#2 Blinking light on St.Croix pellet stove

[Gsierra14]

Hello my name is Gil
I just moved into my new house and it has a pellet stove. StCroix is the model not sure on what year but I tried to test out the pellet stove to see how good it worked and got a #2 blinking light. I'm sure most of you guys already know that would most likely be a vacuum problem but I did bypass the vacuum switch and it worked very well. But this is my first time working a pellet stove and don't want to burn my house down what are some things that I can do to fix this? Also I bought a vac switch online but when I opened it it looked different I hooked it up it also worked but when I pressed the off button to shut the pellet stove off it turned back on smh so please love some feed back on this problem I'm having. Also this cold weather is coming fast and would like to stay nice a warm lol

 

[Bioburner]

Welcome to the site
StCroix is a stove manufacture out of Nebraska and make nice line of stoves. A am familiar with the Auburn as it burns corn.
There is a host of possible problems that could trip up the vac switch and its pretty rare to have one go bad. Bad door gaskets, poor venting, weak exhaust fan, cracked or plugged hose. Get us the proper model and we should track down the issue.

 

[Lake Girl]

Gil, welcome! Since it is a new to you house and pellet stove, when was the last time the pellet stove internal exhaust and venting was cleaned? Usually the best place to start and gets you up close and personal with your new best heating friend... Always unplug when working in the cabinet.

 

[Gsierra14]

Gil, welcome! Since it is a new to you house and pellet stove, when was the last time the pellet stove internal exhaust and venting was cleaned? Usually the best place to start and gets you up close and personal with your new best heating friend... Always unplug when working in the cabinet.

Yes I've cleaned it a few times to see if that will do anything but still shutting off with the #2 light blinking but when I bypassed the vac switch it worked very well. I also purchased a vac switch online but looks different put it on also worked but then I hit off button it shuts off then turns back on. Is that how it suppose to shut down? It a St.Croix York insert installed in 2005 but the model year I think is a 2004 York insert

 

[Lake Girl]

Item 12 deals with stove not shutting off ... smartstat or thermostat giving you grief. Have to shut down thermostat first. If that doesn't work, try jumpering the thermostat connections and run in manual to rule out other issues. Depending on the thermostat type, it could be batteries, wiring connection, problems with the internals of the thermostat itself and nothing to do with the stove. Rule out the simple and least costly first.
http://www.manualslib.com/manual/797111/St-Croix-York.html?page=20#manual

 

[bogieb]

Did the former owners block the exhaust pipe for the summer? They may not have blocked it at the stove, but at the far end (done that myself with the Hastings). Also, it could be that one of the doors isn't closed all the way (most likely culprit is the door to the ash pan), or has a bad seal. Thirdly, did you vacuum out behind all of the ash traps (should be 3)?

 

[Gsierra14]

Did the former owners block the exhaust pipe for the summer? They may not have blocked it at the stove, but at the far end (done that myself with the Hastings). Also, it could be that one of the doors isn't closed all the way (most likely culprit is the door to the ash pan), or has a bad seal. Thirdly, did you vacuum out behind all of the ash traps (should be 3)?

I'm not sure if the blocked it I attached my leaf blower to the pipe and had my wife check if anything came out of the Chimney. She said black smoke so I'm sure it's not blocked. The traps in the ash tray yes also been cleaned out

 

[Gsierra14]

will a bad pellet stove door gasket cause a #2 blinking light?????? I'm pretty sure my door gaskets worn out especially the ash pan gasket.

 

[Bioburner]

I was going to say that with a 10 year old stove they are probably very worn and compressed and allowing in air where it should not. I don't like to let the gaskets get more than 5 years on most stoves. Easy project on most. I like the newer graphite impregnated gasket material as it seems to keep its form better.

 

[Gsierra14]

I was going to say that with a 10 year old stove they are probably very worn and compressed and allowing in air where it should not. I don't like to let the gaskets get more than 5 years on most stoves. Easy project on most. I like the newer graphite impregnated gasket material as it seems to keep its form better.

do you think that will fix the problem?? or have you experienced this before??

 

[Bioburner]

I have had a starting -staying running issue with bad gaskets on other stoves. Sometimes even though the stove is running the stove will soot up as the air is not properly going through the fire pot. A couple gasket kits from local store to do a stove is around $20 and the project is well under two hours.

 

[Gsierra14]

I have had a starting -staying running issue with bad gaskets on other stoves. Sometimes even though the stove is running the stove will soot up as the air is not properly going through the fire pot. A couple gasket kits from local store to do a stove is around $20 and the project is well under two hours.

thanks will def give it a try thansk

 

[Gsierra14]

Ok so I got the stove to run without any bypassing I'm not sure if I needed to turn on the thermostat but turned it on and it started right up. Now it won't shut off Might just need someone to come check this pellet stove out

 

[bogieb]

What mode is in? If it is like my Hastings was, it has 3 modes.

In SmartStat mode, if the thermostat is calling for heat, you cannot shut off the stove with the button.

Do you have a manual? It will help answer a lot of your questions. Even a manual for a later year will help you out.

 

[Gsierra14]

Reply

What mode is in? If it is like my Hastings was, it has 3 modes.

In SmartStat mode, if the thermostat is calling for heat, you cannot shut off the stove with the button.

Do you have a manual? It will help answer a lot of your questions. Even a manual for a later year will help you out.

i do have a manual but i have done every thing to get it to stay on. last night got it to stay on for about 5 hrs then again with the #2 blinking light. not sure if its the same as the hastings pellet stove but i dont have a 3 mode option just connected to a thermostat.

 

[TimfromMA]

I haven't read the entire thread so if this has already been discussed, I'm sorry.

The #2 light blinking means that the stove does not sense negative pressure in the combustion chamber. It really has nothing to do with the thermostat. If the thermostat was the issue, the stove would simply shut off without giving an error code.
Here's a trouble shooting technique. Take an incense stick and light it. Slowly move it around the stove while watching the smoke. If you see it get drawn towards the stove OR blown away, that will indicate not only if you have a bad seal but where problem lies.

 

[Gsierra14]

I haven't read the entire thread so if this has already been discussed, I'm sorry.

The #2 light blinking means that the stove does not sense negative pressure in the combustion chamber. It really has nothing to do with the thermostat. If the thermostat was the issue, the stove would simply shut off without giving an error code.
Here's a trouble shooting technique. Take an incense stick and light it. Slowly move it around the stove while watching the smoke. If you see it get drawn towards the stove OR blown away, that will indicate not only if you have a bad seal but where problem lies.

Ok will try this thanks! Where would the seal be located?

 

[TimfromMA]

Ok will try this thanks! Where would the seal be located?

You want to play close attention to the main door, the ash pan door and the hopper lid but this only works while the stove is running. You can also try the dollar bill test. Take a dollar bill and close it in the door of the stove, if you can pull the dollar bill out, the means your door isnt sealing properly. Try this around the entire perimeter.

 

[Gsierra14]

This is the pellet stove that I have just found the manual and it has smartstat

 

[TimfromMA]

It was already explained what the different thermostat modes do.

 

[Gsierra14]

You want to play close attention to the main door, the ash pan door and the hopper lid but this only works while the stove is running. You can also try the dollar bill test. Take a dollar bill and close it in the door of the stove, if you can pull the dollar bill out, the means your door isnt sealing properly. Try this around the entire perimeter.

Oh ok your talking about the seals around the door and ash trap. Yea they are pretty beat

 

[TimfromMA]

Oh ok your talking about the seals around the door and ash trap. Yea they are pretty beat

That sounds like it could be your problem.