describe. Big dead animal.

I re calked around between the brick and the pipe where the animal looks like it got through, god damn previous owner jerry rigged everything in this house it’s horrible. But it’s sealed up now. The chimney literally has an animal jammed in it, so it is outside I’m ordering an entirely new duravent kit and calling it a day.

Englander support never emailed me back, and I tested all my switches with a multimeter, they’re good.


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[Ssyko]

Thats #2 this season for dead animals in chimney’s. And explains why we all ask did you clean everything from intake to chimney cap. Glad you found your issue and let us know how it goes on the revent.

 

[newpelletstoveguy]

Thats #2 this season for dead animals in chimney’s. And explains why we all ask did you clean everything from intake to chimney cap. Glad you found your issue and let us know how it goes on the revent.

Side note while we wait for the new parts to arrive, because of the smother out/fill with smoke episodes last week, my stove interior is now covered in creosote. Should I be worried?

The 3” diameter chimney comes out the back of the stove to the T-pipe, goes up about 3.5 feet to the elbow, then to the 6” x 24” wall pipe through the brick chimney (all parts I just mentioned are being replaced).

The rest of the chimney I believe is 6” or 8” diameter (outside the house) T-Pipe at the wall pass-through, all the way up to the cap above my roof (probably 20-25’ high). I can see the inside of the big outdoor tube is still clean and almost shiny. Indoor part is all getting replaced. So the creosote problem is 100% isolated to the inside of the stove itself and the chimney will be clean and clear, brand new. I’m not worried about a “chimney fire” specifically, but a similar version of that inside my stove itself. Will the chit burn/melt off relatively safely or should I be concerned?


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[Mt Bob]

If you see any thick and gooey,which I doubt,then you should try cleaning it.Other than that,after new pipe is installed,a few good hot fires will turn it to power,in most cases.

 

[Ssyko]

Creosote? Or sooty ash? I doubt you ran it dirty long enough for creosote. I would give it another quick once over so you know everything is good. Then ya got a fresh start.

 

[newpelletstoveguy]

Thanks. I’ll post some pics when I’m home. It is gooey but not horrible or very thick. Just a shiny black layer that wasn’t there before. It’s not even thick enough to stop me seeing through the glass so I don’t think it’s that bad, I just know people have had chimney fires so I wasn’t sure if that was something to worry about.

It wasn’t so much running it poorly for a long time, it was AFTER when it smoked out, the smoke wasn’t getting pulled out and sat in there for probably what took a few hours for it to settle.


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[Nitro-Fish]

The 3” diameter chimney comes out the back of the stove to the T-pipe, goes up about 3.5 feet to the elbow, then to the 6” x 24” wall pipe through the brick chimney (all parts I just mentioned are being replaced).

The rest of the chimney I believe is 6” or 8” diameter (outside the house) T-Pipe at the wall pass-through, all the way up to the cap above my roof (probably 20-25’ high). I can see the inside of the big outdoor tube is still clean and almost shiny. Indoor part is all getting replaced....


Sent from my iPhone X using Tapatalk[/QUOTE]

So, do you have a double wall (or triple wall) exterior chimney or do you have a masonry chimney? From your description above, it sounds like you may have an exposed Class A chimney installed on the exterior of the house (or do you have a masonry chimney with a 6" or 8" flue liner already installed)? Is the 6" x 24" piece you are talking about a single wall or a double wall piece of pipe? Reason for the questions is because if the rest of the flue is exposed exterior Class A (and is in good shape "I can see the inside of the big outdoor tube is still clean and almost shiny", you should be able to be replace just the section(s) that is clogged as opposed to installing a whole new dura-vent kit; if it's a masonry flue with a liner already installed, of course this doesn't apply.

 

[Nitro-Fish]

I guess I should have asked if the animal was in the 3" part that was inside the house (in which case, replacing the entire run won't be that bad) or if it was in the 6" - 8" part that is outside of the house (which would be pretty costly to install a new kit); either way, I bet the smell wasn't pretty!

 

[Mt Bob]

This is absolutely funny,as the very first post,described finding a dead animal in the chimney/flu last year/season,then,appears this is the last thing they checked.Life id good.

 

[newpelletstoveguy]

I guess I should have asked if the animal was in the 3" part that was inside the house (in which case, replacing the entire run won't be that bad) or if it was in the 6" - 8" part that is outside of the house (which would be pretty costly to install a new kit); either way, I bet the smell wasn't pretty!

Correct on the smell... lol. The rust chewed through the pass-through 6x24” single wall crappy pipe that’s prob been in there for 7 years. I’m not talking just a hole in it, the entire final 6-10” of the pipe was completely disintegrated. This is the pipe that connects the interior to the exterior pipes. It passes through the brick chimney, but the brick chimney is not part of the exhaust of the pellet stove. (Fireplace in living room almost directly above pellet stove. Stove is in the basement). The animal came in through that rusted out pipe and was lodged at the joint of the t-pipe, so badly it was holding the 36” piece of the 3” piping to the t-pipe, as if they were glued together. I was smacking the pipes off the ground and the animal was the thread they were hanging on by.

So to answer your question, it was only interior pipes that needed to be replaced. Total of $303 for all of that and a new exhaust blower motor. I didn’t need the motor, but I’m not putting any of that interior piping back in, motor and housing included. The tall, 6-8” exterior pipes which are the double wall pipes that reach about 25’ up, those are all fine, thank god.

Side note to all of that, the hole in the brick where the big pipe passes through is a rectangular shape, whereas the pipe was round. Previous owner of my house who installed it did not seal up those 4 corners around the pipe, which is how this entire problem even began. I have since caulked the corners around the exterior T-pipe, and have ordered all the new interior pieces as well as the pas through, and the exhaust blower motor. Should be up and running soon as everything gets here.

Couple pics here (had to sneak the bike in the last pic for the auto body mechanic in here)

Caulking is a little messy but I will be cleaning that up when the new piping arrives.

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[Nitro-Fish]

So the big pipe in the picture is a double wall pipe from outside? The caulking that you can see from the inside is actually what has been applied from the outside? What kind of caulk? Make sure to use High Temp silicone sealant/gasket maker or a good stove caulk/cement for anything that will be in contact with the pipe (i.e. filling the gaps in the corners); even the double wall pipe will get hot. You can purchase the High temp red (good for intermittent temps up to 650 degrees) in tubes the same size as regular caulking, you will have to paint it to match on the exterior of the house (unless of course it is in a place where it is not an eyesore). If that is a single wall pipe that can be seen in the picture or even if it is a double wall or terra cotta wall thimble, you may just want to mix up some mortar to fill the corners. Make sure you have chimney caps & welded wire mesh (about 3/8" or 1/2" square openings) on the fireplace chimney and the Class A chimney; that will go a long way in keeping the critters out.

 

[newpelletstoveguy]

The big pipe you see is outside, yes. There was a pipe (6" diameter by 24" L) leading from that outside pipe to the beginning of that brick hole you see in the pic, which is the pipe that was rusted out/allowed animal into the lower (indoor) part of the chimney, which as you can see I have removed altogether. Caulking was applied from outside and a little extra from inside, just as a temporary fix because I found the hole late at night and had no silicone caulking in the shed (ordered it before I even filled the holes). I just used some extra acrylic indoor paint caulk I had lying around because it was under 15 degrees outside and I had nothing else to plug the holes with. I will be popping out that acrylic when my high heat silicone caulk gets here today or tomorrow. That's also what I'll be sealing up the new chimney pieces with. Funny thing about the red high heat caulk, A. It's in a place where it wouldn't be an issue visually and B. my house is red! (I hate the color of my house, but finally, here's ONE situation where it's a positive lol). I would've repainted the house myself if the paint wasn't nearly brand new. It was painted right before I bought it, literally looks like the previous owner went to the store and told his 3 year old child to pick a color... it's awful. Bright red with blue trim....

Anyways, chimney cap is solid, that's all set. Good cap on the brick chimney too for the regular fireplace. I appreciate the advice on that end. Honestly before I found the rusted out pipe I was thinking that the animals chewed through the cap itself and found their way in... but the cap is good and it was just the hole in the pipe causing my animal (and cold air draft) issue.

New blower motor with housing expected delivery TODAY
New T-Pipe expected delivery MONDAY
6" extension piece needed for my chimney setup expected MONDAY
3" x 36" chimney pipe expected TODAY
Corner chimney piece Not shipped yet
6x24" pass-through wall pipe Not shipped yet

I was able to get ALL except the T-pipe (and exhaust blower motor housing) in black. I think it'll look much better for my setup than the silver/grey chimney, wish I could've found a black T-pipe too but the ones I found were either wrong size or horrible reviews across the board.

Also, I'm a little bit nervous because my 3" piping is slightly over 3" in diameter... I assume they're just standard "3 inch" pipes but they're slightly larger so things fit together. One of them was almost 3.5" though so I guess I'll find out when everything arrives. Hopefully not gonna have to return 4 or 5 pieces out of the 6 I ordered, but we shall see. As previously mentioned I do have other heat in the house so I'm OK. But it would be nice to save some money and use the stove (plus I miss that pellet stove cozy smell).

I'll be back here when things are put together...

 

[newpelletstoveguy]

So the big pipe in the picture is a double wall pipe from outside? The caulking that you can see from the inside is actually what has been applied from the outside? What kind of caulk? Make sure to use High Temp silicone sealant/gasket maker or a good stove caulk/cement for anything that will be in contact with the pipe (i.e. filling the gaps in the corners); even the double wall pipe will get hot. You can purchase the High temp red (good for intermittent temps up to 650 degrees) in tubes the same size as regular caulking, you will have to paint it to match on the exterior of the house (unless of course it is in a place where it is not an eyesore). If that is a single wall pipe that can be seen in the picture or even if it is a double wall or terra cotta wall thimble, you may just want to mix up some mortar to fill the corners. Make sure you have chimney caps & welded wire mesh (about 3/8" or 1/2" square openings) on the fireplace chimney and the Class A chimney; that will go a long way in keeping the critters out.

Tried to quote you in that last post on desktop version, didn’t work. Wasn’t sure if you’d get a notification so here it is!


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[newpelletstoveguy]

Pic worth 1000 words


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[Nitro-Fish]

Yep, got it. In looking at the pictures, it doesn't look like there is an OAK for your set-up, maybe there is and I'm just not seeing it, but if not maybe you can use one of the corners you are trying to fill if there is enough room to sneak by to get it outside. I cant remember the size of the OAK on the Englander, I do know its smaller than the Harman (2" for the PDV?) even if you have to bring in two (or more) smaller ones and join them once inside (you may have to get creative) to get the right air volume, it may be something to consider while you have everything apart. Remember to protect the OAK on the outside so no critters can get in it!

 

[Nitro-Fish]

Just saw your sketch, that sucks!

 

[newpelletstoveguy]

You’re correct I do not have an OAK just the intake pipe that’s part of the stove with nothing attached to it. Before last month I had never done even 5 min of research on a pellet stove, and until 3 min ago didn’t know what an OAK was lol. I will mention my stove worked great before mr Squirrel (or whatever it was) got stuck. But that being said, what will an OAK help me with? I’ll have to re-evaluate how much space I have to get the pipes through the brick but I’m open to ideas.


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[newpelletstoveguy]

And just to reiterate, every piece of piping (except the coupling/adapter piece I was able to salvage) from that hole down to the exhaust blower will be brand new. Pretty excited for that


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[newpelletstoveguy]

This is absolutely funny,as the very first post,described finding a dead animal in the chimney/flu last year/season,then,appears this is the last thing they checked.Life id good.

You’re right my friend. It sucks because even with the clean out cap opened, the dead animal was still blocking the way (and not moving)


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