Pellet Stove Overfill

[Czech]

Alright, I'm going nuts. I've been having intermittant pot overflow/chute backups for the last month or two. I'm running a Quad Castile free standing stove burning both 100% pellets and 50/50 pellet/corn mix depending on the weather. Thinking something was dirty, over the weekend I did a full clean including the vent, removing the fire brick and baffle, cleaned the pot and burn holes really well, vacuumed the heck out of everything including the hopper. I fired the stove up last night before bed, it seemd to over fill a bit but I stirred it up some and went to bed. This AM the pot was over flowing and the chute was backed up, the stove was shut down cold as designed when this happens. It is vented with the tube in a tube Duravent about 4' up and 3' out, nothing seems to be restricting the fresh as far as I can see although I have not disconnected the tube to be sure (it does seem to burn a bit better with the ash pan door cracked open but not a huge change and never left alone when doing so). Other than a door gasket that needs to be changed, you'd never guess that the stove has burned tons of fuel becasue it has been well maintained. Thoughts anyone?

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

got the message, i will respond here instead.

Possible the combustion blower is going wacko.
The corn mix had carbonized some of the holes in the burn pot and is blocing airflow. remove the burn pot completly and make sure that its clean
The control board is going wacko.

 

[Czech]

Thanks MSG, figured it should be posted for others. The holes look good unless I'm missing something, can you tell me the hole lay out (i.e. how many and where)? Just the two bolts and ignitor to get the pot out, correct? If I recall, someone mentioned pot gasket that would need replacing? Thanks again.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

yea its just the two bolts, you can also get a mirror and visually inspect them. sometimes the carbon scrapes off the surface but closes up the holes. You should be able to feel them with your fingers and a small tool. Not sure the layout. Im at hometoday. Corn creats a lot of carbon, im not sure that this is your problem, but it very will could be.

A few othter things to check:
the ash pan is sealed well
the burn pot is sealed well
the door gasket is good, (i forgot you asked, its a special gasket called tadpole gasket)
The entire firebox needs to be buttoned up to insure that the air is getting drawn through the burn pot, and not a leak somewhere. The gasket on the door should only be on three sides...

If the firepot checks out, and all the firebox looks like its not leaking, then i would look at the control board. At that point i would get a tech out and have him test it, or call your dealer and see if that have a test box, then you could just bring it down.

 

[Czech]

Just talked to the dealer, he talked to Quad. According to him, there's a setting on the circuit board with settings 1-2-3. These settings apparently reduce feed and increase airflow, it's shipped at 1, 2 decreases feed by 10% and increases airflow, 3 decreases feed by 15% and increases airflow. He said that when burning corn this setting may need to be adjusted some to acheive total combustion. Ryan, does this ring a bell?

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

on the old control boards yes, is yours gray and black, gray and gray, or clear?

has this been a problem since day one or did it jsut start overfeeding?

 

[Czech]

Not sure on board color, need to look tonight. Just this season been a problem, maybe a half dozen times, never last year. Stove was installed last Jan. I'm thinking the door gasket may be a good place to start, it's pretty shot. May be leaking enough to cause bad flow thru the pot? Can I buy the gasket anywhere or does it need to come from a Quad dealer? Thanks again Ryan.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

its a special gasket. It needs to come from the dealer, i dont think thats the problem. I also dont think the feed rate on the board (if its a old board) is the problem either if it was working before on the same mix. the new boards dont have that adjustment anylonger.
also double check that the two ash slides are completly closed.

 

[GVA]

I'm not a quad guy but how does the fresh air get into a Quad? could this be partially blocked? On my harman the intake flapper sometimes gets a bit sticky with hair from the dogs.

 

[Czech]

It's the tube in a tube Selkirk vent, fresh on the outside ring, exhaust in the inside. It then tee's by the stove and a flex pipe hooks to an adaptor under the stove. Outside it's wide open, no flapper. I'm also wondering if this vent is pre-heating the fresh air enough to cause it to draw in the other direction? Time to go home and putz I guess!

 

[Czech]

Ok, checked the fresh air, blew it out with the 6.5 hp vac, didn't notice anything remarkable except it really burned good with the air directed into the stove. Guess I shoudn't have done that, but the turbo flame in the pot was kind of cool. It ran all day with no problem, clean not so full pot when I got home, nice lively fire. If the kid sprays the glass with the windex again, I'm going balsitic! Gotta remember to put that up before he hits it when it's really hot, that can't be a good scene. Still thinking about the back draft theory on the vent, it has been semi-warm here, 40's-50's day temps. Thanks all.

 

[Czech]

I removed the brain box after the kids went to bed last night, but did not want to crack the seal as it is still under warranty. Ryan, I viewed the board through the plastic case, it appeared to be blue on the underside and black on top. There is what looks like a reostat type of thing that can be adjusted with a flat blade screw driver, it's currently set to 4. What does this do?

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

that is the feed adjustment trim. Im calling quad tommorrow anyway, i will check and see what they think about all this, and there recomendation for that setting...
Sorry, i was moving my mother today... boy what fun.

 

[Czech]

I knew you'd show up eventually, you can't stay away for too long (much like the rest of us). Moving is not fun, but hope it went well. Last time I moved, it was with my 7mo twin prego wife during 9/11 week with a non-locked mortgage and closed markets and no place to go should things not work out except for a camper which the wife in her prego state could not fit thru the door. We got into our first and current house, the boys came 7 weeks early two days later. Ahh what fun, still opening boxes to this day. By the way and back OT, when I set the trim from 4 to 3 the auger would not run at all. It did run on 5, but figured at that point I better know what exactly it does so I put it back to 4. Besides a no ignite today (corn....), it's been running fine, although it still fills the pot a bit much in my opinion. I'll get a door gasket this weekend because it needs it, the one I have is really shot. Is that normal in a year?

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

now that sounds like a fun move!!
gasket change outs is a yearly maintenance on most any stove, expecially if you clean the glass alot on your pellet stove. The dollar bill test will tell you if you need one, ratty, frayed gasket doenst mean that its bad by any means.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

OK, here ya go.
You need to time the auger motor.
it should run for 2.2 seconds and shut off for 4.8 seconds for a total of a 7 second cycle.
if its not on that schedule, the control board is wacked.
Also you need to make sure the slide plate in the bottom of tha burn pot has a gap between the plate and the pot about the width of a dime.
HTH.

 

[Czech]

Thanks Ryan, I'll time it tonight. I've been in touch with the dealer also, so awaiting a call back. Here's where I'm at with it. I replaced the door gasket, made me feel better but didn't do much as predicted. I heard the board settings 4 and 5 are for the Castile and control feed trim, I left it on 4 because I assume 5 would feed more? I counted burn holes in the pot and compared to the floor model, looks like the floor has 10 around the pot, 4 on the ski slope, and 2 each on either side of the ignitor. I could only count 8 around the pot on mine, the others compared, but I can't for the life of me find 10 around the pot. I was thinking of removing the pot just to check it better, but the guy at the shop said it's a pain in the butt? Also, it seems to be getting worse, it's burning but lazy and getting lazier, woke up to a blackened fire box this AM. I know it soemthing to do with fuel/air, but findind it is driving me nuts. Could the cumbustion fan be dying? My biggest fear is having to run the NG furnace, that'd would about kill me!

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

it could definatly be the combustion fan dying.
The factory said to defintaly leave it on 4, 5 is for the 1200.
It could be a wacked out control board too. If its feeding at different rates then that would explain the inconsistancies. Would you happen to have this stove on a hardwood floor? do you have pets? if so that could explain the combustion motor failing. How old is this unit?

 

[Czech]

New last Jan, control board says 4/9/2005. It's in the basement on a hearth pad, there's carpet on the floor, insulated with vapor barrier but no rock. 2 cats, one of which likes to hang out down there, and the token lab that it seems every wood burner has. I'm trying to convince my dealerto let me borrow a board for the weekend to save them a trip out. Did you evr find out the burn hole number and lay out? I guess the timing tonight will rule out the board and then I can focus on the blower. Is there any voltages I can check on the motor? I can't say thanks enough for you help, again I'm having nightmares of having to turn on the furnance.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

a stove that new should have a good combustion blower.
Check that gap between the burn pot and the slide tray
The holes shouldnt matter. they were engineered for what ever serial number you have. They should work no matter what. I doubt thats the problem.
You can check the voltages on the motor, but i have no idea what they should read.
My guess its the control box. Have you had any lightning strikes or surges lateley?

 

[Czech]

Will do the above tonight, including the timing deal. Still trying to get a hold of the dealertoday. No lightning or surges, just unbelievablely mild 45+ degree weather here in MN. Trying to get out of work early to go sit in my tree with my bow, wish me luck. Thanks again, B

 

[Czech]

Hey, one more thing. Is it possible that the vacuum line is plugged? One dealer mentioned this happens, but I would think the unit would shut down totally if so, correct?

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

correct

 

[Czech]

Talked to the dealer, they want me to change the board setting to 5 and time the auger (like you said Ryan) tonight and get back to them Sat with the results. Think I'll time it first, change to 5, and time it again. More to follow I'm sure...

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

ok, i pulled my service manual, my memory failed me. 4 is the factory setting for castille, 5 is the castile plus 10% feed 6 is the santa fe 7 is santa fe +10%
Doesnt make since to increase the feed rate when you have a lack of combustion air.
If your auger motor doenst have a little line drawn on it, put one there with a crayon so you can read the revolutions accuratly. You want to read it from the position of looking at the motor strait on, not as pellets drop.