Ok cool. Are you thinking the auger on for 2 secs off for 2secs regardless of HR setting is normal though? I thought that was the root of the issue.
American Harvest Not Feeding Enough
- Thread starter jc101285
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
- Status
FirepotPete
Minister of Fire
It's only normal if the t-stat posts aren't jumped or if a thermostat is attached and the t-stat goes bad.
Also, are you using outside air? Do you have a manual draft on that stove? And when you open the door after it heats up and the fan starts running can you hear the draft fan kick all the way up while the door is open?
I am not using outside air. Manual draft is opened about half way, that is where I have always it. Good question on the draft fan kicking up, I will need to check that tomorrow when I light it up. Thanks for the help man.
FirepotPete
Minister of Fire
OK, you done for the night?
And those draft fans can eventually get plugged up, I usually clean mine every year after burning season just to make sure. If you decide to look at taking it apart and cleaning make sure you have some RTV to make a new gasket for it, high temp red stuff.
Sorry wife was wanting me to come to bed. Where on the unit is the draft fan? I cleaned out what I think is the room fan which is right behind the circuit board, then also the fan on the opposite side, is the draft fan the one other one?
FirepotPete
Minister of Fire
Yep, the draft fan is the exhaust fan on the right hand side towards the back that goes into the exhaust pipe.
So I cleaned the room fan and the fan connected to the exhaust pipe but that is all. Is there another I am missing?
FirepotPete
Minister of Fire
No, those are the only two fans and the exhaust fan would be the only one to affect the burn rate. I see from one of your earlier posts that your exhaust pipe set up is close to what I have and that you haven't changed anything with it. Did you by any chance do any insulating, sealing up windows, doors or now have another exhaust fan running in the house that wasn't before this year? The would cause the stove to starve for air.
FirepotPete
Minister of Fire
OK, well have you tried to pull the manual damper all the way out and leave it there? Does it cause the fire to burn hotter? I'll be around for a couple more hours, then will be gone until around 9:30 tonight if you need more help.I did not do anything. Literally no change in any capacity.
I have tried all the way open, all the way closed, in between. Everything. The auger just continues to not pump pellets.
FirepotPete
Minister of Fire
Well, if it's starving for air the fire will look lazy, smolder and go out. If there is enough air and not enough fuel, the fire will look good but go out because of lack of fuel.
It sounds like you have two problems, but you said the feed rate isn't changing no matter the HR you put it on. So the first thing is to get it to burn on what the stove is feeding. You need to get that air rate right first.
As far as the feed rate, I'd still look at the t-stat terminals/jumper, that's usually what causes these stoves to be stuck on one feed setting.
Interestingly the fire looks great when it is burning, when it first starts. And even as it begins to die down the flames look great, not lazy or deep orange. In honestly just does not feed enough. If I open the door and toss a handful of pellets in, it comes right back to life and looks great. Just won't feed. The black thing in the middle of the stat metal things on the circuit board...I think that is the jumper? What should I do with it?
FirepotPete
Minister of Fire
If you are handling anything around that board make sure to discharge any static from your body. Do you have a multi meter? If you do take the jumper off and test the jumper for continuity. If not, take the jumper off and jump the pins with a paper clip or even some other small solid wire. Just make sure that what ever you use doesn't touch anything else on the board or fall off.
So if you test for continuity and there is none the jumper is bad, then jump it like I said like if you don't have a meter.
If the stove runs better and you can change the feed rate by changing the HR #'s then the jumper was bad, if not, we start somewhere else.
Also you say now that the fire looks ok, just not enough fuel. You may want to leave your DF 1 on the 230 from the factory.
mustangwagz
Feeling the Heat
The part i find strange is he said originally it started this issue, BEFORE he changed to a new board, so it makes me think its either one of the motors (auger or Combusiton fan) OR.. the high limit possibly telling the stove to cut back?
FirepotPete
Minister of Fire
Ya, if the jumper is good and the stove doesn't change when adjusting the HR then it's the auger motor. If the high limit was shutting it down he should get an error on the board to let him know why the board shut the board down.
Actually he should get a shut down error now, either out of fuel I think is E2, which would tell you you are out of fuel, the auger quit working, or not enough fuel for the amount of draft would cause that.
But he's saying he went through the Factory Test and it's not showing any auger output errors, that's what is stumping me.
E1 error would be the high limit shutting it down. Without the error messages the only thing would be a jammed/plugged up auger or the jumper on the t-stat.
I can't see two different boards not picking up a bad auger motor, but there a first for everything.
Did a factory test and it was showing fine. The error code when it shuts down is E2. Everything just seems to be fine. Ugh.
mustangwagz
Feeling the Heat
Yah i know, but i thought this board would throttle back a bit if it noticed an over temp issue? according to US stove info, it should also flash the "dash" at a funky rate as well. However, lastnight the OP said it wasnt doing that at all. However..
If you look at the auger test section of the Diagnostic procedure, it states:
Auger Output Test – The display will show “OUT4”. The auger motor is turned on full. The ON LED will be lit when the over temperature is in cool state. Press the ON button to move to the next step.
That would rule out that the limit disc was outta question. The next step would be to go after the auger motor, HOWEVER.. a 2-2 ratio (2 on, 2 off) Doesnt seem to bad if ya ask me, in all honesty with my stove on HR3, 2 seconds on, and 7 off, im getting like 200 degree vent heat and keeping house pretty warm. Great flames too. (DF-9, RF-9) So i would think that a 2 second on-off should be kicking some major butt if ya ask me..
BEFORE you buy an auger motor, i suggest getting a bag of different pellets, find a brand or something that somoene has you KNOW is GOOD for SURE! It may be a case of bad pellets.. Just a thought. it'lll only cost like 6 bucks at the most to get a bag of good known pellets. Size of pellets has a TON to do with feed ratio as well.
JC, Do you have access to corn at all? Can you get a 5 gallon buck full of CLEAN dry corn?
If you look at the auger test section of the Diagnostic procedure, it states:
Auger Output Test – The display will show “OUT4”. The auger motor is turned on full. The ON LED will be lit when the over temperature is in cool state. Press the ON button to move to the next step.
That would rule out that the limit disc was outta question. The next step would be to go after the auger motor, HOWEVER.. a 2-2 ratio (2 on, 2 off) Doesnt seem to bad if ya ask me, in all honesty with my stove on HR3, 2 seconds on, and 7 off, im getting like 200 degree vent heat and keeping house pretty warm. Great flames too. (DF-9, RF-9) So i would think that a 2 second on-off should be kicking some major butt if ya ask me..
BEFORE you buy an auger motor, i suggest getting a bag of different pellets, find a brand or something that somoene has you KNOW is GOOD for SURE! It may be a case of bad pellets.. Just a thought. it'lll only cost like 6 bucks at the most to get a bag of good known pellets. Size of pellets has a TON to do with feed ratio as well.
JC, Do you have access to corn at all? Can you get a 5 gallon buck full of CLEAN dry corn?
I will for sure try some new pellets and investigate corn. At this point I am close to scrapping the thing and buying a new one.
FirepotPete
Minister of Fire
Ya, any normal trouble shooting that is shown seems to show everything is normal. And like you say the 2/2 ratio isn't bad. The only thing throwing that thought is that the OP says that no matter what HR he puts it to it doesn't seem to change. That would tell me the t-stat jumper is the problem. I had that problem when I first got my stove years ago, baffled everyone on every forum for over a month!
Indeed the pellets could be a problem. Even buying the same pellets can pose problems in that some companies make pellets at different factories, and then there is the sawdust not the same from batch to batch. That's one reason I love running 100% corn. It may change from year to year but with a little tweak of the board I'm in business until that seasons corn is gone.
So it sounds like a t stat thing could be a solution. I am confused on what to do though. I have two exposed metal tabs with stat and a black plastic thing in between. I hear people talking about "jumping" it but I don't know what the means or how to do it. I have a good amount of tools and supplies but I work on cars and kitchen equipment, not electrical devices. #lost
FirepotPete
Minister of Fire
Jumping those pins for the t-stat just means placing a wire across them to connect them. If the jumper is in place it should be doing that and it should close the circuit telling the board to supply fuel at a pre set rate. If the jumper is missing or broke and the connection is lost the circuit is open telling the stove to run on it's lowest setting. That's how the board can be attached to an external thermostat, when the thermostat calls for heat the circuit closes, when it reaches the desired temp it opens, the stove ramps down just enough to keep it burning until the thermostat again calls for more heat.
I used to have a picture of the board pointing out where the t-stat pins were on it with and without the jumper but haven't been able to find it. I'll keep looking and post it if I find it.
I'll be up for awhile tonight if need to talk.
That makes sense and I will try it now. I am just skeptical since it was same issues with old and new board. Its worth a shot though. Thanks man!
- Status
Similar threads
