Englander pellet stove woes

[GregComeau]

Hi there, I’m new to pellet stoves but in less than two weeks I’m getting a brand new trade it seems.
So I bought a used Englander 25 PDV
First problem was the top auger motor went so being in a rural area I had limited access. I found a motor that seemingly was the same with the exception it was 2 rpm and not 1
It worked and provided pellets and the stove worked as it should. Now the top auger won’t turn again and when I put a meter on the Leeds from the main board instead of providing 118v it’s only 26v. Is this due to one of the safety switches inside or is the main board cooked?
Help is appreciated.

 

[ericofmaine]

Your first problem is the auger motor, by using a 2 RPM motor, your using more fuel, essentially wasting pellets. Have you tried swapping motor leads to each auger to see if the problem stays with the top auger or moves to the bottom? That would give you some ideas as to where to look next.

All that said, if you're only getting 26 V, you've probably got a fried mainboard, which, unless you're good with electronics, means $257 for a new one. You could try a board reset, you should be able to search on here for the procedure. You can also try to put the stove in diagnostic mode and try to run the augers that way as well.

Let us know what you find, there's a good bunch of people on here and we can point you in the right direction.

Eric

 

[GregComeau]

Your first problem is the auger motor, by using a 2 RPM motor, your using more fuel, essentially wasting pellets. Have you tried swapping motor leads to each auger to see if the problem stays with the top auger or moves to the bottom? That would give you some ideas as to where to look next.

All that said, if you're only getting 26 V, you've probably got a fried mainboard, which, unless you're good with electronics, means $257 for a new one. You could try a board reset, you should be able to search on here for the procedure. You can also try to put the stove in diagnostic mode and try to run the augers that way as well.

Let us know what you find, there's a good bunch of people on here and we can point you in the right direction.

Eric

Thanks for the info Eric. I’m away for a couple days but will reply with my findings once returning home. By the looks of things regarding pellet stoves, it appears after buying one you’ve essentially bought a hobby. Ha!

 

[Ssyko]

Eric is right about the board is probably damaged. but a higher RPM on the top auger feeds more pellets than the lower can handle being (supposedly) 1 RPM. if you go the aftermarket route make sure the auger motor is 1 rpm and 1amp or less. I circled the items that are damged commonly with auger issues

 

[GregComeau]

So I found a shop that had some parts in Halifax. New mainboard and OEM top auger motor (1 rpm). Installed the motor, did a factory reset on the original mainboard- it fired up! Let the thing run through the night thinking I was good to go. Lasted two hours with hopper filled. Tested voltage on top auger- low voltage again. I figured it was only a temporary fix with mainboard reset... Installed the new board- same voltage issues so I started eliminating switches and putting inline fuses to simulate. First the hopper switch- no changes- next the sensor coming directly from fire box. That was the culprit. I might add that the auger was jammed again so I cleaned hopper out and removed auger. I left the new mainboard in as I’m sure I will eventually need a spare. I spent the morning cleaning everything. The only thing left to replace now is the dam auger, which at this point I don’t care. The other thing I’m trying is only half filling the hopper.
I know more now than three weeks ago.
Thanks for all the input gents!

 

[Ssyko]

Try a diff brand of pellets. Mine jammed all the time with one brand and never, with another

 

[GregComeau]

Try a diff brand of pellets. Mine jammed all the time with one brand and never, with another

So I’ve ran my stove successfully with new main board (OEM) new 1 rpm top motor for 8 days straight. I really got brave and put an entire bag of pellets in the hopper (for some reason Ive felt that part of my top auger jams were a weight thing) I let the stove run into the night. I awoke this morning cold. This time the bottom auger has stopped. Ive checked voltages and they are good, ive tried a second motor and it turned for about 10 seconds and also stopped. Right now if it wasn’t for it weighing nearly 400 lbs I’d throw it to the trash as it seems all I’ve done for the past 5 weeks is trouble shot a “garbage brand“ stove. Does anyone have any ideas of what else is required to be cleaned? Help is always appreciated.
thank you!

 

[GregComeau]

So I’ve ran my stove successfully with new main board (OEM) new 1 rpm top motor for 8 days straight. I really got brave and put an entire bag of pellets in the hopper (for some reason Ive felt that part of my top auger jams were a weight thing) I let the stove run into the night. I awoke this morning cold. This time the bottom auger has stopped. Ive checked voltages and they are good, ive tried a second motor and it turned for about 10 seconds and also stopped. Right now if it wasn’t for it weighing nearly 400 lbs I’d throw it to the trash as it seems all I’ve done for the past 5 weeks is trouble shot a “garbage brand“ stove. Does anyone have any ideas of what else is required to be cleaned? Help is always appreciated.
thank you!

 

[Smokinbubba]

What brand pellets r u burning?

 

[GregComeau]

What brand pellets r u burning?

They are just called Wood Fuel Pellets Hardwood

Made in Canada for Walmart

 

[Ssyko]

check the vac hose on the combustion blower housing. ck for cracked ends and the nipple may have ash in it. have you had the combustion blower out of the housing? is the lower auger a 1 RPM?

 

[Smokinbubba]

Ssyko is an englander guru. U r in good hands now.

 

[GregComeau]

check the vac hose on the combustion blower housing. ck for cracked ends and the nipple may have ash in it. have you had the combustion blower out of the housing? is the lower auger a 1 RPM?

two days before Christmas I cleaned this from fire box, the first vacuum safety switch, checked the hose and trimmed about a quarter inch off Second vacuum switch as it had a small crack, bought a wire wheel and removed both augers and cleaned the tubes. I thought I covered it all. Is there more areas to clean?

 

[GregComeau]

check the vac hose on the combustion blower housing. ck for cracked ends and the nipple may have ash in it. have you had the combustion blower out of the housing? is the lower auger a 1 RPM?

And yes the lower motor is original 1 rpm

 

[GregComeau]

And yes the lower motor is original 1 rpm

Sorry, I hit reply before answering all questions. I haven’t had the combustion motor apart... yet.

 

[Ssyko]

Greg did you get a manual with your stove? (we can go to the blower if this test fails)
if not https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2071/6041/files/25-PDV_USandCANADA.pdf?6251262486519588615

but lets test the circuit. on the back side of the control board there is a set of bypass pins. it takes a shunt (like used in PC's) you can also use an alligator clip to connect the 2. then plug the stove back in and see if it runs normal.

SHUNT'S

 

[Ssyko]

 

[GregComeau]

Ssyko, I’m extremely thankful for your input. I will check this out first thing in the morning and report my findings. Again, thank you.

 

[Ssyko]

not a problem i know its frustrating, but the englader line really are decent stoves. they just run the best when they are clean. and you will figure out the nooks and crannies with time, you may even want to invest in a leaf blower ( cant say how much this is recommended for ANY pellet stove). any time you get a used stove you just don't know how it was treated so you got one that needs some tlc and some $$ once its all over and your dialed in you will know your stove and be here helping others.

 

[Rascal08]

hey greg just found this form. im in dartmouth and have the same stove as you. I was wondering where in Halifax do you manged to find parts for your stove? thanks bill

 

[GregComeau]

hey greg just found this form. im in dartmouth and have the same stove as you. I was wondering where in Halifax do you manged to find parts for your stove? thanks bill

It’s called Pellet Stove Halifax, 902-452-9257. He’s located in Prospect Bay out towards Peggy’s Cove.
Good luck!

 

[Rascal08]

Thank you!

 

[GregComeau]

View attachment 254272

I tried using the jumper method, no go. I made a 120V cable with the proper spade connector for the motor. Turns out the motor hums but doesn’t turn. Ive taken the gear box apart and all gears look good and greased well. I do have an electric motor repair shop near and will see if he’s able to give her life one time. As for the augers I’ve attached some pics and I’m going to put augers in separate from the motors to see if I can prevent the slight rubbing inside the tube. Now my question to you is I have this 2 rpm motor (and until I get the original rebuilt)should be safe in using?? Correct? One nice thing about this unit is the top doubles as a great work bench for the tools required.. sheesh!

 

[Smokinbubba]

It looks like you have more than slight rubbing on the auger there... I would reinstall and align the augers. As for the 2rpm, I would put it in the bottom and put your 1rpm in the top. The bottom auger only delivers the pellets being metered by the top auger. If you have the 2rpm motor in the top, you may overfire the unit. Ask me how I know...

 

[Ssyko]

2 rpm on top will overfeed the bottom auger and bind up and burn out a new motor again. 2 rpm on the bottom will feed pellets faster than the upper can feed it. i wouldn't bother with repairing it i would replace it.

they work i have bought 20 of them for referb's

(broken link removed to https://pellethead.com/product/englander-1-rpm-auger-feed-motor-pu-047040/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAl5zwBRCTARIsAIrukdPm5q51e9FTuHnqkctbjz-2ndxMqa_FuYwTz9aVpSpAlhiUbOpVe9oaAnqJEALw_wcB)