my idiot electrician... (limit switch problem)

[j7art2]

I'm sure it'll work, I'm more or less worried about whether or not it'll be as accurate, or will allow smoke to go where it shouldn't be, or create drafts where there shouldn't be. My chimney is already drafty enough -- 30 foot tall and enormous. Even on a good day after a cleaning, I still can flood the basement with smoke if I'm not careful.

 

[brenndatomu]

The limit switch has nothing to do with smoking, unless maybe it was keeping the blower running all the time to the point of cooling the flue gasses too much, causing creosote to plug things up. But that is a faulty switch, or one that had the temps set WAY wrong.

 

[j7art2]

Those were the settings that worked for me before the electrician broke the dial. I had been setting it via trial and error before hand. Who knows how much tinkering the previous home owner did with it. He tried getting it working, and couldn't, and thus it sat unused for 8+ years.

My setup is estimated to be around 40 years old, and my wood furnace does not have a fan other than an air induction fan. The LP furnace it's attached to blows the air through the vents unlike new systems who have their own fans and ductwork. All air from the LP furnace passes through the wood furnace when not in use and using propane. Weird setup. Like I said, I just did what seemed to work. I have no idea if those settings were right or not, but I suspected long ago that the limit switch was already buggered significantly before I even started using it.

 

[brenndatomu]

What kind of wood furnace?
The settings in the pic look a lil cool to me. The high limit is good at 200, the fan start setting usually around 150 is common, and 110-120 for fan off is common for wood furnaces

 

[j7art2]

It's an old dinosaur of an Energy-Mate. It works though so I can't complain I guess. I'll be glad to replace it with something more efficient when I have the money (which will be never more than likely.. ugh)

Here's a bunch of pics, and the problem I initially had with it if you're up for a read on the whole ordeal:

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/wood-furnace-issues-energy-mate.133189/#post-1789720

 

[TCaldwell]

Wonder if the electrician realizes how much coverage he is getting here

 

[Bspring]

I have one of those on mine and I tinker with it all the time. If the spring is a little out of wack it will still work, you will just need to adjust the first two pins to have it come on at the right time and cut off when it cools down.

 

[j7art2]

I had to order a new one. It sprung back into place yesterday, but the high limit tab was in the area that it's not supposed to be now, past the stopper. It doesn't turn at all anymore. Ordered a used/like new one on Amazon from their warehouse yesterday.

 

[Karl_northwind]

The installation instructions in those say very specifically to NOT rotate the dial. the dial doesn't rotate (except permanently apparently) you are to " hold the dial in place and move the pointers with an ittie bittie screwdriver" (paraphrased from the manual)
I certainly wouldn't trust it to do the safety/control function necessary for the operation of a solid fuel burning appliance in my house after that.

k

 

[j7art2]

What a nightmare...

I got my limit switch today. The model number was the same with the exception of a sideways 1 at the end. See pic.



Looks a little different, with no limit stopper for the upper Likely just an updated model. Sorry the pic is blurry. Camera doesn't like to focus in the dark:




Anyway, I hooked it all up as before. I looked for the jumper in the middle and it was still there, so I didn't mess with it. Flipped on the power, and shorted my LP furnace board.

I called the heating and cooling guy. Surged the board enough to not only blow the 3A fuse, but leave a black mark in the board. He asked me if I clipped the jumper, and I said no. He said that often they're clipped, but not removed, and you can't often see the clipping. He's coming out tomorrow to put in a new board, and get everything going.

So, this $100 ordeal has now become a $600 ordeal. Not cool.

 

[GENECOP]

Been following....we all get into those downward spirals.....just keep paying and pushing, it will all work out....