Hi Guys - We've had an Austroflamm Integra since 1995 (it was a one year old floor model). We've had some issues over the years, but generally it's been a very good stove. For the past week or two, we've noticed that the stove starts putting out less heat the day after I clean it. If I let it go two days before shutting it down and cleaning it, the heat output is even more diminished.
At first I thought it was the convection fan. It makes a slight rattle, which increases in volume when I go from 3 to 4 (out of six) on the user control board. When I replaced the convection fan/motor 7-8 years ago, it was because the bearings were squealing and the blades were noticeably slower - almost seized. This is a different sound, but could mean the same thing. Does anyone know if I can replace or lubricate the bearings? I hate to spend another $220 for a new fan assembly.
Even if the convection fan is an issue, it doesn't explain why the heat output reduces the way it does. When I start the stove up after having cleaned it, we get plenty of hot air. The next day it's really warm air and the day after that, just warm air. The combustion fan seems to be running fine, although I have no way of measuring the rpms of either fan. There does seem to be quite a bit of clinker in the burn pot, but we've been using the same pellets (Hamers Hot Ones and Barefoot) the whole winter so I ruled the pellets out. I also can't figure out how the high and low limit switches could be involved. My one thought is to adjust the air/pellet balance, but haven't done that since we first got the stove and am sort of worried I might screw it up. The flames seem - to me - a pretty dark yellow. They decrease in size every day. A very small amount of pellet ash is popping out of the burn pot, but really not much at all.
Following is my maintenance schedule, as it might rule out some of the possibilities. Thank you in advance for any help you might offer.
I remove the sides and cast iron every 6 weeks or so and vacuum it out (both from around the tubes and the smoke exhaust chamber behind the tubes that leads to the combustion fan, as well as the square holes that connect the two). I even remove the combustion fan and suck out the ash before and after the fan blades. I clean the stove pipe at the same time. As I noted above,I replaced the convection fan/motor 7-8 years ago and we had to have the main board replaced after a brown-out maybe 12 years ago). I keep a new combustion fan and auger motor on hand for when if/when they will be needed.
At first I thought it was the convection fan. It makes a slight rattle, which increases in volume when I go from 3 to 4 (out of six) on the user control board. When I replaced the convection fan/motor 7-8 years ago, it was because the bearings were squealing and the blades were noticeably slower - almost seized. This is a different sound, but could mean the same thing. Does anyone know if I can replace or lubricate the bearings? I hate to spend another $220 for a new fan assembly.
Even if the convection fan is an issue, it doesn't explain why the heat output reduces the way it does. When I start the stove up after having cleaned it, we get plenty of hot air. The next day it's really warm air and the day after that, just warm air. The combustion fan seems to be running fine, although I have no way of measuring the rpms of either fan. There does seem to be quite a bit of clinker in the burn pot, but we've been using the same pellets (Hamers Hot Ones and Barefoot) the whole winter so I ruled the pellets out. I also can't figure out how the high and low limit switches could be involved. My one thought is to adjust the air/pellet balance, but haven't done that since we first got the stove and am sort of worried I might screw it up. The flames seem - to me - a pretty dark yellow. They decrease in size every day. A very small amount of pellet ash is popping out of the burn pot, but really not much at all.
Following is my maintenance schedule, as it might rule out some of the possibilities. Thank you in advance for any help you might offer.
I remove the sides and cast iron every 6 weeks or so and vacuum it out (both from around the tubes and the smoke exhaust chamber behind the tubes that leads to the combustion fan, as well as the square holes that connect the two). I even remove the combustion fan and suck out the ash before and after the fan blades. I clean the stove pipe at the same time. As I noted above,I replaced the convection fan/motor 7-8 years ago and we had to have the main board replaced after a brown-out maybe 12 years ago). I keep a new combustion fan and auger motor on hand for when if/when they will be needed.