Hi-limit switch can it be bad only on start up?

[RancherPacker]

My 1992 Austroflamm has problems starting up its a manual start. Using handful of pellets with starter gel and torch, turn button on pellets feed for 3 minutes then stop feeding stove will go out if I don't turn off and then on again which only buys me 3 more minutes. After it stops feeding pellets the red auger feed light is still blinking but only briefly until I turn off and then on, then it stays on for the proper feed cycle for 3 minutes.... Do this enough times and it WILL start eventually every time. Can this be the hi-limit switch? Can a hi limit switch work perfectly after I finally get the stove to feed pellets continuously?

 

[Bioburner]

Did you ever try and jump the vacuum switch?

 

[RancherPacker]

No sir not yet but that is on my agenda for today. I have to wait until no one is home so I can turn stove off to test....... I just wondered about the Hi-limit switch as well.

 

[Bioburner]

High limit usually is closed and opens when it gets to hot and shuts the feed-stove down to prevent a over fire or if the room fan quits and stove over heats. Now that's an assumption not seeing the electrical schematic

 

[RancherPacker]

So probably it is not the Hi Limit switch as the stove probably would not be over heated in the first 3 minutes of start up?

 

[Bioburner]

Correct.
What gets things complicated is that most stoves low limit-or proof of fire switches take more than 3 minutes to satisfy and allow the stove to continue operate from a cold start. Countryside is about 5 minutes and if the stove is real cold and or the starting fire is small, one has to turn the stove off and back on to reset the stoves time cycle. So I would first jump the low limit and see if the stove thinks it is firing and does not shut down the feed cycle. Maybe someone replaced it with a higher than OEM temperature. Its over twenty years old so who knows how many owners and possible hacks may have been performed.

 

[RancherPacker]

Ahh interesting yes I will test both Vacuum and low limit today, stove is currently turned off and cooling down.

Thanks so much for helping

 

[RancherPacker]

One more question..............I do not have an OAK could that possibly be causing my start up problem?

 

[Bioburner]

No

 

[RancherPacker]

I jumped the low limit switch just now and started the stove. It still stopped feeding pellets at the 3 minute mark. Turned it off then on again got 3 more mins of pellets feeding then stopped again..

Also I could not find a vacuum switch anywhere no tube no switch. I did read some place that Austroflamm's don't have a vacuum switch they have an air sensor..... what now? Any ideas?

 

[Bioburner]

No ideas left here.

 

[RancherPacker]

Okay thank you for helping any ways.

 

[lakensea]

No vacuum switch on an Austroflamm/Rika. Most likely problem is low limit switch or wiring to/from it.

 

[RancherPacker]

Thank you will check wiring

 

[Bioburner]

Did you ever find and look at the manual? I found one online and page 33 discusses the air sensor and or the controller on the board not continuing auger feed

 

[acs7477]

One thing to check is the combustion blower. If it is not spinning fast enough to engage the auger the air sensor tells the stove to basically shut down. I recently had this issue which is a rare case. The exhaust blower on these stoves are amazing. Made in Germany. The one I replaced was 23 years old. Not bad. Take a multimeter and test the voltage to the combustion fan. You can download a tech manual online for free. It will show you the voltage through the start up cycle. I hope this helps.