Pellet Stove quit working

[stovelark]

I've read this thread, seems that the stove is now doing what its supposed to do. When the thermostat calls for heat, the red call light is lit on your stove. The exhaust blower starts, if vacuum is established, the auger comes on and feeds a startup load of pellets. After about 5-8 mins typically, the ignitor has lit the load of pellets. At this point only the exhaust blower is running. After ignition occurs, when the t/c senses a 200 degree burnpot temp, a green light illuminates on the control board. At that point, the auger will start again, delivering a preset fuel rate to continue the fire temp to increase. When the burnpot reaches 600 degrees, a red light comes on the control board. At that point, the stove is through its start up. You can now set the heat rate on the back (lo/med/hi). About 15-20 after startup, if all other gates have been met, sd# 1 will close, allowing power to be delivered to the convection blower, blowing warm air into the room. When the thermostat reaches the set temp, it opens, the red call light on the control board goes out, pellets stop feeding, the convection blower continues to run until it cools down, sd #1 opens, shutting that blower off, the combustion blower runs for about another 10 to 15 mins, it shuts off. The next time the thermostat calls for heat, the process repeats. It sounds to me your stove is doing that. Sometimes, espec if the tstat is flaky, it will miss a call. You may also have had a t/c issue as someone has suggested. If the call light comes on and nothing happens, try hitting the reset button on the back of the stove, it resets the startup cycle. Good luck with her, it does sound like its working normally....

 

[sammer4u]

Here is the sequence of a cold start up. I believe it is doing everything as stovelark mentioned, however it is never hitting the thermostat set temp. It is shutting down way before it comes close to the set temp. Please read this sequence... seems like something is not working right to shut it down early.

Temp in garage at cold start 40°F outside temp 14°. Thermometer is a standard outdoor thermometer mounted 25’-0” across from stove about 7’-0” off floor. Accuracy is not proven with this thermometer, but is good for what I require it for. Fan switch is set to the medium selection, the middle of the three options. The hopper gate is opened to its maximum opening allowing the most pellets into auger. Thermostat is set at 60°. Pellet stove reset button is hit and the red call light comes on. First ignition flare up is at 2:25. Green light on control box comes on at 4:25. Red light on control box comes on at 8:23. At this time there is a loud howling sound and there is constant power to the red wire from the control box to the vacuum switch. At 10 minutes flame is starting to die out, no feed motor action, red light still on control box and call light still light. Power to both wires on disc number 3. Power to only one side of disc number 1. 10:40 feed motor activates, no constant power to red wire on vacuum switch only happens when auger motor operates. 14:30 flame dying out again no feed motor action, red light still on control box and call light still light. 15:47 feed motor activates, no constant power to red wire on vacuum switch only happens when auger motor operates. 16:27 green light on control box comes on. 17:50 red light on control box comes on. 18:48 Green light, 19:12 Red light, 20:23 Green light, 20:30 red light 22:53 convection blower comes on and no feed motor action, red light still on control box and call light still light. 24:41 feed motor comes on. 25:05 convection blower goes off, and green light on control box comes on. Green light goes out of control box and no light is on except for call light at 42:05. Complete shutdown of system, combustion blower is off at 43:09. The red call light is still on, but system is now down. Thermostat is still set for 60° temperature needle on thermostat is barely visible (Lowest setting is 50°) no change in thermometer across room still shows 40°. During this test, all original snap discs are installed. A new vacuum switch and thermostat are installed (which I do not believe either was the problem either). Hope this helps get answers for this system.

 

[stovelark]

ok I didn't hear anything about your combustion blower coming on initially, did it? Is that the howling source? It would explain some things. If the combustion blower is not coming on and running properly, then vacuum is not being established, which means inconsistent/no auger feedings. You have the feed rate fully open? That's usually not needed either, I'm wondering what pellets you are burning. But if you bypass the vacuum switch, all operates ok?? If so, one of 2 things, a weak combustion blower or lack of air flow through the stove due to blockage of exh path, I don't think yet that there is anything wrong with control board. is the ash pan door warped, maybe losing air flow at it? would be helpful to put a manometer on the vacuum line and check draft. Let us know, good luck..

 

[sammer4u]

I believe the combustion blower is working. It kicks in right away and then shortly after ignition the smoke is blown out. I am quite certain their is no air leakage or damaged items causing a seal issue. Vacuum switch is new. I may need to call a tech in the morning. I have no source for magnetometer. Everything is clean and clear.

 

[sammer4u]

After advice from the service tech, I jumped the vacuum switch out and the stove ran as it should. It continued to run with the convection blower on, no issues. I forced it into a shutdown (left hopper door open) and let it cycle through its sequence. I then blew through the vacuum tube towards the auger, and removed it and stuck a wire into the nipple on the auger. I hooked the wires back to the vacuum switch with the hose reconnected. It fired up (did not take as long as the stove was still fairly warm) and convection blower came on. Once the convection blower came on, it seemed as if the fire in the pot was getting smaller, the auger was not pushing pellets in. After a few minutes the auger started up again and it flared up and the blower continued. Then after a few minutes the flame was going down again and no auger moving. At this point I called it quits. Not sure if this tells you anything? But this is a new vacuum switch with a new tube.

 

[Ssyko]

Sammer the new vacuum switch does it have 1 or 2 hose Connections?

 

[sammer4u]

1 hose.

 

[stovelark]

Hmmm, if the flame drew down a bit after the stove's convection blower came on, that's not unusual for most Quad stoves (this stove is made by same co as Quadrafire, HHT (Hearth and Home Technologies). How is the heat output from those pellets?? Any fuel change or is this same pellets you've been using? During this operation happening, do you know if the thermocouple indicator lights on the control board change?? Go from say Red to green, then back to red at any time?? The problem is when the vac sw is bypassed, all operates normally right?? That indicates an issue with vacuum or air flow through the stove. Which points back to cleanliness of the exh path, or vac developed by the combustion blower. Were you able to get a vacuum reading yet? I'm curious....

 

[sammer4u]

I have not been able to get a vacuum reading. I spoke with a tech about this and have not heard back as of yet on my results as I posted. The red and green lights did fluctuate prior to the vacuum switch being bypassed. With vacuum switch bypassed, the stove operated as normal. It has been a couple of days, and I have not "played" with the stove but got to thinking about it. I am going to check out my pellets that I have in the hopper. The current bag in there is one of two left from my early November purchase. They had a weird "musty" smell to them, but have burned fine until i had problems. When looking in the pellet chute into the fire pot there appears to be sawdust lingering and dropping as the pellets shoot in. I wonder if the last few bags are more dusty than I have been recently using? Would this ultimately be the stoves issue, the dust creating issues with the vacuum switch and it's readings? I may have to try to clean out the hopper and auger chute and shift the last couple of bags of pellets.... remove as much dust as possible. I know I have had dust in bags before, but maybe these last few have been too much? Is this a possibility of a stove not running right? Hmmmm...

 

[sammer4u]

Yesterday I was going through different things. I jumped the vacuum switch out again and the stove ran as it should. I checked the door gasket, tightened the handle, and puffed up the gasket to make a better seal. That was the only thing I could think of. Did not seem to matter as convection blower never came on. I left it alone for 3 hours (since I was getting more frustrated) decided to put in the old vacuum switch and hose. This now makes no sense since I now have all original parts in place and no new parts. The old vacuum switch I actually blew into and sucked on to see what it did after I replaced it with new one. I figured the stove would not work since I "ruined" the old switch by doing this. Plugged it in and the thing has worked for 24 hours as it should. WITH OLD ORIGINAL PARTS? What and why? Probably best not knowing!?

 

[heat seeker]

Maybe the vacuum hose is sealing better, or the nipple has cleared out, or the wind is out of the East...

 

[johneh]

Dam Gremlins you were told no food or water at night !!

 

[sammer4u]

That is what I am going with.. Gremlins! Ha... They took over for over a month too!

 

[sammer4u]

Well that was short lived.. Acted up yesterday. I got home and checked on it, the hopper was completely out of pellets. Filled it and reset it, did the initial start up and let it be. This morning it was not running, red call light on. So I am not sure what the deal is, if running completely out of pellets was the issue and why it is not running now after refill?

 

[Ssyko]

When you refilled the stove. Did you prime the auger before start up?

 

[sammer4u]

Yes.. I wish it were that simple.. usually when it runs out, I take a handful and put it in the pot, start it, hit reset a couple of times and that gets the pellets flowing in the auger..

 

[dozerdean]

Yes.. I wish it were that simple.. usually when it runs out, I take a handful and put it in the pot, start it, hit reset a couple of times and that gets the pellets flowing in the auger..

Just have the grimlens throw in a handful at a time. Problem solved!

 

[sammer4u]

Just have the grimlens throw in a handful at a time. Problem solved!

Wish it were that easy.. Gremlins have a strong hold on this stove this year. They will not allow it to run!

 

[dozerdean]

Wish it were that easy.. Gremlins have a strong hold on this stove this year. They will not allow it to run!

Sometimes I think these stoves are made to throw away! You replace most of the major parts and it still doesn't work right,when you could have used that money towards a new one...

 

[dozerdean]

Sometimes I think these stoves are made to throw away! You replace most of the major parts and it still doesn't work right,when you could have used that money towards a new one...

Let somebody else worry about the gremlins

 

[sammer4u]

Let somebody else worry about the gremlins

I am half thinking about it.. A bit frustrating... and really do not want to pay for a tech to come out and replace everything I have already done once!