whitfield optima 3 shutting down after 20 mins

[bernie963]

hi,

My brother in law has a whitfield optima 3 stove which is about 10 years old. this fall it did not run, it would shut down after 20 mins. a friend who is very knowledgable tore it down and cleaned everything. fired it up again and the same problem. they replaced the control module, same result. this was after talking to lenox who suggested a new board. at this point I got involved. the room heat fan would shut down at about 20 mins as well. I blew out the motor, thinking it was shutting down on thermal overload. bench tested the motor for about 40 mins after cleaning it ran great. reinstalled the motor and the same problem. all overtemp limit sensors are testing fine, a new flame eye and another new control board has been installed. still the same problem. We are all at a loss.

any ideas. it is starting to get cold out

bernie

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Perhaps it is the POF thermal disc, try jumpering it.

It is bypassed until the controller thinks it has a fire going, if the switch isn't closed as soon as the timer in the controller says it is time the bypass is removed and then the stove controller says whoops no fire shutdown.

 

[bernie963]

thanks, as i understand it, with all limit switches jumped it still shuts down at about 20 mins. but after two replacement controllers, i wonder???

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

thanks, as i understand it, with all limit switches jumped it still shuts down at about 20 mins. but after two replacement controllers, i wonder???

Wiring.

 

[bernie963]

as far as i can tell, no. i will look at it again, start to finish next weekend, i hope. i am at a loss, other than bad controollers.

 

[summit]

Vaccum switch.

 

[summit]

Either the lead to the switch is clogged w/ ash, or the vac swith itself is broke.

 

[Wood Heat Stoves]

pm me
make, model, serial and email for a copy of the svc book

 

[bernie963]

hi, sorry it took so long. I just got down to see the stove. whitfield optima 3 serial # wh-1667.

any help would be great.

bernie

 

[imacman]

Vaccum switch.

I tend to agree with this.....try removing the vacuum hose, blow it out to make sure it's clear, and also clean out the hose barb it attaches to.

 

[Wood Heat Stoves]

pretty typical photo eye symptom

i emailed the svc book

 

[bernie963]

thanks, and a lot of pellets to you, i have a sick sense of humor. I will devore it and see what i can find.

thanks, bernie

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

pretty typical photo eye symptom

i emailed the svc book

Yup, which is also a proof of fire system only optical.

 

[Wood Heat Stoves]

pretty typical photo eye symptom

i emailed the svc book

Yup, which is also a proof of fire system only optical.

yeah, but it doesn't get jumped the same way, and is likely just dirty( the stove came with a special brush to clean the filter(the filter is a postage stamp sized tinted glass, that gets dusty)

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

pretty typical photo eye symptom

i emailed the svc book

Yup, which is also a proof of fire system only optical.

yeah, but it doesn't get jumped the same way, and is likely just dirty( the stove came with a special brush to clean the filter(the filter is a postage stamp sized tinted glass, that gets dusty)

One also needs to remember there are three sides of things to clean, the filter both front and back, and the front of the photo eye.

 

[Wood Heat Stoves]

pretty typical photo eye symptom

i emailed the svc book

Yup, which is also a proof of fire system only optical.

yeah, but it doesn't get jumped the same way, and is likely just dirty( the stove came with a special brush to clean the filter(the filter is a postage stamp sized tinted glass, that gets dusty)

One also needs to remember there are three sides of things to clean, the filter both front and back, and the front of the photo eye.

true, but 90% of the time its just the front. if you have to remove it,

be careful not to break the glass filter, lennox wants a stupid amount of money for a new one