No ignition - frustrated! Need help...

Hello ladies and gentlemen...

I'm new to the forum, having found you all while looking for some answers to this:

I have a '07 Country Stoves Winslow PS40 pellet stove. It's worked incredibly well for the year and a half that's been installed (we purchased it new), and we've been in love with pellet stoves ever since.

Until this morning.

I woke up to find the house freezing, and the pellet stove just sitting, exhaust fan blowing. I restarted it, tried to get it to ignite and take off, but it just wouldn't happen.

I've tried everything I know to do, including emptying the ash pan, cleaning the blowers, cleaning the "T" section of the exhaust flue, verified that the burn pot is completely clean, cleaning the flue gas passages, and checking the igniter fuse. I can see the igniter getting red-hot, but no pellets will light up - what gives?

Do igniters ever "go bad" and still get hot - but not hot enough? Any chance I just have a bad bag of pellets that are just incredibly tough to light? I know I'm reaching here...but I want to get it fixed.

The only thing I've not done is have the stove professionally cleaned and the flue professionally swept. I don't think the flue itself is blocked/clogged, as when I pop off the end of the "T" of the clean-out, I can feel cold air pounding down the flue. It might still need swept, but it's far from occluded.

Anyone have any ideas? I'm all ears -

What makes the igniter actually light the pellets? I know the super-heated air does it, but what draws the hot air into the burn pot? Is there a chance that the airflow headed out and up the flue isn't strong enough to draw in the super-heated air? Once I recognize that it's not going to ignite (it starts in on the second wave of pellet dumping, and quickly fills up the burn pot), I can kill the stove, reach in and handle the burn pot bare-handed. It's warm, but far from being hot enough to light up. I can touch the igniter tube, and it's hot, but it's not scorching - thus the question about how the super-heated air finds its way to the burn pot. Could the airflow somewhere but just restricted enough to keep the super-heated air from doing its job and lighting the pellets? Do I simply need a new igniter?

I'm stumped.

I live in a rural area in Western Colorado, and to have a guy come out will be hundreds of dollars. The drive time alone will take an hour or two. That being said, if there's something simple that I can do to repair it, it will most definitely be worth it in the savings.

I would really appreciate anyone's input on this one -

cptmoney

grstewart2000: My manual says nothing about a damper; I do have a small paragraph on the "draft adjuster" - think that's it? It's in front of the combustion blower, and says it's to be adjusted when the fuel is burning faster than it can be fed to the burn pot. That's definitely NOT my problem! I can't get anything to burn! Where can I find that damper?

codebum: Also, the voltage drop seems unlikely. I've used the stove right where it's at now for 18 months or so. Nothing out of the ordinary in the house is on that might draw voltage away from the outlet, so I've no idea why it's glowing hot, but still not lighting the pellets.

Does anyone know how I can test the igniter? Is there a measure of ohms that I should be comparing? I can't do the "put just a few pellets in the burn pot" and try to light it, because as soon as I tell the stove to light the igniter, pellets start feeding...and the burn pot will be loaded in a hurry if no flame shows up.

Thanks for the input so far. I'm still looking for a cure....

cptmoney

mlobitz : thank you!

I have been wondering about the igniter this whole time; I'm glad to hear that you've experienced the same problem (wait - that came out wrong!) and have been able to chase down a solution. It's a relief to hear from someone who's been where I am...and made it out ok.

I'm wondering if the igniter is covered under some sort of warranty; the paperwork says all electrical components are covered for 3 years. The igniter, however, may be more of a maintenance type product. Oh well; I'll just be glad to see some flame in 'er belly.

I'll order them today and see what happens.

I appreciate everyone's help! I love the internet, I tell ya...

cptmoney

mlobitz - you don't happen to have to have the name of the gentleman whom I need to visit with, do you?

Nobody around here will give me a phone number to Country/Lennox direct; they're all expecting me to deal with them.

thanks -

cptmoney

macman: I plan on checking this tonight. I'll check on the distance, make sure it's not loose and pushed back, and see if that makes her come to life.

I have a feeling it's the igniter, though. The burn pot just doesn't feel anywhere close to being hot enough to light up anything. It looks hot on the exposed back end, but the front part of the igniter just isn't getting it done.

I'm planning on spending a few minutes on the phone this pm trying to chase down the replacement parts, which I believe should be covered under warranty.

Thanks for all the great advice - I'm anxious to try out these solutions!

cptmoney

Hey guys -

Quick question: the igniter has a small hole near the rear, where the wires hook up to it. The opening is RIGHT AT the start of the metal box that houses the igniter tube itself.

Can I push it in any further? Or is it in as far as it should be? I'm a bit nervous about pushing that hole into the metal box, because I'm not sure where the air would come from to head into the burn pot if I push it in past where it's at. Does that make sense?

Any thoughts?

cptmoney

To top it all off, Country Stoves has been swallowed up by Lennox Stoves.

Not even sure where to begin in order to have this part replaced. The dealer I purchased the stove from is no longer in the pellet stove business...

It's the perfect storm, I tell ya -

cptmoney

Well guys, I believe that mlobitz is the winner...

I came home this evening, removed the burn pot to where I could see the end of the igniter and igniter tube, and fired it up. I just let the pellets dump into the metal box that surrounds the burn pot, and waited. The wire end/back end of the igniter was glowing red, but the burn pot end was black as could be. Nothing.

I also checked the alignment; that igniter is not loose at all! I couldn't get it to budge. It hasn't moved since it was installed, judging from the rigid position it's in.

Thanks for the manual lighting tips! I hadn't thought of doing that, but I will do it right away. It's not my only source of heat, but my cheapest, so I miss it when it's gone. I'll light it manually and set the thermostat to 90 and just let it run. That's really a great idea! I truly hadn't thought of doing that.

I'll order the replacement igniter tomorrow, and am looking forward to getting her back into top shape. I'll keep you posted.

I can't tell you all how much I appreciate your wisdom; you guys are lifesavers!

cptmoney

Man, mlobitz! You are GOOD!

The stove lit up nicely, and is running great! Your instructions were crystal clear. I'll be sure to order a pair of the igniters, so I have an extra for the next time.

What else do I need to know about these Winslow stoves? Anything else I need to be on the lookout for? You are the Winslow MASTER!

Have you thought about being a teacher or something? Man, right on the money. I'm very impressed.

And to you all - muchas gracias. You guys have probably saved me a few hundred dollars (if not more). If you're ever in my neck of the woods, please give me a shout. I'm buying.

For what it's worth, all the local dealers (the three that are all 75 miles or more away!) said that the igniter was NOT a covered warranty item. When I got on the phone to Lennox (who now owns Country Stoves), the guy didn't hesitate a second when he said of course the igniter IS, in fact, a covered electrical item. I know that not all dealers operate their store at this level, but I was frustrated to say the least. I don't get to make the warranty claim, but suffice it to say that it pays to read the fine print and make a few extra calls yourself. [The warranty claim is being denied because we purchased the stove from a local public radio auction; it was new, donated from one of the aforementioned dealers, but because we purchased through the radio station and not an authorized dealer, it voids all warranty. That's ok; the warranty only covered the part and $65 toward authorized service tech labor. The authorized service techs in my neck of the woods were going to charge me twice that just to come diagnose the problem due to the distance they'd be traveling, then charge me another $150 come back with the marked up parts and install them! Go figure. That's how I figure you all saved me a few hundred bucks, easily.]

I'll keep you posted on the new igniter -

cptmoney

It was the Lennox guys. The warranty guy was especially helpful, and he felt bad about it all. He put me on hold for about 10 minutes while he chased down enough "higher ups" to validate the fact that the stove was not covered under warranty before he came back on the line to tell me the bad news.

He did say that once I'm finished with the repair that I should write a letter to the Lennox corporate offices, addressed to the warranty division. He said he would personally argue on my behalf if in fact the part was bad and I could prove a purchase date. I intend to do this once the new parts are here and installed, and the stove is back to working condition. It's not a tremendous amount of money, but it all adds up, right? And it's about doing the right thing, which is covering what you say you're going to warranty. We'll see what happens. I was disappointed, but still glad that I'll be able to make the repair myself. I'd rather spend $100 than $500, any day.

It could be much worse, so I'm content.

cptmoney