Auger squeaks then jams.

[Icey Mike]

Stove: Whitfeild WP3

Issue: Man, why is it that the colder it gets outside, the more problems I have with keeping warm. Let me say that I have had my pellet stove since I bought my house in 03. It has been flawless. I rented out my house for six months and I come back to stained glass, a busted control panel, and now my auger motor is jamming up like every 2 minutes! I found that I can clear a jam by manually rotating the motor assembly. It seems to be built to do this by the way it looks.(My guess at lest lol). But it will run for a minute or two then jam again. Getting pretty annyoing to get up and clear it ALL the time. I just started using another brand of pellets and they seem to be a little longer then the lignetics I was using before. The new pellets are Thurman Hardwoods. Any input guys?

 

[hearthtools]

Most of the time it is just a weak motor
but sometimes it could be a bushing in the auger

 

[Icey Mike]

The Auger bushing, is this that brass coller between the motor and the auger plate?

 

[hearthtools]

The Auger bushing, is this that brass coller between the motor and the auger plate?

It is mounted in the mounting plate yes
My parts book shows it used the Brass

But if it is a brash bushing I dont think that the problem

Take all the pellets out of the hopper
Run the auger for a few minutes to clear the auger tube.
Remove the auger motor and see if the auger can be turned fairly freely by hand


13052100 Auger Shaft Kit
12051100 Bushing, Auger (Oilite) -
61050003 Gasket, Auger End Plate (Neoprene) - 5 per pkg.
13052000 Plate, Auger End, WW1/WP3


all the newer stoves use a Plastic type /nylatron

 

[Icey Mike]

Ok, here is the scoop. I replaced the augur motor. Working much better now. But here is the catch. When I went into the parts store they told me I am not the first one to have an issue with these thurman hardwood pellets in my Whitman. Apparently it has something to do with their length.

 

[jtp10181]

Yeah a lot of longer pellets will tend to cause more jams in the tube.

 

[petejung]

Aren't the pellets supposed to be of a standard length, i.e. at least a certain length long but no longer than a certain length? I know not all pellet manufacturers have the Pellet Inst. seal on their bag, so maybe this Thurman doesn't make pellets up to the PI spec?

 

[pete324rocket]

can't remember if it is 1 1/4" or 1 1/2" for the max length but thats a big pellet-and especially if you have a bag that has a huge amount of them.They look nice in the bag but hard on riggin'.

 

[Icey Mike]

Yup, they do look nice, but a good fire and a warm house look nicer. lol
Here is a pic of just some of the beasties I picked from a 1/4 of a bag!

 

[petejung]

Wow... Those are some big sausages! Most of mine are 1/2 that size.