Any tips on fixing a hopelessly jammed/stuck auger?

[Egg Shen]

I have an older model pellet stove, couldn't even tell you the brand name cuz any stickers/nametags/etc. have long been removed over the years.

I had thought the auger motor was bad, but i just removed it and the auger itself seems to be jammed. Even with the auger motor removed, the auger can not be budged. I can't turn it by hand, with a tool, i can't remove it either. That last bit is especially frustrating because there is not a "jammed auger" video or help site on the entire internet that doesn't include, "remove auger" as part of its info. If mine is too jammed to be removed, it don't help me much. It's as if someone poured concrete into my pellet stove as a prank(actually might prefer that, as I'd at least know why it's so jammed up, as is I'm all the more frustrated wondering how it could possibly get this stuck). It is completely stuck in place.

So, any tips? Anyone had an experience like this before or ever heard of an auger being THIS jammed?

I cleared it out as best i could, anywhere my fingers can reach is clear. I'm going to try a coat hanger next, see if i can snake it deeper, maybe dislodge something else further up on it. Any other suggestions for good tools to use to unjam one of these?

Thanks.

 

[mikkeeh]

With the hundreds of different stoves out there..its almost impossible to advise without knowing a brand or model...or something.

 

[Egg Shen]

Is it really that necessary? I can certainly put some pics up if it'll help, but everything ive seen scouring youtube vids for help makes em look quite similar. Access everything from the back, remove auger motor to gain access to auger(which should slide out fairly easy with motor out). Lid on top of it can be opened to pour pellets in and access at least part of the auger. Pretty simple and common contraptions, regardless of model, from all i've seen.

And a jammed auger is a jammed auger, i would think anyway.

 

[johneh]

Put some pictures of the stove up there are many knowable people
around here that will know what make your stove is .
As to removal try locking a set of vice grip pliers to the
bottom of the auger a turning the auger back and forth to
free up . may take some time and effort

 

[Defiant]

Pics, we need pics......

 

[JRemington]

Is there a cover over the auger inside the hopper?

 

[mikkeeh]

Is it really that necessary? I can certainly put some pics up if it'll help, but everything ive seen scouring youtube vids for help makes em look quite similar. Access everything from the back, remove auger motor to gain access to auger(which should slide out fairly easy with motor out). Lid on top of it can be opened to pour pellets in and access at least part of the auger. Pretty simple and common contraptions, regardless of model, from all i've seen.

And a jammed auger is a jammed auger, i would think anyway.

You're right. They're all the same. Hope the YouTube videos work out for you.

 

[Edward Hughes]

I have an older model pellet stove, couldn't even tell you the brand name cuz any stickers/nametags/etc. have long been removed over the years.

I had thought the auger motor was bad, but i just removed it and the auger itself seems to be jammed. Even with the auger motor removed, the auger can not be budged. I can't turn it by hand, with a tool, i can't remove it either. That last bit is especially frustrating because there is not a "jammed auger" video or help site on the entire internet that doesn't include, "remove auger" as part of its info. If mine is too jammed to be removed, it don't help me much. It's as if someone poured concrete into my pellet stove as a prank(actually might prefer that, as I'd at least know why it's so jammed up, as is I'm all the more frustrated wondering how it could possibly get this stuck). It is completely stuck in place.

So, any tips? Anyone had an experience like this before or ever heard of an auger being THIS jammed?

I cleared it out as best i could, anywhere my fingers can reach is clear. I'm going to try a coat hanger next, see if i can snake it deeper, maybe dislodge something else further up on it. Any other suggestions for good tools to use to unjam one of these?

Thanks.

Vac all the pellets out, used a mirror and flash light, and you will see a stick are debre and drill it out are punch with nail out hammer. Good luck

 

[Egg Shen]

Thanks for the responses thus far. Pics on the way if it might help.

As for some of the questions/input so far...

All the pellets I can reach are removed. Gonna go snake it with a unwound coat hanger here shortly, see if i can get the rest out. I can feel with the tip of my finger some more pellets. I wouldnt think pellets alone would cause a jam like this though, I mean those things would get cracked and crushed given the force I've been exerting trying to get this thing to budge in the slightest. Who knows though.

No cover over the auger in the hopper. I got the lid over the hopper and that's it. I open that up, and there's prob about 6 inches of auger exposed ,give or take. There's no other access or panel/door that can be removed to get a visual on the rest of it.

Someone else told me to try a pipe wrench on the auger shaft, turn it the opposite way. I don't have such a wrench, but did try it with a normal open end wrench, and I ended up digging into the metal of the shaft with the tool and not getting it to move at all. Maybe the increased leverage of a bigger wrench will be the ticket, although I'm uncertain i can fit something too large in the space i have to work with. Gotta get another look at it.

One more question, unrelated to the auger issue. Should the fan for my exhaust blower kick on whenever the unit is turned on, or only when there's a need for it to do so? As I was messing with things earlier today, I noticed it wasn't moving or doing anything. I was hoping it was just cuz the unit wasn't burning anything, wasnt producing anything that needed to be vented out. I could be wrong on that and another component is bad. Thanks.

 

[Ssyko]

Exhaust = combustion blower yes it should come on when you hit start button/switch.

 

[Egg Shen]

UPDATE!

Coat-hanger trick worked. I unjammed it. Appeared to just be a bunch more pellets, weird. Auger is out now and looks fine.

Another issue is that damn combustion blower. I could hear it buzzin and it got warm, so I believe it's getting power to it. Also, the blades of the fan are contacting the resto f the component. I have no clue how that could happen. Guess I need to change it. Check this out though...

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How does that even happen? Bizarre.

Any tips on how to get this component off? It's slides on over 3 screws, and then a nut goes over to secure it to said screws(can see 2 of em in the vid quite clearly). I got the nuts off in the video, but that thing does not come off. I get it nearly off 1 or 2 of those screws, the 3rd hangs it up. Outside of breaking something off, I dont know what i can do. I muscled it as much as i can with no luck. Is there another part of it, that center piece I'm turning in the vid perhaps, that needs to be yanked out first?

How much will a replacement auger motor and combustion blower run me?

Pics forthcoming, I own a chromebook so it will take me several hours to get em uploaded cuz chromebooks are absolute trash.

 

[Egg Shen]

Pics. Couple should be of the auger motor. Theres so many online that look identical, and ive read folks even saying, "bought it cuz it looked so similar, woked great!". Is it that simple? If anyone actually recognizes my unit and can give some insight into the type/model of motor i should look into purchasing, please let me know.

Same goes for the combustion blower.

Are they largely universal?

Part/model #s visible on both those, havent yet researched myself yet to see if that helps me any.

Can make out "envir..." on the stove, but the rest is all distorted, can't make it out.

 

[zrock]

If u don't know the make of stove don't be sticking something on it to try and free it... u will damage it beyond repair and not be able to replace

Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk

 

[Ssyko]

By the looks of the motors i would replace all of them. The stove is an ENVRIO FIRE and looks like an old EF3 possibly. The fan that is hitting the housing is th cooling fan for the motor. You have to take the 3 nuts off the mount plate and remove the fan/impeller assembly. On the impeller there is a set screw. Remove the impeller and it will all come apart.

 

[zrock]

Need to replace some wiring back their as well by the looks of it. Why is their so much ash in their as well?

 

[Egg Shen]

So should the auger spin freely in the bushing? The auger bushing was a groan to get off, played around with it and it is incredibly hard to get back on as well. I'm concerned that when the auger turns, the bushing is so tight and jammed on there that it will turn with it, which from my understanding is not good.

May need to replace the auger itself if that's the case, think all the wear on the shaft is what's causing the bushing to bind on it.

Am I on the right track with all this? I'll go over today and see if it spins together when i move it by hand. If it does, that bad right?

By the looks of the motors i would replace all of them. The stove is an ENVRIO FIRE and looks like an old EF3 possibly. The fan that is hitting the housing is th cooling fan for the motor. You have to take the 3 nuts off the mount plate and remove the fan/impeller assembly. On the impeller there is a set screw. Remove the impeller and it will all come apart.

Ah so it's just a cooling fan. I was concerned that it had been like that for a while and the past years I ran it that fan was doing nothin to push the toxic exhaust gases outside. BIt of a relief knowing i WASN'T ever filling my house with it. You think the previous owner replaced the fan paddle at some point but used the completely wrong part? Can't think how/why something like this could occur otherwise.

Can you see in the vid I posted where the impeller set screw is? I have those 3 nuts off, but the thing gets stuck as i described when trying to pull it. Doesn't seem like any other hardware is holding it on, just seems to be a matter of one of the 3 set/mounting screws binding it up.

Def replacing two of the motors. The blower/motor is the only thing on it that seems to work, gonna keep that one around for a while.

Yeah I put together the 2nd word being "fire" after googling "envir" pellet stoves. Def looks the most similar to the EF3. Thanks for that. Already found some auger motors that say they should work on it. Major boost in the right direction.

Need to replace some wiring back their as well by the looks of it. Why is their so much ash in their as well?

I know some of the pictures wires look melted/burnt up. I thought that too when i started lookin em over. It turns out it's just built up dirt/grime/etc.. I wiped away a similar looking section of another wire and it looks good as new.

A lot of the mess is a result of me trying to unjam the auger. Ended up crushing up a lot of the stuck pellets. It also hasnt been cleaned back there in years. I would clean the front out thoroughly, the auger out where i could access it, etc, but this is the first time ive ever pulled the sucker out from the wall and looked back there. No idea otherwise why anything would have accumulated.

 

[zrock]

If u know the stove model now I would replace the auger and bushings. May be warped now due to the jam and trying to free it up with a wrench

Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk

 

[Egg Shen]

Haven't dug around TOO much, but augers i have seen appear to run a bit much. Prefer to not get one if i dont have to.

And i dont know the model number for sure.

Does that backing plate on the combustion exhaust/fan have to come off? Bunch of youtube vids have em removing that whole circular backing plate with the rest.

 

[Ssyko]

If you have the auger and bushing out can you post a pic of the 2. May be able to use some emery cloth to polish up the auger shaft and get the 2 to fit without binding. When they fit together good put some hightemp grease on them before you put back in the stove.

The impeller set screw is not accessable till you get the motor and plate (the one with 3 studs) off the housing. You might be able to see from the exhaust end with the vent pipe off.

 

[bill3rail]

Glad to see the stuck auger is unstuck! That video of the motor looks like the fins were bent and are hitting the cage.

I would tear the entire stove apart and inspect, adjust and clean everything for two reasons,
1) I would know more about the workings of the stove.
2) I will probably fix a few issues on the stove.

Bill