Auger Problem--Castile Insert

[mikefreeville]

Hello all am new to forum and am having trouble with my Quadra Fire Castile pellet insert. Stove starts up but does not feed pellets. I have cleaned it thoroughly. When I pulled the auger out I found a spoon inside the auger feed tube. Don't ask how it got there--am not sure myself. I cleaned out the auger feed tube thoroughly including the vacuum nipple. Still no pellets. Have bypassed the vacuum switch but no luck.

Questions: I am trying to confirm that power is going to the auger motor but it my volt meter is showing no power. Is there a simple way to do that? Also can I check the resistance on the motor with the multimeter?

Stove does start up when I hand feed it pellets. Any suggestions would be welcome.

 

[kappel15]

Try jumping the #2 snap disc to see if that helps. Let us know. kap

 

[mikefreeville]

kap--thanks for reply. I will try that tomorrow AM. What should the voltage read? Also is there a way to test the continuity for the #2 disc?

 

[kappel15]

The # 2 snap disc is a safety feature that shuts down the auger power if stove overheats. It should have continuity till it heats up and snaps open. You can also bench test the auger motor by using a three prong plug-in wire and hooking bare ends up to motor wires. It is 120 v. Do you have a clear or gray control box? And remember the only time there will be power to auger motor is when it is suppose to be running, feeding fuel. 1 minute on initial feed, and then periodically after that. you will have to hit reset to keep testing for power. If the spoon jammed it, you could have toasted auger motor or control box. And are there any lights in control box? kap

 

[mikefreeville]

I have the clear control box. I get the normal start up lights and it does call for heat, etc when I reset it. My fear is that the auger motor is toast but I am trying to rule out the snap disk. I think I will pull the auger motor again and bench test it.

 

[kappel15]

Since you seem to be ok with electrical, I will give you this. Turn on thermostat circuit and make sure that the call light is on. Check for power at the vacuum switch.
A. If no power from red wire-- check control box or wire harness
B. power on red but no power on orange--check vacuum switch or vent system.
Check for power at the orange wire going to snap disc#2
A. If no power from orange wire-- check wire harness or reset the snap disc.
B. If power is present-- replace the feed motor or check connector pin or capacitor
Remember that the feed circuit initial feed time is 60 seconds. Push the reset button before each test

 

[kappel15]

Have you jumped the snap disc yet?

 

[mikefreeville]

just tried to jump snap disc--am still not getting any voltage reading on the leads running to the motor. My only thought is that I may not be getting good contact with the leads to my meter.

 

[mikefreeville]

just bench tested auger motor and it is turning with direct power. Can the snap disc #2 be reset? If so how? I may try to pull it.

 

[mikefreeville]

also think I may have a connectivity problem from the magnet switch at the plastic joint between the switch and the wiring harness. Just checked and saw that one of the connectors is closed shut so am resplicing those wires. That could be an obvious problem as to why the auger isn't getting power....

 

[kappel15]

If the snap disc has a reset button, you can push it. Otherwise I would just jump the wires together to see if auger will run. Stay in touch with progress. kap

 

[mikefreeville]

would reset button be on the side of the disc I can see? I know the snap disc #3 on this stove has a reset not sure if the #2 does. Will jump disc now and see what happens....

 

[kappel15]

Some of em have the reset button, some don't. Quad changed things thru the years. It is usually between the spade connectors.

 

[DMKNLD]

When I pulled the auger out I found a spoon inside the auger feed tube.

Welcome to this forum, Mike ! Curious about your spoon in the auger findings. Kids perhaps, 'helping you out of your mind' no doubt, playing in the stove hopper? It's amazing the stuff that can end up in the hopper and eventually the auger if not caught before that.

Here's the different #2 snap disc styles - mine does not have the reset post on the #2 like my #3 disc does. The auto - reset style has a finite number of resets before they're toast, apparently. Did you have a convection blower shut down that would have over-fired the stove and kicked out the # 2?

Happy Turkey Day kap, Mike and everybody ! We're getting ready for our turkey feed and post-dinner tryptophan induced nap after spending the day shoveling and snow blowing 14" of New England's version of 'Sierra Cement' in the 32.5 F Nor'easter snow storm last night !

 

[mikefreeville]

have power to vacuum switch but still none to stove even if i jump snap disc. Could vacuum switch be the culprit? Any way to test it?

 

[mikefreeville]

DMKNLD we kept spoon nearby to clean out the stove. theory is that the spoon nded up in the bag of pellets and worked its way through to the auger. I don't think I had a convection blower shut down and my disc does not have the reset button on it. I get 120 volts to vacuum switch. I test at the snap disc and only get 6-7 volts. Could vacuum switch be culprit? Any way to test it? The quad dealer that was local went out of business so I need to travel some distance to get the parts I need so want to be sure before making a long drive.

 

[mikefreeville]

At this point with the stove torn open and laying all over the living room floor I am going to call a local company that services stoves and see if they will look at my quad. Tried to jump the vacuum switch with no success...

 

[kappel15]

All you have to do is bypass the vac switch too, by jumping wires together. kap

 

[kappel15]

Happy Turkey Day Dm. and all. I just finished dishes, and a pc. of pecan pie. I'm stuffed. Time to hit the couch

 

[mikefreeville]

Kap--jumped the vacuum switch as well but that isn't working either

 

[kappel15]

About the only thing left is the control box. Do you have someone with a quad stove you can test it in? Just make sure to unplug stove before removing and installing control boxes, or you will toast em. kap

 

[tjnamtiw]

have power to vacuum switch but still none to stove even if i jump snap disc. Could vacuum switch be the culprit? Any way to test it?

You have power to the vacuum switch, and you have bypassed the snap disk. The ONLY thing between that power and the auger motor IS the vacuum switch. You are measuring voltage from your measuring point and chassis ground, right? If you jump the vacuum switch leads, you will have power to the auger motor; however, the only other possibility is that the neutral lead of the motor is not connected to chassis ground, completing the circuit.

 

[kappel15]

He jumped switch, and still no go

 

[tjnamtiw]

He jumped switch, and still no go

He jumped the switch BUT we are all assuming that the motor is connected to the neutral. If he has power at the input of the vacuum switch and he has properly jumped both the switch and the snap disk AND he has successfully bench tested the motor, then the motor can't be connected to the neutral to complete the circuit. There's a lot of 'ifs' in there though. If he's measuring voltage across the vacuum switch, then he would/should see 120 volts. Across the snap switch he should see zero volts. Across the motor if it is not connected to neutral, he would see zero volts with the other stuff jumped. If the motor were connected to neutral, he would see 120 volts.
He also makes mention of a magnet but I have NO IDEA what that is!

 

[kappel15]

I hear ya. there is power on one side of vac switch, but not on other when jumped. something is amiss