enviro ef3 not running hot until just about on redmark on dial a fire switch?

[stinger68]

Hi guys I have my enviro ef3 freestanding stove that i`ve had now for about 2years the first year it ran very well with me not going really past the 12oclock postion on the dial a fire almost all year.Ok i just want to say that this year is diferent with the dial a fire on almost max now just on the start of the red line mark to get some good heatoutput.I am really particular about cleaning the stove every satuday morning and sometimes twice a week(the unit is not dirty)I tried new pellets i installed a new dial a fire.I opened the auger moter and regreased it(not much in there when i checked).I tried the air slider in- out and such ways it seems at lower setting on dial a fire the heat is very minamal and very little flame if any seems that the auger only drops a few pellets and so not much being burned and hence why i had to run the stove on almost full tilt now.Can anyone help me out please this is driving me nuts- is there some sensor wrong? auger feed wrong? it seems for every 3rd rotation of auger pellets fall in pot and sometimes every 2 its bothersome.

 

[drizler]

Is there something bridging acorss the top of the auger trough at the bottom of the fuel bin? If it's constantly full like it should be then it should drop a given amount consistantly. I can't see the motor doing it. They usually in my experience work fine till a piece of rock or steel jams the auger and they break internally, KAPUT. Otherwise they soldier on well.
Could it be a control board issue possibly? Did you leave it plugged in during lightning season last Summer?
Try posting this question on the iburnpellets.com forum and see what they say. I don't see a stove specific section for Enviro but someone surely has one who is in that group and possibly they can help you or have seen a similar issue in the past. You might try calling or Emailing the manufacturer.

An issue that will cause just that condidtion in mine just came to mind. You don't happen to have a THERMOSTAT hooked up to it or internally installed. At least with mine it will only run on LOW no matter what its set for if the stat isn't calling for heat. Kicked myself a few times with that one I have. If there is a stat and you have it turned all the way up and still nothing you probably want to unhook it to try it. A break in the stat wire will cause just that condition too.. Unhook from the control panel back and jumper the leads together to test or bypass. I had something break a stat wire last summer and mine acted just like you describe when I started it up. Good luck!

 

[nailed_nailer]

Stinger,

I have an older EF-2 FS. Basically the same stove.

With good dry pellets Mine runs hottest with the "Dial a fire" at the 2:30 position, and the slide damper pulled out about 3/4" from full closed.

Some things I have noticed that helped mine.

OAK installed big help. Without an Outside Air Kit the stove will pull air from the interior. If the house is tight it will cause a negative pressure on the inside air. This can starve the fire. I noticed a much better burn with the OAK installed. And fresh outside air is cooler and denser (more oxygen)

Gaskets. Check your sealing gaskets on the door and the ashpan. If you have the stove running well and open the front door or the ashpan. Your flames should become lazy. It should go back to a nice active hot flame when you shut either the door or the ashpan.

Venting. Is your vent clean and unobstructed. I pull off my cleanout "T" about once a week and give it a vacuum. After every ton I run a 3" dryer vent brush up the vent and really scrub it out. I also vacuum out the exhaust blower. I usually remove the blower and blow it out with compressed air after a ton of pellets.

Pellets. I have used NEWP with red letters, Green Supreme, and Energex this year. All have burned great. No real difference with any of them.

There really isn't much in the controller board to go wrong. As long as the limit sensors are working, the blower motors are running, and the auger is moving. The board should be fine.

Hearthtools.com has a great troubleshooting guide for Enviro stoves here. http://www.hearthtools.com/parts/2004enviroTrouble.pdf


I hope this helps.
---Nailer---

 

[56 chevtruck]

might sound foolish but did you change pellet brands anywhere along this problem?

 

[stinger68]

I have no fresh air kit installed because i have my unit in my kitchen and not next to a outside wall the piping is run to my celing and out my roof.I insatlled a new door gasket this year.I installed new exaust blower gasket also and cleaned the motor.I tried new pellets also and no difference in flame performance.When I pull the air vent slider out all the way and put it in all the way i see no difference in flame either, the slider is moving because i have the side opened to view it.I took the auger out yestersday that is fine no buildup in auger path movement i opened the auger motor and greased it up.So from last year to this year a difference in dial a fire placement.Last year on half(12 oclock position worked well good heat now this year right down to 4 oclock on right on the red mark to get good heat.The stove is clean- when i open the ashpan door the flame grows greatly and is pretty big and i close the door and diess back down again.

 

[nailed_nailer]

stinger

When I had my EF-2 fully apart this summer for a real deep cleaning. I figured out why my slide damper had little effect on the flames.

There is a steel plenum that the exhaust blower mounts to. The plenum is also sealed/attached to the rear of the firebox. The slide damper rides in a vertical slot between the firebox and the plenum. On my stove, the plenum mounting bolts were too tight. The damper would hit something and not allow it to fully close the last 2" or so. I had to back off the mounting bolts a bit. Now I have full operation of my damper. When closed the damper knob is about even with the outside skin. When open it pulls out about 4" I usually run it pulled open about 3/4". I adjust it for flame characteristics depending on where the dial-a-fire feed rate is set to. The difference is huge. Much more heat from the stove and less consumption of pellets. Almost exactly like you are describing.

Let us know how you make out.

---Nailer---

 

[stinger68]

Hi thanks again for the reply to my crappy situation on my ef3 stove.I had the exaust blower off and replaced the gasket but i did not take anymore off? should i take the unit that is attached to the exaust blower off also?when i had the exaust blower off i had the inside panels of the stove off also and when i pulled on the rod holding the damper (air adjustment) and it moved well it had lots of travel.I could see the plate moving when i had the inside panels off the stove,should i take the part off the exaust blower is mounted to?

 

[nailed_nailer]

stinger,

In my case the plenum that the exhaust blower is mounted to was bolted too tightly to the firebox. The slide damper had plenty of movement ~3" of travel. But, due to the plenum mounting bolts being too tight it would no allow the damper to fully close. It was always open about 2". With the plenum loosened slightly it now closes down to about 1/2". Due to the design of the damper slide assembly it will never fully seal the hole.

I disconnected the exhaust vent pipe from the exhaust plenum. Then removed the exhaust blower. Then loosened the exhaust plenum on the firebox. This allowed about 1" more travel of the slide damper to the closed side.

My stove works much better now.

Good Luck,
---Nailer---