Normal behavior for Whitfield Advantage Plus?

[nov14]

Hi Everyone!

I inherited a Whitfied Advantage Plus (freestanding) stove.

I have replaced the following:
Combustion motor and gaskets
Low-limit switch
Auger motor, with upgraded end plate and bushing.

Here is what is happening:
I light up the stove and it runs fine, flame looks good. It runs for a while, then the auger motor shuts off, but I still see the feed light blinking on the control panel.

Pellets burn down to smoldering embers, then the auger motor starts back up, puts down some pellets, which catch on the embers and relight, then all is well until it does the same thing again.

Is this normal? It seems to do this like clockwork.

If it was the high limit switch (or inlet switch) wouldn't it just shut down completely and not restart the auger motor? Same with the pressure switch?

Thanks!

 

[MountainSean]

I would try bypassing you high limit switch. It does turn of the auger motor but only until the switch has cooled down, then it closes again and the auger motor starts. If the switch is going bad they can start opening at too low of a temperature.

 

[wwert]

Check the back of your control board to see what model stove it is for. What you are describing is the startup function on a Profile or Traditions model stove. There is also a board with dip switches hidden behind the back cover that has to be set for the proper stove. I think you have the wrong board in the stove.

 

[nov14]

All that is on the back is....

Maker: SSAC
P/N: PSC120A-3926
S/N 19349 -C

No dip switches that I can see, unless I have to remove the back cover to get to them.

There is a dab of wax/sealant over a screw, probably for warranty purposes, that is unbroken.

 

[wwert]

That # is for an advantage ll T. It should work in that stove. Trying jump earring you POF snap disc. The stove is not getting the signal that the stove is running. It is located on the exhaust blower.

 

[nov14]

POF snap disk? You mean the low limit switch or pressure switch?

 

[Danny9909]

I have a chance to buy 1999 Whitfield advantage plus for $800. Is that a good price?. The owner as says it works fine. Thinking about putting it in the garage.

 

[nov14]

Its a good stove, but give it a good inspection and make sure its maintained or you will spend half that price in parts. But I guess that's true of all older stoves.

Also I have seen new Lennox stoves start at like $1100, so not sure if you just want to do that and get a new stove for a few hundred more.

Maybe if it were $500, or $800 if its been maintained by an expert.

 

[nov14]

Mine was not really maintained, so I spent like $300 in parts to get it moving and as you can see, I might have to spend some more! But this was free, so its OK.

 

[Danny9909]

Its a good stove, but give it a good inspection and make sure its maintained or you will spend half that price in parts. But I guess that's true of all older stoves.

Also I have seen new Lennox stoves start at like $1100, so not sure if you just want to do that and get a new stove for a few hundred more.

Maybe if it were $500, or $800 if its been maintained by an expert.

True that's what I am worried about paying $800 then putting another $200 to $300 to fix any problems with it. I can just go get a new one for a few bucks more. Just wanted to keep the garage warm while I work in it.

 

[nov14]

I hear ya, I am thinking of doing the same thing after I re-sheetrock the garage this summer, but it would have to be someones beater that I can fix up for short money.

 

[DneprDave]

I bought a couple of stoves worth of Whitfield pellet stove parts from a Craig's list add, for a hundred dollars. I assembled one three years ago and it has worked just fine. I just put together the second one for my garage. It ran for a few days and the feed auger motor died. I had spares for everything but the auger motor, a local stove shop carries Whitfield spares, I got a motor and a new mounting plate with the improved bearing. It now keeps my garage nice and toasty.

I'd try jumping the snap discs one at a time until you find the bad one. It sounds like it doesn't know when it is up to operating temperature and shuts itself down because it thinks it's cold.

Dave

 

[nov14]

Dave - thanks for the info. I have a high limit on order, I figured I would just replace it since its like $16. I replaced the low limit a few months ago. I am leaning to the high limit since the auger stops after its been running for a while a normal temperature, then once the fire dies down and it cools off, it starts the auger again, feeds pellets, fire starts, gets to normal temps then stops the auger again.

 

[wwert]

Unless someone changed the high limit switch to an auto reset switch it can't be that. That is a manual reset switch. I know you put a new 1 in but jumper the POF switch and see what happens. You can also try jumping the pressure switch for haha's.

 

[DneprDave]

What does POF mean?

Dave

 

[wwert]

Proof of fire. The 1 located on the combustion blower

 

[nov14]

I checked the P/N on the original high limit switch that's in there, its an auto-reset, BUT, when the new one comes in I will be inside the chassis anyways, so I will try to jump the low limit. Maybe the new low limit I put in is bad...

 

[wwert]

You are correct. That concerns me a bit. How do you know it kicks off because of the high limit if it resets by itself? A manual reset switch lets you know you have a problem that needs immediate attention. Firing a stove that is tripping the high limit is dangerous. Could be just flat out shot as the first reply suggests.

 

[nov14]

Well, the general behavior leads me to believe its the high limit switch.

Since its $16, I am just going to replace it and see what happens.

 

[nov14]

I am not sure what the wisdom behind the auto-reset switch was from the manufacturer...

 

[DneprDave]

I don't think it's a high limit switch. It is simply the temperature switch that tells the control board that the stove is running and burning pellets. The control board ignores it for the first 20 minutes so that the stove can get up to operating temperature. If the switch failed the control board thinks that the stove isn't making heat and shuts down the stove. this switch doesn't need a reset, it just opens and closes depending on the temperature. It's the same switch that shuts the stove down when you turn off the feed auger and let the fire die.

A high limit switch would be a safety switch that prevents the stove from over firing. It would be an entirely different switch.

Dave

 

[nov14]

Yes, but it does not shut the stove down. It simply turns off the auger until it cools off, then it turns the auger back on and pellets start to fall down. It never turns off.

Thats the behavior I am getting.

 

[nov14]

Welp, the issue (potentially) was staring me in the face.

I knew something looked odd inside the stove, there was no firebrick! That will trip the high cutoff for sure.

Thankfully I have not been running it. I ordered a new firebrick with the two clips and will be installing that.

I put in the new high limit cutoff anyways since I was in there and it was only $16.

Thanks to everyone for the help, I will let you know what happens after I get the firebrick in.

 

[Mike Bay]

i have a Whitfield pellet stove and the controller just blinks off and on. the flame will start, but i have no control over the fan or heat.

 

[Stovensen]

i have a Whitfield pellet stove and the controller just blinks off and on. the flame will start, but i have no control over the fan or heat.

Hello Mike Bay, and welcome to the forum. The thermostat terminals on the backside of stove must be jumpered, or - if you have a wall thermostat - the wiring to the wall thermostat could be broken/interrupted somewhere. Take a look at the thermostat terminals on the back of the stove and see if a jumper is present. If not, it's easy to make out of a short piece of wire. The thermostat terminals on a Whitfield are the same spring loaded type commonly used on loudspeakers. See picture: