25-PDVC top Auger binding and stopping!

[Don2222]

Hello

Well my friends 4 year old 25-PDVC was not working right at all! Finally after shutting down in 4 hours and then in 2 hours,then it would only make it thru startup and then shut right down. The bottom auger ran fine but just got less and less pellets until it got none and the stove shut off! When that happened the top auger was completely bound up and jammed solid!

So I told my friend to scoup out all the pellets from the hopper. I went over and pulled the top auger and ground down the knit line and assured there was no more burrs. Then I brushed out the chute, coated the chute with dry moly spray along with the auger, then put it all back. I could move the auger freely so I attached the motor and started the stove. Same problem, after the pellets lit up the bottom auger fed less and less pellets until the fire went out. I put on a new auger motor and it went a tad longer but then less pellets and the fire went out. The top auger was jammed up solid!

We were baffled. So I removed the top auger and also the bottom auger and stuck the wet/dry vac in both chutes to remove all pellets from the chutes. I took the bottom auger, wire brushed off the carbon at the end and filed down the knit line and burs, then coated the chute and the auger both with dry moly spray. Before I put it back, I took out a very long and thin test tube bottle brush and snaked it from the bottom auger chute up to the top auger chute. Then I found the problem! There was a bridged hardwood pellet between the chutes! This pellet fell down and I removed it. Then reassembled it all and put the original auger motor back on the top auger. Fired it up and it ran for the next hour even at heat setting 2 and fan setting 2!

So this bridged wood pellet could have been one that was left in there all summer and caused the jam!

Has anyone else had this problem? ? ?

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

I remember a post on here about pellets sticking between augers, something to do with burrs, being too long, or a combination of both.

 

[Don2222]

I remember a post on here about pellets sticking between augers, something to do with burrs, being too long, or a combination of both.

We did find a 2 inch long pellet in the hopper but the bridged pellet was not that long!
Hope the Dry Moly Spray helps because we have NO control over anything else!

Do you know if anything else can be done to prevent this from happening?

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

There is a turn that the pellets have to take and that was where the burrs were. I couldn't find the posts but there was a decent thread on it. My search fu isn't working tonight.

 

[Don2222]

There is a turn that the pellets have to take and that was where the burrs were. I couldn't find the posts but there was a decent thread on it. My search fu isn't working tonight.

Was this the thread? Looks like bridged pellets between top and bottom chutes here also was the problem! So the my solution seems like it will hold up too!
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/how-to-prevent-englander-auger-jams.47287/#post-718497

When I stuck the brush in, it went straight up the slot in the bottom auger chute right up to the top auger chute. Did not seem like any turn. The stove is 4 years old so could be a different design. Maybe Mike Holton can chime in here?

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Yes that is the one and this post in particular: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/how-to-prevent-englander-auger-jams.47287/#post-596091

 

[Don2222]

Thanks Smokey

Before the fix the stove would run for 15 mins and shut down.
My friend ran his stove for 3 hours last night and 4 hours this morning! It is fixed!

Summary of issue:

The 25-PDVC symptom is:
Top Auger binds and stops until fire dies out and stove shutsdown!

Cause:
Wood Pellets stuck or bridged between top and bottom auger chutes.

So far the solution is:
Clear any pellets between top and bottom auger chutes with a small long bottle brush

Prevention is:
1. Use "Dry Moly Spray" on inside of both top and bottom auger chutes and both augers. Spray coat evenly and let dry.
2. Do NOT store pellets in hopper and auger chutes over the summer!

Anything else?

 

[Don2222]

Hello Again

The issue is not over until the stove is fixed! What a problem!

After the above operation of removing the bridged pellet and the procedure of brushing out the auger tubes and coating both the tubes and the augers with dry moly, the stove ran all weekend and then one morning the next week it died about 10 mins after being started. Same problem, the top auger bound up!

So I installed a brand spanking new top auger motor and it has been running for a few days more! It has only been a few days now but the new auger along with the special dry moly treatement and grinding the knit lines and ruff edges should help!

 

[Don2222]

Hello

Well Top Auger bound up tonight again! Help
Are the Maine's Choice hardwood pellets not helping? I did find a 2" long pellet in the hopper!

One other bit of info, We had some dew and frost on the car tonight! There was alot of moisture in the air and this stove does have an OAK on it. Moisture is bad for any pellet stove! Grrr!

Any more ideas?
Should I replace the Lower Auger Motor too?

 

[TheMightyMoe]

http://www.englanderstoves.com/help/PelletStove/feedprob.html

?shrug?

Could be culprit.

 

[Don2222]

http://www.englanderstoves.com/help/PelletStove/feedprob.html

?shrug?

Could be culprit.

That really only talks about the bottom auger, it is the top auger that is binding.

 

[slvrblkk]

Don....when I had my pdvc, I had won a free ton of NEWP. This was the only pellet that EVER bound up my top auger (beside the Penningtons a few years back). I'm not sure why but it did. There really weren't excessive long pellets either so I don't know what the deal was. As soon I would stick another brand in, the problem went away. It was completely frustrating fighting with "free" pellets. Not sure if it was because it is a blend or not. I think the pellets are just crappy. Have you tried using a different brand?