New house, new pellet stove. Lots of questions.
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Awesome you got it going !! Vacuum switch with hose ? how is the condition of the hose ? Be aware that hose is heat resistant you can't use just any hose.. I believe
Also, if it were me , I'd fire it up and see if it keeps running, no other issues. IMO... others may think otherwise...
I'd test run it as well to check for normal function while waiting for the new vacuum switch. Perhaps not run it while you're not around just to be careful.
YMMV,
Hugh
Hey guys,
So I had to wait a bit to get the new vac switch. It just got here and I hooked it up. There is power going to everything with the new vac switch but the damn thing still isn't working. I'm officially getting pissed.
The hose is clear. I can look through it completely.
When I set up the new switch the auger started to turn instantly, I unplugged the stove and continued to mount the switch...NOW its not working???? The heck?
I know our stove says it can take 15 minutes to "warm up" so I'm letting it do its thing for 15 minutes. Shrugs. But I doubt it will work because in times past it would pull pellets into the fire box and be running. I just don't know. I'm literally at a loss now. It takes a LOT to make me mad but this stove is making me angry lol.
So I had to wait a bit to get the new vac switch. It just got here and I hooked it up. There is power going to everything with the new vac switch but the damn thing still isn't working. I'm officially getting pissed.
The hose is clear. I can look through it completely.
When I set up the new switch the auger started to turn instantly, I unplugged the stove and continued to mount the switch...NOW its not working???? The heck?
I know our stove says it can take 15 minutes to "warm up" so I'm letting it do its thing for 15 minutes. Shrugs. But I doubt it will work because in times past it would pull pellets into the fire box and be running. I just don't know. I'm literally at a loss now. It takes a LOT to make me mad but this stove is making me angry lol.
Okay, so
How is this not making sense? Is this something beyond the auger and vacuum switch? I can't keep buying parts for this thing. Lord have mercy.
Alright, it wasn't doing anything after running for sometime. So I bypassed the vacuum switch again.....the auger would start turning and function normally for a bit....which it what it did prior when I bypassed it but at that point I unplugged the stove and assumed it was the switch. But I continued to let it run in bypass mode.....IT STOPPED, the auger stopped. ?!?!?
How is this not making sense? Is this something beyond the auger and vacuum switch? I can't keep buying parts for this thing. Lord have mercy.
Mt Bob
Minister of Fire
Lets start with basics, the start up procedure-
Plug stove in.
Turn stove on.
Combustion blower starts, sucks the vacuum switch closed. Which starts the igniter and the auger.
The auger only runs for a predetermined time, stove waits to "see" itself start. This is done by a thermocouple. It is in/above the burn pot. If it does not "see" a signal (heat from flames), stove goes into shut down mode. Has to complete before restarting can be tried.
Many issues are with the thermocouple, but the most prevalent is-
It MUST be inserted fully into the ceramic shield it goes inside of.If not, it will read low temperatures. Sometimes the tip goes bad, and sometimes it can be visually obvious.
Perhaps this will help.
Plug stove in.
Turn stove on.
Combustion blower starts, sucks the vacuum switch closed. Which starts the igniter and the auger.
The auger only runs for a predetermined time, stove waits to "see" itself start. This is done by a thermocouple. It is in/above the burn pot. If it does not "see" a signal (heat from flames), stove goes into shut down mode. Has to complete before restarting can be tried.
Many issues are with the thermocouple, but the most prevalent is-
It MUST be inserted fully into the ceramic shield it goes inside of.If not, it will read low temperatures. Sometimes the tip goes bad, and sometimes it can be visually obvious.
Perhaps this will help.
MT Bob this stove uses a snap disc in the exhaust by the combustion motor
If memory serves the stove is a Heatilator Eco PS50
Here is the manual
Bob Sorjanen
Member
would manually lighting this stove prove anything? It would be easy to do and maybe solve a bunch of problems.
Okay, well I let it do its thing. It finally dropped pellets into the burn pot. We got a small flame, it burned out. I reset it, we got a bigger flame, it dropped pellets by itself and I got super hopeful!! The flame looked normal and I thought the fan would kick on ....but no. It burned out. Sigh. My husband checked the thermocouple and it was fine, or at least he thought so.
So, maybe the thermocouple is bad??? Shaking my head.
![[Hearth.com] New house, new pellet stove. Lots of questions.](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/290/290208-fc3fa70be55128946548abdd2b323560.jpg?hash=GEmQUJJ_CM "[Hearth.com] New house, new pellet stove. Lots of questions.")
Do you have any idea what year your stove is?
Same manual for the 35
open it and see page 26 Right top of the drawing shows the auger motor circuit
Do not just change parts test each part by jumping it and starting the stove make sure the door and hopper are closed before starting
Same manual for the 35
open it and see page 26 Right top of the drawing shows the auger motor circuit
Do not just change parts test each part by jumping it and starting the stove make sure the door and hopper are closed before starting
I have no idea how old the stove is. It came with the house we just bought back in November.
When the new vacuum switch came today, I did put the old auger motor back on, but it actually seized up. So I am glad that I had the new one. When I bypassed the vacuum switch previously the stove started working, which is why I got the vacuum switch..
All the doors are closed, but the hopper door does not need to be closed because someone bypassed the switch on this thing because the hopper switch is broken. It came into my care like that. So it works with the door open.
Mt Bob
Minister of Fire
OK The thermocouple is what changes the stove from start mode to run mode. Your snap switches do other things. See this-
![[Hearth.com] New house, new pellet stove. Lots of questions.](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/1642553709148-webp.290182/ "[Hearth.com] New house, new pellet stove. Lots of questions.")
See what lights are on and what they are doing. This is some built in diagnostics
See what lights are on and what they are doing. This is some built in diagnostics
I have seen all of the lights. The blue comes on like you said when it first starts. Mine blinks like 6 times if I'm not mistaken. Awhile ago I did see the green light, but just checked now and it is red. There is a healthy flame on medium setting with a slow feed rate. I keep it on a slow feed because when it over feeds I get a lazy flame. It will still on occasion get lazy but it corrects and goes back down within a few seconds.
It's been running smoothly since I last posted a photo. My living room is a warm 73ish degrees currently, which is so welcoming! It's been so long without this baby running. I pray it starts up tomorrow with no issues.
Mt Bob
Minister of Fire
Mt Bob
Minister of Fire
So I am confused,you had said it was a ps50, but now say it is a ps35? The reason I ask is if the control box is set wrong, it can overfeed pellets,and possibly not run right on all the heat settings.
Mt Bob
Minister of Fire
Oh,pellets dropping and flame going up and down is quite normal for lots of stoves that are "top feed". Just the nature of the beast. Good luck in the morning. 6 flashes should be right for a PS35.
Mt Bob
Minister of Fire
And before I forget, the thermocouples are known for causing poor starts, intermittent starting and inconsistent burning.
Kay folks. It’s dying down. The auger motor is making a noise? The flame went from a beautiful flame, to this tiny baby flame that hardly goes above the fire box wall regardless of feed rate.
I am hearing this noise, never heard it prior to the new auger motor.
Hope I can upload a video.
Edited to add that it is not up to temp according to the thermostat in the other room, which is bizarre. Livingroom is reading 73 and the thermostat is reading 67 in the next room. I think I'm going to need a new stove soon.
I am hearing this noise, never heard it prior to the new auger motor.
Hope I can upload a video.
Edited to add that it is not up to temp according to the thermostat in the other room, which is bizarre. Livingroom is reading 73 and the thermostat is reading 67 in the next room. I think I'm going to need a new stove soon.
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I probably thought it was a ps50 when I started the thread. Checked the manual prior to ordering the first part and it is a 35.
A few degrees off is normal for any stove, mine is off about that most days
I hear the noise, can't comment if it's unusual or something to be concerned about..
I do not remember hearing this prior during all the testing. It just randomly started. Very bizarre. I turned the stove off because the flame just was not doing swell. I'll investigate today now that it is cooled off.
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