Heatilator auger question

[bond1973]

Hey all...I have a Cab50 that has been great for years. I've run into the same problem twice in the last month. Exhaust blower fires up and runs but the auger isn't turning to feed pellets. My question ... should I be able to turn the auger by putting an Allen wrench on the set screw for the auger? Cause I can't. Last time it did this I just kept differing with it and it suddenly started working.

Thanks
Rick

 

[heat seeker]

You probably cannot turn the auger by hand since it's driven by a gearbox with lots of reduction in it. You may be able to wiggle it back and forth and/or up and down a bit to see if it's free. The pellets in it may prevent any movement, though.

I can wiggle my auger a bit due to the play in the gearbox, but very little.

Sounds like you may have a safety switch problem. Hopper switch, if you have one, or vacuum switch not satisfied or defective.

You may need to clean the stove and vent to make sure there's no blockage. Is the combustion blower running at the proper speed?

 

[bond1973]

Thanks for the response. I did clean the stove all out. I emptied the hopper and vacuumed the auger chute until it was empty and could grab and wiggle the auger.

From what I can tell the combustion blower sounds to be running normal. I bypassed the vacuum switch (if I did it right) and still no movement, however this happened about a month and a half ago and it snapped out of it seemingly with just a bunch of fiddling.

Guess I'll double check the hopper lid switch but it's looking like taking some time off work to get on the horn with support.

Thank You

 

[heat seeker]

You're welcome. Just to state the obvious - have you check all the wires and connections to the motor and switches?

 

[The Ds]

is it possible that you have a pellet jam at the top of the auger path? we have a straightened out metal coat hangar that we can push a little ways up thru the pellet chute in the firebox in case of a bad jam......

 

[bond1973]

Well...I called Heatilator. Honestly...early on their support was fantastic...my last 2 or 3 calls have had me feeling like they want me off the phone asap. They weren't much help. Had me go through the same things I did prior to calling them and had. Me try the stove again...waiting 5 minutes then hit the reset button "then call us back if you're still having an issue".

So...did more cleaning...not sure what else I could clean at this point. Removed and reseated all electrical connections I could find. One thing I'm wondering...does anyone know if there's a way to bypass the hopper lid switch with a jumper cable like the vacuum switch?

In regards to a deeply jammed pellet...are you able to turn the auger when it's not jammed? I can't make it turn by hand...wondering how you would know it's jammed if you aren't able to turn it. I will check into that now. Missing my stove heat and kills me to hear my furnace running. Thanks all.

 

[Hdhogger]

The D's have a good point here. What I did is cut a piece of garden hose and wrap one end with 3/4" foam door insulation, stick that end in the business end of my ash vac run up the feed tube from inside the firebox and suck out all the fines and other build up.
Take a flashlight and a small mirror and look up the feed from inside the firebox you will see the build up of fines. Hope this helps.

 

[Hdhogger]

You should test your auger by direct connect. Get a cord with a male plug on one end and install either male or female spade connectors on each end of the direct connect end, opposite of motor spades, I can't remember which, follow your power wires to the auger, disconnect and re-connect to the test wire spades, plug in to an outlet if the auger runs it's fine if not it's toasted.

 

[bond1973]

I made one of those after the last time this happened. It didn't cause the auger to turn last time, though then after much fiddling it finally started working again. This time I hook up said jumper and it still doesn't turn...but that's what it did last time too...so I'm confused.

 

[bond1973]

The more I think about it the more I think I made an incorrect cable to rest the auger motor with. Any chance anyone reading this has one they can take a picture of? Or a link to making one?

 

[Hdhogger]

I made one of those after the last time this happened. It didn't cause the auger to turn last time, though then after much fiddling it finally started working again. This time I hook up said jumper and it still doesn't turn...but that's what it did last time too...so I'm confused.

Sounds like you have a dead spot in your auger motor windings. May be time to replace it.

The cable is basically an old lamp cord with spade connectors or alligator clips.

 

[bond1973]

Alright...after losing power three times over the past week or so....and one of those lasting a few days...I was finally able to find time to test my auger motor. Plugged in directly with a custom plug...the auger motor spins fine. Unfortunately everyone is closed until Monday to do any more troubleshooting. Hoping there's a way to test the hopper lid switch at some point. Also hoping I don't need a new computer in it.

 

[Hdhogger]

Have you checked the hopper lid safety switch. If it's not making a connection the auger won't run.

 

[bond1973]

No idea how to check it. Will Google it.

 

[bond1973]

Bypassed it last night...still no auger. Going to replace the thermo coupler next I guess....then the control board.

 

[bond1973]

Yikes....I don't know where to start with all that. Lol. When I jumped the auger motor I didn't really let it run long, so not sure if it would've worked. The thing has run great for years and has run fine since starting to use it this year until a month ago...the first time it did this, but it came out of it last time. I really don't want to pay $200 for a maintenance visit, but I'm sick of hearing my furnace kick in. I've yanked the vacuum hose and it appeared fine. The control board will be absolutely last straw. My vacuum switch is 90 degrees to the floor from the factory. I've never pulled any motor on this thing. Maybe I'll get a short piece of garden hose (1 foot or so) and rig it up to my vac and go in through where the vent connects to the stove...I can get a new thermo coupler (?) for $55 locally...that's Heatilators recent suggestion...

 

[steveman88]

What did you get figured out? I am having the same issue

 

[bond1973]

What did you get figured out? I am having the same issue

Sorry to say ... it's working again, but I don't know why. Ultimately I tested the vacuum switch and hopper lid switch by making up a jumper cable and bypassing them and made up a cable to plug the auger motor straight into the wall and it all . I unplugged and plugged back in damn near every wire... press on snap discs damn near until my fingers bled...vacuumed the hell out of it...replaced the thermo couple and ended up putting the old one back in... it just started working again. Sorry I can't be of much more help.