10 seconds away from beating St. Croix Hastings with sledge hammer!

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FireBurn

Member
Dec 19, 2009
25
Upstate, NY
My St. Croix Lancaster has been a dream--no troubles whatsoever!
So for awhile it (Hastings) was actually running...but now it won't start (again again again)..keep getting the no vacuum light, we've super cleaned this thing (tiny brushes & vacuums & air compressors were involved), we've replaced the rope on the front door & the ash pan door. TODAY it will not start...I even started a fire in it to get it going..nada, it turns on..runs for 15 seconds & shuts off. Then a new error? came up, nothing in the book about it...all the lights one after the other in sequence came on & the start button would not respond. Dunno what to do now..it is 49 degrees downstairs where this monster sits. Upstairs where the Lancaster is 80 degrees--and it's running on #1. The Vacuum switch is clean.
 
FireBurn said:
This stove has been nothing but trouble since the warranty ran out! My St. Croix Lancaster has been a dream--no troubles whatsoever!
So for awhile it (Hastings) was actually running...but now it won't start (again again again)..keep getting the no vacuum light, we've super cleaned this thing (tiny brushes & vacuums & air compressors were involved), we've replaced the rope on the front door & the ash pan door. TODAY it will not start...I even started a fire in it to get it going..nada, it turns on..runs for 15 seconds & shuts off. Then a new error? came up, nothing in the book about it...all the lights one after the other in sequence came on & the start button would not respond. Dunno what to do now..it is 49 degrees downstairs where this monster sits. Upstairs where the Lancaster is 80 degrees--and it's running on #1. The Vacuum switch is clean.

Does your combustion blower start and come up to speed?
 
Pics or it did not happen.....................

take a deep breath and start over
 
FireBurn said:
Briefly..sometimes at longer intervals. But then it just shuts off.

That is likely the vacuum issue.

Check the connections at the disconnect with the power off. It may be loose. Without an operating combustion blower it won't light, also the controller spends its time looking for the vacuum switch to close that it effectively ignores the control panel.

You can also test the blower in place by disconnecting it at the disconnects and use a patch cord to provide it with 120 volt house power, it should start and run full speed in very little time. This is playing with electricity so take proper precautions.
 
I'll have to wait for hubby to come home from work...he's better with electrical stuff than I am...I'll just keep myself upstairs until then...I'm just hoping none of the pipes freeze until then.
 
SmokeyTheBear said:
Does your combustion blower start and come up to speed?


IT IS DOING SOMETHING NEW NOW..something is wrong with the combustion fan/blower..I have video...I'll have to upload it to youtube & post it.
 
Sounds like the motor is bad - bad bearings, probably. That would cause a lack of vacuum, and the #2 light.
If the area under the motor (where the actual fan is) is clogged with ash, you might get the same results.
Pls do as Smokey says, he's right.
 
Sounds like either a bad motor or a cleaning issue with the blower. Did you remove the blower when it was cleaned? Did you clean the the actual blower? Check the voltage at the blower. If the proper voltage is present. Remove the motor and clean it. If it still persists then replace it.
 
Hubby still hasn't done the patch cord, he says that's a weekend job. However he took apart all the fans/blowers cleaned them again..he got it running..it took several tries ...he blew air into the intake pipe too to keep the fire going cause it kept trying to shut off...but for now it is running. It's doing a lazy fire...but there's heat!
 
On my Hastings, when the #2 light flashes (no vacuum error) and the stove will not start I have (through experience) found that I have to remove the cast iron top; then the cast iron left (as you are facing it) side...and they are heavy buggers! The vacuum switch is then in plain sight and so is the little 'clear' plastic hose from the side of the firebox to the switch. I cut off the wire-tie at the switch end of that hose, put it in my mouth and blow air into the firebox. If you can't, then the fitting inside the stove is really clogged. You should be able to blow without any problem. I will then take a drinking straw; put one end on the switch fitting where I took off the hose and give little bursts of 'sucking' on the straw. I can clearly hear a clicking sound that tells me the switch is mechanically functioning. You could put an Ohm meter across the two terminals on the switch while doing this to prove that the switch is electrically functioning too. When I am sure all is working as it should I put the hose back on the switch; use a small wire-tie to secure it; and start putting the stove back together. I have always had the stove start up without the vacuum error immediately after doing this...until the next time.
Hope this helps at least with that part.
 
The lazy flame means that you're not getting the airflow in the firebox that you need. Just need to find out why. I'm still betting on post #10. :cheese:
 
FireBurn said:
Hubby still hasn't done the patch cord, he says that's a weekend job. However he took apart all the fans/blowers cleaned them again..he got it running..it took several tries ...he blew air into the intake pipe too to keep the fire going cause it kept trying to shut off...but for now it is running. It's doing a lazy fire...but there's heat!

Two things could be happening here: One-your stove could be plugged with ash and that is why you could be getting a lazy flame and I'm sure the inside of your glass is black.
Two-the combustion blower could be dirty and has not been oiled for sometime. It should be oiled at least once a year.
There is a chance that you damper is not set properly.

I noticed that you live in Upstate NY. If you PM your phone # if could be able to walk you and the hubby through somethings.
 
The combustion blower has been oiled..matter of fact it was oiled on October 26 2011.
We know of the little plastic hose..we've cleared that out too. (obviously for that youtube video of the blower I had to take the top & left side off to get to the blower)

I think the blower is no longer running at full tilt. (but we're going to test the electrical stuff on Saturday)
 
Just wondering if you had cleaned out the ash from behind the ash traps? Have you run a coat hanger or other similar tool up the ash traps to clean out behind the firebox? Do that while banging on the wall of the firebox with a small hammer... get that ash out and i'd bet you have a happy stove... do the leafblower trick, too.
 
I do that at least 2 X a week with a small pointy dryer brush.

krooser said:
Just wondering if you had cleaned out the ash from behind the ash traps? Have you run a coat hanger or other similar tool up the ash traps to clean out behind the firebox? Do that while banging on the wall of the firebox with a small hammer... get that ash out and i'd bet you have a happy stove... do the leafblower trick, too.
 
One other trick you can use for cleaning. Take about 24" of the outer sleeve of a choke cable, put a slight bend on the end (about 1/2" from the end), put it in a drill and run it up the ash traps. Turn the drill on and let it whip around. After you have the combustion fan off run the cable back into the exhaust duct (that's the "tunnel" leading back towards the firebox) and let it whip around in there. Someone else posted that you should run a brush (or cable) from one ash trap over to the other ash trap. Make sure to have the drill running when you do this as there are openings behind the burnpot that drop ash into the exhaust duct. Good luck.
 
FireBurn said:
Hubby still hasn't done the patch cord, he says that's a weekend job. However he took apart all the fans/blowers cleaned them again..he got it running..it took several tries ...he blew air into the intake pipe too to keep the fire going cause it kept trying to shut off...but for now it is running. It's doing a lazy fire...but there's heat!
All you need for the patch cord is one of those 100 useless 2 prong extension cords left over from Christmas. :) Cut off the socket end, split the wires and strip them back. Voila, a patch cord!
 
FireBurn said:
I do that at least 2 X a week with a small pointy dryer brush.

krooser said:
Just wondering if you had cleaned out the ash from behind the ash traps? Have you run a coat hanger or other similar tool up the ash traps to clean out behind the firebox? Do that while banging on the wall of the firebox with a small hammer... get that ash out and i'd bet you have a happy stove... do the leafblower trick, too.

Just a reminder that that area goes all the way up the back of the firebox to the heat exchanger tubes... you'll need about 2' or brush to clean it all.

BTW... I'm looking for a used Hastings... call me before you smash it!
 
The brush is long enough, I can see it come up the top. (with a flash light)

But but smashing it would be such a great stress reliever... LOL
 
FireBurn said:
This stove has been nothing but trouble since the warranty ran out! My St. Croix Lancaster has been a dream--no troubles whatsoever!
So for awhile it (Hastings) was actually running...but now it won't start (again again again)..keep getting the no vacuum light, we've super cleaned this thing (tiny brushes & vacuums & air compressors were involved), we've replaced the rope on the front door & the ash pan door. TODAY it will not start...I even started a fire in it to get it going..nada, it turns on..runs for 15 seconds & shuts off. Then a new error? came up, nothing in the book about it...all the lights one after the other in sequence came on & the start button would not respond. Dunno what to do now..it is 49 degrees downstairs where this monster sits. Upstairs where the Lancaster is 80 degrees--and it's running on #1. The Vacuum switch is clean.

Beating a pellet stove with a sledge hammer is probably a good way to stay warm during the winter, I must say.
 
Last night the combustion blower dropped dead. Someone from St. Croix was kind enough to send us a new one.
 
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