1990 Whitfield Advantage IIT startup issues

[Jere1971]

Hey everyone!
New to the forum. Hopefully I am posting in the right place for this question...
I have a 1990 whitfield advantage IIt which on startup the combustion air blowing into where the pellets drop dies out after a couple seconds. I have to unplug and restart the stove 5,6 or more times for it to stay blowing to keep the pellets burning with a violent flame like it should be. I have just tottaly serviced the stove.. removed both blower motors, blew them out with compressed air and oiled them. Disassembled the vent piping and totally cleaned out. Cleaned out behind all the fire brick and behind all the other chambers that collect dust including the passageways to exhaust blower and intake. Not sure what else to do. I dont know much about the high and low limit switch sensors but im sure it has to do with the stove sensing the temperature and shutting itself off after it cools down. I have installed an upgraded control panel with the puch buttons a few years ago and has worked well for years after that. Also installed a couple years ago was a new blower on the side of the control panel that blows into the room. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Once I unplug and hit start button and do this several times it blows fine. Thanks!

 

[Ssyko]

Hi Jere welcome to the forums. Do you have an OAK (outdoor air kit)? Is anything blocking incomming air? When your combustion motor stops do you hear any clicks before hand? Does the motor get hot?

 

[Jere1971]

Hi Jere welcome to the forums. Do you have an OAK (outdoor air kit)? Is anything blocking incomming air? When your combustion motor stops do you hear any clicks before hand? Does the motor get hot?

Thanks ssyko for the quick response! I do not have an outdoor air kit. This stove has been running fine for 10 yrs without one until the end of last year. Nothing is blocking the incoming air. I made sure to clean that opening well in the back and the hole behind the ashpan when i removed everything to clean. I hear no clicking at all when it stops. No the motor does not get hot as it is only running for about 5 seconds when i loose the combustion air. For years as i start the stove with the start button the room air fan always starts high then after a couple seconds it drops to a lower speed. Which it has always done that and i never lost combustion fan speed. That is about the time the flame gets lazy and will eventually go out unless i unplug it and plug it back in and hit the start button quick before it goes out. As soon as i do that i get a violent flame to the pellets again. I follow this sequence 5-6 times until it keeps a violent flame. Not sure if there is something not sensing heat that would kick that combustion fan off or not. Im at a loss as to what could be causing that. When i removed the exhaust fan to clean and oil, the one that attaches to the flue pipe, the fan did look a little corroded, rusted but still seemed to spin fine. Are there any heat sensors, thermal couples that could maybe not be sensing heat or working properly that would shut that combustion fan off?

 

[Jere1971]

Also after i follow that unplugging and starting sequence 5-6 times it runs fine. As it will run perfect until i shut the stove off with no combustion air loss.

 

[Ssyko]

Took me a bit to find a schematic, its a pretty old stove . Yes you should find a low limt switch on or near the combustion blower housing, the diagram shows a blue wire from control board that goes to it. If you remove and connect the 2 wire on that switch that will bypass the switch and you can try the stove. If it runs like its supposed to just get a new switch. Let us knowhowyou make out

 

[Jere1971]

Took me a bit to find a schematic, its a pretty old stove . Yes you should find a low limt switch on or near the combustion blower housing, the diagram shows a blue wire from control board that goes to it. If you remove and connect the 2 wire on that switch that will bypass the switch and you can try the stove. If it runs like its supposed to just get a new switch. Let us knowhowyou make out

Yes it is a pretty old stove. I am surprised it is still running. Thanks! I will try that when I shut it off next time. I will let you know if that works. Thaks again for all the info

 

[hearthtools]

Yes it is a pretty old stove. I am surprised it is still running. Thanks! I will try that when I shut it off next time. I will let you know if that works. Thaks again for all the info

Check out the trouble shooting stiff I have in the sticky notes at top if pellet room.
There are two post that have A section covers every problem with advantage stoves.


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[hearthtools]

Check out the trouble shooting stiff I have in the sticky notes at top if pellet room.
There are two post that have A section covers every problem with advantage stoves.


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There are links to full schematic also on the post

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[MButkus]

Your controller is going, mine from 1996 went a month ago. Did the same, had to plug and unplug to get it to work right.
You said it was replaced ?
I had it fixed at HeatWave electronics.

208-250-9230(8:00 AM to 8:00 PM Pacific time) Cost $150. I would put a small UPS on it to protect the circuit board.

 

[Jere1971]

Thanks all for the help. Will try the low limit switch first. If it need a control board repair, im going gas. Its to old to spend alot of money on, and lug pellet bags every year.

 

[hearthtools]

Thanks all for the help. Will try the low limit switch first. If it need a control board repair, im going gas. Its to old to spend alot of money on, and lug pellet bags every year.

The advantage II stoves are good solid stoves. As long as the body and heat exchange is good
The cost to replace all components Upgrading to new board.
Ultra grate burn pot if you don't already have and replacing all other components will cost about $500 to $900
That is much less Than the 3 to 6 grand you would spend to get a gas unite.



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[Jere1971]

Yes you are correct, but no carrying pellets and natural gas is cheaper. What are the benefits of the ultra grate burn pot and where does everyone normally get there replacement parts. Thanks

 

[hearthtools]

Yes you are correct, but no carrying pellets and natural gas is cheaper. What are the benefits of the ultra grate burn pot and where does everyone normally get there replacement parts. Thanks

Oh you have ng then if you have the funds to replace then yes much better.
The altra grate helps with air flow and if your ash pan leaks no big deal unlike the old pot.
It has a grate af bottom to allow some ash to fall and less clinkers.


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[Jere1971]

Ok thanks

 

[Jere1971]

So I finally had a chance to do some work on this stove. I bypassed the limit switch on the right side of the stove. The one behind the control board. The flame still went lazy after a couple seconds but continued to run with a lazy flame. After the stove warmed up a bit it turned into a violent flame like it should be. Maybe both limit switches need replaced. Should i try to jumper the switch that is by the exhaust blower?

 

[hearthtools]

So I finally had a chance to do some work on this stove. I bypassed the limit switch on the right side of the stove. The one behind the control board. The flame still went lazy after a couple seconds but continued to run with a lazy flame. After the stove warmed up a bit it turned into a violent flame like it should be. Maybe both limit switches need replaced. Should i try to jumper the switch that is by the exhaust blower?

The limit switch will have nothing to do with how well the stove burns.
The one on combustion blower is proof of fire and keeps the stove going after start up and shut off when fire is off.
The other is a high limit and kills power if over heat.
Best thing to do is follow the steps I have in the sticky notes at top of page

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