Enviro Empress FS - replaced ignitor now fuse keeps blowing

[gnussbaum]

Hello,

We own an Enviro Empress FS that we purchased in 2006. Last week we noticed that the ignitor wasn't lighting so we just replaced it. We did it ourselves. After the initial power up everything seemed fine. Pellets were being fed and a fire started. About five minutes later the fuse blew. I went out and got a replacement fuse and the same thing happened again. I'm not sure why this is happening. The wiring looks fine and I don't think the two wires from the ignitor had to be plugged back in to the wires in a certain way as they were both listed as "black/black" in the manual.

Any ideas why this is happening now?

 

[gnussbaum]

bumping this hoping someone may be able to help.

Also - is it OK for the ignitor to be touching the tube it's in?

 

[heat seeker]

I don't think your problem is caused by the ignitor touching the tube, but I would suppose it should be centered.

If the fuse blows as soon as the ignitor is powered, I suspect that you pinched a wire when reassembling things. It happens to the best of us. That doesn't sound like what you're describing, though.

Is is possible that the new ignitor is a higher wattage than the original? That could blow fuses in a delayed manner like you describe. If the outer shell of the ignitor has been damaged, and the element is partially shorted to ground, it would draw excess current, thus blowing the fuse. (That's a long shot, though.) You could try centering the ignitor and see what happens. If the shell is damaged, it would be a good idea to replace it for safety reasons, though.

 

[SwineFlue]

I agree that it sounded like a pinched wire, except for the delay. Unless... does the fuse blow at about the time you would normally expect to hear the fan kick on? If so, double-check the wiring to that fan.

 

[gnussbaum]

Thanks for the info. I'll see if any wires are crimped.

 

[pelletburner2]

How did everything work out, is your problem resolved? If not, you can try isolating the ignitor to confirm whether (or not) this is the cause.

 

[heat seeker]

Don't you just love when people show up, get an answer, and never get back to us?

 

[BrotherBart]

As long as they got the right answer. What this joint is all about.

Gotta figure the last suggestion worked.

 

[gnussbaum]

Sorry to disappoint you heat seeker - it's still an issue. I'm waiting for a replacement circuit board and then I was going to post.

 

[pelletburner2]

Sorry to disappoint you heat seeker - it's still an issue. I'm waiting for a replacement circuit board and then I was going to post.

While you wait for the control panel you can still check to see if the ignitor is the cause of the problem. You can unplug the two wires leading to the ignitor and fire up the Empress using an alcohol jell to ignite the pellets. I use "Meeco's Red Devil SureStart Gel Firestarter" - the label reads "For use with Pellet, Corn, Multifuel or Coal Stoves and Campfires". There are other brands as well, some even say you can use an alcohol based hand sanitizer which I have NOT tried, so can't say.

After you unplug the wires to the ignitor (I usually cover the live wire connectors with electrical tape as an added precaution), set the switch on the control panel to the Hi/Low setting. Then place a small amount of pellets in the bottom of the hopper and light them with the gel. Once these flame up, then turn the stove on and close the door slowly so you don't blow out the flame. The auger will start feeding pellets as in normal start-up. If the fuse does not blow again, the stove should continue a normal start cycle from this point if the ignitor was causing the fault. Since the ignitor is now not connected and isolated from the circuitry, if the Empress runs well with a gell start this indicates the ignitor was indeed the cause of the blown fuses. If the fuse does blow, then it is evident that the cause is elsewhere.

Fortunately the Empress can run fine without the ignitor connected. So if the stove runs well, you can leave it running on the Hi-Low setting and continue using it. Or, if you shut it down, you can always start it up again using the gell, until you replace the ignitor.

Hope this helps you or others to pinpoint the problem.

 

[gnussbaum]

Hi pelletburner2,

I actually tested it and also sent it backto the company to test also. The replacement ignitor fine. I took pictures of my board and the technician from the company noticed corrosion on my board so I ordered a replacement on Friday. I hope that fixes it.

In the interim I purchased some starter gel at Lowes and have been using that.

 

[pelletburner2]

Hi pelletburner2,

I actually tested it and also sent it backto the company to test also. The replacement ignitor is fine. I took pictures of my board and the technician from the company noticed corrosion on my board so I ordered a replacement on Friday. I hope that fixes it.

Will be interested to hear how it comes out, thanks!

 

[heat seeker]

Sorry to disappoint you heat seeker - it's still an issue. I'm waiting for a replacement circuit board and then I was going to post.

My apologies - I was hasty, and was not having a good day. I should have kept my comment to myself.

BrotherBart was right. Again, apologies.

 

[gnussbaum]

Got my replacement 50-1369 board today. It looks a bit different than the original. Only one fuse instead of two and the new one has little buttons on the bottom. Does this sound right? I haven't tried it yet so I could ask you first.

 

[johneh]

The upgraded boards only have 1 fuse
Just check that the number printed on the board is the number you ordered
there are 3 different boards for that type of stove

 

[gnussbaum]

Turned out to be the circuit board that was bad. Everything is running fine now

 

[Peter McKnight]

Had a fuse blowing problem today with my Enviro Empress. Thanks to this forum I got the idea to disconnect the igniter (even though that wasn't the problem in the post above) and no more blown fuses! Now I just have to decide is it worth replacing the igniter.

 

[pelletburner2]

Advantages I see to having the igniter is that the stove turns on only when heat is needed, using less fuel. When we get very cold here in Vermont, I might switch from Auto/Off mode to High/Low mode -- this saves wear and tear on the igniter, while keeping it toasty warm by holding the fire on low between thermostat calls for heat. Still need to shut down periodically for a quick cleaning, but keeps things comfortable. I prefer the igniter on Auto/Off when outside temps get a little warmer, otherwise it gets too hot in the house even on the low setting, especially when the sun comes out (we have south exposure). So even if you add the igniter back in, you still have the option to switch modes when it works better for you.

 

[Peter McKnight]

Since we've never used the auto function (which requires an associated thermostat), the ignitor is mainly a convenience so as not to have to use alcohol/gel to start it when it is out. So since I've posted I've tried both rubbing alcohol (not hugely effective but better than nothing) and generic store brand hand sanitizer gel which works like a charm! Since the stove is rarely off this time of year, it won't break my budget to keep a supply of this on hand. Thanks for your input.

 

[seige101]

Anyone have a source for an Enviro Empress igniter that is not priced like it is made with gold and diamonds?