Castile thermocouple question(s)

[smalltown]

Not every time, but a pain when it occurs.
My Castile will start-up drop pellets and ignite, but before my control box light goes green the fire has dimmed enough that my light does not go green.

Sometimes I wondered if it was getting enough pellets at start-up. If you watch the stove while it's up and running OK when the augur pulses sometimes 1 pellet maybe 2 then other-times it seems like quite a few quit so I thought well maybe at start up might I not get a few pulses of a few pellets and hence not a big enough fire to get a green light, and at other times a lot of pellets that result in a good fire and a green light.

I sat there and watched a few start-ups and realized the fire was dimming before getting my green light. I adjusted the feed rate up a little and Wednesday night the stove started and stopped several times before daybreak, and I thought I solved the problem then later in the day Friday it started acting up. The stove has been thoroughly cleaned including removal of the combustion motor and a good clean-out of the exhaust piping. When I do start up and run OK I have a nice robust fire.

I would like to verify that my thermocouple cover is jutting out the right distance into the burn pot. I found a service manual (dated 2002) and it stated 1 3/4" into the burn pot. I took a look and mine is about 1/2", but later this evening it became apparent that at some point Quad changed the thermocouple cover size to a shorter unit so it's got to be less than 1 3/4" for newer stoves.

I have two questions does anybody have the latest service manual. My stove was purchased in the summer 2009? Also in order to verify that the thermocouple wire is inserted all the way into the cover and touching the end do I just loosen the screw at the base of the thermocouple? It looks like it's a clip that hold the thermocouple wire by just pinching it.

 

[soupy1957]

You realize of course, that those of us who burn wood, and not Pellets, are going to say what I'm about to, so perhaps I can spare you further pain...........

If you burn WOOD, you can simply add more..............no mechanical, electrical issues.

-Soupy1957

 

[stoveguy13]

are you running on high when this happens?

 

[firewarrior820]

HAVE YOU PLACED THE VACUUM CLEANER DIRECTLY OVER THE PELLET DROP
CHUTE TO SUCK OUT THE FINES?

 

[smalltown]

Soupy I hear you, but I burnt wood for a number of years before, and even a few years of coal, I prefer the pellet stoves. This is only a bump I the road, between me and everybody here it will be running fine once we find the hiccup.

Stove guy I was running on the medium position.

Firewarrier yes this week I emptied all the pellets vaccumed the hopper and the augur of all fines then vaccumed the pellet drop chute and verified the shute was clear with an inspection mirror.

Well the stove made a liar out of me this morning. I found the stove not running and the call light on. Hit the reset and it started its start-up sequence seemed to be roughly about 60 seconds of dropping pellets, followed by ignition then proof of fire (green light) and I thought I was up and running. Left the house for about 20 minutes and when I reurned the fire was out only the call light was on and the green proof of fire was still lit.

Hit the reset and placed the stove in the high position to run that way for a little while so far so good.

I still wonder about a previous post that I started where I tried unsuccesfully after removing the exhaust blower to get a cleaning brush from the motor area backward through the stove to the rear exhaust outlet. I finally setteled for pulling a rag tied to a rope and pulling it back and forwards in this area. Everything else was cleaned to my satisfaction.

PS I ran ok all last season and am finishing up with the same pellets, I opened up my feed plate about 1/8" earlier this week I might open it a little more today. You wouldn't think I would need to at this point, but I am open to any ideas.

 

[Czech]

Make sure the thermocouple is all the way into the cover. You should be able to remove the cover itself, it slides out from under the clip sideways. It is fragile so be careful. Hold it along side the wires to see if it is made all the way up, add some length to the wires if needed then replace the cover made all the way up, it should hit a stop on the clip. Your feed rate may need to be opened further also, but I would guess the thermo is not made up all the way and is not getting hot enough at all times to keep the stove running. The couple could be bad or going too. It is normal for the amount of fuel dropped each auger cycle to vary.

 

[smalltown]

Czech thanks for the info I'll go do that right now if it has cooled enough.

I lifted the clip ever so carefully and slid the ceramic cover off. Everything seemed ok. I then measured the depth of the ceramic cover and the length of the thermocouple wires so when I replaced the cover it would be very close to the end if not touching. One thing I did see was that there is a small amount of lateral movement in the thermocouple cable. So after installing the cover I carefully pushed on the wires to be sure they were in as much as they could go.

I upped the thermostat and it started and continues to run OK. Since it's an intermittent problem I'll let it cycle on its own for a while.
It could be my imagination, and I wished I had timed it before and after, but I thought I had a quicker proof of fire green light. At least it seemed that way. Time will tell.

 

[tjnamtiw]

HAVE YOU PLACED THE VACUUM CLEANER DIRECTLY OVER THE PELLET DROP
CHUTE TO SUCK OUT THE FINES?

If you do that, I would suggest that you reach around back and unplug the rubber hose from the vacuum switch first. that much vacuum might be more than the switch can handle. Also it would suck the build up of soot from the hose nipple that sometimes plugs up.
you will always have some inconsistency of feed drops from one shot to the next. However, it could be that you have some very long pellets that are bridging across the drop chute at the top. I had this problem several times last winter with Carolina Wood Pellets. Some of those suckers were 4" long! An inspection mirror is a good investment to look for bridging up there.

 

[jtakeman]

My Quad would give me lighting issues when the ash dump wasn't fully closed or the burnpot holes were restricted.

 

[maglite67]

Check the nipple on drop tube for fines restriction a lot of times it gets plugged. pull the hose and run a paper clip through the hole. also make sure the screws are tight on the auger where it mounts to the auger tube could be a leak there also.

 

[smwilliamson]

HAVE YOU PLACED THE VACUUM CLEANER DIRECTLY OVER THE PELLET DROP
CHUTE TO SUCK OUT THE FINES?

sorry, I misread this -EDIT.

Does the thermocouple go red after a robust fire?

 

[smalltown]

Just an update. Well I am not ready to say my problem has been solved, but since I removed the cover and checked the thermocouple the stove has auto-started and run well 4 times since yesterday. Is it that critical that the thermocouple be exactly to the end of the cover? I will watch it closely for a few days before I feel comfortable. Learning more and more about my stove and that's a good thing.

Scott, the thermocouple light does go red (indicating second stage ignition reached) so "I think/hope" that the thermocouple is OK.

maglite67 I am not sure what you mean as I don't not have (see) a nipple on the drop tube. I did check the drop chute and it's clean I can see the augur looking back up with a mirror. That does however make me think that when I cleaned my stove I completely removed the vacuum tube from the stove to see if it need cleaning. I should have checked that nipple fitting or better yet just removed the hose from the vacuum switch and blown air through the hose that would have verified both. I'll add that to my next spring cleaning. By the way where does that nipple go to sense the vacuum? Is it simply a hole drilled into or above the firebox? That's something else I would like to check.

Jake the burn-pot door is completely closed, and all the holes clear. Ever since somebody suggested using a store bought chisel I scrape the bottom of the fire pot each cleaning and it opens easily and pops back closed. Clean as a whistle and it does so when it starts up.

I know a lot of you are not eager to start burning and neither am I, but I feel better having a few small night burns (last night dropped into the 40s) to verify I am good to go when the real cold eventually arrives.

P.S. Panhandler your recent comment about 25 years has me still rolling on the floor!

 

[tjnamtiw]

If you follow the rubber hose from the vacuum switch to the feed tube/drop chute, you'll see that it attaches right at the top of the feed chute. Ash can and does accumulate there and can block the hole. I blow out the hose every week when I do my 10 minute cleaning. Use canned air. My burn pot door attachment bolt will loosen up and let the door droop down, which allows air to come in the bottom instead of the 10 or so holes around the pot. If I tighten the bolt completely, then it binds the door. Really lousy engineering. I've been saying all summer that I was going to remove the shoulder bolt and machine it so it bottoms out with the door slightly loose. Another 'round to it' sitting on the shelf!
Yes, the thermocouple should be touching the end of the ceramic tube according to the experts.

 

[smalltown]

tjnamtiw are you pulling the right side of the stove off to use the canned air every week? That's the only way I imagine you are getting at the hose.
Interesting that they are checking vacuum there as the hopper door wasn't made to seal tightly. I can see where having a hopper full of pellets might affect vacuum.

 

[tjnamtiw]

tjnamtiw are you pulling the right side of the stove off to use the canned air every week? That's the only way I imagine you are getting at the hose.
Interesting that they are checking vacuum there as the hopper door wasn't made to seal tightly. I can see where having a hopper full of pellets might affect vacuum.

Hi, I have the insert version and I can JUST get at the hose through the area on the right when the door is opened. Maybe a free standing is different. If I had to, I would extend the hose, cut it and put a piece of brass tube in the middle of it. Then I would position the brass tube close to the front of the stove in that accessible area. Disconnect it there and blow through it. Make sense???

 

[smalltown]

Makes sense. I took a quick look at insert manual and yours although it appears to be the same blowers, and electronics it's configured differently. I need to take off the rear right side panel to get access to the hose. Nevertheless it's good to know where to look and make sure I clean it out.

 

[tjnamtiw]

That makes sense. If I were you, I would still extend that hose so you can get at it more easily without the hassle of taking the side off. That little hole does get plugged.