Quadra-Fire Castile troubles...

[DMKNLD]

I think but cannot be entirely sure that the yellow/amber light comes on for a sec at plug in then goes out if tc is good and stays on if bad.

Yes, that is correct, I just unplugged / re-plugged in my Castile and I got one amber flash before the blue light flash series, so it sounds like pulke's thermo-couple wasn't the problem, and he's back to square 1 again.

So, here's where it seems like pulke is at. Apparently jumpering his vac switch still didn't get him any auger function. So with a new auger motor, new vac switch, new # 2 snap disc, new thermo-couple, igniter working apparently OK, and combustion blower apparently OK, and still no vacuum, I'm thinking Scott W's thought of a control box issue is what's left for a differential diagnosis?

Re-seating the control box, after unplugging, pulke, is a quick fix try. Then it's seeing if a dealer can test your control board, or if they'll let you swap it out with a working one, or if someone you know nearby with a Quad can swap their board for yours.

We're trying, pulke, as I know you are too, to help figure this out. I'm having flashbacks to my 1st yr stove issues. Stove troubleshooting, besides frustrating, can be as much process of exclusion as it inclusion of what's going on.

tj, Kap, Scott W, any other thoughts?

 

[smwilliamson]

None

 

[smwilliamson]

But you know if he goes and buys a control box I'm quite certain it will be a wiring harness issue and he will yet have another part bought in vain. Gotta get that box into a working stove and see what happens. I'm leaning towards wiring harness cause it just seems too simple...

 

[kappel15]

It is easy to miss something with the process of elimination, when trying to help over the internet. You can't see everything. Just because it is new, doesn't mean it is going to work. And the wire fittings can be a culprit too. Is there a definite that the auger is not turning at all? I have had people buy new snap discs and hook them up, and auger still didn't work, but if they jumped the wires, it did. Everything is leaning towards control box, but I would test before buying a new one.

 

[tjnamtiw]

He used thermocouple wire to jump the vacuum switch. If it's K, that's about 1/2 ohm per foot. It shouldn't make a difference but ................ I'd rather see him use a paper clip.
Feed motor turns by hand, feed motor new but we haven't tested it by jury rigging to an outlet.
Snap disk #2 is new but we haven't jumped across it like Kap suggested or checked it with a mete for zero ohms resistance.
Is the feed motor the same type or does it need an external capacitor?
We ARE running out of options beside the control box. Checking the voltage to the vacuum switch was a good suggestion too. An el cheapo Harbor Freight meter (sometimes free) is all he needs.

 

[pulke01]

I'll have to get a meter tomorrow. You guys are absolutely amazing for all this advice.

Oh, and I don't know if it makes a difference, but I cut the wire to about 4 inches before connecting the switches.

 

[pulke01]

Cut the thermocouple wire...I didn't cut anything else lol.

 

[tjnamtiw]

Cut the thermocouple wire...I didn't cut anything else lol.

hahaha. I just don't know how sensitive to voltage the circuit is. Like I said, it shouldn't make a difference but it wouldn't hurt to just use regular wire or a paper clip.

 

[tjnamtiw]

I'll have to get a meter tomorrow. You guys are absolutely amazing for all this advice.

Oh, and I don't know if it makes a difference, but I cut the wire to about 4 inches before connecting the switches.

You mean connecting the two female wire ends that came off of the vacuum switch, right?

 

[pulke01]

Yes. two females, one male...wire that is

 

[mjlav3]

Does the fire box get hot?if so could just be hopper lid switch. Mine would do everything but feed because it thought the hopper lid was open

 

[Stevekng]

Hi All,

My Quadra-fire Castile will not feed. I had a tech come out and diagnose as I am unfamiliar with this stove being that the stove was installed prior to me buying the home.

He said that my auger feed motor was bad...
I replaced the part and still no feed.
I referred to my manual and it said to replace snap disc 2. I did so. Still no feed.
I went back to the manual and it said possible bad vacuum switch. I replaced that and still no feed.

At this point, I am pretty frustrated. The red light comes on when i plug in the machine after the blue lights blink a few times (I believe it is three cycles of four blinks), I adjust the remote thermostat so that the stove calls for heat, it clicks but no feed. The glow bar heats up and still nothing. The glass door is secure, and all covers are in place I thought a possible feed jam, so i emptied the unit and manually turned the auger and it fed. with no problem.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I am new to the appliance and certainly don't want to break anything or replace more parts that I now see that I didn't have to.

Thanks,

Keith

My Castile had a feed problem that was caused by a combustion fan problem. Make sure it is on. You can feel the plastic piece on the back of the fan when the side panel is off. It should be turning. It's dome shaped and about 2 1/2" wide at the bottom.

 

[tjnamtiw]

Does the fire box get hot?if so could just be hopper lid switch. Mine would do everything but feed because it thought the hopper lid was open

Do you have a Castile???

 

[tjnamtiw]

My Castile had a feed problem that was caused by a combustion fan problem. Make sure it is on. You can feel the plastic piece on the back of the fan when the side panel is off. It should be turning. It's dome shaped and about 2 1/2" wide at the bottom.

If you read the posts, he said that he jumped across the vacuum switch so that takes the combustion fan out of the equation.

Of course, it wouldn't hurt to confirm that it's turning but it couldn't be the cause if he properly jumped the vacuum switch.

 

[pulke01]

Mjlav, the burn pot does get hot yes. The glow bar does engage

 

[tjnamtiw]

Did you get your meter yet, pulke? Don't spend too much on one. Just make sure it has voltage ranges and resistance/ohms readings.

Also, did you UNPLUG the stove and remove/reseat the control box?

 

[mjlav3]

I just set up a new fs Castile. Did trouble shooting over phone with store. They did the hopper lid sensor is a common problem shutting down auger feed. I put a fridge magnet on sensor and voilà. Giggled lid (pushed to back when closed) and no problems.

 

[pulke01]

I did get a meter. All power looks food on the unit. I'll try the magnet when I get home later. At this point, it's probably something silly like that. Where is the magnet located?

 

[kappel15]

Look under hopper lid with a mirror and flashlight. The switch is a two part unit, just like burgler alarms. When apart there is no contact. The part with the wires coming from it, is what needs the magnet stuck to it. The other part is suppose to be the magnet. Switch may be bad, or bad connection with switch parts. kap

 

[mjlav3]

The magnet is screwed on the bottom right if the lid and doesn't always make good contact with the sensor on the unit as the hopper lid hinge has some play

 

[kappel15]

Any way to tighten hinge or adjust lid to compensate?

 

[mjlav3]

No. Just push it backwards when its closed

 

[JoefromBrooklyn]

Gentleman/peoples, I have a Quadrafire Castile FS and I had a problem. Thanks to you folks it is no longer a problem. Here's what happened. The price of #2 heating oil is now $1.59 here in NY. We did not have the pellet stove on much if at all this winter. Oil is cheaper than pellets. When I did turn on my Castile FS the pellets dropped, than the house smelled like smoke, than nothing. I had no clue and looked here to you wise "Minister of Fire" men. I took the side covers off and cleaned everything I could. I pushed in the snap cap on the auger (it did not click/snap) I tested the cable. the wall outlet all good. I then went to check the fuse in the control box. The box slid out too easily. (The box I found has about 2 1/2" of electrical male part that goes into a receptacle.) This was loose, when I pushed it into it's receptacle it fit nice and tight. Took some compressed air and blew down the rubber hose thing. Put everything together and it works fine now. Thanks to you. Gracias! Joe from New York (where it was -1 last night)

 

[kappel15]

Glad the folks on here could be of some help to you. You'll be a stove repair man before you know it. Stay warm. kap

 

[DMKNLD]

Welcome to the forum Joe, and congrats on troubleshooting your Quad issue without having to throw a lot of expensive replacement parts at the problem. Spoken from someone who did more than my $hare of that before I found this fine forum!

We've heard multiple stories here of well intentioned but perhaps misdirected repair techs selling someone a new $400 control box when the problem was their perfectly fine control box just needed to be reseated, as you found on yours, or some other simple inexpensive fix. Arguably the wrong way to acquiring a stash of replacement parts to have on hand!

I'm running my Castile this El Nino winter similar to you, with #2 oil at as low as $1.39 a gallon here in central ME , just to supplement the oil burner as needed. It got down to -11 F and -9 F here the last 2 mornings, so the stove ran 24/7 for the first time all winter. I saw that upstate NY got down to a record -37 F yesterday morning - that is frigging cold, brother ! Regards, and stay warm. DK