Breckwell SPC50 - Auger Making Terrible Noise

[MikeDeslauriers]

I am feeling very discouraged. I did a ton of research on the Breckwell SPC50 (Formerly the Upland 207), and pulled the trigger on purchasing it. It was delivered on the 3rd of October, and that’s where I regret to say it has been downhill from there.

I had previously bought 5 tons of Energex 60/40 Pellets recommended by the Upland 207 Stove Creator himself, Peter Albertsen ((broken link removed to http://www.woodpelletreviews.com/energex-wood-pellets.html)). I read the Breckwell and the Upland manuals. I watched all the Youtube videos uploaded by Upland Stove. I fired the stove up, and it sounded TERRIBLE pushing the pellets through. I had read that there would be some noise, but after an hour it ONLY GOT WORSE. The poor motor sounded like a rollercoaster going up a lift. It eventually stopped on its own, and then came back on after a while.

I cooled it down, waited a day, then I vacuumed the entire stove out and looked for any blockage. No Blockage. I then tried the vegetable oil method (recommended in the manual) SEVERAL times. I put 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in half a soup can of pellets and stirred. I then added 3-4 more soup cans of dry pellets. I let them feed through the auger (with a bit of noise at first, but then it quieted down.) I vacuumed them out, added fresh pellets and ignited them and the stove. After an hour and a half the noise came back and became louder and louder. Again, the auger stopped working, and then came back on after a while. It would then shut off again and come back on.

I wonder if this could have to do with thermal expansion of the stove after it came up to temperature. I do believe the motor might be overheating (explaining the shutdowns) as it seems to meet resistance as the stove gets hotter.

I emailed Breckwell on 10/07 from their “Contact Us” portion of the webpage. A customer service rep named Ryan asked me for a video. I sent back a video. I emailed them the next day for an update and got nothing. I then emailed the “Contact Us” portion again and heard back from Ryan saying he let the engineering dept. look at it and as soon as he gets more info I will hear back ASAP. That was last Friday, today is Thursday 10/16! What kind of service level should I be expecting? I have not been able to get any kind of a service level from Breckwell since 10/07!

Also, the fan that creates combustion air is making a vibrating sound that can temporarily be fixed with a firm tap to the fan (located on the bottom of the hopper.) The sound returns in a minute or so.

I am so frustrated. I bought a brand new, highly rated stove and based on all the reviews for the Upland 207. Something must be different with this Breckwell version. I had emailed Breckwell months ago asking if any of the parts, materials for the parts or the design had changed. I was told only the hopper size had been reduced. I feel like I have been sold a bill of goods. I desperately want this corrected; if this stove functioned as intended I would be overjoyed.

I will update this thread as I get new information. I'm sure people interested in buying this stove would like an update on how this is resolved.

Mike

 

[MikeDeslauriers]

I emailed Ryan at Breckwell again yesterday for an update as he is the only person I have been put in contact with when I email the main Breckwell "Contact Us" page. I have not heard any reponse. Can not believe I have received zero service since contacting them on 10/07. Today is 10/18.

 

[NU-TEC Stoves]

Your experience so far has been disappointing. I think the following information will resolve that. I am not sure of the design changes by Breckwell with regards to the hopper. It is my understanding that it is primarily smaller. I am pretty sure that the cast iron body, burn pot, and auger assembly are the same.

I did have several customers that called me with similar complaints regarding their initial startup with their Upland. It was always a matter of getting the "fresh" auger and tube broken in.

A dry auger assembly can make some horrible groans and provide enough resistance to stall the gear motor. The resistance drops and the groans disappear as the stove warms up and the pellets polish the inside of the auger assembly. (The motor is designed to withstand a stall.) I modified the startup procedure and it eliminated the "rough start." Most people only have to light their stove a half dozen times a year.

There is a 13 minute video covering the monthly maintenance and fire starting on YouTube that everyone should watch. Search "Upland 207 Pellet Stove". Lighting the stove is in the last few minutes.

 

[NU-TEC Stoves]

The Upland 207 Pellet Stove Manual with Tips for Smooth Operation may be downloaded at www.nutec-castings.com.

If you do not see what you are looking for in the Breckwell SPC-50 Manual, check out the above. Sometimes one just needs a different viewpoint.

 

[MikeDeslauriers]

I have to say, thank you so much for taking the time to respond. I am guessing that this is Peter Albertsen, the original creator of this product. I have read nothing about stellar support you provided while owning the Nutec Upland 207 company, and realize that you are under no obligation to be responding to this.

I might be describing a somewhat different problem with the auger. Before I fire up the stove I vacuum out the burn pot and check for any obstructions. Once it starts, the stove may get the occasional groans , but I was expecting those. After initial lighting, an hour and a half later the motor (maybe the auger?) starts producing a terrible clicking and rattling noise like roller coaster going up hill. Interestingly, there is no longer a "auger resistance lever" as shown in you video of the stove running for a month. There is a motor under the stove that can turn a little and hits a rubber bumper if it is meeting any resistance. It is burying itself against one of the rubber bumpers when this noise is being made. Not sure if it is this motor.. http://www.usstove.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=120_136&product_id=986, but they look the identical.

When I first received the stove, this clicking sound happened right away. I tried the vegetable oil method several times, and it made the initial startup much smoother. However, after an hour and a half, the noise is back and seems to be worse then it ever was. I have run the stove 5 times now with this same experience. I have let the pellets feed all the way through to make sure the stove shuts down properly, but there have been a couple of times I have doubted it would be able to push the pellets through.

Interestingly enough, Breckwell's vegetable oil instructions are practically the same as yours, but they recommend not igniting the stove and vacuuming out the pellets after they have fed through.

If it would help, I can try and upload a video to Youtube, it might take a day or so as my wife and I have kids and work off-hours from eachother. I will also try to document the differences I see on it from the original Upland model.

Again, thank you VERY MUCH for responding! I can tell the pride you put into this stove while you owned it. Since this is no longer your stove, I completely understand if you do not respond again. This is Breckwell's responsibility and it would be very helpful to get their support.

Take Care,

Mike Deslauriers

 

[NU-TEC Stoves]

Mike,

Email your phone number to me at [email protected]. It is a lot easier to talk through trouble shooting. Unfortunately, USSC did not let me review their design changes. So, my trouble shooting is based solely on twenty years experience with the Upland.

I sure wish the SPC-50 could stand on its own reviews.
Peter

 

[MikeDeslauriers]

Just to update, Breckwell DID get back to me yesterday. They want to ship out a part to hold the motor in place as they say that the RPM's of the "new" motor have changed. So I guess the design has changed a bit. I expressed my frustration in the fact I was told "This is the same stove as the Upland" when I emailed them back in Late March / Early April. I'm waiting to hear back on that, this stove appears not 100% the same. I have not accepted the part yet, and will make a decision on that very soon.

My fear is that there will be no way to know what the resistance is on the motor. Currently I can move the motor to check the resistance. The Upland's motor had a resistance lever that allowed you to move the motor even more easily. This part Breckwell wants to send will eliminate that ability entirely.

 

[MikeDeslauriers]

UPDATE: 3 Weeks ago I installed a replacment Auger Tube which Breckwell sent to me last May. There is significantly less resistance and the stove is running great. I will update with a more detailed review soon, I'm still seeing how it works. My opinon thus far is very good. Many thanks to Peter as he was HUGE in helping to troubleshoot this and alert Breckwell of the resistance issue.

 

[Cantbe03]

Mike, I recently purchased this stove. I get a whining noise when the auger runs. The auger is constantly pressing the stopper against the bottom of the hopper. Tonight I even got the roller coaster clicking sound you described in an earlier post. Can you help me out with your experience? It's that humming/whining noise from the auger normal? Should the auger rubber stopper always be pressed against the bottom of the hopper? Thanks.

Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk

 

[MikeDeslauriers]

Mike, I recently purchased this stove. I get a whining noise when the auger runs. The auger is constantly pressing the stopper against the bottom of the hopper. Tonight I even got the roller coaster clicking sound you described in an earlier post. Can you help me out with your experience? It's that humming/whining noise from the auger normal? Should the auger rubber stopper always be pressed against the bottom of the hopper? Thanks.

Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk

Sorry, I have not been back in a long time!

The motor should press against the stove, and it can make that noise for a few hours. Afterwards, it should run fine with very little resistance.

Have you worked the problems out?

 

[Cantbe03]

Sorry, I have not been back in a long time!

The motor should press against the stove, and it can make that noise for a few hours. Afterwards, it should run fine with very little resistance.

Have you worked the problems out?

Mike, thanks for replying. I had the manufacturer send me a new motor. What a huge difference it made in the noise. It has not been cold enough yet to start it back up, but I'm hoping it stays quiet. Thanks again

 

[sequoyah101]

This is an old thread but I have to ask, is there a quiet motor for the auger drive? Breckwell has done a lousy job with this stove in spite of it being a good but different design. Their instructions are lousy. Once you understand the principals of operation it becomes easier to understand but they don't provide that.

The auger drive uses an on / off timer instead of a variable frequency drive. Each start there is a surge of the motor that you can hear 75 feet away at the back of the house. It is like a small klaxon and very annoying. Surely there is a quiet motor that can be had. I'm not sure this one is a ball bearing motor or not.

My stove was shipped twice, once battered and the second time covered with black fly specs of over spray and a chipped leg. I gave in. It was also shipped WITHOUT AN AUGER DRIVE MOTOR. I had the stove in storage for a year while our construction was taking place and discovered there was no motor when I tried to commission the stove. Rather than struggle with Breckwell I simply bought a cheap motor on Ebay.

 

[Ssyko]

Most stoves use the cyclic timer since 2004 and up. But it sounds like the motor is dry and needs a drop of oil (3in1) on each end of the shaft. I have used many motors from the internet, how old is the motor? Is there anything in your auger tube, or is the auger bent/warped? Being a metal box they do tend to enhance harmonics but I wouldn’t think it would be that loud.

 

[zrock]

Your complaining that the auger motor is loud and that breckwell did a lousy job but you put a cheap ebay motor in your unit. I do not even hear the auger in mine unless im standing beside it and really straining to hear it. I would suspect that cheap ebay motor is your issue

 

[sequoyah101]

We just can't all be brilliant like some people can we?

 

[Connecticut Yankee]

This is an old thread but I have to ask, is there a quiet motor for the auger drive? . . .

Your experience is why I don't trust anything I see on Ebay. But https://pellet-stove-parts-4less.com/ carries Breckwell parts. They might have a motor that would work for you.

I only know about this site because of recommendations in other threads here on hearth.com, and I haven't done very much business with them, but so far they have done well by me. I don't know how their prices compare with what I might have found on Ebay, but they're good enough to keep me happy.

 

[sequoyah101]

Thank you. That is helpful. I'm not feeling very charitable towards Breckwell these days.

We used wood for heat when I grew up but I've never had anything better than an old Ashley heater and when in S. Texas for many years had no need for heat except to cook.

 

[Ssyko]

Good place to start, great info there also. https://www.eastcoasthearth.com/collections/breckwell-pellet-stove-parts

also here. https://www.stove-parts-unlimited.com/

 

[Mt Bob]

Several large pellet stove suppliers sell on ebay,and there is nothing wrong with their quality.The same with automotive parts on the bay.Yes you can find junk,but you can find good quality.Most auger motors rest on a section of metal.sometimes a post,to keep the motor from spinning,which means auger would not spin.Most stoves have a rubber pad or bumper there.If yours is metal to metal,stick something in there and try.Many years ago,I got a auger motor for my Integra,one of the quietest stoves ever made,and I could hear the motor upstairs.I was horrible.When finances got better,bough a different motor,and threw the other one away.Sometimes,they are poor quality,sometims a manufacturing defect.

 

[sequoyah101]

I'm not that leery of Ebay for things. You are correct, several large suppliers find it is efficient to market on Ebay. Better than Amazon in my experience.

The motor has so many guards on it that you can't reach the bearings to oil them without taking the thing apart. It is hot now and so this will be a try it later thing. I did use a Q-tip to reach through a hole and maybe helped it some. I'll let it exhaust the fuel supply and give it a go for the next little spell of cool weather. It is only 60 here today.

Have the rubber pad for the torque resistance block.

Not sure why they use this cyclic timer design. Seems like the repeated starts against the static friction reducing motor / gear box life would be enough to avoid such a design. VFD is so reliable these days and the motor does not need to be all that slow to feed slowly enough through a 1rpm gear reduction.

Thanks for the constructive assistance.

 

[Ssyko]

Do you have your owners manual? PG 16

AUGER CLEANING It is recommended that the auger be cleaned and polished monthly or as needed. 1) Turn the unit off, allow the unit to cool, empty the hopper and run the auger untill all pellets have been pushed out throught the burnpot. 2) Add three (3) tablespoons of vegetable oil to 6-8 ounces of pellets. Ensure there is not a lot of excess oil as it will drip out of the auger tubing. 3) Pour the pellets into the bottom of the hopper and add an additional 60-80 ounces of pellets on top. 4) Turn the unit on but DO NOT light a fi re. 5) It will take approximately 10 minutes for the pellets to fi ll the auger tube. As the pellets are pushed to the burnpot the pellets will clean and polish the auger tube. 6) Vacuum out the burnpot.

this may just lube the horizontal auger shaft and quiet it down

 

[sequoyah101]

It has not had 120# of pellets through it yet.

Yes, I have a manual. Even one for the 207 and two versions from Breckwell.

 

[sequoyah101]

The auger is free, easily moved by hand, no binding. Lubed motor shaft. No positive result. Very annoying.

The motor spins freely. I can see it continue to spin when the power goes off. The noise is just the incessant on / off of the motor. Like a dripping faucet only louder and dull and like an electric motor going on and off.

 

[Ssyko]

Like a dripping faucet only louder and dull and like an electric motor going on and off.

LOL i had to chuckle at that. i would pull the auger motor and rip it apart to find the cause of the noise. other then a replacement i haven't a clue

 

[sequoyah101]

I did pull it, take it apart and found there is no grease in some of the gearbox bearings. Spreading that around helped but did not fix the problem. I believe the problem is one of resonance via the pellet box acting as a big loud speaker.

Just for the record, the motor may have been a less expensive one from Ebay, $45 instead of $90, but it is made by the same company and is the same model number as the more expensive one but it has journal bearings. If I found one with ball bearings for a reasonable price I would consider it favorably.

Some people will buy dried cow chit if you frame it, call it art, put a high price on it and then they will extoll the virtues of framed cow chit to not appear quite so foolish.