Ashley 5660 T-stat

[rgray107918]

Hi all,

I have the Ashley 5660 stove, and have some questions for anyone who can answer. Specifically, I would like to know if I can hook up a "Smart Thermostat" to control it.

If I cannot hook one up, I may go down the route of Arduino or NodeMCU and IR led set-up to remotely control the stove.

I found several threads talking about this stove and T-stat:

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/extend-thermostat-sensor-probe.163821/#post-2199016
No responses to this one yet.....

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/help-installing-thermostat-for-ashley-5660.140802/
This one, I am unsure of the outcome. More on this later.

I bought my stove in 2014, from Tractor Supply. It heats the downstairs of my 2350 sqft, very drafty, circa early 1900's, home fairly well (can maintain 70-73F when it is single digits outside). My home layout does not allow for enough airflow to heat the upstairs well. I use a heat pump for upstairs.

Here are my questions......

The second post I linked to above says that if you have a particular type of control board, you cannot connect a T-stat. This board:

I have this board on my stove. I am confused about this, because there is a t-stat setting.

I know very little about T-stats or pellet stoves, so I would like some clarification. Why can't I disconnect the T-stat that is already on this stove, and connect a different T-stat instead?

Also, the same post says that older stoves have this board, which can accept a T-stat:

and a forum member, Don2222, mentioned retrofitting a newer stove with an older board, but there was no answer to if this is possible. Anyone know if it is?

Lastly, this thread:
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/ashley-5660.124527/#post-1671088

has this picture posted:

which makes it sound like this stove can accept a remote T-stat....does this only apply to older models with the older board that has auger trim/heat level buttons?

Any help at all explaining this would be really, really appreciated.

 

[tlc1976]

I have the same board on my stove (your first pic). There isn't really much you can do to mod the stock electronics. Better off just making something arduino, plc, or grabbing the controls from another stove that has fully adjustable settings. I was going to do something at one time, but never got around to it. Too many other irons in the fire.

The instructions which show the old style board, still seem to be how the new board operates.

The wires on the back to go a variable thermistor, that feeds back to the board based on the temperature in that spot. It's not an on/off thing, it can't be connected to a separate thermostat. I realize the temps in the back of the stove are warmer than the rest of the house, and for me I need to run the stove about 4-5 degrees warmer to keep the center of the house at a certain temp, it's predictable so I just run with. I suppose it could be extended and relocated, but I'm not sure what resistance it runs at, and if the added resistance of the wire used would throw it off.

 

[rgray107918]

Thank you very much for a rapid and detailed answer to my questions, TLC1976!

I got the feeling all the evidence pointed to it not being possible, I just needed someone with more experience to confirm.

I really like the stove - upgraded the blower motor due to OEM starting to die, and replaced L,R fire bricks and Burn pot. Other than those items it's been pretty solid. I don't have any other stove experience to compare to, but as a single source of heat for my downstairs it seems pretty par for the course to have minor repairs etc., considering it runs 4-5,000 hrs/yr with around 3,600 being continuous.

I'm in the same boat with too many projects and not enough time.... I just ordered 2 NodeMCUs to play around with, and I have an Arduino kit with all the components I would need to clone the remote. I think I have stuff to be able to read temp at remote location too.

I'm really new to Arduino and other controllers but it seems there's enough info/code/helpful community that I can get something going.

I also just used some Xmas gift cards to pick up a Samsung Home Connect. So, if I do successfully clone the remote the next step would be to bridge it with a NodeMCU to talk to SmartThings.

IF, really big if, I get this going I'll make sure to share the process, results, etc.

Thanks again for the reply and info.

 

[Ssyko]

the extra wire would add resistance to the circuit and give you a false reading if it would give one at all. The circuit on the board is basically just like one on the wall just built in so to speak and like you said not an on-off switch it reads the resistance.

 

[tlc1976]

These stoves seem to run well on the stock settings, and low heat ranges can be finicky. I think they did a pretty good job for the most part. What I would do is map out time charts of all the stove's built-in settings for startup, shutdown, and running at each heat range. And the safeties. Program that as a baseline. Make it kick up a heat range if the thermostat calls for heat. Make it drop a heat range if the thermostat says it needs to cool down. If you're already on 1, and it needs to cool more, then have it follow the stock shutdown mode. Have it kick back on using the stock startup mode when it calls for heat again. Build delays into the programming so you're not chattering between heat ranges, or constantly kicking on and off.

If you're burning hotter than normal pellets, you can make adjustments in your settings to run the room blower harder, etc.