25PAH Exhaust/combustion blower problem

[smithg]

Stove is a newer install, been having trouble with lazy flame. (see my previous posts) Yesterday when I started the stove the combustion blower made a screeching noise. I shut it off, restarted and noise was gone, but still lazy sooty flame. I've cleaned the stove thoroughly many times. When i went to restart today after cleaning the stove and filling the hopper, the exhaust/combustion blower didn't even come on. Have tried several restarts since, but it won't start. I can hear a slight hum, that is about it.

Just bought the stove a month and a half ago, and it is our only source of heat.

Loose connection perhaps on the control board? Wire issues somewhere? Faulty combustion blower? Suggestions?

 

[MaryH]

Stove is a newer install, been having trouble with lazy flame. (see my previous posts) Yesterday when I started the stove the combustion blower made a screeching noise. I shut it off, restarted and noise was gone, but still lazy sooty flame. I've cleaned the stove thoroughly many times. When i went to restart today after cleaning the stove and filling the hopper, the exhaust/combustion blower didn't even come on. Have tried several restarts since, but it won't start. I can hear a slight hum, that is about it.

Just bought the stove a month and a half ago, and it is our only source of heat.

Loose connection perhaps on the control board? Wire issues somewhere? Faulty combustion blower? Suggestions?

Make a temporary cord, to run the combustion blower - it sounds like it ate something, or the impeller came loose, or the motor died.

Guessing you don't have a gasket - so some high temp silicone, would get you through short term, while you pull the motor, if need be.

 

[smithg]

I am not sure at all what you mean. Can you explain?

 

[MaryH]

I am not sure at all what you mean. Can you explain?

You can hook your combustion blower up, and run it, without the stove turned on....by unplugging the 2 wires to it, and attaching a cord to it, and plugging it into a wall outlet. For safeties sake - into a power strip, with a switch, and circuit breaker.

Turn on the power strip - and see if the combustion blower runs.

 

[smithg]

You can hook your combustion blower up, and run it, without the stove turned on....by unplugging the 2 wires to it, and attaching a cord to it, and plugging it into a wall outlet. For safeties sake - into a power strip, with a switch, and circuit breaker.

Turn on the power strip - and see if the combustion blower runs.

OK Thanks - I will try that eventually.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

I am not sure at all what you mean. Can you explain?

Mary is suggesting that you may have a mess inside your combustion blower cavity, they do collect ash in there and your lazy burn is a prime indicator of ash in the works.

If you don't have a vermin screen on your vent termination cap a bird or other critter could have gotten into the vent and found out all about rotating devices.

It is also possible that the impeller came off the motor shaft.

In any event you'll have to remove the blower motor assembly from the stove to check it out. Make certain you have either a gasket or some high temperature silicone sealant because your chances of getting that blower motor off without making a mess of the gasket that is there is likely not good.

 

[MaryH]

OK Thanks - I will try that eventually.

It "really" sounds, like the set screw for the impeller came loose ("screech" sound) - and its jammed.

You'll have to pull the motor, to prove/fix it.

"Maybe" since the stove is so new - you might be able to reuse the gasket - but you should be prepared, if you can't.

 

[smithg]

Mary is suggesting that you may have a mess inside your combustion blower cavity, they do collect ash in there and your lazy burn is a prime indicator of ash in the works.

If you don't have a vermin screen on your vent termination cap a bird or other critter could have gotten into the vent and found out all about rotating devices.

It is also possible that the impeller came off the motor shaft.

In any event you'll have to remove the blower motor assembly from the stove to check it out. Make certain you have either a gasket or some high temperature silicone sealant because your chances of getting that blower motor off without making a mess of the gasket that is there is likely not good.

Thanks - I will check the impeller, etc. I am not familiar with the combustion blowers, so what will I be looking for? Had the room blower off a million times on my old stove, but never the combustion blower.

Vent termination is about 10 feet off the ground, and I have had it off recently for cleaning, so there is nothing there. I've had the ash vac in the combustion blower sucking out any ash, and there has been very little. I'm thinking the lazy flame has been linked to whatever just caused the blower to go on the fritz. Like I posted above, there is an electric hum when I hit the on button, so I am assuming it is getting power?

 

[smithg]

It "really" sounds, like the set screw for the impeller came loose ("screech" sound) - and its jammed.

You'll have to pull the motor, to prove/fix it.

"Maybe" since the stove is so new - you might be able to reuse the gasket - but you should be prepared, if you can't.

I have some high temp silicone still from the install, so i should be ok. I will probably pull the motor tomorrow, and just deal with no stove tonight. Fortunately it hit 63 degrees today! Quite a change from -5 a few days ago!

 

[MaryH]

Thanks - I will check the impeller, etc. I am not familiar with the combustion blowers, so what will I be looking for? Had the room blower off a million times on my old stove, but never the combustion blower.

Vent termination is about 10 feet off the ground, and I have had it off recently for cleaning, so there is nothing there. I've had the ash vac in the combustion blower sucking out any ash, and there has been very little. I'm thinking the lazy flame has been linked to whatever just caused the blower to go on the fritz. Like I posted above, there is an electric hum when I hit the on button, so I am assuming it is getting power?

Side plate, on the left side, while facing the door. (take that off)

Six - 11/32" (I do believe) nuts, take the motor out.

simple round gasket to make - "if" you have the stuff handy....high temp silicone, will do, in a pinch (and some leave it like that)

Do call englander, for at the least "free" gaskets, if that is the problem

 

[smithg]

Side plate, on the left side, while facing the door. (take that off)

Six - 11/32" (I do believe) nuts, take the motor out.

simple round gasket to make - "if" you have the stuff handy....high temp silicone, will do, in a pinch (and some leave it like that)

Do call englander, for at the least "free" gaskets, if that is the problem

I took the blower off this morning as per above suggestions. The set screw was OK, but the impeller was jammed somehow.A few manual turns and it freed up. Stove is working just fine now - existing gasket was fine, and reused. There was an old birds nest that I had to clean out from underneath the blower, probably from when the stove was stored high up on the shelves at Lowes. I imagine some of the straw got stuck up inside the blades.

Thanks everyone for your help!

 

[MaryH]

I took the blower off this morning as per above suggestions. The set screw was OK, but the impeller was jammed somehow.A few manual turns and it freed up. Stove is working just fine now - existing gasket was fine, and reused. There was an old birds nest that I had to clean out from underneath the blower, probably from when the stove was stored high up on the shelves at Lowes. I imagine some of the straw got stuck up inside the blades.

Thanks everyone for your help!

Please "do" clean your vent pipe....some of that nest, might still be in the pipe, and ignite.

Merry Christmas