Help Diagnosing what's wrong with Quadrafire 1000

[mobilemedic01]

Hello.

I just scored a Aladin Quadrafire 1000 built in 1992. The previous owner's husband had tinkered with it and has passed so I was the lucky one on Craigslist to remove it for her.

Upon initial inspection I found a damaged Power cord, missing fuse holder cap and #1 Snap Disc missing. (even the connectors! someone clipped them)

I also found the Vac Switch was bypassed.

So I replaced the fuse holder with another one from Radioshack as The cap to the one I bought wouldn't fit. Replaced with a 7 amp fuse, Repaired the power cord (planning on replacing shortly) and decided to leave the vac switch bypassed for testing.

Removed the old pellets/debris from the hopper and plugged it in. As expected the Combustion blower engages just fine. And after about 8 min it shuts off. Per the manual.

I have hotwired where the Thermostat hooks up but I never get a Red call light. If I am reading the manual correctly I have found. The Stove should engage the Combustion blower motor (which it does) and once the Thermostat calls for heat (jumped) it should turn on the red light and start the auger and at some point attempt to ignite the pellets.

If I am missing something here, please point it out. So my question is, How do I diagnose the issue at hand and diagnose if I have a control box issue or other issue?

I will be ordering a new snap disc and vac switch but I want to diagnose all the needed parts before I make a order (pay shipping 1 time) .

Also.. Not sure if this matters but I was able to test the voltage at the thermostat terminals to 14VAC and remembered reading that it required a 24 volt thermostat.. Is that the correct voltage or does that indicate an issue with the Transformer in the Control Box?


Appreciate your assistance.

 

[smwilliamson]

Sounds like a control box issue to me. If you get another one, do yourself a favor and get a new thermocouple too, it will have a ground wire unlike the older versions.

 

[jtakeman]

I didn't always get the red call light with my nova 800, It seemed to only illuminate if it ran out of fuel or missed a restart.

Before you waste any cash on expensive parts let it run a cycle for giggles.

 

[mobilemedic01]

Anyone know how to test a Control box properly? I know how to use a meter and any ideas on that voltage that is coming out of the Thermostat screws? should it be 24VAC?

 

[smwilliamson]

does the thing spin the auger or what?

 

[mobilemedic01]

No. No spinning auger or anything else. Sorry I guess I forgot to state the end result of this statement "I have hotwired where the Thermostat hooks up but I never get a Red call light. If I am reading the manual correctly I have found. The Stove should engage the Combustion blower motor (which it does) and once the Thermostat calls for heat (jumped) it should turn on the red light and start the auger and at some point attempt to ignite the pellets." and it does nothing. no red light, no auger.
Was doubtful the missing snap disc would have anything to do with that.

Thanks

 

[Bioburner]

Your going to have to check to see if the auger motor has power to see if it works or hot wire it to see if it functions and turns the possibly stuck auger. Sitting augers with materials can get ugly.

 

[jtakeman]

If the missing snap disc is on the auger housing? It is the high limit switch. That would case no spin.

 

[mobilemedic01]

No. that is the 3rd snap disc according to the Manual, the first is missing, the one that controls the Blower fan when it reaches temp. The reset snap disc is there.and i checked the rest on it as well.

My thoughts are its not getting turned on at all so is why i wanted to know how to diagnose the control box. 250+ bucks for something I can probably repair myself if I knew what was defective is out of my price range at the moment.

 

[jtakeman]

Auger should turn. You said you have a meter, Is it getting power?

 

[mobilemedic01]

I measure 16.6 volts AC at the auger.

I also cannot find any markings on the auger to represent what voltage it is

 

[mobilemedic01]

Since you keep pointing towards the auger. I did remove it. what a bear it was but figured out why. Found a blockage.. basically Cement Pellets stuck part way up the tube.

However, still no go. No Auger turning no red light. Anyone know what voltage I should be seeing at the auger?

 

[smoke show]

should be real similar to the outlet the stove is plugged into.

 

[MountainSean]

The auger should be getting full line voltage. 115ish volts. 16.6 volts won't do anything. I don't have the pins that power should be coming from on my home computer but I will look it up when I get to work.
Edit: I don't have the information on that model at work either. Only 1200 and newer.

 

[smwilliamson]

Hello....control box?!

 

[MountainSean]

Hello....control box?!

Probably. But I have seen the junction box go bad in those and create a lot of resistance causing the voltage to be very low. Maybe I am overthinking things and searching for problems where the chances are slim but if you could check voltage through the pins then you could test the junction box that way. Just whack me upside the head when I start ghost chasing would you?

 

[smwilliamson]

Probably. But I have seen the junction box go bad in those and create a lot of resistance causing the voltage to be very low. Maybe I am overthinking things and searching for problems where the chances are slim but if you could check voltage through the pins then you could test the junction box that way. Just whack me upside the head when I start ghost chasing would you?

I would give a good spray with some contact cleaner in the pins area, make reconnections and see whats going on. I've also see a faulty power cable do this once too and then found an electrical tape splice job. Usually when it's a pin thing, there is at least enough power to one component....truth be told, I'm no 100% on the 1100 and 800 series cause there just aint a lot of them on the east coast for whatever reason.

 

[jtakeman]

truth be told, I'm no 100% on the 1100 and 800 series cause there just aint a lot of them on the east coast for whatever reason.

I got one, Still runs even. Auger motor is usually the culprit cause they run continues. There is no timed cycle like the CB1200. Cleaning the contacts are worth a shot. But I would check that jumper on the vac switch while I was at it.

 

[DexterDay]

Have you jumped the terminal on the back of the stove? The one that the t-stat goes to?

Without a jumper, the stove doesn't get the "Call"?

 

[mobilemedic01]

Yep. Thermostat is jumped and the vac disc is jumped and tested that its jumped.
I found some pinouts on the manual i dug up online so I'm going to do some voltage testing in the box that the control box plugs into on my next day off.

 

[jtakeman]

Yep. Thermostat is jumped and the vac disc is jumped and tested that its jumped.
I found some pinouts on the manual i dug up online so I'm going to do some voltage testing in the box that the control box plugs into on my next day off.

You have the wires jumped together and not the switch terminals jumped correct?

Don't laugh, We had a fella that jumped the switch. After another couple days of debug before we figured the oops and a bad vac switch.

 

[mobilemedic01]

lol. yes i have the wires them selves jumped

 

[pelletstove93]

Did you ever find control box test Info? Having same issue and can't afford service man