Whitfield Traditions T300P shuts off

JimmyD said:

I haven't seen this condition in person , but my brothers Whitfield T300P freestanding stove is shutting off within 10 or 15 minutes of him firing up the stove. The stove was professionally cleaned at the start of the season and he has burnt less then a ton of good quality pellets. The stove was already installed in the house he purchased and we guess the age of the stove to be maybe 10 years old.

We're both thinking that the high temp switch might be bad. Where is this switch located in the stove and can it be checked in some fashion by us? Is that switch easily replaced? Does anyone on this board sell Whitfield parts?

Anything other reasons as to why this stove is shutting off before getting up to heat? It's a recent problem for the stove which had been running great for the last three months.

Thank you,
Jim

Click to expand...

The TP 300 stove is just like the whitfield Profile 20 and 30
you will see other post about this if you search for Profile

The Photo eye is dirty or bad would the first cause.
the Hight limit swith would stop the auger from feeding completely NOT AT ALL
The owners manual also has notes about this in the trouble shooting section.

JimmyD said:

hearthtools said:

[
The TP 300 stove is just like the whitfield Profile 20 and 30
you will see other post about this if you search for Profile

The Photo eye is dirty or bad would the first cause.
the Hight limit swith would stop the auger from feeding completely NOT AT ALL
The owners manual also has notes about this in the trouble shooting section.

Click to expand...

Have downloaded Profile 20 and 30 owners manual previously. Manual did mention problem of thermal switch. Will proceed with cleaning photoeye.

Perhaps it's the low limit switch not sensing the heat of the fire and shutting down the stove?

Click to expand...

This stove does NOT have a Low limit switch
it used a Photo eye for proof of fire.
the High limit switch shut the stove down it if over heats

Amazing that stoves are a lot like a love life
You get all cleaned up and things heat up
If you are dirty you dont get much action.

Isn't there a photo eye relocation kit ?

Snip for my parts pages

Part # 14750404 Photoeye Kit, Replacement (w/bracket) - (Serial #5493 and up (units with Serial # lower than #5493
order Kit P/N H0352 (relocates Photoeye to top of auger tube at hopper)

I realize this thread is "aged", but this response is for anyone who ends up here on a keyword search.

It sounds as if the owner of this stove acquired it with his home and did not have the manuals or any info as to how it was running for the previous owner. If it was "all that" why didn't they take it with them?
I think the shop vac may have done the trick for him, but as for the "eye", it is not usually the problem.... not exactly. Without manuals, diagrams, etc. a non original owner might remove the photo eye housing, lift out the eye, note some dust, clean it, reinstall it, and....nothing!
The eye itself is not meant to be in contact with any real amt. of heat, ash, OR dust and therefore usually doesn't have much on it. But...There is an amber lens mounted beneath the eye itself that will probably be covered w/soot.
Once the photo eye has been removed (usually attached to it's cover, you need to reach into the opening and feel for two tiny metric (#6?) nuts. Use a 1/4" drive ratchet w/a short extension or a nut driver with the correct socket to loosen the nut on the top side just far enough so that it stays on it's stud. (Reduces the chance of dropping the little guy into the auger tube).
Next loosen the "lower" nut and remove with your fingers being careful not to drop it into the auger housing. I have magnetized my socket so that my fat fingers won't drop the nut (again).
Now you can usually work the lens and it's holder over the lower stud, take it out, clean it with warm soapy water and replace it.
Note: A. I used a little silicone to hold the lens in it's frame as it's far easier to re-install it as one piece.
B. With age the plastic eye will lose it's "glass like finish" and become dirty considerably more often. I used a cheep glass cutter and a piece of broken window glass to cut a replacement eye. Not a single problem in three years and has not been removed/cleaned in two (seven tons of pellets). I normally would annually, but I just want to see how long it will go! If your stove door is receiving direct sunlight, you may need to use amber glass to prevent pellets dropping in a "no fire" situation, but my stove is installed in an extremely bright room and it has NEVER read sunlight as flame.
Hope this clarifies the eye situation (or even helps somebody). It's one of the lousiest pellet stove designs in my opinion, but ya just gotta make the best of it once you've got it.