Environment FPI bought used. Worked OK for first couple of years. Replaced e few parts. Every once in a while, the high limit switch would trip. I cleaned the exhaust and convection blowers but it continued to be unreliable. Stove starts fine, low temperature switch closes after 5 minutes, convection blower fails to come on. After around 15 minutes, high limit sensor trips and fuel feed stops. As the flame dies, the convection blower comes on. Every once in awhile, the convection blower has come on a minute or so before the high limit sensor is about to trip and the stove stabilizes and will run fine from there. I suspect the control board. It’s an old 1st generation board. There is almost no information I can find online about this. Is there anyone that can point me to the next step?
Older Enviro FPI overheating
- Thread starter Gizdaniels
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ARC
Minister of Fire
I would suspect a dirty, bad or going bad low limit switch or failing room blower. Here is a copy of the enviro service guide.
How do you know the switch closes? Did you replace the convection/room blower? Could be going bad and only starting sometimes. When if fails to start can you hear it humming. I know it will be difficult to hear because the combustion blower is going. If easy access to room blower try spinning fan to see if it needs help. Don't use your fingers. Or if you have a multimeter test to see if it is getting power after you say the low temperature switch closes.
I used a multimeter to test the low limit switch. I got continuity about five minutes after starting. I will test for voltage at the convection blower next. I did clean the blower. It was pretty clogged. Stay tuned..
See page 35 of the above manual for the 160 deg fan switch
I would suggest you replace it if the 200 deg overheat switch
pops or the convection fan fails to start
I would suggest you replace it if the 200 deg overheat switch
pops or the convection fan fails to start
ARC
Minister of Fire
Most Enviro blowers have a oil port at front and back of motor, if you have power try a drop or two of 3 and 1 or similar. Being your stove is a older stove it might or might not have the oil ports.
Tested voltage to convection blower. Only 12V AC to the blower. Wired blower to AC plug and it ran fine. Turned on stove and now it’s working fine. My conclusion, Motherboard is powering everything except for the convection blower. Wish I had a circuit diagram for this board.
It may be a big help if we knew the year your stove was built and model
Unfortunately there are none available, only thing that can be done is reverse engineer the circuits. It may be the triac that shorted internally that has cut voltage. They can be tested with the board out of the stove and no power using tour dmm.
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ARC
Minister of Fire
it is hard to work on inserts with power problem. Your daughter board is a generation one per your picture. The circuit board is behind that board does the back of the board look like the one below? Does the plug look like the one below? Picture of the back of your board if you can. I would make a small jumper wire and jump the low limit switch, tape the connections on jumper so it does not short to stove body. Then press on, blower should come on if it was working properly, Test voltage at both brown wires on board at back of plug should be 115-127. Then check voltage at blue wire. The fuses then traics.
Good picture here: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/enviro-50-2088-empress-milan-fpi-circuit-board-repair.155022/
![[Hearth.com] Older Enviro FPI overheating](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/336/336760-9eace2ae130c3314d4d1f7a78af7fbd2.jpg?hash=p6sksYdyvy "[Hearth.com] Older Enviro FPI overheating")
![[Hearth.com] Older Enviro FPI overheating](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/board-webp.336728/ "[Hearth.com] Older Enviro FPI overheating")
![[Hearth.com] Older Enviro FPI overheating](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/plug-webp.336729/ "[Hearth.com] Older Enviro FPI overheating")
Good picture here: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/enviro-50-2088-empress-milan-fpi-circuit-board-repair.155022/
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![[Hearth.com] Older Enviro FPI overheating](/talk/data/attachments/336/336761-c3753c6461ce9a12c12c3c6d772b884c.jpg?hash=ui-JVN-q7m)
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That is an older but goodie Empress with that serial number. 99% its the control board, and if its the original board it owes you nothing.
The last series boards (Soft startup daughter and Motherboards) were better performers, we went through a bunch of first run boards that would also make the convection blower warble in sound, we replaced blowers until it dawned onto us that some replacement blowers did the same thing, then Enviro tech (begrudgingly) let us know the first run of boards were the issue. Anyway, if blower runs ok on direct power, is best to have a rheostat on test line to vary its speed too, but I'm agreeing with all, prob control board. Keep her going...
The last series boards (Soft startup daughter and Motherboards) were better performers, we went through a bunch of first run boards that would also make the convection blower warble in sound, we replaced blowers until it dawned onto us that some replacement blowers did the same thing, then Enviro tech (begrudgingly) let us know the first run of boards were the issue. Anyway, if blower runs ok on direct power, is best to have a rheostat on test line to vary its speed too, but I'm agreeing with all, prob control board. Keep her going...
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