Window mount pellet stove

[aridon99]

More pictures...

The pellet hopper opens above the unit. The plastic door is very light.

A closeup of the inside of the hopper. It's not a huge hopper.

The control panel. It seems like there are a lot of buttons, but it's actually very simple. The A, B, buttons don't do anything. When you hit the ON button, the green light will start blinking as it starts it's ignition stage. It dispenses a fixed amount of pellets in to the burn pot and the heat gun turns on in there. About 10 mins later the pellets will catch on fire, heating up the burn chamber. Once a certain temperature is reached, the ON light will stop blinking and go solid green. The main fan will turn on to blow air around the burn chamber and blow the heated air out thru the top vent of the plastic door. The buttons on the left will let you control the heat from 1 to 5. You have to hold either of these buttons down for more than 1 second for them to change their setting. I think this prevents accidental changes.

-John

 

[joecool85]

You would think the A and B buttons would hold a program for a certain heat range or something. Have you tried holding one down for 4-5 seconds?

 

[aridon99]

I think the manual just says A and B are for diagnostics. When I push them during the warm up phase, it seems the fan turns on while the button is held down. Maybe it's a manual trigger of the fan before the optimal temp is reached. Maybe someone else has a better idea. I don't think I need to mess with them at this point.

 

[Artus]

I just bought one of these stoves and appear to have the same problem that Riman had with the exhaust fan restarting periodically. Has anybody figured out what is causing this? I plug the unit in and it immediately starts to cycle the exhaust fan in about 10 second cycles where it runs for about 10 seconds and then immediately restarts. I had my first fire going and all of a sudden it shut down and the on light flashed 5 times fast and kept repeating, I hit the off button and then the off light started flashing 5 times. Does anybody know what this means?

-Matthew

 

[aridon99]

The computer on this thing seem a bit temperamental (buggy). One time, I started the unit, it went in to ignite mode, I then opened the plastic door and left it ajar. 20 mins later when noticed the 1) the fire hasn't started and 2) the door pen light was on, I closed the door and figured the ignite process would resume. Well, it never did. It was just stuck. I had to power the unit off and start it again.

Also, when standing behind the unit outside the house, you can hear the exhaust fan going, but it's not a smooth sound. It sounds like it turns on 1 second and turns off 1 second, and keeps repeating that way.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

The computer on this thing seem a bit temperamental (buggy). One time, I started the unit, it went in to ignite mode, I then opened the plastic door and left it ajar. 20 mins later when noticed the 1) the fire hasn't started and 2) the door pen light was on, I closed the door and figured the ignite process would resume. Well, it never did. It was just stuck. I had to power the unit off and start it again.

Also, when standing behind the unit outside the house, you can hear the exhaust fan going, but it's not a smooth sound. It sounds like it turns on 1 second and turns off 1 second, and keeps repeating that way.

Now I would have expected that stove to show a vacuum error or show a door open error and require a reset before it would attempt ignition again.

The normal response to an error condition is to not automatically start anything other than shutdown and enter a failsafe state.

 

[tjnamtiw]

I remember reading on one of the manuals for another USSC stove that the exhaust fan cycles on and off. It gave no explanation on the logic of that, but just stated the fact that it does. Perhaps they used the same logic. I use the term 'logic' loosely.

 

[2400]

Maybe the computer uses the exhaust fan to control the flame height? Just a thought. I haven't listened to mine outside during start up. From the inside i don't hear the exhuast fan pulsating. Maybe the spark arrestor distorts the exhaust fan noise? It has a very serious spark arrestor on it. When I open a door on mine it shuts down and a light comes on stating the door is open. When I open the hopper it shuts down the auger and a light comes on. I can't view your video but the picture looks like you have a very tall flame compared to mine.

 

[tjnamtiw]

I was wondering too, 2400, if they were actually getting creative to improve efficiency by pulsing the exhaust fan just above the vacuum threshold trip point to vent as little exhaust (heat) as possible and give more time for the transfer of heat to the exchanger. That would certainly be commendable. Or perhaps the exhaust fan isn't a variable control system but rather an ON/OFF system?

 

[aridon99]

I do clearly hear my exhaust fan pulsating during normal operation, not during the ignition cycle. It just feels like the control computer isn't graceful with voltage regulation of the fan, rather just an on off regulation. It's just a minor nitpick. What isn't a nitpick is the fact that there hasn't been a peep or respond from US Stove about my issue

 

[tjnamtiw]

I do clearly hear my exhaust fan pulsating during normal operation, not during the ignition cycle. It just feels like the control computer isn't graceful with voltage regulation of the fan, rather just an on off regulation. It's just a minor nitpick. What isn't a nitpick is the fact that there hasn't been a peep or respond from US Stove about my issue

Now THAT part would really irritate me. I'd be on the phone constantly being my usual obnoxious self until I got some satisfaction. I wouldn't wait for a call back or an email at this stage. You're beyond that. Call. Call. Call. People rave about how good their customer service is. Strange.

 

[Dr.Faustus]

if the motor is constantly on off on off...

isnt it using it start surge power constantly then?


put a kill a watt on it, i bet its sucking a load of power if it operates its motors like that!

 

[aridon99]

Good idea, I have a kill a watt handy.

Just called US Stove again. Their support line closes at 4PM CST. Charmed life.

Left a voice mail with their support to call me back. 30 hours later, not a peep. They are starting to get on my bad side.

 

[Artus]

Here is what I got from tech support this morning. The exhaust blower is supposed to turn on and off like this. I had my stove shut down with a flashing B and off lights. They said this is the overheat safety shut down. They said a flashing A light and off light is a low pressure safety shut down. I guess we can't expect these window mount units to act like the full size ones were used to. We just need to spend a few months with these things to get the hang of their quirky nature.

Matthew

 

[joecool85]

Here is what I got from tech support this morning. The exhaust blower is supposed to turn on and off like this. I had my stove shut down with a flashing B and off lights. They said this is the overheat safety shut down. They said a flashing A light and off light is a low pressure safety shut down. I guess we can't expect these window mount units to act like the full size ones were used to. We just need to spend a few months with these things to get the hang of their quirky nature.

Matthew

Hopefully after they've been out a while they will release a new version that makes them more simple to operate and less quirky.

 

[Artus]

Yes.

These units are an excellent concept and a practical design. Next step, is to perfect the idea. I can now wait to see my oil man!

 

[2400]

I missed the part about the B light flashing. Mine did this the first time I used it. I just unplugged it for a few minutes to reset everything and plugged it back in. I have to be careful on start up it seems like. If I set it on high too soon it goes to overheat. If the "ON" button is flashing that means it is still in start up mode. I let it run on low about 1/2 hour after the "ON" button stops flashing. Then I ramp it up easy. My stove like to run non stop. Fortunately it doesn't need cleaned very often. I really like this little thing. Now if they would only come out with a 40,000 btu one I'd be set.

 

[Artus]

Yes! 40k btu would be a dream.

The flashing B light is overheat safety. Mine did that when I cranked it up to 5 straight out of the hole.

On startup, it goes through it's process, lights the fire, then before the ON light stops flashing the flames go out, then it goes to solid ON light and feeds pellets again, relighting on the smoldering pellets in the burn pot.

I have my unit installed in a window and the gap on top between the 2 windows should be insulated as best as possible, because before the pellets flame up, the unit smokes and a little did get into the house. Once the pellets burst into flames, it burns really clean.

I can already tell how much my boiler is slowing down.



Matthew

 

[Artus]

I do clearly hear my exhaust fan pulsating during normal operation, not during the ignition cycle. It just feels like the control computer isn't graceful with voltage regulation of the fan, rather just an on off regulation. It's just a minor nitpick. What isn't a nitpick is the fact that there hasn't been a peep or respond from US Stove about my issue

Now THAT part would really irritate me. I'd be on the phone constantly being my usual obnoxious self until I got some satisfaction. I wouldn't wait for a call back or an email at this stage. You're beyond that. Call. Call. Call. People rave about how good their customer service is. Strange.

I called 8:30 am today and got a person on the phone within 5 minutes.

 

[aridon99]

I called today at noon PST. Talked to someone within 5 mins. Asked why support didn't call me back after 2 days, the gal on the phone didn't know. I told her I sent an email to claimes on Monday and didn't hear anything. She told me they were out to lunch and she took my number down and she assured me they would call me back right away. 3 hours later, not a peep. Called claimes again, got Josh's VM and left my number. Hope I hear back.

 

[henkmeuzelaar]

According to their website, Northern Tool no longer sells these window-mount units.

Has anyone seen them offered by a different US company?

Henk

 

[pelleter]

I received my window pellet unit a few days ago. I installed it on the same day. It was around 30-35F outside. Pellet stove was at setting 1-2-3-4-5. None of them could get the temperature of my apartment up to 60F. The apartment is less than 400sqft. It is a big disappointment. My little space heater does a much better job. Did I get a lemon?

 

[aridon99]

It seems no matter what setting I put it on (1-5), the air coming out never gets as hot as the air from my gas insert.

 

[tjnamtiw]

I called today at noon PST. Talked to someone within 5 mins. Asked why support didn't call me back after 2 days, the gal on the phone didn't know. I told her I sent an email to claimes on Monday and didn't hear anything. She told me they were out to lunch and she took my number down and she assured me they would call me back right away. 3 hours later, not a peep. Called claimes again, got Josh's VM and left my number. Hope I hear back.

Man, are they jerking you around! Get the number for their local BBB and call USSC and tell them that that's the next number you call if you don't get satisfaction NOW! I would also find out who owns the company and send him/her a personal email and a letter. Put all the heat you can on them. Might as well mention that you are spreading the word on the leading pellet stove forum and anywhere else you can find like epinions.com. Ask them if they want you to also sue them for smoke damages to your home. I would treat them like I treat used car salesmen at this point.

One more thing. Did you by any chance pay for the stove with American Express? I've been screwed a couple of times and AMEX refunded my money the same day. Some other credit cards may work the same way now.

 

[aridon99]

Thanks for your support tjnamtiw. I bought my Stove from the Truevalue guy on ebay. I think he might be the last place still selling them. But he's gone dark on me as well when I've asked him for help on who I turn to on a defective product.