St. Croix Auburn Not Getting Hot in Test Burn

[heat seeker]

The ash trap doors are available and inexpensive. They are necessary, as Smokey says. The smaller holes should have plugs. You can get them at the same time as the ash trap door, or use electrical knockout plugs from the hardware store.

You can use a small mirror to look up inside through the ash trap openings to see if you got all the ash. I use a mechanic's mirror and a flashlight.

 

[DoosanMan]

Good Morning, I have attached two pictures showing jumper wires on outside of control box on the thermostat block and on the inside where the thermostat wires connect. I have tried it separately both ways. I cannot get past the 3.5 second on and 8 second off auger cycle. The stove is not in idle mode. It goes through it's start up and shifts up to this point. If I put it back into level one it slows down the blower noticeably. I did a major cleaning............yet I am wondering is there something that could be plugged or not working right that will not allow it to move up the level 4 and 5 heat settings? I appreciate you all helping me work through this.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

If that controller is having trouble changing firing rate there are a couple of things to look at.

1. There is still crud in the works, the stove locks out the controls if it senses a possible problem in the offing one of these is the blinking heat level #2 light indicating a loss of vacuum error.

2. That the controller is actually not making contact with the mode change switch (now is not the time to look at this as you can cause yourself more than a little trouble doing so)

How did you clean behind the fire box? There are ash clean outs on the rear wall, and usually folks get those two areas clean or some what clean there is also the area behind the fire box wall between the two clean outs that gets plugged and more often or not doesn't get cleaned out. If this area got recently plugged up and the ash is all loose then the leaf blower will get it. If the plug has been there long enough to get damp and solidify the leaf blower may not get the crud out of that area.

Using a piece of stiff wire, a means of thumping on the back wall, and a small reasonably stiff hose attached to a shop vac, you can go in from each ash trap port toward this area and clean this area out and follow up with the LBT.

You can also go in from the combustion blower cavity and using a stiff brush and a strong shop vacuum get to the same area.

This is true for all units in the St. Croix line as I understand it, the newer units have a third ash trap clean out half way between the two that you likely have on your stove.

 

[TimfromMA]

My Hastings has a 3rd trap behind the ash pan.

 

[DoosanMan]

If that controller is having trouble changing firing rate there are a couple of things to look at.

1. There is still crud in the works, the stove locks out the controls if it senses a possible problem in the offing one of these is the blinking heat level #2 light indicating a loss of vacuum error.

2. That the controller is actually not making contact with the mode change switch (now is not the time to look at this as you can cause yourself more than a little trouble doing so)

How did you clean behind the fire box? There are ash clean outs on the rear wall, and usually folks get those two areas clean or some what clean there is also the area behind the fire box wall between the two clean outs that gets plugged and more often or not doesn't get cleaned out. If this area got recently plugged up and the ash is all loose then the leaf blower will get it. If the plug has been there long enough to get damp and solidify the leaf blower may not get the crud out of that area.

Using a piece of stiff wire, a means of thumping on the back wall, and a small reasonably stiff hose attached to a shop vac, you can go in from each ash trap port toward this area and clean this area out and follow up with the LBT.

You can also go in from the combustion blower cavity and using a stiff brush and a strong shop vacuum get to the same area.

This is true for all units in the St. Croix line as I understand it, the newer units have a third ash trap clean out half way between the two that you likely have on your stove.

The number 2 light is not blinking. I did take out two plugs and ran choke cable with drill back and forth to the inside. Also I took off the two little ash lids and did the same. I did a major clean up on the stove last week. So I really could not get too much more out now. Should we go onto option 2 that you have suggested? Or is that too much trouble? Thanks!

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

The number 2 light is not blinking. I did take out two plugs and ran choke cable with drill back and forth to the inside. Also I took off the two little ash lids and did the same. I did a major clean up on the stove last week. So I really could not get too much more out now. Should we go onto option 2 that you have suggested? Or is that too much trouble? Thanks!

The number two light isn't blinking yet, however the controller appears to be in internal alarm mode and not allowing the controller to change the rate higher.

I would look inside those clean out plugs towards the center of the stove with a small mirror or feel in there with my fingers being very careful to not get them stuck. That location has foiled leaf blowers and choke cables on drills, over a number of seasons it can get packed and hard in there.

I would check the vacuum line to make certain it is clear and that the barb on the stove end is also clear.

To check for possible switch misalignment you have to look in between the face plate for the controller and the pcb. I've seen instances where it requires the face plate to be removed and in a number of those cases the controller gets damaged. Sometimes it is discovered that the operation mode switch has become unaligned and not really in the mode you think it is.

I would proceed very carefully with examining the controller and when you pull it be certain the stove is off and unplugged or the board can be damaged. Never remove electronics from a plugged in device with the device still plugged in.

 

[DoosanMan]

The number two light isn't blinking yet, however the controller appears to be in internal alarm mode and not allowing the controller to change the rate higher.

I would look inside those clean out plugs towards the center of the stove with a small mirror or feel in there with my fingers being very careful to not get them stuck. That location has foiled leaf blowers and choke cables on drills, over a number of seasons it can get packed and hard in there.

I would check the vacuum line to make certain it is clear and that the barb on the stove end is also clear.

To check for possible switch misalignment you have to look in between the face plate for the controller and the pcb. I've seen instances where it requires the face plate to be removed and in a number of those cases the controller gets damaged. Sometimes it is discovered that the operation mode switch has become unaligned and not really in the mode you think it is.

I would proceed very carefully with examining the controller and when you pull it be certain the stove is off and unplugged or the board can be damaged. Never remove electronics from a plugged in device with the device still plugged in.

Thank you SmokeyTheBear..................

I checked inside the the clean out plugs the best I could with a mirror and flashlight. I looked at the St. Croix video on that too. I am fairly certain they are cleaned out. Vacuum line checks out fine also. I took the control board off and it it is lined up correctly.

Do you have any ideas what I should check next?

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Well I think my list is down to the controller but I hate to call it since I can't get my grubby paws on that stove.

I know that the controller locks out changes due to vacuum issues and when the stove is in start up mode, and being a stubborn sob, I'll let you make the call based upon your knowledge of your cleaning and shape of the gaskets on your stove.

Is there a dealer near by that might let you try a controller or who you might take your controller to for a run in a demo unit?

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

How clean is the heat exchanger on that stove?

 

[DoosanMan]

How clean is the heat exchanger on that stove?

Do you mean the baffles on the top of the firebox?

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Do you mean the baffles on the top of the firebox?

And any tubes and between any tubes, then is the air intake good and clean and the damper closed to at least half way. I'm following the general pellet stove air path from a couple of spots.

 

[DoosanMan]

And any tubes and between any tubes, then is the air intake good and clean and the damper closed to at least half way. I'm following the general pellet stove air path from a couple of spots.

Here are a couple of photos of the baffles and air intake? Do they look ok? I may be able to get a dealer 30 miles away to possibly let me try a control panel on his stove, but he won't have one. He may not want to do that though either. Not sure what I will do. Have you ever heard of a controller doing this?

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

As far as I can tell they are acceptable. I can't quite see the entire intake but what I do see is fine. I'm looking for crud attached or lumps.

The combustion air enters the air intake and is drawn up through the burn pot and then through and around those heat exchanger tubes over to the left and right sides, down behind the firebox walls and rejoins each other at that hard to clean spot behind the burn pot and from there out to to the exhaust/combustion blower and then pushed out the vent pipe. If that path is clean, the damper suitably set and good gaskets the vacuum switch should close and the controller once out of start up should respond to the heat range switch. Start up should start is final phase when the POF indicates we have fire. If the POF has seen the fire the controller should turn on the convection blower.

You got the area on each side that go down inside the back of the fire box right? You can do this from above or through the clean out ports on the firebox rear wall. Speaking of which did you close those ports before starting the stove?

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

The only thing that I might try is to jump the vacuum switch start the stove and see if the controller allows you to go above firing rate three. That is the only thing other than the controller that we haven't ruled out.

 

[DoosanMan]

Ok, I will try that yet in the morning.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Let us know and remember that stove slowly ramps (how slow I don't know) up its feed and the timing is the only thing to trust.

 

[heat seeker]

Assuming yours runs like my Afton Bay:

If the vacuum switch isn't made, you should get a #2 light blinking. Your heat exchanger tubes look a bit sooty, mine are a light brown. No harm in jumping out the vac switch to test. Make sure you unplug first, there's line voltage on it.

There is nothing that I know of that will keep you from going above level 3. If the room blower starts, the POF switch is made. Otherwise, the stove will not come out of startup, and will try to relight. If the relight sequence doesn't trip the POF, the stove shuts down and you get a #3 light blinking.

I'm still leaning towards the control being bad, but who knows? I hope you can get yours tested. I'm following this thread with great interest!

 

[heat seeker]

Let us know and remember that stove slowly ramps (how slow I don't know) up its feed and the timing is the only thing to trust.

Again, if it's like mine, it pauses for 2 ¼ minutes at each level on the way up. No pause on the way down.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Assuming yours runs like my Afton Bay:

If the vacuum switch isn't made, you should get a #2 light blinking. Your heat exchanger tubes look a bit sooty, mine are a light brown. No harm in jumping out the vac switch to test. Make sure you unplug first, there's line voltage on it.

There is nothing that I know of that will keep you from going above level 3. If the room blower starts, the POF switch is made. Otherwise, the stove will not come out of startup, and will try to relight. If the relight sequence doesn't trip the POF, the stove shuts down and you get a #3 light blinking.

I'm still leaning towards the control being bad, but who knows? I hope you can get yours tested. I'm following this thread with great interest!

On some of these controllers It depends upon the vacuum switch being off times before the #2 is signaled, otherwise the controller pays attention to polling that and does not answer the heat range changes.

 

[heat seeker]

I see. But he can change the rates from 1 to 2 to 3 - I think. Does that matter?

 

[DoosanMan]

Just to be clear here again. I can cycle the control through all five settings. However by timing the auger I am not getting past setting three. Thanks again

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

The controller not answering the heat range settings can occur after they have been set on the control panel or during the setting depends upon when the controller starts paying attention to the vacuum switch.

And yes it is looking like a possible controller issue, however a vacuum switch is cheaper.

 

[DoosanMan]

Yep, I will check that in morning.

 

[DoosanMan]

Attached is picture of the the vacuum bypass. This is not working for me as it won't advance past low burn with the vacuum switch bypassed. Does that look right? Also I have attached a picture of the exhaust fan wiring. There is one red wire coming from the fan that is not hooked up. I just hooked up the black and white wires as that is the way I had taken it apart (I thought anyway). Is there any chance this is messing with me?

 

[heat seeker]

I can't get a clear look, but if you have the two wires that go to the vac switch connected together, that's correct. If you are now getting the #2 light, then your connection(s) isn't good (or a wire or connector is defective). Try again. I see a third wire hanging in the breeze - what is that?

The newer combustion blowers have a third wire that isn't used. I seriously doubt that could be your problem.