Confusion on Proof of Fire vs. other thermodisk

[jeffschips]

Hello All,

I have a Breckwell P23 which is running fine except that some technician tied the leads that (I think) go to the Proof of Fire thermodisk together. I have attached a schematic of this stove's wires.

I believe this is the POF thermodisk - it is located on the fan which blows the exhaust out of the back and it does *not* have a pressure reset switch on it. Can someone tell me if, indeed, this is the proof of fire thermodisk?

I believe this is why the fan is always running even after it has cooled down hours later - because the leads have been attached to one another.

I tested this thermodisk - attached a connectivity probe to each lead on a volmeter and indeed it closes, completing a circuit, when it gets hot. It also reopens when the thermodisk cools down.

So can I safely re-install the leads back to this thermodisk, seeing that it seems to be operating properly when the temperature rises? Or will this result in a disaster?

I also noticed, that when I briefly tested this thermodisk with the leads attached, the fire had to be on for about 5 minutes before the fan started up that brings out the exhaust and it didn't run as strong or fast as it does when the two leads are tied together. Is this normal operation?

Thank you.

And Merry Christmas to all!

 

[heat seeker]

First off, any technician who bypasses a safety item on a stove and left it that way should have his tools taken away.

That does sound like the proof of fire snap disc. They can be tested easily enough, and are inexpensive to replace. Most of them are a generic item, meaning you can buy one from a supply house instead of paying double from a dealer. It does sound like yours is working.

The combustion fan should run all the time when there's a fire, to provide fresh air for the fire and exhaust the combustion gasses.

From your diagram, the brown wires should go to the proof of fire disc, the polarity doesn't matter.

And, Merry Christmas to you, too!

 

[jeffschips]

Thanks for the information! Very helpful. It is now running smoothly and the thermodisk is turning the fan on and off.

Just as a precaution - what can happen if that thermodisk fails? Would the stove have a meltdown or some other disaster? I mean if the fire goes on and on and the fan is not running, it seems pretty dangerous, no?

 

[heat seeker]

Your stove may work like mine: if the control doesn't see the snap disc close in a certain time (5 or 10 minutes maybe) it will shut the stove off. Mine will then blink a code. That prevents it from feeding pellets to an unlit burn pot, or if you run out of pellets, shuts the stove down.

I don't foresee any disaster, just that the stove may start but won't keep running. Does your manual indicate a "lack of fire" code?

If the disc fails in a shorted mode, the fan will never shut off after the fire goes out - at least on mine. One could short the disc when the stove is cool to get the combustion fan to run while you're cleaning the stove. That would suck out ash dust so it doesn't enter the room. That's what I do.

I have to wonder why someone bypassed the disc...

 

[jeffschips]

Thanks for the helpful information. I am not sure why someone would have shorted that switch but it's working fine now - I've been monitoring it for a few days. No runaway fires, starts and stops correctly. Thank you for your great advise.

May the warmth be with you.

 

[heat seeker]

I'm glad you got it going okay! And thanks for the feedback. Just spent a few minutes watching my stove roasting pellets - I'd sure miss it if it were gone!

 

[stovelark]

Hi Jeff- yes BW uses a ceramic disk mounted on the exh blower housing to control turning the room blower (convection) off and on. Bypassing this switch would cause the convection blower to run continuously. If this switch did not operate properly, your convection blower would either not come on (if the switch failed to close) or it would stay on continuously (if the switch failed to open the circuit on stove shutdown). If it fails to come on during startup, the stove could overheat, but the overtemp switch will activate and interrupt the auger feeding, leading to the stove shutting down. It all works great together- when it works. Take care.

 

[Lake Girl]

Glad you got your answers but I'm still back at the tech that left it jumpered out. Was he the owner of the business or a hired tech ... whoever provided that service needs to know that the tech left you in an unsafe position. If something bad had happened, his liability would be on the line.

It is a good thing that you found the problem and corrected it. You are on the way to understanding how your stove works and less likely to need that tech again...