Saranac pedistal convection fan working intermittently

[Tyson McCasland]

I recently purchased a home and it has a saranac pellet stove in it. I just started using it and i notice that the convection fan stops working after a period of use. I notice that it stops when i start to smell what i think to be paint curing on a hot stove. I know that the stove was installed 3 years ago so it shouldn't still smell this way. It seems that the fan turns off but the stove continues to feed pellets and make a flame. I believe that the heat cannot dissipate due to the fan not working and i'm smelling the stove getting too hot. It doesn't smell like a burnt motor or pellets burning.

Once i realize that the fan has stopped, i noticed that i now have no control over that fan whether i change the heat level or press the fan button directly. If i turn the stove off and let it finish its shutdown cycle, i can turn the stove back on the the fan will work properly for another period of time unit it wants to stop again.

I'm new to the whole pellet stove world and i don't want to spend a whole bunch of money on a service call that i can probably fix myself.

Thanks to anyone in advance for the help.

 

[Kentucky Greg]

Your reasoning makes sense to me. If it were me I'd be tempted to price replacing the fan motor and a service call and if they're close I'd replace the fan.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

You need to turn that stove off and let it cool down, unplug it and oil that convection blower SAE 20 weight non-detergent oil , this is the same as 3 in 1 blue and white can oil. It is electric motor oil.

You should also clean the squirrel cage in the blower and the blower motor.

Now tell me if your stove has a snorkel that places the convection fan to the rear of the stove, if it doesn't you need one.

Then take a look at the controller and note where the jumpers are placed on the jumper terminals on the rear upper left portion of the controller and please post a picture of the controller from the normal operation position.

 

[Don2222]

Hello

I have seen three different convection blowers in the Saranac
1. Squirrel cage convection blower with all black Fasco motor case - I have heard wheel bearing noise on this one.
2. Squirrel cage convection blower with black and silver Fasco motor case - I have heard vibration with crimpings not secure.
3. Squirrel cage convection blower with open Fasco motor with no case - This is the latest upgraded blower replacement with no issues so far.

If you need the upgraded blower, please PC (Private Conversation) me with your email. Thanks

1st pic
Yellow arrows show snorkel that smokey mentioned
Squirrel cage convection blower with all black Fasco motor case
2nd Pic
Squirrel cage convection blower with black and silver Fasco motor case
3rd pic
Squirrel cage convection blower with open Fasco motor with no case
This is the latest upgraded blower replacement with no issues so far.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Don

There is also another thing that should be run down and it deals with the controller and its jumper settings.

It is possible to over-fire that stove whith an incorrectly set jumper on the controller and there were several different versions of the controller on that model stove.

That is why I asked for him to note the jumper position and to provide a picture of the user panel.


Tyson,

Don is an authorized parts dealer for Hudson River and several other stove companies. He also services/installs and rebuilds stoves.

 

[Don2222]

Don

There is also another thing that should be run down and it deals with the controller and its jumper settings.

It is possible to over-fire that stove whith an incorrectly set jumper on the controller and there were several different versions of the controller on that model stove.

That is why I asked for him to note the jumper position and to provide a picture of the user panel.


Tyson,

Don is an authorized parts dealer for Hudson River and several other stove companies. He also services/installs and rebuilds stoves.

Oh, yes you are correct on the jumper settings. Everything must be completely checked out! It is also good to try the oil on the blower motor first!

 

[smwilliamson]

The triac on the controller is also a known enemy of my company. Seriously... Get a new control board

 

[Don2222]

The triac on the controller is also a known enemy of my company. Seriously... Get a new control board

Yes, If that is the Original control board that says Saranac with vertical letters, there is an updated control board for it that works better and works better with a T-Stat.

PC me with your email address if you need info on an updated control panel. Thanks

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Well Tyson.

You now know of all of the possible causes of and the solutions for the problem you have.

And here is a little bit of information on a triac saver for those older control boards, the solution is a more efficient electric motor on the blowers and/or making certain the electrical connections for the blowers are tight and corrosion free.

The current limit is around 2 amps on those triacs and the blowers are likely to draw close to that limit if clean when first started. Newer blower motors are likely to draw well under that limit.

 

[kykel]

I had that stove and had the same problem. The blower was getting to hot and thermally shuting itself off. Try running the stove with the side doors open. If this works than that is your problem. My stove did not have the extension shown in the picture so it was closer to the fire box. I called B.A.C sales and they sent me a new blower that was supposed to handle higher heat. I bought a new stove so I never got to test the new blower. I never had a problem the first two years but this happened the third year and not sure why the cabinet that housed the blower was getting so hot.My convection blower was so hot that you would burn your hand if you touched it. If any one has any help with my problem would love to here it. I would love to sell the stove but am weary because of that problem.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

kykel,

If one fails to lubricate those convection blowers regularly (two drops each lubrication port every 6 months) and keep them clean they eventually no longer can remove the heat from the heat exchanger and send it out of the stove into the room.

If the controller is jumpered incorrectly the convection fan will not provide enough air flow to remove enough of the the heat from the heat exchanger at a certain heat range/pellet combination.

Both of these conditions can lead to the convection blower thermal cycling which can lead to high limit shutdowns and/or traic issues and/or other heat related problems such as warped and split metal in the firebox area, even thermal shutdown of the combustion blower along with if there is no natural draft in your vent system smoke being dumped into the room with the stove.

Thus an entire chain of events is started, leading to failed controllers, high temperature limit shutdowns, non turning blowers, etc... and last but not least frustrated stove burners.

 

[Tyson McCasland]

Smokey, here are the requested pictures.

It appears to have the old board with the vertical writing on the panel and I have the blower in the 2nd picture: Squirrel cage convection blower with black and silver Fasco motor case. It doesnt have the extension that i see in the first picture. When i open the left panel, looking from the front of the stove, there appears to be a little oil around the casing of the motor. When i open the right panel, i don't see any of the same oil on the other motor. Where is the best place to put the drops of oil?

I've been keeping it on setting 3 with the blower motor on the faster setting and it currently as been working fine for the past few days. I had it on all weekend long in that fashion without a problem. I turned it on this evening and it acted up after only about 20 minutes and i proceeded to turn it off, let it cool down and then put it back on. It's been fine again for the rest of the evening.

Thanks to everyone so far, i just want to try whatever I can without spending the money on a new board...I'm sure they're pricey.

Don, I will contact you if these other ideas don't work.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Tyson,

No can see any pictures .

If you look along the convection blower's motor casing in line with the shaft near the end next to the blower housing there is an oil port also at the other end of the motor casing in line with the first oil port is the second one.

It may or may not have a yellow, blue, red, or black plug in it or even no plug at all.

 

[Tyson McCasland]

thank you for explaining where to oil. I will let everyone know the outcome and pursue this further if it doesn't solve the problem.

 

[Tyson McCasland]

Smokey,

I cannot find the ports that you were explaining. Do i need to detach the motor from the housing in order to lube it? Are you able to show me a picture of where they are? It hasn't acted up lately but i have also left it on setting 3 with the fan on high. I would really like to use this stove to its potential

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

You can remove the entire blower from the stove to look over the motor for oil ports if there are any, not all motors have oil ports and the stove you have has had at least three different blowers used for the convection blower.

Here is a link to some pictures that imacman posted showing what to look for: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...blower-new-model-a-e-033a.66844/#post-1089561 .

 

[Tyson McCasland]

perfect, i did find them now. Thanks for directing me to those pictures. I just oiled them and i will turn the stove up to see if it made any difference. It's pretty cold here now and i need to use those higher settings.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Now, did you also get a snorkel, and check the jumper setting on that controller?

The newest controller has three different firing tables and if you have the controller set incorrectly you can have an over limit situation.