Need Help with Whitfield Advantage II-T

[DanJ]

Hello I just bought a used pellet stove ( Whitfield AdvantageII-T)and am having problems getting it to run. First I cleaned the stove out everywhere including behind the fire brick. When I light the pellts they burn, I then close the door turn on the blower to 3 and the flame dies down and then out. When I do get it to run I have a very high ash rate and aver a few hours the window need to be scrapped with a razor blade and the stove usually kicks out. Originally the dampener was stuck, which I got unstuck but it really doesn't appear to do much. I also checked the exhaust by removbing the chimmeny liner and the exhaust blower seemed to be working good. Any Suggestions?
Thanks Dan

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Hello I just bought a used pellet stove ( Whitfield AdvantageII-T)and am having problems getting it to run. First I cleaned the stove out everywhere including behind the fire brick. When I light the pellts they burn, I then close the door turn on the blower to 3 and the flame dies down and then out. When I do get it to run I have a very high ash rate and aver a few hours the window need to be scrapped with a razor blade and the stove usually kicks out. Originally the dampener was stuck, which I got unstuck but it really doesn't appear to do much. I also checked the exhaust by removbing the chimmeny liner and the exhaust blower seemed to be working good. Any Suggestions?
Thanks Dan

Please detail exactly what you cleaned.

Did you remove and clean the exhaust blower and its cavity?

Did you clean the exhaust path from the blower cavity back through and into the heat exchanger?

Did you clean the ash traps?

When you got the damper unstuck how did you set the damper?

Did you check and replace any of the gaskets?

Did you clean from the air intake through to the fire pot?

Please describe your venting.

 

[DanJ]

I vent out through a chimming up to the top (20') I cleaned the ash pan and behind the fire brick and check the exhaust without the vent pipe hooked up and I had good pressure coming out. I did not take the exhaust blower out and check in there .I adjusted the danpener to the facory spec (21/4") first the tried diffrerent setting without any better results. I did get it to run one day but since then it won't stay lit when I close the door and start it.

I'm going to get new door gasket tonight and try that.

 

[DanJ]

I took the combustion fan out cleaned in there, it wasn't all that dirty. changed the door gasket. Still can'tkeep it lit. As soon as I close the door the flame goes out

 

[imacman]

I took the combustion fan out cleaned in there, it wasn't all that dirty. changed the door gasket. Still can'tkeep it lit. As soon as I close the door the flame goes out

When you close the door, does it die like when you blow a candle out, or slowly like it runs out of oxygen?


BTW, you should go back and edit the title of this thread....add the Brand and Model of the stove in it so other owners see it.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

If the air paths are blocked in your stove anywhere from the damper through the fire pot and out through the exhaust, a fire will go out after you close the door.

You bought a used stove, the very first thing that I'd expect to discover is that it hadn't been properly cleaned.

I noticed you did not say you had cleaned the heat exchanger, etc ....

The stove is looking for its proof of fire switch to close before starting the fuel feed, so anything that prevents that switch from reaching the proper temperature will prevent the stove from feeding pellets to keep the fire from going out.

Now it is possible to have a very high draft going through the burn pot such that when the door is closed the burning pellets get ejected and go out or there is no longer enough air to support a fire and the fire dies and there are still pellet pieces in the burn pot that are unburned.

imacman is trying to determine which case you have.

 

[DanJ]

When you close the door, does it die like when you blow a candle out, or slowly like it runs out of oxygen?

The flame turns blue and gets blown around for a few seconds then slowly dies out. Almost like it's running out of air

As far as the heat exchanger tubes they were cleaned along with every orffice I could find with a brush and a vacuum. The exhaust motor is running. It almost looks like the air intake is blocked but I don't see anything unless I missed taking it apart .

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Trace out the intake air path and run a wire snake through it.

Do the same thing from the combustion blower back through to the fire box.

You'll need to remove the fake brick and any ash trap baffles to see it when going from the blower back through to the fire box.

Could you describe your fire starting procedure?

 

[DanJ]

Could you describe your fire starting procedure?

I Put some jell and pellets in the burn pot and light it. Wait 15 seconds or so close the door and start the system, put the blower and heat output on 3, then the flame dies out.

 

[Snowy Rivers]

Sounds like the ash traps behind the fire brick are plugged.

With the Brick fire backing out, you need to remove the sheet metal that covers the back of the firebox.

These pieces go in like a chinese puzzle so take note of how they come out and go back in.

These covers are on both sides of center. The center stays solid.

Behind these plates are the ash traps. Over time these fill up clear full of crap and will plug off the air flow.

The air flows into the bottom of the firepot from underneith.
The air then drawn up and through the heat exchanger tubes and down through the ash traps, where it changes directions.

From that point the air travels up and out some ports in the top of the stove and down behind the main bulkhead and into the airway that leads to the exhaust fan and then out.

Make sure that the damper rod is indeed opening and closing the sliding gate and that the passage behind the bulkead is clear.

I bought an Advantage last winter that would not run and it had the same issue. It was plugged tight with ash, all the way up to the top ports and the stove could not breathe.

The ash trap covers are easy to get to. Just some sheet metal screws inide the firebox is all.

When I said the rear plates are like a chinese Puzzle, I meant it. They take a particular twist turn and position to get them out of the stove. Its not hard but do yourself a favor and mark them as to which is right, left and the part that goes up.

I took mine out (fought them) then tossed them in a pile and steam cleaned them and the stove.

The fun came when I went to reinstall them. Took a little fooling about.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Snowy

 

[DanJ]

Sounds like the ash traps behind the fire brick are plugged.

With the Brick fire backing out, you need to remove the sheet metal that covers the back of the firebox.

These pieces go in like a chinese puzzle so take note of how they come out and go back in.

Make sure that the damper rod is indeed opening and closing the sliding gate and that the passage behind the bulkead is clear.

It is opening and closing

The ash trap covers are easy to get to. Just some sheet metal screws inide the firebox is all.

I've removed ther firebrick and cleaned as much as I could get to, it looks clean, but I'll check again. Tonight I'll probe all orffices again with a heavy strip of wire and a small brisle brush

 

[Snowy Rivers]

Dan

There is a cover plate on each side of the firebox at the rear that must be removed to clean the inner ash traps.

You remove the screws on the little plates that hold the firebrick, then lift the brick out. Now after the ash is vacuumed out, you will see some other sheetmetal screws in there that hold the two plates in.

Again these are not hard to get out, but must be removed to get at the ash trap columns that run up each side of the firebox.

Once you find the screw and get at it, you will say OOOOOOOOOK now I see. ;-)

Have fun and keep the faith Bro, it will all work fine here in a bit.

Snowy

 

[DanJ]

You remove the screws on the little plates that hold the firebrick, then lift the brick out. Now after the ash is vacuumed out, you will see some other sheetmetal screws in there that hold the two plates in.

Got it, theres a set of plates behind the firebrick that I missed. I can do that first thing tonight when I get home from work. Thanks

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

A clean stove is a happy stove.

80+% of all pellet stove problems are caused by a dirty stove. This is why the grilling on cleaning, especially on old stoves there are a series of posts on the forum that member hearthtools made that describe a lot of the trouble shooting for older stoves along with pictures of what he has found inside the stoves.

Once you discover it is all in the air paths everything will become clear.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

BTW DanJ, welcome to the forum.

Take a seat near the stove and soak up some heat.

 

[DanJ]

Alright I got home took the baffles out behind the firebrick and cleaned it wasn't all that bad but I bushed and vacuumed behind the center again. I then started the fire back up with the same results. As I opened the door a crack the fire would burn. After a while I closed the door and moved the dampener opened and shut until it finally started to burn correctly the room started to get toasty, after 15 min or so it stopped again and eventually died out. I tried the same manuvers and it just wouldn't burn again. I disaasembled the whole exhaust which was clean, the dampener looks good with no blockage and the air intake in the back looked free of obstructions . Could my venting be a possible problem? I don't think the stove could get any cleaner, plus it ran great for 15 mins.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Dan,

Does the stove feed pellets?

Do you have the manual for your stove?

Does the convection fan actually turn on?

If the stove gets too hot because the convection fan isn't extracting the heat from the fire , the overtemp system will shut the stove down. This can happen at anytime. This may or may not require a reset switch be pressed.

If the stove doesn't detect proof of fire the stove will also shut down, this one normally happens after the start up timer expires.

Have you checked from the damper to the fire pot? Crud in there is like having the damper shut.

If the stove is having trouble drawing it would likely be detected by the vacuum sensor, there is a tube that goes from this to the exhaust side of the system. Sometimes this tube gets blocked by a bit of ash or if the tube goes to the pellet drop tube by fines from the pellets. Disconnect this tube at the switch end and blow through it. Do not blow through the tube when it is connected to the vacuum switch. You can ruin it.


It is also possible that you have a photo eye proof of fire system, these are normally somewhere in the drop chute and the lenses on them get crudded up and they can no longer see the fire, these will also shut the stove down. This can be taken care of by cleaning.


If you have a photo eye proof of fire system the following isn't applicable.

Locate the proof of fire switch, then with the stove off and unplugged jumper the switch. Then plug the stove in and attempt to restart it.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Alright I got home took the baffles out behind the firebrick and cleaned it wasn't all that bad but I bushed and vacuumed behind the center again. I then started the fire back up with the same results. As I opened the door a crack the fire would burn. After a while I closed the door and moved the dampener opened and shut until it finally started to burn correctly the room started to get toasty, after 15 min or so it stopped again and eventually died out. I tried the same manuvers and it just wouldn't burn again. I disaasembled the whole exhaust which was clean, the dampener looks good with no blockage and the air intake in the back looked free of obstructions . Could my venting be a possible problem? I don't think the stove could get any cleaner, plus it ran great for 15 mins.

When you brushed and vacuumed did you clean through to the combustion blower cavity? That is where that all goes.

 

[Pellet-King]

Dan the Man!!, i'll help i'm not the Pellet- king for nothing, i'm a old man burning the same stove as your's for a over a decade!
First off buddy when lighting with gel you have to drop a handfull of pellet's in 'da burnpot, add a generous squeeze of gel all over the top like icing, ....but before you light it WITH the door OPEN fire the stove up, the first 5 second's the stove fan's run's on a 5 then slowly die's down to a 3, when you hear that happen SLOOOWLYYY close the door, the flame will still be lit.
Ok now the damper is wayyy too open..., close the rod and open to 1/2" open, after about 2-3min's turn on the auger it will start to drop pellet's, I like to at this time turn the HEAT to a 2, 3 drop's too fast and smother's the flames.Even 1 heat will slowwly drop then and not smother the flame, then you can raise it up after once the flames are good.
I'm in Ct too, work in "GlastonGary" and live in 'Lock's, I can show you how if you want if you live near me.

If any of your passages were clogged you would have a lazy flame, not a blazin one that blow's out there flame, sound's like your exhaust is free....

 

[Snowy Rivers]

I just did a light off on our Advantage.

Added a handfull of pellets (they lightm easy and smell good)

Punch the start button with the fuel feed in the off position.
Using my propane torch (door slightly open) I get the pellets burning well.
Close the door and the fire jumps to life right quick.
after a minute or so I turn the fuel feed on at number 2 setting and allow the fire to get up and going well.

After another minute I switch the thing to the 1 position.

Where is your draft rod set ???

If the set collar on the rod is too far out you could be shutting off the airflow too much.

These stoves use the exhaust fan to pull the air through the fire pot and out the exhaust.

If the draft damper is closed down the fire will starve for air.


Snowy

 

[Snowy Rivers]

I am going to ask a dumb question at this point.

Ahhhhhhhh are we sure that the exhaust fan is running all the time ????

If the exhaust fan has issues, this beast will not burn a fire.

With the LH side of thr stove opened up, puch the start button and check with a flashlight to see if the fan is running.

The exhaust fan has a cooling blade that can be seen as well as the motor will have some vibrations.


Snowy

 

[DanJ]

Dan the Man!!, i'll help i'm not the Pellet- king for nothing, i'm a old man burning the same stove as your's for a over a decade!
I'm in Ct too, work in "GlastonGary" and live in 'Lock's, I can show you how if you want if you live near me.

I live in Colchester on the Marlobrough town line off of RT 66, about 15 mins from the center of Glastonbury. My wife works on Hebron Ave.

Everytime I've checked the fan it's been running, the cavity is clean (Brushed and Vacuumed). pellets drop down into the burn pot sand end up with unburned pellets.. What's getting me is yesterday afternoon I actually had it burning perfectly, nice yellow flame and good heat, then it fizzled out

 

[Snowy Rivers]

Here is a thought.

Try to get the stove going and have the LH side panel open so you can watch the fan motor.

I am wondering if the really tall chimney is causing a static pressure in the exhaust that is too high for the pressure switch. (diaphram switch)

Get the stove going and if/when it fizzles out, check to make sure the exhaust fan is going.

If the fan stops and or the pellets stop feeding, check the pressure switch to be sure it is allowing power to the system.


There is the possibility that the low temp switch is not staying locked in
When you press the start button, the low temp switch is locked out of the loop until the stove reaches operating temperature.

After about 30 minutes the start circuit drops out and the low side switch should carry power to the system.

If the low side switch is bad this would explain the loss of fire.


Low side switch should be on the blower housing.

You can test it easy enough using a VOM and just holding the switch with a pliers and warming it with a ciggy lighter or ?? carefully until is snaps in.

Make sure you have continuity through the switch

Unplug the stove while testing and fooling in there.

Snowy

 

[DanJ]

I will check that out. Is the pressure switch where the red hose is hooked just above the exhaust fan? I will also follow the Pellet-King's lighting method

 

[Snowy Rivers]

Yes. The red hose connects the switch to the exhaust housing.

Be sure the hose is free and clear and that the port in the housing is clear too.

IIRC the switch is normally closed and opens if the pressure were to increase due to a plugged chimney.

Make sure the switch is working.

You can blow GENTLY on the hose to check the daiphram and switch.

Snowy