Quadra-Fire Castile Insert - Think Auger Motor is Kaput

[sesro1978]

Hi-

Well I think my Quad's auger motor is toast. I say this because over the past week or so, I've noticed that upon start-up the auger motor makes a noise like it wants to turn (or whatever it does) but doesn't...I'm not sure how I would describe this; an electric grinding/buzzing sound...? Likewise, when it finally does start to go, after the initial start up cycle, the motor makes the same noise but eventually it starts feeding. That all changed tonight. Stove started up (did the electric grinding/buzz noise) and entered the startup cycle. After the startup cycle completed, the green light came on but it simply stopped feeding pellets. I pushed reset a few times - no dice (this has worked before). I unplugged the stove - same result; no pellets came out of the chute.

I don't think it's a jam as I stuck a flat-head screwdriver up the chute to loosen any lodged pellets, but nothing fell out (this trick has worked in the past).

Anyway, are there any good resources out there on replacing the auger motor and auger (if that should need to be replaced too)? Any suggestions where I can get a new motor?

Thanks!

 

[DMKNLD]

Your auger runs on a negative pressure via the vacuum switch, which has a small diameter clear tube that goes from a nipple on your auger tube to the back of the stove where your vacuum switch lives. If there is intermittent vacuum pressure your auger can do weird stuff like what it sounds like it is doing. The vacuum tube can crack from the stove heat over years, usually near the auger nipple, or more often it can get plugged with sawdust, especially if you're burning dusty pellets.

Take that tube off at both ends and blow through it, or use some dust off spray if you have some of that to blow through the tube to make sure it is clear of any sawdust. If your vacuum tube is split or cracked near the nipple end you can trim the bad section off and re-attach it.

Then take a straightened paper clip or small diameter wire and stick it in the nipple on the auger tube to make sure it is free of sawdust. Hook the tube back up and restart the stove to see if that fixes your auger function.

If no go, next step is to bypass / jumper your vacuum switch, which will take some electrical savvy / awareness to not defibrillate your control box, or yourself. If you're up for it, we can help you troubleshoot that. But I would check your vacuum tube for blockage first.

If you have a small mirror and a flashlight you can get a better look from the firebox end of the pellet drop chute to shine up there and make sure something isn't blocking the top of the chute or obstructing your auger. If you're burning longer than 1" pellets they can 'bridge' at the top of the pellet chute, or you can get auger obstruction from just about anything - piece of a pellet bag, pellet mill production detritus, kids toys if you have little one's in the house, etc,

It's not too hard to take the whole auger out, which you can then run the auger motor out of the stove to 'bench test' it, which will also require you to bypass / jumper the vacuum switch. Post back after you've tried the simplest stuff first - ie check the vacuum tube.

 

[sesro1978]

Thanks DMKNLD, really appreciate the guidance! I'll let you know what the initial investigation turns up.

 

[DMKNLD]

You're welcome,that's what this forum is all about, sesro ! Lot's of Quad Castile folks on here to help out. Good luck !

 

[kappel15]

The grinding noise doesn't sound good. And when you pull the auger assy., it is a good time to check the allen screw that holds auger to shaft to make sure it is tight. kap

 

[sesro1978]

I'd lean more towards buzzing than grinding...but there's an element of grinding to the noise. It's quite difficult to describe.

We've had the stove for ~6-years and we've had it serviced every year...though I suspect I'm doing a more thorough cleaning. Anyway, I haven't yet pulled the auger/motor (or done any cleaning of it, which is embarrassing).

 

[tjnamtiw]

Do you run the auger dry at the end of the season or leave it full of pellets and fines? Did this noise start as soon as you first started up this fall? It sure sounds like you NEED to pull the auger for one of several reasons. Swelled up pellets jamming the auger, slipping auger in motor, bad motor, or, as no one mentioned yet, the motor may be trying to reverse because the capacitor in line with the motor is going bad.

 

[DMKNLD]

Kap and sesro, I'm still on the same OEM auger after thirteen seasons, according to the maintenance records I got on it before we got it with our farmhouse purchase. Now that I've said that, 'Murphy being with me', the motor will probably die during the cold snap coming this weekend! So 6 yrs seems reasonably new enough to not be crapping out an auger motor. I guess it also depends on the history of power surges, how much 'pellet crunching' it's had to do, was it put together on a Friday at 4:55 PM at the factory, etc.

I know the capacitors can go on those motors, making them run in reverse as it is on it's last leg - might that make it 'buzz' ?

 

[kappel15]

Forward or reverse doesn't matter as far as noise. Best thing is too pull the auger assy. and run it to see what is going on. And ya, you just jinxed yourself. lol kap

And they quit making capacitor jumpers.You have to buy an auger motor to get the capacitor now. Luckily, I stocked up on a few capacitors while I could still get my hands on em.

 

[sesro1978]

Well shoot - sounds like I may be the culprit here I have never emptied the stove completely at the end of the season, only taken as many pellets out as I could scoop out. How do I run the motor w/o turning on the stove or is that what you mean? Sorry guys, not much of an electric guy - I don't mind pulling stuff out of the stove though.

The noise started about a week after I started burning pellets this year - we did switch to a new brand of pellets; from New England Wood Pellets to Granules (I think that's the name). Would that make a difference for the auger?

Appreciate all the help!

 

[kappel15]

Empty hopper and suck as much fuel out of auger tube as possible. Saves making a mess when you pull the auger.Jump vac switch wires together with a pc of wire with insulation on it so you don't zap yourself. Make sure it isn't grounded on anything. Take two screws out of auger assy. One on top and one on bottom. Use a magnetic screwdriver as these little buggers like to fall and disappear. Unplug auger assy wire harness. It is spade connectors you just pull apart. Pull auger assy out of stove. Plug auger assy wire harness back together. Turn up thermostat to turn on stove. Auger will run since vac switch is jumped. Just remember that it will only run for 60 seconds as that is as long as initial fuel dump runs. May have to hit reset to keep it going. kap

 

[DMKNLD]

Are the Granules pellets long - say consistently > 1"? That could cause 'pellet bridging' at either the top or bottom of your auger. Do you adjust your pellet feed gate inside the hopper to get your optimum fire pot flame after you change pellet brands ?

If you left your pellets in the auger over the summer, as tj noted, your auger may be jammed up with swollen sawdust and pellet fines, You could try emptying all the pellets out of the hopper that you can and vacuum out the pellet feed gate of all the pellet residuals that you can - open the feed gate slider all the way to get better access. Gently wiggle the bottom of the auger shaft - there's some play in there between the shaft and the auger tube it lives in, to see if that might release any congealed pellet chunks.

If you have the small shop vac w/ a 1 1/8" hose, you can stick that up the pellet drop chute from the firebox side as far as it will go and gently tap the auger chute above and below the nipple fitting to see if that will break any congealed pellet residue loose.

After that, it's take the auger out as Kap I saw just posted about, Keep us updated !

 

[DMKNLD]

Adding to Kap's post - UNPLUG THE STOVE before jumping your vac switch wires and DC'ing the auger motor wiring harness. Not all your stove wiring is 'hot' / energized all the time, but as a general electrical safety 'pilot's checklist' - unplug the stove, do your wiring over-rides, then plug the stove back in, and then start it up. Unplug the stove again before you replace any defective parts, connect the wires up, re-plug in the stove, then restart ......Rinse........ repeat. Saves potentially defibrillating your $$$$ control board, or yourself !

I tape my dual alligator clipped jumper wire, (or you can use small diameter electrical wire with the insulation stripped just at the ends and stuck into the wiring spade terminals), with electrical tape *just in case* to keep them from grounding / shorting out if you bump the jumper wire and it disconnects by mistake, and then touches some bare metal in your stove.

This recent forum poster got lucky, only blowing a fuse, in what could have crisped his control board, which he fortuitously took out, if that had still been in the stove. https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/please-help-stupid-mistake.134343/#post-1803832

Safety first, for you and your stove !

 

[sesro1978]

Ok, well pulled the stove apart tonight. Pulled the auger and vacuum tube as suggested and cleaned both thoroughly (lots of fine dust and pellets in the auger but no cracks in the vacuum tube). I'm happy to report the stove is back up and running fairly smoothly. The auger motor is still making that buzzing noise a little, but it's not as bad as it was.

I opened up the feed-gate a bit to accommodate some of the longer pellets that I've noticed in with this brand, which I'm hoping helps any potential jamming problems.

The real test (I think) will be having it work again tomorrow, which will partially prove I didn't just get lucky tonight.

Thanks for the help so far guys!

 

[kappel15]

Glad you are running, but I'm still betting on something up with auger motor as they are not suppose to make noise. kap

 

[sesro1978]

Yea, I tend to agree with that - the noise is concerning. I think I may order another motor while this one is up and running. Hopefully that will avoid any unnecessary downtime.

 

[kappel15]

Sounds like a plan.

 

[tjnamtiw]

Ordering a back up is a great idea! AND it will ensure that the original will last another 10 years as long as there's one on the shelf ha ha ha. At least that's my luck.

 

[DMKNLD]

Strong work sesro !! Diving in to something you've never done electrically or mechanically before can certainly take a leap of faith.

I think of it as kind of like 'landing the airplane' if your pilot buddy has 'the big one' in mid-flight. You got the control tower guy - 'Captain Kap' - on the 'pellet forum frequency' with you - he's cool as a cucumber, talkin' you in - "a little more flap lowering, sesro one niner seven eight" - "ease up on the throttle a bit" - your heart's in your throat, but then..... before you know it, it's 'wheels down' and you're on the ground in one piece !! LOL.

Well, maybe troubleshooting a stove isn't quite as dramatic as landing an airplane would be......, but self- satisfying none the less to be able to troubleshoot a problem no doubt. Certainly, with out "Quad wizards" like Kap and others on this forum, I'd be flying blind or would have crashed and burned many times by now....... But, I digress .

Did you run the auger while it was out of the auger tube as a 'bench test', or just in the stove? Quads seem to have a lot of harmonic vibration in general, (my wife frequently asks "why the stove buzzes so much"), so that would tell you if the auger was making the noise while both in the stove and out of it, or not.

X 2 on the auger back - up sounds like a good plan.

Kap, are you rep-ing Quad parts by chance ? We can chat off-post on Private Messaging if that's easier.

 

[kappel15]

You are also a valuable asset to this forum and newbies DMKLB. Don't short yourself. You would give any tech a run for his money. Same as tjnamtiw, and many others. kap