Whitfield Cascade help

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Funny Face

New Member
Oct 13, 2010
3
NH
Hi Everyone. I am new to the pellet stove world and have a question regarding my stove. I bought a used Whitfield Cascade off of Craigslist at the end of last heating season ( I know, I know, stupid on my part). I ran it on low a couple of times after I bought it and had no problems. This year, I fired it up and everything seemed to work great. One night there was a funny smell coming from it so I decided to just let it burn while I was awake and shut it down at bedtime. When I went to shut it down, the blower motor had stopped running but the auger was still feeding the fire. I shut the stove down and decided to look at it in the morning. It fired right up the next day. I took it apart and who ever owned it prior to me had bypassed a bunch of wires. I think it was the high limit snap and the vacuum hose. I reconnected them and thought my problem was fixed. Now when I run my stove after about 2 hours, everything except the auger shuts down. No pellets are being fed but the light is on as if it's still calling for pellets to be fed into the burn pot. Any info you guys can give would be GREATLY appreciated.
 
sounds like the vac switch is still bypassed.Aside from that, not uncommon on the old cascade, being that there is but 1 motor to run both blowers, they will heat up and the bearings will seize. after it cools they work fine again for a few hours, then the blower locks up again (lather, rinse, repeat). You might be able to get away with oiling the motor, but you might just need a new one.
 
might actually be a pressure switch measuring for resistance in the pipe, not a vac sensor, I cannot remember which right now.
 
Thank you Delta-T. I'm thinking it's the motor. If I keep the back off the stove, it seems to help. I'll try oiling the motor and see if that helps. Again, I appreciate the feedback :)
 
until you can pinpoint the problem, i wouldn't run it when away or asleep. Those motor seizures lull you into a false sense of security and run while you watch and then rear their ugly heads as soon as you walk away, sneaky sneaky.
 
You are so right. Every time it messes up, it's when I'm not paying attention. I could sit in front of it for 3 hrs and nothing would happen but the minute I walk away......all hell breaks loose.
 
I believe those motor were oilable, but not sure. Regardless if they hadn't been maintained, the damage is done. Sounds like the vacuum switch is stuck open possibly. Only way to know, is to test it.
 
Pyro Extraordinare,
Could you Email me the Cascade Service Manual? I have the Owners manual, not sure if what you have is different? I also have been through a couple of these "dual" purpose blowers on my Cascade. They cannot take the heat on the exhaust side! I do oil the bearings with a high quality synthetic but these blowers are junk! I was thinking about putting two blowers, one for convection and the other for the exhaust gases but I'm not sure how the circuit board would hold up under the load of 2 motors. Whitfield uses a 'standard' convection blower and I'm pretty sure the exhaust blower bolt pattern is the same that they use on the newer non-Cascade stoves. Anyways, great stove! Junk Blowers! Circuit boards tend to fry also in this Cascade. I've pulled mine and mounted in on the wall in a nice, neat box! Looks like a factory item! Only had to extend the leads! Now, circuit board is cool and problem free! Anyways, does anybody have a better quality blower for these Cascades?
Thanks!
 
663rd_Mustang said:
Pyro Extraordinare,
Could you Email me the Cascade Service Manual? I have the Owners manual, not sure if what you have is different? I also have been through a couple of these "dual" purpose blowers on my Cascade. They cannot take the heat on the exhaust side! I do oil the bearings with a high quality synthetic but these blowers are junk! I was thinking about putting two blowers, one for convection and the other for the exhaust gases but I'm not sure how the circuit board would hold up under the load of 2 motors. Whitfield uses a 'standard' convection blower and I'm pretty sure the exhaust blower bolt pattern is the same that they use on the newer non-Cascade stoves. Anyways, great stove! Junk Blowers! Circuit boards tend to fry also in this Cascade. I've pulled mine and mounted in on the wall in a nice, neat box! Looks like a factory item! Only had to extend the leads! Now, circuit board is cool and problem free! Anyways, does anybody have a better quality blower for these Cascades?
Thanks!

yeah, it is different than the owners book..

email me directly for a copy
[email protected]


lennox is the only source i know of for this very unique motor
bad news is:
i'm out of stock, and i think lennox is too

ps, kudos for putting the search function to good use, too cool
 
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