Clinking up or over feed?

[tonyiiiafl]

I have a Whitfield Profile 30 insert for 9 years. Just replaced an auger motor last year. Been pretty trouble free. However this year it is "clinking up" more than ever. Same brand pellet fuel. It almost appears to be over feeding.I used to go over a day on a bag on low, now a full bag will barely go overnight. I have cleaned the photo electric eye, sealed the stove pipe with RTV and generally know what I am doing, but this one has me. All in all this has been a great stove, but need to get it to run well so it can resume 24 hours a day duty for the winter. Any suggestions? I do have the damper wide open and am getting full air flow. Tried that on all settings too.

 

[jzm2cc]

Is new auger motor the same RPM as old one? If greater it would overfeed.

 

[tonyiiiafl]

Is new auger motor the same RPM as old one? If greater it would overfeed.

Yes, same rpm. It appears that the stove clinks up at the front of the firebox. It has been burring 6 hours now and the front part is clinked up. The chimney is fine and clear. I cant run it the entire night like this because by morning there will be a huge flame and also a full burn pot.

 

[Lake Girl]

When was the last time you changed out door/hopper/ash pan (as appropriate) gaskets? Tried the dollar bill test?

 

[tonyiiiafl]

When was the last time you changed out door/hopper/ash pan (as appropriate) gaskets? Tried the dollar bill test?

Changed out last year, Going to get George out of my wallet and try the test. Thank you.

 

[Lake Girl]

I'm thinking that your photo eye may be failing. What's the serial # on your stove? They apparently have a relocation kit for the photo eye to move it to the top of the auger feed tube if your serial # is below #11905.

The part is close to $70 ... the relocate kit is $ 160+ I do recall seeing a thread about the photo eye being a common component in furnaces and replacement can be had a lot cheaper. Will try to find it and post the link...

Here is is: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...anding-blinking-clicking.134881/#post-2024813

Honeywell Part number C554A http://www.homedepot.com/p/Honeywel...m-Sulfide-Flame-Detector-C554A-1463/203464518 $24!

 

[tonyiiiafl]

I'm thinking that your photo eye may be failing. What's the serial # on your stove? They apparently have a relocation kit for the photo eye to move it to the top of the auger feed tube if your serial # is below #11905.

The part is close to $70 ... the relocate kit is $ 160+ I do recall seeing a thread about the photo eye being a common component in furnaces and replacement can be had a lot cheaper. Will try to find it and post the link...

I was thinking PHOTO eye. My serial is 13548. Even though it is clean, I was wondering if over time it would not give a proper reading?

 

[Lake Girl]

Added to link above to get it from Home Depot... for $24. Lead will be long so you will have to shorten it...

 

[tonyiiiafl]

Added to link above to get it from Home Depot... for $24. Lead will be long so you will have to shorten it...

Thank you. Gasket appears tight on door. I ran it again today and it is more like a blast furnace. Large productive flame, some white soot left on the glass. I am going to get this foto eye tomorrow at HD and give it a try!

 

[Lake Girl]

Keep us posted ... You may want to see if you need to get RTV or a gasket for the metal triangle that houses the photo eye.

 

[tonyiiiafl]

I went to Home Depot and sure enough they had the photo cell eye. However, the connectors with it would not work so I had to buy some others that had the same shape. Removed the old photo cell eye, trimmed the new wire and installed. Fired up the stove. The flame is now MUCH more manageable and smaller, as it used to be. So far, an hour into the burn all is very well. Will probably let run overnight and see it it burns clean as I hope or it still clinks up. Final report back tomorrow!

 

[tonyiiiafl]

LOL, 4 hours in, burning like a new stove! Going to let her run all night and see what it looks like in the AM!

 

[tonyiiiafl]

Well, SOME clinking, but nothing like before. I can go almost 24 hrs now. I am going to try a new brand of pellets and see if there is any difference.

 

[tonyiiiafl]

Bah! 7 hours in and when I came down stairs this AM the burn

pot was full of ash and she was giving the lazy burn flame. A couple things I have noticed. There is no residue on the glass from incomplete combustion, it is leaving a white haze, this stove is burning hot right now. The fire will go from "normal" on low, to quite large and back to normal. Attached are a couple of pics from the normal to large. I have no way of testing, but am wondering if there may be a problem with the circuit board? It seems like the last thing in the pole to go wrong. I hate to buy a new one now, as I was hoping to get through the winter and buy in the spring. Any other suggestions? As for venting, I go out through the back of the fireplace with the 3" pellet vent pipe, to a Tee with a cleanout. Then up the chimney (on the outside) 8' to a cap. All are clean, and all joints are coated with RTV red sealer. Just frustrating it worked great up until last season, and not now.

What about a hole in the heat exchanger? 9 years old. However, no smoke or smells in the house except on occasional start up when I may get a "poof" when it ignites.

 

[Lake Girl]

Are you running it on a thermostat? Beyond the control board, that would be the only other thing that would regulate temps/burn. Check that the wiring is in place and not damaged. Otherwise, likely control board There are repair services for the Whitfield boards:
http://pelletstovecontrollerrepair.com/
http://www.api-assembled.com/support/support.htm They do a flat rate of $185 that includes shipping. If nothing is wrong with the board, $50 including shipping the board back. If it can't be fixed, they ship it back no charge.

Keep us posted!

 

[Lake Girl]

Poking around a little, I found this thread that talks about calibration of the auger feed/flame. Do you have this on your board as it was for the Profile 30-2?
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/auger-feed-setting.32255/