is there fluid in auger gearbox and should it be maintained(if it shows signs of leakage)

[pete324rocket]

I know,I know...if it ain't broke,don't fix it.....but a little puddle of oil or maybe grease,has deposited underneath the gearbox though another member has said the same thing happened to him with the same model. For those who have taken the gearbox apart,what kind of lubrication is used and what quantity-is the gearbox filled up or simply lubricated.Since it turns so slow,I usually wouldn't be concerned but since heat is involved,I'd like to be better informed. thanks pete

 

[kdp7462]

What type of stove and model? I have an englander/summers heat and I just had a scary experience with a bearing going bad on my lower auger. If it is an englander then it is a sealed bearing, there should be no oil/grease....at least thats what the tech at englander said!

 

[pete324rocket]

you're probably not familiar with a drolet eco-45.I just had the back cover off to take a look-everything is in brass/bronze bushings and really the amount of oil is only a couple of drops but it looks like a lot from the outside.I'm gonna leave it be-unless I hear about gearboxes going bad.Its just that I want the motor assembly to last a long time and when I hear of motors going bad,it makes me wonder because they have no brushes and should last a very long time I would think.Of course...heat is the enemy, as well as dirt and dust.

 

[Philip]

Ball bearings are usually sealed. Gear boxes on the other hand are usually packed with grease. But since I've never taken a pellet stove auger gearbox apart I can't say for sure. I did notice an oily spot under the gearbox in my pellet stove. I don't know if that was on the outside of the gearbox during manufacturing and then the heat of the stove made it melt and drip. I would think that they use heat resistant grease in a pellet stove. Although, on my stove the cold air intake tube that the outside air pipe is attached to is right beside the auger gearbox so the area where the auger gearbox is located should stay cool.

BTW, I thought the outside air would be sealed from outside all the way to the firebox, but it's not. There is about 5" between the end of the outside air tube (which ends just inside the sheetmetal) and the pipe that goes into the firebox. So when the stoves not running, it's like I have a 2" hole in my wall directly to the outside.

 

[pete324rocket]

Well that makes me feel better that you have the same oily spot-I don't think I will be too much concerned.The reason I brought it up though,is that the auger seems to be making a bit more noise as of late,kinda like a noisy clock,but it comes and goes.I'm keeping an eye on it.
As for the cold air intake and the gap,my stove has the outlet for the cold air intake on the back but it ends there and would have the same situation as you.I questioned this with another person who posts here and I was enlighten to know that a cold air kit had to be installed that piped the intake directly to the fan with a sheet metal shroud of some kind.A surprise to me-why wouldn't they put that there in the first place and if you didn't use it that way,what difference would it make? Pellets stoves are intersting for sure and I'm not embarassed to say I'm still on the learning curve!