P38 PROBLEM

[Grizz59]

Hi new to the site.I purchased a p38 new from a dealer here in canada about 8 years ago for the first four years stove worked flawlessly.One day four years ago plugged in a tablesaw on my deck and it caused a power surge which may or maynot have blown the circuit board.Dealer said board and probe had to be replaced and told me to plug stove into surge protector,which i did.Stove worked great for a couple months then one night it again quit.Over these last four years i have replaced both probe and board four times total, nearly the price of a new stove. After every replacement the stove would work for any where from two months to 24 hrs to four months but eventually would stop working and almost always in middle of night.Over the last 4 years i have been told the causes are powersurges,problems with my household power to running it at only the one and a half setting.Had a friend put a setup on my computer to track powersurges and everytime stove quits no surges registured. Had electrician form work come and test all my outlets all produce 120 or better and for first four years always ran stove between 1&2 during fringe seasons. Was wondering if anyone had any ideas. Thanks Colin

 

[rayttt]

Generally speaking how is the electricity where you live...do you get a lot of spikes ..any other electronics that constantly are getting broken also?
what happens when it fails? not lights or anything on the PCB?

 

[Bioburner]

Bad wiring harness feeding back some strange things to the board? I've put our stoves on UPS systems having found power issues. Trees. They were touching the high lines and screwing the power. Power co trimmed the trees and have not had issue in three weeks. Just blew the power supply on my seven year old plasma.

 

[Madcodger]

UPS that controls for over and under voltage might be very helpful. Is likely an inconsistent thing and if testing is done when all is well you'll never see it. You may have weeks of no problem then a real issue. Pellet stoves (and inexpensive UPS devices, unfortunately) are notoriously sensitive to electrical problems, so don't buy a cheap UPS. Make sure it's designed to correct for voltage fluctuations, not just a unit that simply kicks in when the power goes out.

 

[Grizz59]

Thanks for the replies.I have never had any other electronic device fail during these last five years and like i said the first four years i never had a problem like this. I want to buy a new stove but i'm now worried if it is something in my home electical that it will just wreck a new stove. I am having a electrician come over and when he is here will ask him about a ups that controls over and under voltage. Thanks Colin

 

[rickwai]

sounds like the problems lies in the stove as opposed to the incoming power. I cant remember if there is a fuse on that board or not, if so does it blow? Hook a multimeter to the ground prong and the smaller of the 2 flat prongs with the stove unplugged. Set it the ohms, should be open, then start shaking wiring and check for a short to ground?

 

[Lousyweather]

shorts will almost always cause the fuse on he circuit board to blow........as for surges, etc......they do happen, but they are pretty hard to catch, as its not constant, but more "flukey". New parts can go bad as well, but with the preponderance of issues you seem to be having, it could just be your power supply.....you mentioned it usually breaks "during the night".....when the majority of those other sensitive electronic items aren't necessarily on........

 

[Bioburner]

New thread on a Mount Vernon that just fried a control board without blowing the fuse

 

[P38X2]

As others have stated, line voltage issues can be very hard to pinpoint. Your power company can monitor it for a week and not see anything, but the next day, week, month...bzzzzzt. Assuming you don't have a bad harness and you have the correct 6A(I think) fuse in place, your only recourse is probably gonna be to put your stove on a high quality power conditioner/UPS.

 

[Grizz59]

thanks everyone for all the advice. I am just trying to dig up as much info as i can on these ups devices. I had never heard of them before. From most of your replies it sounds like i need one the will regulate high or low fluctuations. To the person who asked what happens to the stove after these incidents, it always blows the 6 amp glass fuse and the circuit board.