Englanger 25-PDC - Pellets not getting to bottom auger...!!!

[geek]

Last night I had turned on the stove and it was running for about an hour or so and I went to sleep upstairs.
This morning it was very cold in the house and noticed the stove had shut down, even though the hopper had pellets.

Right now I decided to turn it on again and I can see that pellets are NOT coming down to the bottom auger.....nothing..

Bottom auger is turning and I think the top one as well because I can hear the squealing noise I'm used to.


Help please..!!

 

[geek]

E2 error, I guess because of no pellets feeding through.

Turned on again and emptied hopper almost completely to look at the top auger.....it is NOT turning...

 

[slvrblkk]

It's probably has to do with the vacuum switch. Follow this thread https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/24503/ it should get you back up and running.

 

[rap69ri]

Is the top auger motor getting hot? If it is the motor is either bad or jammed. You can switch the wires on the auger motors and see if the botom auger motor turns with th top auger motors wires on it. If it does then you know it's not a vaccuum switch, and is again jammed or dead.

 

[geek]

I touched the top auger and it wasn't hot that I could feel.

how do you bypass the vacuum wire and all that? I'm calling englander but their phone is always busy.

 

[rap69ri]

I touched the top auger and it wasn't hot that I could feel.

how do you bypass the vacuum wire and all that? I'm calling englander but their phone is always busy.

Here's a troubleshooting guide on Englander's site: http://www.englanderstoves.com/help/PelletStove/feedprob04.html

 

[geek]

how do you bypass the vac switch?
I disconnected one of the 2 cables plugged to it but then I got E1 error code, I plugged it back in but again the top auger not turning.
From englanders' website:
"Check the auger itself to see if it is physically jammed as foreign objects in pellets could jam the auger. If the auger is free the next step would be to determine if the motor is receiving power. The motor will get warm if it is getting power within a few minutes."

How do you check to see if jammed?, I emptied the hopper and just a few pellets into the auger but not possible to see further "inside".

From the back the housing of this auger moves every few seconds back and forth (the square housing) but the metal tube inside is not turning like the one on the bottom auger. From within the hopper I touch the auger but not even warm to the touch after a couple minutes.

Help........:-(

 

[rap69ri]

how do you bypass the vac switch?
I disconnected one of the 2 cables plugged to it but then I got E1 error code, I plugged it back in but again the top auger not turning.
From englanders' website:
"Check the auger itself to see if it is physically jammed as foreign objects in pellets could jam the auger. If the auger is free the next step would be to determine if the motor is receiving power. The motor will get warm if it is getting power within a few minutes."

How do you check to see if jammed?, I emptied the hopper and just a few pellets into the auger but not possible to see further "inside".

From the back the housing of this auger moves every few seconds back and forth (the square housing) but the metal tube inside is not turning like the one on the bottom auger. From within the hopper I touch the auger but not even warm to the touch after a couple minutes.

Help........:-(

Geek,

If you connect the wires from the bottom auger motor to the top it should turn continuously. This is the easy way to tell if the motor is bad or jammed. If it does heat up but doesn't turn look for a jam by removing the auger motor, then remove the 4 bolts holding in the auger and slide it out. If it doesn't want to slide out easily it was probably jammed.

 

[geek]

ok, connected both cables from bottom motor to top one and feels like the little motor/resistor in the back gets warm but the auger won't turn; actually that square metal casing doesn't move by hand at all like the bottom one does.

Before I connected these cables the top square metal casing used to move a little (may an eight of an inch) even by hand, but now it is stocked and not moving, again like the top mechanism.....

..

 

[geek]

getting ready now to remove assembly......oh God....here we go......hope those 4 bolts won't be a pain to remove and place back.


how far you slide the auger back out towards you.....ok to slide out completely?

 

[geek]

I have a confusion here.
I removed 4 small screws and was able to remove the little electric motor that sits in front of the square metal motor assembly, however this square motor assy can not be taken out without removing the 4 big bolts holding everything, right?

I can move the square motor assy left to right (and hear some binding or strange noise).

 

[rap69ri]

I have a confusion here.
I removed 4 small screws and was able to remove the little electric motor that sits in front of the square metal motor assembly, however this square motor assy can not be taken out without removing the 4 big bolts holding everything, right?

I can move the square motor assy left to right (and hear some binding or strange noise).

Those 4 small bolts should be left attached to the motor. There a single bolt on the collar of the auger that holds the motor on. Loosen that and the motor assembly will come off. You can then easily get to the 4 bolts holding in the auger itself, and yes the entire auger can be safely removed.

 

[geek]

Rick,

thanks a lot for keep chiming in and trying to help out.
Mike from Englanger called my cell. I rapidly moved the assembly left to right and then the jam went away and the stove is running right now.

There are a couple things I will tackle in the weekend:
1-this jerking noise that keeps happening every few seconds that last for a couple seconds. Mike mentioned this could be carbon buildup on the bottom auger and asked me to clean it up well. Will check this.

2.the top auger motor assembly (square metal piece) moves in a out slightly (kind of wabbling when you move it). I would have to loosen the set screw (little tough one)and remove assembly to find out what's causing it.

..

 

[rap69ri]

I'm happy you're running again. I clean my lower auger every 2-3 days to remove the carbon build up. I figure a little maintenance now will save me $ down the road.

This past summer I completely disassembled my stove for a thorough cleaning, and to become familiar with the parts and how they work. I have helped several family members clean their stoves out, and fixed a couple of them as well. While the brands I 've worked on all have their differences, in the end they all do the same thing and seem to be more alike then not.

 

[geek]

you know that I did cleanup the bottom auger tube (some carbon buildup was present) the best I could with a flat screw driver, however the intermittent jerking noise is still present, it doesn't last as much as before but it's still present.

I guess I'll try a file or sand paper to try to smooth the area to the back inside as much as I can, gets a little tricky because the auger is in the middle.

..

 

[rap69ri]

I'm not sure what you mean by jerking noise so I'm not sure what to look at here.

 

[geek]

basically there's a squealing noise and I think is may be coming from carbon buildup.
the noise is strange, king of like zizzling noise that lasts for a couple seconds now.

 

[rap69ri]

Do it make this noise since it was new? If it did then centering the augers is a good idea. Cleaning the carbon build up may require a screwdriver and a hammer.

 

[geek]

the noise has been there since day 1, but this stove was returned by a HD customer, I bought it used, but it looked like it was used very minimal so I bought it plus half price.

 

[geek]

also, I used a flat head screwdriver and tapping it with a hammer slightly, looks I cleaned a buildup to the outer portion of the tube but guess there's more.

When I was trying to clean it I saw the auger stumping and made a quick clunk noise like bumping into something, then the cleanup helped a bit with the bumping and for the noise but the noise still present.

 

[rap69ri]

Without hearing the noise it's tough to tell what it is, but odds are there's more carbon in the tube.

 

[choclab]

Geek, I am getting the same noise. I can tell that it is coming from the top auger motor. I recorded it on my laptop and sent it to Englander. My top auger is no longer working at all. I would post the wav file here but it is a bit too large to post.

 

[geek]

Geek, I am getting the same noise. I can tell that it is coming from the top auger motor. I recorded it on my laptop and sent it to Englander. My top auger is no longer working at all. I would post the wav file here but it is a bit too large to post.

in your words how do you describe the noise?

I again tried to clean the tube on the bottom auger and also used a nail file, but the noise is still present.