Excited about my first pellet stove but having an issue

[NVblue]

Hey y'all

I have been reading this forum for a couple of weeks now and I really like what what I have read from everybody. I am very excited because my fiance and I just purchased our first pellet stove. We couldn't afford a new stove, so we purchased a used Avalon Astoria Bay insert off of Craigslist. I spent Sunday rigging the exhaust system and prepping our old fireplace for the new stove. After I got the exhaust hooked up and the stove leveled I filled up the hopper and plugged it in. I switched the circuit board to manual and all I got was all the level lights lit up and the auger light blinked red.

The next day, I check all the fuses, cleaned out the hopper and vacuumed up all the pellets and tried to see if there was a jam with the auger. As far as I could see and feel there is no jam. I called the local Travis dealer and the guy on the phone offered no advice aside from unplugging the unit and resetting the circuit board. I kindly thanked him for the useless advise and figured I would seek help elsewhere.

Has anybody delt with this issue before and could offer a couple of pointers? We are really looking forward to our first pellet fire

Thanks!

Serial Number #2304-07728

 

[abbdog]

Cant help,but i hope you tested it first.Got mine off cl too and ran it for a good 45mins.

 

[nailed_nailer]

Just a quick web search comes up with these troubleshooting pages.

Up to you to figure out if they are right for your situation.

http://www.travisdealer.com/TechnicalNotices/17601431.pdf

http://woodheatstoves.com/pellet-stove-user-manuals-c-291_215.html

http://www.creativeenergy.com/pages/pellet-freestanding-astoria

Hope this helps you out.

---Nailer---

 

[richkorn]

Did the auger light blink red even before you pushed the start button?

When you put it to manual and push the start button does the exhaust fan start right up?

All the lights lit up could just mean that the stove is set on high. The auger light should blink if it's turning or trying to turn. Do you see the auger turning? (moves super slow). If so, Push the auger prime button to force some pellets to drop. You can also just put a handful of pellets in the burn pot - If you do this, very soon you see the igniter (big red eye behind burn pot) lighting up bright red. Is that happening?

If the auger isn't turning but doesn't appear jammed up with crap, the only other thing I can think of is after resetting the circuit board and making sure all other connections are on tight, that stove has a flow (vacuum) switch and flow tube at the rear. If that tube gets plugged up with ash it throws the switch and the auger will not turn (safety device). Clean that flow tube out with a pipe cleaner.

Look at the manual and check that out.

Sit tight and an Avalon dealer on this board will be sure to answer you.

 

[NVblue]

Thanks for the responses.

Yes, the auger light blinks (really slowly) before I switch it to manual mode. I get zero response from the stove at all. No fan noises, no ignition, no pellet drop, nothing.

Also, my circuit board doesn't have an auger prime button. it has the LED heat indicators two nobs for fan and heat, the toggle switch for off, manual and auto and a manual start button.

 

[richkorn]

Did you push the manual start button?

You must have an older stove since it has no auger prime button.

 

[richkorn]

Also,

Are you sure it isn't the 'Fault' light that's blinking?

That 'Auger' light shouldn't blink at all until you press the start button.

 

[NVblue]

I have pressed the manual start and it isn't the "fault" light blinking. It is the auger light.

 

[richkorn]

Well, I don't know then. Auger light blinking means that it's turning (or trying to). Maybe the shaft is loose.

 

[hossthehermit]

Kinda like Monty Python's "Dead Parrot".

 

[rap69ri]

Is the auger motor getting hot? If it is it's most likely jammed or bad. You could pull the auger motor off and see if the auger turns freely. If it doesn't get hot put a meter across the wires on the motor and see if you're getting line voltage. Since I'm not familiar with your stove from this point I'm not sure what else to look at.

 

[imacman]

..... I switched the circuit board to manual and all I got was all the level lights lit up and the auger light blinked red.

I bought a used Astoria this past summer, but not off of CL......you never know what you're getting there.

As for starting it up, when you first start the stove, either Auto or man., all the heat selection lights come on...that's normal. The auger light should start blinking (about once every 7-8 seconds during startup), but since this stove was empty when you bought it, it will take 10-15 min for the auger to pull the pellets up far enough to start coming down the feed chute into the burn pot.

You didn't mention if you could see if the ignitor was getting hot....that usually starts after about 4-5 minutes.

 

[NVblue]

Yeah I know that Craigslist is kind of a crapshoot... Though i still think that even after having to make repairs I will still come in under the cost of a new stove.

Last night I pulled off both the exhaust fan and intake fin and cleaned them. Tonight I think I will pull the auger motor and see if the auger shaft turns. I vaccumed up the front shoot that the pellets drop down and in the hopper as well. I think it is pretty clean, but who knows. Nothing is getting hot except for my temper after banging my knuckles trying to undo some of the nuts!

Do the motherboards need to be calibrated by a tech at all? The guy I bought the stove from said that after the guy installed the stove he came back a week later and calibrated the mother board.

Thanks for all the suggestions!