Great, thanks for the suggestions. I will try the lubricant tomorrow afternoon as it is supposed to be warm here. In the meantime I am going to call ESW and get more feedback. Thanks again.
Air lever on Englander Madison - 50-TRSSW01
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UPDATE
Just spoke with a Tech Support Agent at ESW. The gentleman asked me for the serial number and date of manufacture. My date of manufacture is 08/15. "He instantly told me, you have a faulty damper system and we are sending you a new one." I asked him how he knew that. He said something about before and after my manufacture date they did something to the lever in the back of the stove that controls this system. He also said that it should have worked from day one and should not have to be "broken in". I will receive it in 2-4 business days and from that point will see if the system works properly.
Anyone who has this stove that is still under the 1 year warranty, you have the opportunity to call them and receive a new damper system if it qualifies for one.
I will keep you updated as far as if it works or not. Please keep your fingers crossed
Just spoke with a Tech Support Agent at ESW. The gentleman asked me for the serial number and date of manufacture. My date of manufacture is 08/15. "He instantly told me, you have a faulty damper system and we are sending you a new one." I asked him how he knew that. He said something about before and after my manufacture date they did something to the lever in the back of the stove that controls this system. He also said that it should have worked from day one and should not have to be "broken in". I will receive it in 2-4 business days and from that point will see if the system works properly. Anyone who has this stove that is still under the 1 year warranty, you have the opportunity to call them and receive a new damper system if it qualifies for one.
I will keep you updated as far as if it works or not. Please keep your fingers crossed
UPDATE Just spoke with a Tech Support Agent at ESW. The gentleman asked me for the serial number and date of manufacture. My date of manufacture is 08/15. He told me, "you have a faulty damper system and we are sending you a new one." I asked him how he knew that. He said something about before and after my manufacture date they did something to the lever in the back of the stove that controls this system. He also said that it should have worked from day one and should not have to be "broken in". I will receive it in 2-4 business days and from that point will see if the system works properly.
Anyone who has this stove that is still under the 1 year warranty, you have the opportunity to call them and receive a new damper system if it qualifies for one.
I will keep you updated as far as if it works or not. Please keep your fingers crossed
Just spoke with a Tech Support Agent at ESW. The gentleman asked me for the serial number and date of manufacture. My date of manufacture is 08/15. He told me, "you have a faulty damper system and we are sending you a new one." I asked him how he knew that. He said something about before and after my manufacture date they did something to the lever in the back of the stove that controls this system. He also said that it should have worked from day one and should not have to be "broken in". I will receive it in 2-4 business days and from that point will see if the system works properly. Anyone who has this stove that is still under the 1 year warranty, you have the opportunity to call them and receive a new damper system if it qualifies for one.
I will keep you updated as far as if it works or not. Please keep your fingers crossed
spirilis
Minister of Fire
Silenced38,
If you stove is not under warranty anymore and you would like, I will take a picture of my current damper system when I take it off, next to the new one so we can all see the difference. I remember hearing something about ESW adding a counter weight on the piece in the back. You might be able to add one once you see where it should go. I will do that as soon as I get the parts in this week.
Silenced38
Feeling the Heat
spirilis
Minister of Fire
Pic of my stove's AAS damper lever from my ESW Madison pics thread:
https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/20151001_133038_resized_1-jpg.162852/
Curious to see what you get. That slightly oval-ish shaped thing next to the latch looks like a sort of counterweight to me but maybe something's missing?
Can't recall my serial#, will have to check tonight and call them tomorrow to see.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/20151001_133038_resized_1-jpg.162852/
Curious to see what you get. That slightly oval-ish shaped thing next to the latch looks like a sort of counterweight to me but maybe something's missing?
Can't recall my serial#, will have to check tonight and call them tomorrow to see.
Spirilis,
I'm not sure but mine looks exactly like yours. I'm curious to see what is different as well.
I'm not sure but mine looks exactly like yours. I'm curious to see what is different as well.
spirilis
Minister of Fire
I called up asking about the possibly faulty damper, the tech didn't have any idea what I was talking about. He took my serial# and info and told me to keep an eye on it so I'll give the AAS another try in a week or 2 when the weather gets frigid again.
Sorry to hear that. Ive called three times and all technicians say, "I don't know much about that stove yet because its a new item." I told them exactly what was happening. I light the fire, get a good coal bed, restack the stove and use the actuator and wait. Nothing ever happens. I have to bump it in order for it to work. That shouldn't happen. He is the one who told me I have a faulty actuator in the air lever system. Again, when I get it, I will post a picture of it vs what I currently have. If nothing happens, I am going to attempt surgery myself I guess.
spirilis
Minister of Fire
Hmmm, I do vaguely recall the "bump" quirk the first time I really fired it up during the break-in fires. So mine is probably afflicted too. It did work correctly on a reload but come to think of it--the metal had probably expanded by then, so it's probably more of a cold-start issue due to the metal having not expanded enough (and an additional weight, if that's all the new damper has, would potentially solve that).
Bad news...I think. My parts magically arrived today, a day after my phone call. They sent me the following parts: Damper release lever and Thermostatic actuator assembly. Both parts look exactly like what I have on my stove now. No different than the pictures that Spirilis shared with us in this thread. The damper release lever has a straight head screw that attaches some sort of counter weight. When that straight head screw is slightly loosened you can move the "counter-weight" to the left or right, which may give more weight where you want it. I am putting that "counter-weight" all the way to the left, to make the lever lighter. The reason for this is so when the spring moves to disengage the release lever from the damper assembly, there will be less resistance. I also purchased powered graphite lubricant from Walmart today and will be lubricating the screw that the damper release lever rotates on, as well as where the damper release lever comes into contact with the damper assembly.
I hope this makes some sense. Sorry I did not have better news for you. The parts look nice and are not rusty like my original parts were. I will try the new parts out and hope for the best.
Oh yeah, I broke one of the screws that holds the Thermostatic Actuator Assembly in the stove. I had to take the burn tubes and insulation out and take the screw out from the inside of the stove. Not my day but I have to get it running again.
Why can't stuff just work
My wife says I have too high of expectations of everyone.
I hope this makes some sense. Sorry I did not have better news for you. The parts look nice and are not rusty like my original parts were. I will try the new parts out and hope for the best.
Oh yeah, I broke one of the screws that holds the Thermostatic Actuator Assembly in the stove. I had to take the burn tubes and insulation out and take the screw out from the inside of the stove. Not my day but I have to get it running again.
Why can't stuff just work
My wife says I have too high of expectations of everyone.
spirilis
Minister of Fire
Thanks for the update! Can that counterweight be adjusted with the damper in the stove or do you have to pull the whole thing out?
Sounds like I'll just try the graphite one of these days and see how it goes.
Sounds like I'll just try the graphite one of these days and see how it goes.
Yes, the counterweight can be adjusted with it in the stove. The straight head on the screw is facing out. I am even thinking of putting a bit more weight on it if it doesn't work. Let me know how it goes for you as well.
stoveguy2esw
Minister of Fire
EUREKA
The wrong way picture is courtesy of SPIRILIS (thank you) who graciously gave us pictures of the air level assembly when I first opened this post. No offense was meant by naming the picture wrong way, because mine was assembled the exact same way.
Take a look at the correct way picture, you will see that the spring that is part of the Thermostatic Actuator Assembly is almost completely turned around the opposite direction.
Here is what I did:
1. First, I took off the Damper release lever using a socket (one bolt)
2. Next, I took off the Thermostatic actuator assembly using a socket (two bolts) WARNING be careful not to break a bolt in the stove like I did. If you do, they are #10-1" sheet metal screws.
3. I turned the Thermostatic Actuator Assembly 180 degrees and rebolted it.
4. Next, I reattached the Damper Release Lever.
5. I then took a engaged the damper assembly by turning counter clockwise.
6. Finally I took a lighter and held it against the spring and the spring turned "CLOCKWISE" and disengaged the Damper Release Lever from the Primary air damper.
I just want to say thank you to all of you, especially to STOVEGUY2ESW for speaking with me today.
Wrong Way
Correct Way
The wrong way picture is courtesy of SPIRILIS (thank you) who graciously gave us pictures of the air level assembly when I first opened this post. No offense was meant by naming the picture wrong way, because mine was assembled the exact same way.
Take a look at the correct way picture, you will see that the spring that is part of the Thermostatic Actuator Assembly is almost completely turned around the opposite direction.
Here is what I did:
1. First, I took off the Damper release lever using a socket (one bolt)
2. Next, I took off the Thermostatic actuator assembly using a socket (two bolts) WARNING
be careful not to break a bolt in the stove like I did. If you do, they are #10-1" sheet metal screws.3. I turned the Thermostatic Actuator Assembly 180 degrees and rebolted it.
4. Next, I reattached the Damper Release Lever.
5. I then took a engaged the damper assembly by turning counter clockwise.
6. Finally I took a lighter and held it against the spring and the spring turned "CLOCKWISE" and disengaged the Damper Release Lever from the Primary air damper.
I just want to say thank you to all of you, especially to STOVEGUY2ESW for speaking with me today.
Wrong Way
Correct Way
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spirilis
Minister of Fire
Oh, sweet, gonna have to fix that on mine too then
How hard is it to move the spring? There's a hex screw in the middle, do you just loosen that or something?
edit: nevermind, just looked at the pics again. Just have to remove the two hex bolts and flip it around.
How hard is it to move the spring? There's a hex screw in the middle, do you just loosen that or something?
edit: nevermind, just looked at the pics again. Just have to remove the two hex bolts and flip it around.
spirilis
Minister of Fire
Dang. That thermostatic assembly's bolts are really too small/fragile for the job, and I'm guessing it's coated in soot/tiny bit of creosote on the other side so yeah. Expect to replace those.
Already sheared the head off one:
Already sheared the head off one:
spirilis
Minister of Fire
Got the 2nd one out, the ticket is to remove the front burn tube + baffles and spray some WD-40 or similar on the backside of the screws. They slip through the threads easier that way. So for newcomers trying to do this, just preemptively remove your front burntube + baffles and spray those screws...
On the other hand, the sheared screw will not come out with anything, vice grips or what. The screws themselves are the same as the ones used for the burntubes (5/16" head), which are a little shorter than the ones used by the heatshields. Not sure what to do here. Gotta get new screws for it either way. Probably need to drill it out (tried, but my bit keeps walking off the shaft). It's in there pretty damned tight anyway. Vice grips from inside the stove (where it can get a grip) don't do squat.
One screw would probably hold this thing in place well enough anyhow but...
On the other hand, the sheared screw will not come out with anything, vice grips or what. The screws themselves are the same as the ones used for the burntubes (5/16" head), which are a little shorter than the ones used by the heatshields. Not sure what to do here. Gotta get new screws for it either way. Probably need to drill it out (tried, but my bit keeps walking off the shaft). It's in there pretty damned tight anyway. Vice grips from inside the stove (where it can get a grip) don't do squat.
One screw would probably hold this thing in place well enough anyhow but...
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spirilis
Minister of Fire
Anyway here's a picture of the screws from inside the stove, with the front burntube removed + baffles removed.
To the upper right and lower left of the thermostatic actuator's body, spray those 2 with a touch of WD-40 or similar lubricant before you try removing the thermostatic actuator's screws from outside the stove. It'll be less likely to shear/snap/break on you.
(The bigger hole on the right is for the bolt holding the S-shaped bracket, which I had already removed. That could use some WD-40 too as it was a little rough getting out, but it's a much bigger bolt so less likely to break.)
To the upper right and lower left of the thermostatic actuator's body, spray those 2 with a touch of WD-40 or similar lubricant before you try removing the thermostatic actuator's screws from outside the stove. It'll be less likely to shear/snap/break on you.
(The bigger hole on the right is for the bolt holding the S-shaped bracket, which I had already removed. That could use some WD-40 too as it was a little rough getting out, but it's a much bigger bolt so less likely to break.)
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