Squeaking convection fan

[jenp]

Hello,

We have an AustroFlamm Integra pellet stove that we got last year from someone who purchased it several years ago. We ran it daily last winter. This year before we began using it my husband took it apart to clean it out, as the owners' manual recommended. When we started it up it began making a squeaking sound, we think from the convection fan, after about 20 minutes. (Not sure if this is due to the cleaning or just coincidence.)

Any thoughts on what could be causing this and how to fix it? We're having trouble getting help with this. None of the local stove shops sell this brand, and the one that used to sell it is unwilling to service it because we didn't buy it from them. If we continue to run it with the squeak, are we doing more damage?

Thanks for any help -- we appreciate it.

 

[Pellet1]

Convection fans are usually oilable. Look for tiny holes at the top of the ends of the motor. Use a drop or two of light oil such as 3 in 1 oil. Also, make sure that the drum fins are clear of dust.

 

[Xena]

I don't have that stove but my room fan began
the dreaded squeek and a cleaning didn't fix it.
The fan still worked but I replaced it because the
noise was not pleasant. I have to guess that
eventually the fan would have stopped working anyway.

I don't have a dealer so I checked my mfg's web site
for dealers and called a few until I found one that would
take my order for the part with a credit card. I will be
sticking with them for anything I need in the future.
You may want to do the same.

 

[jenp]

Thanks for the suggestions. However, now it doesn't seem to be working at all! When we turn it on the fan starts up right away, but the auger shuts itself off after several seconds. It is possible that some kind of problem with the fan is causing the auger to shut down? Or is something else broken?

We're willing to order a fan and try replacing it ourselves, but don't want to do that if there's a bigger problem.

We have tried contacting the manufacturer, but have not heard back yet. Unfortunately, when I go to the web page and look for dealers, the only listings I get are for Japan and South Africa. Not very helpful.

Thanks again.

 

[Pellet1]

I am certainly no expert, but I do know that there are sensors and switches that will shut down the auger if they sense that the combustion blower is not turning and supplying a certain vacume value. This may be your problem. If you can, determine if the combustion blower is turning. It may have seized up or is full of dust and lint. If it is not turning, then try to clean it and get it lubricated. Otherwise, get a new one and install it. The stove will shut down without that blower going.

 

[steamguy]

We had an Austro until last year. Great old stove, owned it for 15 years, dead silent.

Yup, we had the squeaking problem. Your problem is the sintered bronze bearings at either end of the convection blower. They need grease. I used molybdenum disulphide grease and never heard another peep from them. Here's how you do it:

The convection blower is in the very bottom of the stove and looks like a long cylinder - like a squirrel cage. The end caps are removable and have little 'hats' on them holding them in. The bearings are those little 'hat' shaped objects. A small smear of molybdenum disulphide grease will cure it forever. You might want to vacuum it out while you're in there.

Hope this helps.

 

[steamguy]

Thanks for the suggestions. However, now it doesn't seem to be working at all! When we turn it on the fan starts up right away, but the auger shuts itself off after several seconds. It is possible that some kind of problem with the fan is causing the auger to shut down? Or is something else broken?

We're willing to order a fan and try replacing it ourselves, but don't want to do that if there's a bigger problem.

We have tried contacting the manufacturer, but have not heard back yet. Unfortunately, when I go to the web page and look for dealers, the only listings I get are for Japan and South Africa. Not very helpful.

Thanks again.

Check your limit switches. The high limit could be shorted, making the stove think that it's too hot. The old Integras have an analog computer for their controller, so you will want to plug that stove into a very good surge protector. Sold our old Integra for parts last year, up until then it was rock-solid-reliable.

One question: does the auger STAY shut off, or does it pause for a bit? The Integra start cycle runs the auger for several seconds, then shuts it off for several more. It runs at about 5-8 second intervals for about 5 minutes, then switches to almost full-time operation for start-up. The fan that you see/hear running is the combustion blower. It is possible that yours is new enough that it has a vacuum switch - that will shut the stove off if the door is open or if a door seal is bad.

Hope this helps you.

 

[jenp]

Thanks very much for the info -- will give those things a try! The auger is not coming back on at all. The usual startup behavior that we've seen is that it runs pretty heavily for the 8-minute startup period, and then may shut off for a bit. However, in this case it's shutting off much more quickly.

Thanks again.