55 SHPAH

[jmorgtwo]

I have a Summers Heat 55SHPAH. It has a manufacture date of August 2011 and was installed in the fall of that year. This is my fourth heating season with this stove and it has never functioned properly.

Over the past 3+ years I have made numerous calls to England Stove works to help diagnose the problem. That has proven pointless as they insist that I must be burning wet pellets (garage stored off the ground), have a dirty stove, etc. Basically just trying to pass the buck for the performance of their sub par product.

I have tried multiple brands of pellets, stove configurations,control board settings; basically to rule out any error on my part. Everything i have tried, has yet to yield productive results.

Themain issue I am having is the stove does not produce any usable amount of heat. From what i can determine (along with several ESW techs) everything is functioning as it should;augur works properly, oak installed, passed the dollar bill test, complete system reset, no air leaks, burn pot sits flush. I only have a 1200sq ft ranch house (well insulated) and this stove fails to keep my house at even 60 degrees on most winter nights (northern Pennsylvania) when ESW claims that this stove is good for nearly double that amount.

What little heat the stove does produce does not change regardless if the stove is running in level 1 or in level 9. Currently i am running a 1-4-1 as is specified by ESW.

I have run out of ideas for potential solutions. If i can't get this resolved, this stove will go straight to the landfill and i will have to buy a Harman.

If anyone has advice, please fire away.

 

[pageyjim]

I am a total newbie, so my response may reflect that but here goes. I would ask what the air temp coming out of the stove is to determine if it was working properly, not if it is warming the house. I think the 2000sq' figure will depend on climate, layout and insulation among other things. It has a max output of 25k btu/ hr. I would ask what is the btu rating of your regular central system and did it heat the home? Another option would be to get an hvac contractor out for an estimate. One that does a Manual J Heat Load Calculation. With an estimate for a new central system it should be free of charge. And that will tell you what is needed and since it is not a central unit it would make sense that you would have to go above that to allow it to heat the whole house because it is not a central system. Also a lot of people think their house is insulated well when in fact it may not be. I am not saying that is the case. To tell that you can get a blower door test to really determine that. Anyways I wish you luck.

 

[slvrblkk]

Assuming you are not using a thermostat, is the thermostat jumper wire (that is or should be) installed on the board and tightened down? Just throwing that out there.

 

[jmorgtwo]

I am a total newbie, so my response may reflect that but here goes. I would ask what the air temp coming out of the stove is to determine if it was working properly, not if it is warming the house. I think the 2000sq' figure will depend on climate, layout and insulation among other things. It has a max output of 25k btu/ hr. I would ask what is the btu rating of your regular central system and did it heat the home? Another option would be to get an hvac contractor out for an estimate. One that does a Manual J Heat Load Calculation. With an estimate for a new central system it should be free of charge. And that will tell you what is needed and since it is not a central unit it would make sense that you would have to go above that to allow it to heat the whole house because it is not a central system. Also a lot of people think their house is insulated well when in fact it may not be. I am not saying that is the case. To tell that you can get a blower door test to really determine that. Anyways I wish you luck.

The air temp coming out of the stove is mildly warm at best. As far as actual numbers, I don't have anything to test it with. My thermostat for my propane furnace is about 10 feet from my stove, and it rarely reads above 60. Most days i can walk up and put my bare hand anywhere on the front of the stove or on the glass, and not get even slightly burned. My house is insulated above and beyond what is recommended. I have personally gutted the house down to the studs, floor joists, and rafters, so i know what is in my walls. It was during that renovation that i made the call to remove my traditional pot belly wood stove and install my gutless pellet stove.

 

[jmorgtwo]

Assuming you are not using a thermostat, is the thermostat jumper wire (that is or should be) installed on the board and tightened down? Just throwing that out there.

I have ran this stove both with a thermostat and without. I eventually disconnected the thermostat because the stove could never satisfy the demand for heat. The jumper wire is tightened down.

 

[slvrblkk]

Turn your LFF up to 3 or 4....you need to feed it more pellets to crank the BTU's out of it. On a high burn your flames should be kissing the heat exchanger ......or close to it.

 

[jmorgtwo]

Turn your LFF up to 3 or 4....you need to feed it more pellets to crank the BTU's out of it. On a high burn your flames should be kissing the heat exchanger ......or close to it.

I can give that a try. However i was under the impression that the 3 buttons only had an affect when the stove was being running at level 1 or 2. Is that correct?

 

[slvrblkk]

I "think" that is only for the PDV and the PDVC stoves.....and I believe that also depends on what years they were manufactured. I usually run my stove at 4-4-1 depending on the pellet. The key is to feed the beast enough on high burn to squeeze out the heat but not too much to start overfeeding it. If you run between 3-4-1 or 4-4-1, I think you'll probably be good.

When I first got my stove 3 years ago I had similar issue on 1-4-1....hardly any flame or heat. I then got it dialed in after a little bit.

 

[OhioBurner©]

Turn your LFF up to 3 or 4....you need to feed it more pellets to crank the BTU's out of it. On a high burn your flames should be kissing the heat exchanger ......or close to it.

Maybe, but on my PAH leaving the LFF on 1 produces more heat on high than I feel safe letting the stove burn at to be honest. I think there is a different issue here, unless the LFF is just not calibrated right on your stove. Remember the PAH settings are going to be different than other models, I'm not sure which ones might be the same or different. Maybe it correlates to the PEP, idk.

What little heat the stove does produce does not change regardless if the stove is running in level 1 or in level 9. Currently i am running a 1-4-1 as is specified by ESW.

I have run out of ideas for potential solutions. If i can't get this resolved, this stove will go straight to the landfill and i will have to buy a Harman.

If anyone has advice, please fire away.

That definitely doesn't sound right. Level 9 should scorch your hair on your hand and leave it with a red burn in no time if held a couple inches away from glass or near the blower vent for more than a second. With my IR temp gun, I have to wear leather gloves if I'm much above a 5 heat setting to take the temperature!

I have been having lots of issues with my PAH but producing heat doesn't seem to be one of them. I just can't keep the thing running long enough! Though on a low setting I feel like it should be producing more heat for the amount of pellets it goes through. But this thing really gets hot on high, unless my burn pot is clogged up which is the problem as of late. If you have money for a Harman, and having this many problems unresolved for years, then I'd probably upgrade too!

Anyhow, I don't have much advice, and problems of my own with the PAH. But sounds like something is severely limiting it. Did you try the leaf blower trick? I am going to give that a whirl as probably my last ditch effort before I pull my hair out.

 

[jmorgtwo]

Maybe, but on my PAH leaving the LFF on 1 produces more heat on high than I feel safe letting the stove burn at to be honest. I think there is a different issue here, unless the LFF is just not calibrated right on your stove. Remember the PAH settings are going to be different than other models, I'm not sure which ones might be the same or different. Maybe it correlates to the PEP, idk.



That definitely doesn't sound right. Level 9 should scorch your hair on your hand and leave it with a red burn in no time if held a couple inches away from glass or near the blower vent for more than a second. With my IR temp gun, I have to wear leather gloves if I'm much above a 5 heat setting to take the temperature!

I have been having lots of issues with my PAH but producing heat doesn't seem to be one of them. I just can't keep the thing running long enough! Though on a low setting I feel like it should be producing more heat for the amount of pellets it goes through. But this thing really gets hot on high, unless my burn pot is clogged up which is the problem as of late. If you have money for a Harman, and having this many problems unresolved for years, then I'd probably upgrade too!

Anyhow, I don't have much advice, and problems of my own with the PAH. But sounds like something is severely limiting it. Did you try the leaf blower trick? I am going to give that a whirl as probably my last ditch effort before I pull my hair out.

I have had these problems since the day the stove was brand new. The only thing i haven't adjusted is the "heat mode". I know other models there is talk of switching from mode c to mode d. However my mode displays in numbers, so i have left that as is. Seeing as how i didn't have solid advice on the subject.

 

[jmorgtwo]

I have had these problems since the day the stove was brand new. The only thing i haven't adjusted is the "heat mode". I know other models there is talk of switching from mode c to mode d. However my mode displays in numbers, so i have left that as is. Seeing as how i didn't have solid advice on the subject.

Anyone have ideas on what mode works best for this stove?

 

[OhioBurner©]

Assuming the modes are the same as between yours and my 55 TRPAH, I'm in mode 3.

I think we need more info. You said you tried multiple brands of pellets so that probably not the issue. But for the record which ones? Whats your vent configuration? If its burning so low you can place your hand on the front of it (including glass) something seriously wrong. What other symptoms are there? How are the pellets burning, and how much are you going through? Do you get excessive ash, soot, or smouldering crud in the burnpot? Good vibrant flame or lazy orange/red burn? Ever try the leaf blower trick? That really helped mine, apparently there was some excessive ash buildup behind the firebox where I could not get to cleaning by normal means, though I don't think mine is still 100%.

Also for troubleshooting you should get yourself a thermometer. Even one of those cheap Rutland or similar magnet mount thermos stuck to the side of the firebox might be handy. But you can find IR temp guns now for cheap, and then you can check temperatures anywhere on the stove quickly, or anywhere else around the house/shop/outside you might need to.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

If your stove produces the same flame level in the fire pot on heat level nine as heat level one your stove is possibly set for thermostatic control and the jumper is not connected or one of the thermostat wires is disconnected or the thermostat is not calling for heat.

 

[jmorgtwo]

Primarily I have used barefoot pellets, which are hands down the best i have used. I have also used instant heat, timber ridge, ecoflame, north american, lignetics, as well as several cheap bags i have picked up at lowe's or tractor supply whenever i see a brand i haven't used before.

Vent configuration is straight through the wall (oak as well) 3ft vertical rise into a termination cap. I've tried several different modifications to this, with no noticeable change in results.

Pellets seem to burn fine, its an aggressive orange flame. Glass becomes covered in soot in a mater of 4-6 hours. I have to shut down and scrap out the burn pot about every twelve hours. This does not change if the stove is run on 1 or 9. Typically i leave the stove on 1 or 2, as i get just as much heat from those levels as i do at level 8 or 9.

I haven't done the leaf blower trick. The problems with this stove existed when it was brand new out of the box. After 30 years of using a wood stove, I assumed the issue was cause by me not knowing the tricks that come with a new heating source. After 3 complete burning seasons on this stove, I have eliminated the possibility of errors on my part, and can safely say the stove is a giant POS, as well as service by ESW.

 

[jmorgtwo]

If your stove produces the same flame level in the fire pot on heat level nine as heat level one your stove is possibly set for thermostatic control and the jumper is not connected or one of the thermostat wires is disconnected or the thermostat is not calling for heat.

The stove is not in thermostat mode. I have ran the stove in both modes (hooked to a thermostat of course) and the lack of heat was present in both modes. At the end of the day i have a house that is a little over 1200 sq feet (well insulated), a stove that is supposed to satisfy over 2000 sq ft, and 30 on a degree day i can barley get my house to 60.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

The stove is not in thermostat mode. I have ran the stove in both modes (hooked to a thermostat of course) and the lack of heat was present in both modes. At the end of the day i have a house that is a little over 1200 sq feet (well insulated), a stove that is supposed to satisfy over 2000 sq ft, and 30 on a degree day i can barley get my house to 60.

Then the flame level in the burn pot should change drastically between heat range 1 and 9 as long as that jumper is installed.

If this isn't the case you need to think about the controller either in the wrong mode or defective.

Your flame color says that the air/fuel mixture is off, needs to be yellow towards very bright yellow.

 

[jmorgtwo]

The jumper is without question installed. Currently the stove is running in 1-4-1 and is in mode 3. (Does not have mode a,b,c,d. Instead it has modes 1-9). I am starting to believe the controller has issues of some sort. How i prove/disprove that notion, I have no idea.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

The jumper is without question installed. Currently the stove is running in 1-4-1 and is in mode 3. (Does not have mode a,b,c,d. Instead it has modes 1-9). I am starting to believe the controller has issues of some sort. How i prove/disprove that notion, I have no idea.

You talk to ESW and do everything they tell you to do.

The controlers on the stoves are not all the same as the feed systems are not the same nor are the fuels they can burn the same.

For starters you can make certain the stove and venting is clean and that your air intake is unobstructed this includes no screen in the oak.

I have already PM'd Mike Holton of ESW so I suspect he will get in touch with you.

 

[slvrblkk]

You'll have to time the auger on/off time on all the different heat settings.

 

[jmorgtwo]

You talk to ESW and do everything they tell you to do.

The controlers on the stoves are not all the same as the feed systems are not the same nor are the fuels they can burn the same.

For starters you can make certain the stove and venting is clean and that your air intake is unobstructed this includes no screen in the oak.

I have already PM'd Mike Holton of ESW so I suspect he will get in touch with you.

The stove and pipe are cleaned regularly. In fact i just did it this morning. Air intake is clean and appears to be functioning properly.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

The stove and pipe are cleaned regularly. In fact i just did it this morning. Air intake is clean and appears to be functioning properly.

Then measure those auger timings.

 

[jmorgtwo]

What exactly am i measuring..........the amount of time between when the augur cycles on/off.....the amount of time the augur is actually running......?

 

[OhioBurner©]

If your stove produces the same flame level in the fire pot on heat level nine as heat level one your stove is possibly set for thermostatic control and the jumper is not connected or one of the thermostat wires is disconnected or the thermostat is not calling for heat.

Agreed. Sounds to me there is something either wrong with the controller as Smokey points out (just stuck permanently on low)... or the only other thing that comes to mind is if its really plugged up. I had that somewhat happen... and while I doubt I could place my hand on the glass the stove was limited so much that the heat output on high wasn't much different then low.

Pellets seem to burn fine, its an aggressive orange flame. Glass becomes covered in soot in a mater of 4-6 hours. I have to shut down and scrap out the burn pot about every twelve hours. This does not change if the stove is run on 1 or 9.

Does the glass get covered in black soot, or white/grey ash? You say the pellets burn fine but that you have to clean out the pot about every 12 hrs. That doesn't exactly add up, unless your pellets are just super ashy. If your getting soot and a quickly clogging burnpot this is sounding similar to how mine was. When mine is running clean, with Somersets, I could easily go 2 days before cleaning the burn pot. When mine was plugged up barely limping along, 24hrs the burn pot was 3/4 full of crusty stuff.

Do you hear the combustion fan increase when you crank it up from 1 to 9? Does the timing interval get quicker dumping pellets when you crank it up?

It is quite possible for these stoves to get plugged up in short order, so that could seem to happen from new. I think for me it got plugged up in like 2 weeks of being installed. Shop vac wasn't even enough, I had to use the leaf blower and bang the back of the firebox to get it running right again.

If its not heating your house how have you gotten along for 3 years? Lets not get too many issues going at once. The stove may be inadequate even if its burning correctly. Mine can't keep my place warm much below freezing (I have multiple stoves to handle the heating). But that has nothing to do with ESW, most stoves are well overrated. So lets just focus on determining if the stove is running right or not, then once it is running right we can see if its adequate or not for your home.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

What exactly am i measuring..........the amount of time between when the augur cycles on/off.....the amount of time the augur is actually running......?

The time between the auger starts and the time the auger is running. Both can change (depends on controler etc...) it is the on off time sequences that determine fuel feed rate. Some systems have a fixed cycle time some a variable. I don't own an ESW product so I don't know about your particular stove.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

A pellet stove burning incorrectly can plug up after very few bags of pellets are burned.