St. Croix pellet stove making clicking/rattling noise

[bogieb]

If you can't get the shaker plate out, try this: leave the door open, and start the stove. The Versa will run, but the stove won't start because it will get a #2 fault (vacuum loss). You may have to do this up to three times, depending on where it originally stopped, but you will be able to get the plate out to clean it. When you're done and the door is closed, the stove will start up normally. Works for me.

(Make sure the plate doesn't catch on anything if you have the burn pot removed. I just guide it with my fingers so it doesn't catch on anything.)

Thanks for the tip - I'll be using it in the near future I am sure

 

[bbfarm]

It sounds like a fan to me.

 

[bogieb]

You gave my Hastings ideas - it started clicking last night. I had shut it down real quick to clean out the clinkers and scrub the shaker plate and burn pot real quick. The shaker plate stopped in the wrong spot so I couldn't remove it (why does it stop at that spot 7/10 times - LOL). So I scooped out clinkers best I could and emptied the ashes. Started the stove back up and I heard clicking an whirring on intermittent basis for a while. It did sound like it was coming from in back / by the control panel. wasn't doing it this morning though so I have no idea what it was. Will shut it down again tonight to see if I can scrub the plate and make sure all clinkers are out of there, then see if it does the same thing at start up.

After shutting down tonight, and having the shaker plate actually stopping in a position that I could remove it, I was able to scrape it and make sure all clinkers were out of the catch basin. Started it back up, and no clicking or whirring. I'm guessing my issue was a clinker was binding up something, and it worked loose over time and that is why the sounds had disappeared by this morning. Probably has no relation to the OP's issue, but thought I would report back.

 

[flashpipe]

Got home Friday night and the stove was running away...making no noise...I'm guessing the Versa Grate motor has burned out...so, all is quiet. I have had to clean the grate every day now, but, it's much quieter. I'll keep it running this way the rest of the season and then will replace it this spring.
Thanks!!