How do you clear an auger jam?

[bbfarm]

I was gone camping and the Mr decided to fire up the pellet stove. He said it ran fine, then in the morning the stove was out and overflowing with pellets in the burn pot. He cleaned the stove, removed all the pellets from the hopper and nothing.

I know he used old pellets that sat in the hopper most of the summer instead of putting fresh ones in.

I am thinking maybe the igniter went causing the pellet pile up and maybe they jammed up in the chute?

I have no idea how to go about unjamming it. It seems like the motor wants to turn the auger but nothing.

I looked through the manual for possible troubleshooting, but there is so much listed I don't know where to start.

any ideas?

 

[imacman]

Basically, you unload the hopper of as many pellets as you can, and then remove the motor from the auger. Usually you can use a big pair of vice grips or water pump pliers to manually turn the auger backwards, then forwards....normally this will loosen it up. If not, you may haver to remove the auger itself to find out why it's not turning.

Are you sure the auger/motor connection is tight?

 

[bbfarm]

No, I am not sure it is tight. one of the many things I need to check.

I need to try to jump the high limit switch too. I tried to reset it. manual said that can cause ignitor and auger to stop.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

If the auger motor is trying to turn you can forget about it being the high limit.

If your auger flight cover can be removed I'd remove it and get a good look at anything that might be jamming the auger. Yes, that means removing the pellets from the hopper again.

The other thing that stops the auger is the vacuum switch usually because of ash in the works somewhere.

But the overflowing of pellets is a little confusing were those pellets partially burned?

What t-stat mode if any is your stove running in?

 

[bbfarm]

I have no idea it the pellets were partially burned or not. He just said that they were going up the chute and overflowing. I asked him if any code lights were blinking on the control board he said he didn't think so.

I have no idea what he was running it at, he just kept pushing buttons and switches until everything is all screwed up now.

He said he was burning it on high. maybe the squirrel cage blower couldn't keep up and the high limit switched clicked.

I did not get around to cleaning that blower yet. I did everything including the leaf blower thing and painted all the inside and did a test burn for an hour 2 weeks ago and had no problems.

there are just so many things to try I don't even know where to start.

I suppose this is my fault for not showing him how to run the darn thing. all he knows how to do is put pellets in it.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Oh well, then it is time to go back to square one and check that the damper is where it is supposed to be after verifying that nothing is jamming the auger.

Then put some pellets back in the hopper put the stove in manual mode and try a restart at heat setting three or so.

You'll know soon enough if the number two light flashes or the combustion blower doesn't start and spin up to speed.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

While I'm sitting here and you are playing with the stove you might want to check your versa grate if that stops moving you can get a bad burn and pileup that could back up the drop chute.

I don't know what you did for maintenance of that grate I believe some hi temperature (never/anti)seize is recommended on those once a season.

 

[heat seeker]

I'm watching this thread with interest, since I also have an Afton Bay. The auger flight cover seems to be welded in on mine:

If the high limit is tripped, lights #2 and #3 will blink, and the auger won't run, as already stated.

I wonder if you can't use a mirror and look up the drop chute to see if the jam is up there, and maybe use something to reach up and break up the jam.

The auger motor looks like a bear to get at from either side (sorry, Smokey):

ETA: If the vacuum switch is not satisfied, light #2 will blink. Seems to me that if the fire went out, or didn't light, the Proof Of Fire switch should have shut the stove down before the chute jammed or the pot overflowed. That would have caused light #3 to blink, but no way to tell now that the stove has been shut down.

 

[bbfarm]

yes, that looks just like mine, welded on. when I go to start it in any mode both fan motors come on like they should, but no pellets drop. no code lights blink either.

I know checking the fuse for the auger on the control panel was one thing the manual said to try.

I will be waiting until saturday to monkey around with it. I am sick today and it is just too much to deal with right now.

 

[heat seeker]

Sorry you're feeling bad - rest up, feel better, and get back to us when you feel like it. We'll be here!

 

[DexterDay]

Sounds like its vacuum related? If the blowers come on and no feed?

 

[heat seeker]

Sounds like its vacuum related? If the blowers come on and no feed?

It's easy to tell, even without the #2 light blinking - when you turn the stove on, both fans start up. IF the vacuum switch gets satisfied, the room blower shuts off, and doesn't come on again until the POF switch makes. The combustion blower, of course, keeps on going.
If the vacuum switch isn't satisfied, both fans shut off and the #2 light blinks.

The switch tubing could be bad, but it's unlikely that it's plugged, as the port in the stove is in a protected spot. But, never say never...

 

[bbfarm]

ok, I tried it again to see what happens.

both fans come on. the room fan shuts off and at that point pellets should drop. nothing. if I push in the snapdisk high limit switch the room fan comes back on but no pellets.

I took the vacuum tube off and will pick up a new one just in case. took the cover off the board but cannot tell if the fuse is blown.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

That F1 fuse should be checked, and as for the auger flight cover I said if it could be removed, on some stoves it can be and on some it can't be.

It isn't likely a vacuum issue either since the controller turned the room fan off at power on.

Before attempting starting the stove again make certain that the ash clean out rod is all the way in and that the versa grate is free as if it isn't then you can get pile up and perhaps a vacuum shutdown, high limit trip, or one of those nasty hopper issues depending upon if the stove has any bypassed or defective safeties.

On some stoves the controller board has to be reset after a high limit switch caused shutdown even if you reset that switch the controller will say it is open, this is done by turning the stove off, unplugging the stove and then plugging it back in. I don't know if your stoves controller requires this reset or not. It does say if the high limit trips that the cause must be diagnosed before putting the stove back in service.

 

[heat seeker]

I strongly second Smokey's suggestion of unplugging the stove to reset the controller. Leave it unplugged for a couple of minutes.

Here's a shot of the top of the auger, where the pellets drop from. Note the gap between the pellets which are ready to fall, and the end of the auger tube. If your pellets are jammed up in there, you could try to poke them out, perhaps with a coat hanger or something similar. That might save you from removing the auger motor, which looks pretty difficult from the sides. I'd probably move the stove away from the wall (which means messing with the venting) to get at it from the back, but you are probably more flexible than I am...

 

[bbfarm]

thanks for the photo, my pellets look more jammed than that when I used a mirror. got a coat hanger ready to try after work today.

have unplugged the stove a bunch of times.

 

[bbfarm]

Just a recap in case anyone is still watching this thread.

We did get the auger unjammed by using a screwdriver and coat hanger up the drop chute somewhat.

What worked even better was opening up the back of the stove and using a vice grips to slowly turn the auger manually so the pellets started dropping out the chute.

 

[Bioburner]

Let's cross our fingers and hope the gears in the gear motor are not stripped and make you have to replace it. I have replaced lots of em because of jams. ( countrysides)

 

[heat seeker]

Thanks for the update - now the important part - is the stove working?

 

[DexterDay]

.....is the stove working?

X2

 

[bbfarm]

yes, stove has been working fine since last saturday. It does seem slow to ignite though so we have been either shutting it down on warmer days or running it on T stat mode otherwise.

not sure if the slow to ignite problem means the igniter is going or just the different pellets we bought for the shoulder season.

 

[nikeseer]

Help! Believe I have a jam in my CAB50 eco choice. I'm not able to move the feed spring. I've sucked all the pellets out of it several times. I grabbed the feed spring and shook it because it will move side to side being it's flexible and pellets dropped down. Once at 3am this morning and the other just now after I've let it sit since last night. Using Oil Boiler right now being it's 34 out in daytime. Any ideas on how to get to the whole feed system and which side and which screws? The service manual online shows nothing.

 

[smoke show]

yes, stove has been working fine since last saturday. It does seem slow to ignite though so we have been either shutting it down on warmer days or running it on T stat mode otherwise.

not sure if the slow to ignite problem means the igniter is going or just the different pellets we bought for the shoulder season.

which pellets were you using when the jam occured? just wondering...

 

[nikeseer]

which pellets were you using when the jam occured? just wondering...

PWM I think people are calling them. Made in Maine from TSC

 

[DexterDay]

PWM I think people are calling them. Made in Maine from TSC

The augers on Quads and Heatilators are Hollow. If... If you had a jam, just shove a coat hanger up there.

What is the stove doing to make you think it has a jam?