So I have a 25pah that I use only for backup when the wood stove is not going. My wife went into labor the other morning so I turned the stove on for the dogs and ran out the door. Came home that night to a freezing cold house. On went the boiler and back to the hospital I went. Dug into the stove today to find the auger is junk. The motor is fine but the gears sounded odd. Pulled it apart to find a stripped out gear. The stove is three years old but has only seen no more then three tons of pellets. Curious if anyone has seen or heard of this. Kind of upset that this auger is that poorly made. stove was 1300 dollars and the auger is junk already.
Englander auger junk. Gears not motor
- Thread starter dies9
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil. -
Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here
- Status
Could the fact that the stove has sat for an extended period of time have anything to do with that? I'm thinking rusty auger, tight bearings? Those gear motors are usually pretty tough.
auger and tube look brand new. everything in the motor spins free. still packed with plenty of grease. stove looks brand new inside. the gears are made out of a fiber type material. they are not metal
Oh wow..didn't know that.I know these gear motors are universal and are used in many different applications, some probably high load. I never would have guessed that the gears were fiber!
subsailor
Minister of Fire
Lake Girl
Moderator
Congrats on the baby - boy or girl? First one? Prepared for chaos and mayhem in the household created by one tiny person? Mostly good chaos though...
Sorry about the gears on the auger - can it be replaced with a type with metal gears? Is that common on all Englanders?
Sorry about the gears on the auger - can it be replaced with a type with metal gears? Is that common on all Englanders?
a fiber phenalic gear is common on auger motors. pretty much any pellet stove auger motor will have that gear in it
Mike, is that for the self lubricating properties or noise or both? I can honestly say I have never taken one apart but I am surprised to read this. Think it just must have been a defective gear?
i'll be honest with you, i have no idea why that gear is not metal, i do know they have been in every gearbox ive ever taken apart regardless of manufacturer of the motor.
heat seeker
Minister of Fire
I haven’t seen that gear failures as a reported problem, usually the motor shaft seizes. Out of curiosity I opened an original Merkle-Korff motor and all gears were metal except the gear that engages the motor pinion is phenolic. I found the same thing on an ECM motor with the rest being steel gears. Check heat treat pattern on the ECM motor output gear.
Attachments
![[Hearth.com] Englander auger junk. Gears not motor](/talk/data/attachments/97/97500-18cbdebd43cc9731d8ff3e2e3d01fd77.jpg?hash=DyaUpfEDew)
heat seeker
Minister of Fire
Spoke with a tech from englander through email. Says there is nothing they can do. If I call and state my case I might be able to get one at cost. Last thing I want to pay for is a motor with plastic parts. Going to look for a better quality motor. Very disappointed with englander on this.
Harvey Schneider
Minister of Fire
Typically one of the mating gears at the highest speed end of the gear train is non-metallic in order to reduce noise. It is usually the first gear after the motor shaft that is non-metallic. The gears at the high speed end see less torque than the low speed end. If the motor runs at 3000 rpm and the output shaft is at 1 rpm the motor gear sees 1/3000 of the torque required to turn the rotor.
When an auger jam occurs, the motor will deliver as much torque as it is able, and frequently this is more than the non-metallic gear can handle. This stall torque is outside the spec range of the gear-motor, so manufacturers feel that it is okay. Their customers like quite motors, so it is a reasonable trade-off.
Well stated! Keep your auger tube clean and the motor will last longer.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/bookmarks/676/view-item
Bill
- Status
Similar threads
