Lopi Pioneer Auger Runs Continuously

[VetsJetsnGuns]

I Went through considerable trouble shooting after my wife neglected to remove a pellet bag from the hopper and it got up into the auger. I was sure the auger motor had burned out or the gear box had given way. Turns out the tube to the flow switch was plugged.

During this lengthly trouble shooting I shocked myself once removing pellets from the back of the circuit board.

My auger now runs continuously. There is no fault light, and the auger LIGHT seems to work normally. Everything else works. The stove shuts down normally as long as you manully interrupt auger power.

Did I fry my cicuit board? or is something else hooked up wrong. I followed the wiring diagram.

Any ideas?

 

[hearthtools]

I Went through considerable trouble shooting after my wife neglected to remove a pellet bag from the hopper and it got up into the auger. I was sure the auger motor had burned out or the gear box had given way. Turns out the tube to the flow switch was plugged.

During this lengthly trouble shooting I shocked myself once removing pellets from the back of the circuit board.

My auger now runs continuously. There is no fault light, and the auger LIGHT seems to work normally. Everything else works. The stove shuts down normally as long as you manully interrupt auger power.

Did I fry my cicuit board? or is something else hooked up wrong. I followed the wiring diagram.

Any ideas?

Yup
they only thing that control feed times are the control board.

 

[hearthtools]

ALWAYS UNPLUG A STOVE BEFORE OPENING A SIDE COVER

 

[VetsJetsnGuns]

I didn't have any way to test the circuit unless it was live.

Is there any way to get the board tested or repaired? The board itself appears normal- there's not visible damage to it at all.

 

[MSmith66]

Chances are you fried the electronics in it. The board my look great but, It's was is damaged inside that counts. looks like you will have to order a new board. Sorry.

 

[VetsJetsnGuns]

Thankyou both for your prompt reply. I ordered a new board.

The shock felt interesting- I thought my wife had hit me with the palm of her fist on my oppositte shoulder. It also blew the 5A circuit breaker.

 

[galen]

Could be the flow switch. If the switch is bad then the board is doing its job. You could test the switch. Its probably normally open, Take the two wires off the switch and touch them together, then apart. If the auger stops then you have a bad switch. If nothing happens then its the board.

 

[hearthtools]

Could be the flow switch. If the switch is bad then the board is doing its job. You could test the switch. Its probably normally open, Take the two wires off the switch and touch them together, then apart. If the auger stops then you have a bad switch. If nothing happens then its the board.

The problem is the auger motor runs continuously
if the flow switch was bad the auger motor would not get power at all.

 

[hearthtools]

If you are Jeffery I checked on your order and it is going out today UPS 2nd day air

 

[VetsJetsnGuns]

The flow switch was originally blocked (operating properly), but a pipe cleaner in the brass fitting attached to the convection blower fixed that.

I talked to Tech Support at Travis Industries and they thought control board, too.

I am Jeffrey and I appreciate the prompt shipping and especially the good price (I was quoted close to $300 for the board at my local dealer.)



Travis Industries, ask for Tech Support
(425) 609-2500 <--- hard number to find

 

[galen]

It was just a guess on my part. So I guess the flow switch gets its power through the control board.

 

[hearthtools]

It was just a guess on my part. So I guess the flow switch gets its power through the control board.

Everything gets power from the brain

 

[galen]

Yeah, I work on a lot of machines, and have a mechanical mind. I was just thinking about it. I have flow switches also. But no brain or control board in my case. But a flow switch on my equipment will shut everything down to protect it. It was just a guess.

 

[hearthtools]

Yeah, I work on a lot of machines, and have a mechanical mind. I was just thinking about it. I have flow switches also. But no brain or control board in my case. But a flow switch on my equipment will shut everything down to protect it. It was just a guess.

You are correct on that
but his problem was the POWER WAS NOT SHUTTING OFF THE AUGER RAN WITH OUT STOPPING.

 

[tmiraglia]

How did you find out the problem and what did you say to your wife?

 

[VetsJetsnGuns]

I stopped pouring pellets into the hopper early on because it makes too much dust. I hold teh bag upright and cut the length of the bottom. Sometimes there is not enough room in the hopper for the whole bag, so I let it sit on top of the nearly-full hopper. This occurs mostly when it's around 0F outside and I'm going to work and there's less than 14 hours of pellets in the hopper, yet not enough space for an entire new bag. In this case I did this on my way out the door while my wife was asleep. She never checked it in time to get the bag out. I've had the bag nearly empty itself on a few occasions, but it's never been picked up by the auger before.

I came home from a two-day trip and found the back 6" of a pellet bag sticking out of the auger pickup/hole. So I knew SOMETHING was wrong. My wife didn't have any real information. She said she just unplugged it.

After I got the bag out, I started up the stove, but the auger would not turn at all. I figureed the auger motor/gear box was shot. (I hooked it up directly to wall socket power and it didn't run. I opened the gear box and the drive shaft from the motor didn't apppear to connect with the first gear, which was nylon. I figured it had stripped because the bag locked the auger.)

I researched, purchased and installed an equivalent auger motor/gearbox from Merkle-Korff, and it didn't run either. (They were really helpful matching specs from the original part to the one listed below) Then I got out the electrical circuit tester, and finally found the auger wasn't running cause it wasn't getting power. so I started testing all the switches between the box and the auger. I finally figured out it was the flow switch. Which really pissed me off cause I'm a lot of time and money in this and the flow switch was working fine less than 48 hours prior. Enter the pipe cleaner. I was unable to get a hold of my dealer and hand't discovered this forum yet, so I was feeling around in the dark.

It was after discovering the problem and just before closing the stove up that I got he shock. To this day I am unsure if the auger binding fried the board or if I myself did it.

As far as my wife: she fessed up, so there wasn't much to say.
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You can NOT purchase the motor/gearbox in your stove directly from MK (in lots of less than 1,000 give or take)

(I drive old cars ie 1977-1991, I live in an old house; I NEVER pay for OEM when I don't absolutely have to, which is why I pursued the whole getting-the-part directly from MK. It also cuts out Travis and my dealer as middle men...)

IF you want to order the gear box directly from Merkle-Korff, the information is listed below. You WILL have to make one modification- drill a seat hole in the flat of the output shaft for the allen screw in the auger. Should be able to do this in 5 minutes using the original auger as a model. I'm assuming the shaft is hardened, so you're gonna need a sharp drill bit. Drill press handy but not necessary.

B1445UI is the motor/gearbox I got from MK. The RPM is the same (1.1) The start-up torque is a little higher, and the running torque is a little lower. It was $83 shipped. That saves you about $40 over the best OEM price I found on the net. It's less than half of what my dealer quoted me.

(broken link removed to http://www.merkle-korff.com/index.asp)

Product Name: GF 4400 Series, 115 V 60 Hz, CW facing output shaft Product Description:

Type : Zinc die cast AC gearmotor
Voltage : 115 VAC 60 Hz
RPM : 1.1
Start Torque (in-lbs) : 150 <-------------- These two numbers
Run Torque (in-lbs) : 175 <-------------- really impresed me.
Impedance Protected : Class B : (130°C)
Overhung Load (lbs) : 7
Bearings : Self-aligning sintered bronze with large oil reservoir Termination : Spade terminals Duty Cycle : Intermittent Rotation : Unidirectional : CW facing output shaft Mounting : All positions Agency : UL/ CSA/ CE Unit Price: $73.18 Units Per Package: 1 Package Type: Corrugated Package Price: $73.18
Quantity: 1
Total: $73.18