Classic Bay 1200 - Auger stops after adding pellets

[MedLib]

This is my first post to this forum, please excuse any faux pas. I have searched this forum and Google for an answer to this specific question, but could not find one.

Three weeks ago I purchased a new Quadra Fire Classic Bay 1200. Often, after adding pellets, the auger would stop for a while. Over the weekend, I added pellets and the auger stopped feeding pellets at all.

I checked the following:

1. That the door and ashpan are sealed. The door on the bottom of the firepot is closed completely.
2. I removed all of the pellets from the auger assembly and vacuumed out the pathway from the bottom using a wet-dry vac.
3. I used a flashlight and a mirror and viewed the auger at the output end to look for obstructions. I also used a coat hanger to get in there and see if anything was causing a blockage. The auger moves around freely up/down/left/right, but won't turn when manual pressure is applied to twist it.
4. I checked that the pellets are emptying in to the auger correctly, and aren't getting stuck by the feed bar being too closed.
5. I looked at the vacuum sensor at the back of the unit, and blew air into the hose (as I saw online) to clear out obstructions.

I'm at a loss of what exactly to do next. Could this be a hopper door sensor gone bad? If so, how do I make the sensor trip properly? Has my auger motor gone bad?

I am looking for ideas on what parts of the stove I should be looking to work on. The store I purchased the stove from has a two week+ maintenance backlog and I can't afford to wait that long.

I am somewhat handy around the house, installed steps, bathroom fan, some minor electrical, build my own computers etc, so I just need a push in the right direction. Due to circumstances, I also watch our four month old daughter all day, work nights, and stay up with the baby at night. I've been working on the stove in 15 minute increments, or in the early morning.

 

[hooter04]

Try jumping vac switch,or possibly bad T couple.I've heard of bad T couple right out of box.

 

[tjnamtiw]

If the only thing you did was to open the hopper lid and add pellets, then I would look at the only thing disturbed > the hopper lid switch. I have been reading a lot of discussions on here lately about the newly added lid switches. Mine have no such switches but it should be a simple test to either jump the two leads or fool the switch into thinking it's closed.
Does the lid sit securely on the switch or are the hinges loose and allow misalignment?
Have pellets fallen behind the switch arm and are not allowing the arm to be pushed down? Or is it a magnetically actuated switch like window alarm switches? Do some testing with a multimeter to see if switch actually closes when arm/magnet is actuated.

 

[MedLib]

@hooter04 & @tjnamtiw Thank you for your responses.

It turns out that the hopper magnetic switch is not working. I tried attaching the hopper door magnet to the sensor and that did not work. I then removed the sensor cabling from the connector at the vacuum switch, then jumped the connectors, and then the auger motor started working and my problem is fixed. Thank you!

Now I need to convince our dealer to send me the part without having to wait for a service call, or just purchase a replacement part of a suitable price online.

Thanks again!

 

[tjnamtiw]

That was an easy one! I bet you wish you hadn't done all the other stuff but, hey now you know how to do it all!

JUST REMEMBER. THAT'S 110 VOLTS YOU'RE FOOLING WITH!

 

[MedLib]

Yes, now there is less mystery about the stove and how it's constructed and wired. That's going to help the next time I need to make a repair (hopefully a long time from now).

Good point about the voltage. I made all the tests/connections with the stove unplugged. The stop-gap measure is an 10A alligator clip across the female bus connector pins, wrapped in electrical tape. Based on the other electronics in that area of the stove, it doesn't look like the section I'm working on gets much heat, otherwise the OEM parts would have melted.

Always, always, unplug. It's better to be inconvenienced than get current across your chest, or even worse, blow a control board.

 

[tjnamtiw]

Yes, now there is less mystery about the stove and how it's constructed and wired. That's going to help the next time I need to make a repair (hopefully a long time from now).

Good point about the voltage. I made all the tests/connections with the stove unplugged. The stop-gap measure is an 10A alligator clip across the female bus connector pins, wrapped in electrical tape. Based on the other electronics in that area of the stove, it doesn't look like the section I'm working on gets much heat, otherwise the OEM parts would have melted.

Always, always, unplug. It's better to be inconvenienced than get current across your chest, or even worse, blow a control board.

Glad it worked out and yes, once you delve into the 'guts', you see there really isn't much in there. It's a very simple schematic that only needs to be attacked one step at a time. Since the majority of Quads don't have hopper lid switches, IMHO it's no big deal to bypass that one until your dealer coughs up a new one. And he better cough one up AND install it. Maybe you can get a spare igniter or thermocouple from him if you install it and save him a service call, which he can still write off?????

 

[kappel15]

Ya, those hopper switches are suppose to be a mandatory safety feature. Don't know what the heck for tho,. But, on the stoves that are not handy to get at a vac switch wire, it does come in handy to shut the auger off I guess. When they work. kap

 

[Chris223]

^ In case of a hopper fire maybe? To help smother the fire? I don't know myself, but I have heard of hopper fires in top feed designed stoves, although quite rare from what I gather.

 

[kappel15]

It wouldn't do anything to smother a hopper fire. Stoves like the AE and stoves with no easy access on the sides, and inserts, would benefit from it as it would shut auger off if pot was overfilling.

 

[tjnamtiw]

yea, the hopper lids on my Quads in no way do any sealing of the hoppers. Big gaps everywhere. In fact, there are rubber standoffs to keep the gap open!

 

[kappel15]

Lets the hopper fire "breath" that way. LOL

 

[JGroUSMC]

@hooter04 & @tjnamtiw Thank you for your responses.

It turns out that the hopper magnetic switch is not working. I tried attaching the hopper door magnet to the sensor and that did not work. I then removed the sensor cabling from the connector at the vacuum switch, then jumped the connectors, and then the auger motor started working and my problem is fixed. Thank you!

Now I need to convince our dealer to send me the part without having to wait for a service call, or just purchase a replacement part of a suitable price online.

Thanks again!

How did you jump the hopper switch?

 

[JGroUSMC]

Glad it worked out and yes, once you delve into the 'guts', you see there really isn't much in there. It's a very simple schematic that only needs to be attacked one step at a time. Since the majority of Quads don't have hopper lid switches, IMHO it's no big deal to bypass that one until your dealer coughs up a new one. And he better cough one up AND install it. Maybe you can get a spare igniter or thermocouple from him if you install it and save him a service call, which he can still write off?????

How do you bypass the hopper switch? I am having the same problem. Thanks