AGP Erroring Off

[seattleguy]

Hello,

We just moved into a home with an AGP Lopi pellet stove. We've replaced the fire box, but upon turning it back on when that was done, the stove is erroring off. After pushing the start, it give it five tries, and then shuts off.

I am totally new to pellet stoves, so on a bit of a learning curve, especially with the issues we've experienced.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[johneh]

Welcome to the forum
I think we will need more information
What do you mean you replaced the firebox?
Has the stove had a full cleaning (firebox to exhaust termination )?
meaning all passages inside the stove.
Is the stove on a Thermostat?
Do you have a manual? if not download one from the net
not hard to find.
I think we will be able to help just need more information.

 

[seattleguy]

Thanks! Was excited to find the forum as this problem has been vexing!

What do you mean you replaced the firebox?
Should have written "Burn Platform." Still getting my name down.

Has the stove had a full cleaning (firebox to exhaust termination)?
I don't know, but it was serviced last year.

Is the stove on a Thermostat?
No.

Do you have a manual? if not download one from the net not hard to find.
I do, but it doesn't say anything about this error or how to address it.

 

[johneh]

What exactly happens when you hit the start button?
Does the combustion fan start and pellets drop?

 

[seattleguy]

I do not think the combustion fan is starting...

When I press "Start" you can hear four-to-five cycles of the circular pellet feed (from the hopper to the auger), and then it errors off. I have not heard the fan start.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Sounds to me like it's loaded with ash inside. First thing you need to do is take it completely apart and clean it completely. You need to remove the combustion fan and clean that out inside and makes sure the fan is freely rotating same with the convection blower and remove and clean the venting as well. You can do the leaf blower procedure on the venting but myself, I'd remove it and physically clean it inside as I bet the ash inside has solidified from sitting in the venting.

In reality, any stove needs very regular cleaning as in at least bi-weekly.

If the combustion fan or the convection fan is seized, you'll need to replace them with new ones. They can be serviced and repaired but that is a whole other ball game and you aren't close to that yet.

Serviced 'last year' don't even count and in reality, was it or were you told that?

 

[johneh]

If you unplug the stove wait a couple of minutes
and plug it in does the combustion fan run for 15 minutes?
Hopper lid must be closed to run( Hopper switch)
The fan must run (combustion)
Flow switch must work (vacuum switch)
If one of the above is not working the stove will not work

 

[SidecarFlip]

If the combustion air fan is not running (frozen or failed), the flow switch (vacuum sensor) cannot detect any flow anyway because there isn't any. Hopper switch can be easily jumped, in fact, I see them as 100% superfluous. OP state he didn't hear the fan (combustion) come on at all. That is a telling condition.

If it was mine, I'd start with taking it apart and seeing if excessive ash is causing any internal issues before fiddling with anything else. Once you get into it and discover it's crammed with old ash, at least you have a baseline to go with.

I'd pull the cleanout Tee on the venting first and see how much (if any comes out) and proceed from there.

 

[seattleguy]

Thanks for the ideas. I do appreciate it. I've taken the unit apart and it does look fairly clean. When I cycle through, both fans start to spin, but don't continue. I am guessing it is a vacuum switch problem?

 

[SidecarFlip]

What exactly is 'fairly clean'? If it's a vacuum switch issue (they rarely fail) check both the nipple inside the combustion air path (firebox or combustion air blower) to see if it's obstructed or the silicone hose that connects the switch to the nipple. Has to be a silicone (heat resistant hose) and cannot be loose or cracked anywhere. only time I've seen one fail is when excessive vacuum was placed on the firebox and the membrane ruptured.

 

[seattleguy]

I think I found the issue. Completely disassembled and found the exhaust fan completely covered in an astounding amount of soot... Once that was clean, the fans are now running. Interestingly, the unit is still erroring off. Here is what I am doing:

1. Small handful of pellets on burn platform
2. Turn the heat and fan level to low
3. Push "Start"
4. Fans kick on, and then the device errors off and the "Stop" button begins blinking red.

So confounding.

 

[SidecarFlip]

I 'think' you should check the rest of the venting and the cleanout Tee as well,, You do have one right?

 

[johneh]

A clean stove is a happy stove

 

[seattleguy]

I 'think' you should check the rest of the venting and the cleanout Tee as well,, You do have one right?

I cleaned out the exhaust as best I could...

 

[johneh]

DuraVent PelletVent 3 in. Tee with Clean-Out Cap 3PVL-T - The Home Depot

PelletVent is a complete venting system from DuraVent for stoves and inserts that use oil fuel or multi-fuels (including wood pellets, corn, cherry pits, switch grass, coffee husks, walnut shells, soybeans,

www.homedepot.com

Will look something like this

 

[SidecarFlip]

I cleaned out the exhaust as best I could...

Not trying to be a smart ass but 'best I could' don't count. let me ask you this.... Is there a cleanout Tee (like the picture above depicts) between the exhaust stub on the stove and the vertical venting and is it on the outside of the house or on the inside of the house? If it's on the outside (hopefully), pull the bottom cap and dump the contents out and get a leaf blower and use the vacuum side to suck the venting and the stove out. Easiest way to remove fly ash. If you do that, leave the door to the stove open (stove out and cold) so you8 don't rupture the vacuum switch membrane and point the exit end of the blower away from you as it will spew some nasty black soot. I suck mine out 3 times every season. Once at the beginning, mid season and at the end.

If it's on the inside you will have to be very careful because the fly ash that comes out will get on everything, especially painted walls and you wife will not be pleased. best place for a cleanout is obviously outside.

 

[SidecarFlip]

I keep my cleanout Tee cover coated with never seize, that way it comes off easily.

 

[SidecarFlip]

DuraVent PelletVent 3 in. Tee with Clean-Out Cap 3PVL-T - The Home Depot

PelletVent is a complete venting system from DuraVent for stoves and inserts that use oil fuel or multi-fuels (including wood pellets, corn, cherry pits, switch grass, coffee husks, walnut shells, soybeans,

www.homedepot.com

Will look something like this

Kind of unpleasantly surprised that Simpson lists soybeans as an alternate fuel. Soybeans are an oil seed and will destroy a biomass stove in short order. Kind of like burning rice coal. The burn so hot they will warp the firebox. I've mixed them with corn but only sparingly.

 

[seattleguy]

Not trying to be a smart ass but 'best I could' don't count. let me ask you this.... Is there a cleanout Tee (like the picture above depicts) between the exhaust stub on the stove and the vertical venting and is it on the outside of the house or on the inside of the house? If it's on the outside (hopefully), pull the bottom cap and dump the contents out and get a leaf blower and use the vacuum side to suck the venting and the stove out. Easiest way to remove fly ash. If you do that, leave the door to the stove open (stove out and cold) so you8 don't rupture the vacuum switch membrane and point the exit end of the blower away from you as it will spew some nasty black soot. I suck mine out 3 times every season. Once at the beginning, mid season and at the end.

If it's on the inside you will have to be very careful because the fly ash that comes out will get on everything, especially painted walls and you wife will not be pleased. best place for a cleanout is obviously outside.

There is no cleanout Tee on the unit at all. That being said, I've cleaned the unit completely, gotten the auger to turn (it was jammed), and now it won't light. I do believe this thing will be the death of me...

Still, having a lot of fun taking it apart and putting it back together again.

 

[SidecarFlip]

There is no cleanout Tee on the unit at all. That being said, I've cleaned the unit completely, gotten the auger to turn (it was jammed), and now it won't light. I do believe this thing will be the death of me...

Still, having a lot of fun taking it apart and putting it back together again.

For a proper installation, there should ALWAYS be a cleanout -transition Tee in the venting. Could you please take some pictures of the install and venting for us to see? The only exception would be a hearth install and I'm presuming it's a freestanding unit, correct?

Pictures tell a thousand words they say...

 

[seattleguy]

Thanks everyone! I was able to get it running and it was great. Wouldn't have been possible without your support and ideas!

 

[SidecarFlip]

Thanks everyone! I was able to get it running and it was great. Wouldn't have been possible without your support and ideas!

Still want to see a drawing or picture of your exhaust venting. It's seriously deficient with no cleanout Tee and will be a constant source of trouble down the road. There MUST be a physical means to clean the fly ash out of the venting and that is a clean out Tee.

 

[seattleguy]

What is what we've got...

 

[SidecarFlip]

So, it's not a freestanding install, it's a hearth install but there is no cleanout Tee anyway, so all the crap from combustion is coming right back into the combustion blower.

 

[seattleguy]

That isn't good. Will take another look and fix it. Thanks so much for the heads up!