No Vacuum in burn pot(Quad Castille)

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MainePellethead

Minister of Fire
Hearth Supporter
Dec 9, 2007
904
Southern Maine
Hi everyone.....This is the second season with my Castile and it has ran flawlessy Well....now i need some advise/help. I shut down for cleaning yesterday....started it back up....combustion came on as the pellets were dropping before the flame ignition...but no ignition and no vacuum flowing through burn pot.. Any ideas? Is there a fuse.....resets? etcetc.....dont tell me the damn thing went already. Its still under warranty but just a hassle. I appreciate ANY input :) Thanks again....
 
There are two things I would try right away. The same thing has happened to me a few times...

1. Unplug the stove for a few minutes, then plug it back in and try to restart.
2. Next, there is a reset button on the back of the Castille. It is located on the right side when looking at the front of the stove.

*** NOTE: Before trying these things, I would scoop out the exsisting pellets that are in the fire-pot first. Sometimes when I use the reset button, I have found that it will have too many pellets in the pot and, I will have a hard time getting them all ignited. ****
 
Bucktail said:
There are two things I would try right away. The same thing has happened to me a few times...

1. Unplug the stove for a few minutes, then plug it back in and try to restart.
2. Next, there is a reset button on the back of the Castille. It is located on the right side when looking at the front of the stove.

*** NOTE: Before trying these things, I would scoop out the exsisting pellets that are in the fire-pot first. Sometimes when I use the reset button, I have found that it will have too many pellets in the pot and, I will have a hard time getting them all ignited. ****

ok....sorry....let me re explain what is going on.....

my mistake. i said the convection motor isnt coming......but I dont know that lol....cause its not igniting to get it hot enough to come on. Whats happening is......I turn up my thermostat....pellets drop.....combustion motor comes on....but no air if coming through the holes in the pot to ignite the pellets. Igniter is working fine. And it happened all of a sudden after a cleaning. The holes arent plugged.....is there an area I should check for blockage?
 
Just a simple suggestion - be sure that the plate on the bottom of the firepot is closed all the way.
 
if it's dropping pellets the plate is closed. Sounds like restricted air flow, follow the air flow from beginning all the way to the end of exhaust system. Sounds like a blockage somewhere. Have you taken out the baffle and the back plates??
 
humpin iron said:
if it's dropping pellets the plate is closed. Sounds like restricted air flow, follow the air flow from beginning all the way to the end of exhaust system. Sounds like a blockage somewhere. Have you taken out the baffle and the back plates??


which baffles and back plates? I keep the thing pretty up on the cleaning. The burn pot has no vacuum......so to me the vacuum switch seems to be off? Maybe from a blockage? I thought i was keeping all areas clean.....am I missing something? I clean behind the bricks etc....I keep the horizontal piping and and vertical very clean. Can I by pass the vacuum switch ?? lol.....ugh
 
if pellets are dropping the vacuum switch is working. The baffle is the stainless plate in the top of your stove, the back plates are the ones with the brick pattern on them, you need to be cleaning behind those items.
the feed motor can not get power unless the vacuum switch senses a negative vacuum in the firebox area, still sounds like a blockage. did you sweep the piping and not open it up to remove the accumulation?
 
humpin iron said:
if pellets are dropping the vacuum switch is working. The baffle is the stainless plate in the top of your stove, the back plates are the ones with the brick pattern on them, you need to be cleaning behind those items.
the feed motor can not get power unless the vacuum switch senses a negative vacuum in the firebox area, still sounds like a blockage. did you sweep the piping and not open it up to remove the accumulation?

I have a horizontal piping from the stove to the outside of approx. 3 feet or so....then it "tee's" up the building 8'. I have swept the piping and vacuumed it with tee cap off etc and stove pulled away from wall. I hear several people in here and at stove shop say blockage.....but I cant see where that can be....still digging. And yes I clean very well behind the brick plates. And above the stainless plate. Its funny it was working....and i shut it down for cleaning.....and wouldnt ramp back up....hmmm.....
 
your solving your own mystery, it worked b-4 you cleaned it, now it does not, it's something you did, retrace your steps in slow motion. I'm willing to bet it's one of those problems that is so obvious that your over looking it...........I can say that cause I've done it a 100 times
 
humpin iron said:
your solving your own mystery, it worked b-4 you cleaned it, now it does not, it's something you did, retrace your steps in slow motion. I'm willing to bet it's one of those problems that is so obvious that your over looking it...........I can say that cause I've done it a 100 times


bingo! your were right!! Damn i love this site....dont make it in to much lately as I dont have time.....but.....I retraced....and after having it all apart...lol....i put back together.....I began to feel in the burnpot....and there it was! lol....Right where the trap door shuts....there was a build up around the pot that I overlooked and was holding the darn trap door open a lil bit....making, no vacuum lol I worked all night last night and havent slept yet so maybe I was slippin....thanks for the help!! Good to have a place to come to and knock noggins......thanks iron and all for the help and input! I can shut the furnace switch off! :)
 
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