Howdy folks. As some of you know ive been wrestling with my 04 Advance for a good month or so now. Ive taken it apart, cleaned this, and cleaned that. Well tonight i figured out that it doesnt just seem like its not getting enough fuel, it isnt getting enough fuel. Sometimes the auger motor runs when the light goes on, and sometimes it doesnt. It seems to me like the board is telling the motor to run but its not. I know its not jammed because after a few cycles and with know action by me, the auger motor starts turning again. I can also turn it by hand so i can tell its not jammed. Does anybody have a clue what the heck is going on with this stove? Im leaning towards an issue with the control board since an electric motor is a pretty simple piece of equipment, either it runs when you feed it electricity or it doesnt. Any ideas?
Harman Advance Still shutting down
- Thread starter Andy P.
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SmokeyTheBear
Minister of Fire
With the stove off and unplugged check all of the connections from the control board to the auger motor and all couplings between the auger motor and the auger. This is cheaper than doing the auger motor replacement or following that with the control board replacement. Also clean the auger motor it is possible it is binding a bit when warm or there is some form of thermal protection at work which would stop it from running when too warm.
thanks smokey. i have another auger motor so im going to switch that out tomorrow and have a look at those connections. it does seem like the auger will run fine for a few minutes before it stops. that fun minutes that it will run seems shorter and shorter all the time. i dont know at this point what the heck is going on with this thing. its a simple electric motor, send it some electricity and it runs
Ok. Im on to something. When i put my hand over the air intake the auger runs fine. Does anyone know how to bypass the low pressure switch? I either have a weak combustion blower or a leak causing insufficient vaccum.
SmokeyTheBear
Minister of Fire
If you can locate it all that you have to do is jumper it (but this is a very dangerous thing to do for other than just testing).
You might have a gasket issue, I'd check them first.
You might have a gasket issue, I'd check them first.
as much as i hate to do it ill will turn the oil heat back on rather than jumper that low pressure switch. im hoping to get out of work at a reasonable hour and check out the gaskets. thanks again smokey
X2 to Smokey.........I dont think its the switch, og course, but bypassing the vac switch just for the sake of permanently makig the stove run is a mistake....
i dont suspect the vac switch. im leaning towards a gasket issue. the hard part is im not sure which or where there are gaskets other than the obvious door, hopper lid, ash pan. im trying to find that information now. i may have to bite the bullet and pay someone. the service tech must have some sort of a vaccum guage used for leak detection.
UPDATE.... I have now figured out that if I fiddle with the hopper lid or open it and close it then the auger will start running. The hopper gasket looks fine but im going to change it today anyway. This morning when i restarted the stove it kind of coughed a bit and took a long time to ignite. This is leading me to believe there may be an exhaust restriction or the combustion motor is going. I will check the exhaust today and maybe remove the combustion fan/motor and give it a good cleaning/lube.
SmokeyTheBear
Minister of Fire
Don't forget to clean the fines area and the igniter area (this one can make igniting a fire problematic).
Well, I'm not to proud to admit it when I've been an idiot. The engineer part of me over thought this whole stove shutting down thing and i overlooked the obvious. I assumed that because everything is only a few months old that my exhaust pipe couldnt possibly clogged. Well it was. This mornings backfires had me thinking about an air flow issue and sure enough i looked into an almost completely sooted up vent pipe. Being a new stove owner i did not expect the exhaust to get so dirty so fast. Anyhow, i just picked up a Black and Decker leaf hog, undid my vaccum hose and gave that sucker a good cleaning. I want to sincerely thank everyone for their help and suggestion. You guys/gals make the internet an invaluable rescource for the DIY homeowner. Thanks!
SmokeyTheBear
Minister of Fire
Naw, I won't, yeah right.
Donning the vestments of an Ordained Minister of The Church of The Clean Pellet Stove I will now recite Church Dogma:
A clean stove is a happy, safe, and warm stove.
Enjoy the heat Andy
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Donning the vestments of an Ordained Minister of The Church of The Clean Pellet Stove I will now recite Church Dogma:
A clean stove is a happy, safe, and warm stove.
Enjoy the heat Andy
.
Harman Lover 007
Minister of Fire
Glad to hear you got it running but a question remains....why is your exhaust clogging with fly ash and soot so quickly?? Something isn't right.
Long run of pipe? letting the ash pan overflow, such that the overflow ash gets depoited by the combustion fan into the pipe (VERY common).....
Kudos to the OP for:
1. admitting it was dirty- all too rare
2. figuring it out yourself!
Only 3ft of horizontal direct vent pipe with a jet nozzle cap on the end of it. Im pretty good about keeping the ash pan clean as well. I assumed that since the pipe was new around Christmas that it wouldnt get dirty in 3 months. Im not sure why it did but it did.
Harman Lover 007
Minister of Fire
I guess you never know....for 3" pipe, the max horizontal run (additive) is 4 feet. It isnt an exact science.....air mechanics where your outlet is might make a difference, the makeup of the ash (high cholride contents in your pellets can make themmore "clinkery", and heavier, possible causing them to precipitate out of the airflow in the pipe), maybe a semi-weak combustion fan, who knows? The important thing is you figured it out due to your diligence, and solved the matter. Your solution might be to clean your pipe with every thorough cleaning 9once a month). I have seen many folks whose idear of cleaning is to just empty the brimming over ash pan....gues where the ash goes when the ashpan overflows?!
SmokeyTheBear
Minister of Fire
68 bags burned and at least one good ash producer in the bunch depending upon the date and location of manufacture.
Have you got an up bubble on the run Andy and is it venting into the prevailing wind?
Have you got an up bubble on the run Andy and is it venting into the prevailing wind?
No up bubble in the run, 3ft straight out the side of the room. Its is not on the prevailing wind side either and it sheilded by some kind of a shrub thing that i have to trim to get the 36in clearence. I did buy the stove used and cleaned it before i installed it but not the exhaust. For what its worth i found NEWP to be much much more ashy than anything i have burned
SmokeyTheBear
Minister of Fire
Ayuh, on the NEWP , I didn't know what plant yours came from but suspected they might be the fairly ashy ones.
You are supposed to have at least a 1/4" rise per foot of "horizontal" vent, venting must always rise.
You'll get it all down to a routine, I alternate what and how I clean each cleaning. Cleaning is all ash driven.
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