castle serenity problem sat for 3 years

[james23912]

Hi I used a Castle Serenity in my trailer for 3 or 4 years and then built a new house so I slid the thing down into the cellar where it sat for 3 years. I pulled it up last week and tried it and it went thru all the phases but did not ignite. The pellets were warm. I assumed it was the igniter so got a new one. I did notice that the original was flopping around and found that one piece of the two retainers had fallen out but I found it and put it back while doing the new one but it does the same thing. Now I looked in the back while it was starting up and the igniter glows at first but once it goes to heating mode it appears to be off so I figure there is some electronic problem? Seems strange but probably moving it or sitting for so long affected something? seems to be working in reverse. Bought at Home Depot. Can these be repaired or is it not worth it?
I should add that I did not connect it to the the chimney set up I installed as I just wanted to see if it would fire up before connecting everything and then having to undo it, it would be hard to work on once connected

 

[Washed-Up]

Try starting it with a propane torch, might just need to be run a bit…re-oil and grease anything that would need it as well

 

[james23912]

Hi thanks for the response. I tried that yesterday but I don't know if I did it right. I got some of that gel stuff and got some pellets burning, then turned n the stove which went thru the normal steps but it just filled up with smoke and then shut off. I cannot figure exactly where the tip of the igniter is supposed to go, I have had it right up against the burnpot. I watched some videos but they are not specific on the steps to do it this way.

 

[johneh]

You were to light it manually
Pellets in pot starter gel on pellets
Ignite pellets with a propane torch
turn the stove on.
Does the stove run normally for some time say 3 hours?

 

[james23912]

No it doesn't start at all, I mean it starts running and dropping the pellets and then the fan turns on it heats the pellets a little and then shuts off with the error message check burnpot or hopper, does the same with the new igniter, I think it must be electronic problem. I see the igniter glowing at first looking from the back but then it is not, so does the whole thing glow or does it start from the back and then work to the tip? thanks for the help.

 

[Washed-Up]

Make sure the hopper is closed and latched properly as it won’t run if it doesn’t recognize it being closed

 

[johneh]

What we are trying to do is see if the stove will run fine if started manually
If it does we have one starting point
if it does not we have another.
If the igniter comes on starts to heat and no fire
then the stove shuts off it may be as simple as the
proof of fire or the vac switch or line or a vac leak
maybe a very dirty stove (hidden ash traps). please indulges

 

[james23912]

thanks again, so it did not start manually and I cleaned it out prretty good when I changed the igniter, still not sure about the new igniter, as to how it sits, not sure on the correct placing, it seems to be as the instruction showed but I have moved it back and forth with no change, so where exactly should the end of it be? the one I bought is just slightly different and the back end compared to the original. I can try again later with the gel, I don't know about thee other things yo mention, vac switch or proof of fire. I do appreciate the help.

 

[james23912]

No luck. I said in my first post that the original igniter was moving around when I pushed on it and then found that the retainer clip in the back had fallen out, but it is the same with the new one even with the clip back in, I do not understand, when I put it in such that the clip holds it, the tip is 3/4 of an inch from the end of the tube at the burnpot, but when I move it to the end of the tube the back is past the retainer clip so it flops around. it's like the igniter is too short, yet it worked for years. Anyway, last night I kept moving it to different positions , a real PITA, and finally it appears a wire broke and the whole thing shut down so I am going to give up on it and look for another one. So my only other question, what can I do with this one as far as getting rid of it? scrap somewhere, or recycling? Maybe make it into a planter? But thanks for the help, really nice of people to do this.