Need Help! Whitfield Profile 30 keeps shutting down

[chanlon1974]

after about an hour of use only on medium to high. I have read and talked to a few techs and they have said its either the Photo eye or the high temp switch. I replaced both and neither has worked. After about an hour into running, the stoves just stops feeding pellets, the flame gets lower and goes out and the stove power light blinks in default mode. I have tried those two things. Can someone help me?
Thanks
Chris

 

[rap69ri]

Chris,

The only things left that I can think of would be a wire that as it heats loses connectivity, or the control board has a part that also loses connectivty when hot. How long after it turns off can you turn it back on?

 

[jjdesch]

there is a rod located on the body of the stove near the lower right corner of stove dorr. This may have to be adjusted a bit out so that is pushes in enough to disengage the safety switch that stops the auger when the door is open.

 

[jjdesch]

or, the photoeye is good, but the amber colored glass filter that filters the incoming light and protects the eye is dirty?

 

[hossthehermit]

A thorough cleaning is always a good first plan of attack for ANY problem w/ a pellet stove.

 

[rap69ri]

there is a rod located on the body of the stove near the lower right corner of stove dorr. This may have to be adjusted a bit out so that is pushes in enough to disengage the safety switch that stops the auger when the door is open.

Forgot about that damn switch, thanks.

 

[chanlon1974]

The amber lens is clean. I clean that every two weeks. Lennox tech support told me to jump the door switch....so I jumped it. That didnt work. They also told me to pull the orange hose off the pressure switch. If it runs without that on, I either have a blockage, which I know I don't because I have cleaned the stove thoroughly or the pressure switch is bad. Figures, it would be the last thing I try. Im an hour and 15 in so far...no shut down.

 

[rap69ri]

The amber lens is clean. I clean that every two weeks. Lennox tech support told me to jump the door switch....so I jumped it. That didnt work. They also told me to pull the orange hose off the pressure switch. If it runs without that on, I either have a blockage, which I know I don't because I have cleaned the stove thoroughly or the pressure switch is bad. Figures, it would be the last thing I try. Im an hour and 15 in so far...no shut down.

I hope you're still burning, and thanks for sharing your experience.

 

[chanlon1974]

I shut down and let it cool. Put the hose back on and fired it up. Everything seems fine. So weird. I did tap the pressure switch with a screwdriver when I put the hose back on. Hopefully it will continue to run. So $60 worth of parts not needed and a boat load of experience later....LOL

 

[rap69ri]

Still cheaper than having a dealer do it

 

[chanlon1974]

exactly...not that the dealer would help me anyway. They told me they couldn't service it since I didnt buy it there. I said thats funny since your listed as a service dealer on the Lennox website. Should have bought a Harman!!

 

[rap69ri]

There are four Whitfields and one Harman in my family. The Whitfileds have been great, and I just picked up the Harman so we'll see how it does.

 

[chanlon1974]

Thats good to know. Hopefully it was just a bump in the road......its the first problem I have had with it

 

[jjdesch]

Chanlon,

Still burning? Hope so.

Two questions - where did you get your parts - $60.00 seems cheap compared with dealer charged parts. Someone told me that the amber lens alone is like 120 bucks, for a little piece of colored glass. Also, what did you use to jump the switches? if electrical wire, which gauge?

 

[jjdesch]

Another thought,

Any idea on where we can a hold of the service manual on this thing? I would like to do my own trim adjustments if or when they become necessary (i.e., different brand of pellets, etc). There is a little flap on the bottom of the control board that hides all the "secret" adjustments.

 

[rap69ri]

Chanlon,

Still burning? Hope so.

Two questions - where did you get your parts - $60.00 seems cheap compared with dealer charged parts. Someone told me that the amber lens alone is like 120 bucks, for a little piece of colored glass. Also, what did you use to jump the switches? if electrical wire, which gauge?

This thread has the parts info: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/28448/

 

[chanlon1974]

Stove actually just went out. I spoke too soon. After 4 hours of use this time. I just downloaded some info on how to test the pressure switch with a voltage meter.

 

[chanlon1974]

Another thought,

Any idea on where we can a hold of the service manual on this thing? I would like to do my own trim adjustments if or when they become necessary (i.e., different brand of pellets, etc). There is a little flap on the bottom of the control board that hides all the "secret" adjustments.

Secret adjustments?? Really. I have not noticed them. I will have to pull the control board to fine them. What do they adjust? Pellet drop rate?

 

[jjdesch]

You don't need to pull out the control board - at the bottom of the heat and fan controls you will see a plastic flap that folds down. - just pry it open with a small flat screwdriver from the top edge. i do not want to monkey with them without a service manual, though

 

[DiggerJim]

exactly...not that the dealer would help me anyway. They told me they couldn't service it since I didnt buy it there. I said thats funny since your listed as a service dealer on the Lennox website. Should have bought a Harman!!

You'd have gotten the same story with a Harman. The pellet stove industry is a bit strange in that service (especially warranty service) is only provided thru the selling dealer. It's not like buying a car and being able to go to any authorized Ford dealer for example for service. IMHO it's one of the issues the industry has to resolve to before it can be considered "grown up" and taken seriously.

 

[jgrotheer]

It could go without saying, but you should know I am new to the wonderful world of pellet power. I read the post for the problems with the Whitfield Profile 30. Your story is all to familar to me, as I am having the exact same problem with my Profile 30. I actually have had a tech out to look at ours twice, but still no cure for the problem. The last step was to bypass the door switch, which seems to have made matters worse. I think he wants to bypass the High Temp switch next. This is a new insert and has provided a lot of opportunity for troubleshooting. Were you able to determine what was wrong with your stove? I am in need of a cure and would appreciate any input. Thank you.

 

[chanlon1974]

Basically from what I read and from what the techs at Lennox told me is that it could be three things causing the shut down. The high limit switch, the photo eye or the pressure switch. So I started with the cheaper of the three. I replaced the high limit switch first ($30). No dice. Then I replaced the photo eye flame detector unit. ($30). That didnt help. Then Lennox told me it might be the pressure switch is bad and to take the orange hose off it and see if it runs longer than an hour without it. I did that, and that the stove ran for 2 hours so I hooked all back together. Now the stove runs for hours on low or medium, but if I crank it up to high, it shuts down after a while. They told me either the switch is bad or I have some kind of venting issue. I cant imagine where I would have an obstruction since my exhaust pipe is all of 4 ft and i can see through it. Im assuming that the pressure switch is bad. The dealer told me it costs $65 to replace it. I am going to take it apart and do some more investigating tomorrow. Im gonna test the pressure switch with a voltage meter tomorrow to see if that is truly bad before I spend anymore money. If all that doesnt work....its sledge hammer time.

 

[chanlon1974]

You don't need to pull out the control board - at the bottom of the heat and fan controls you will see a plastic flap that folds down. - just pry it open with a small flat screwdriver from the top edge. i do not want to monkey with them without a service manual, though

What do you need to calibrate the software? The manual does not really go into it.

 

[jjdesch]

because it would be nice to be able to simply adjust the auger speed trim to compensate for different pellet brand burn characteristics - the damper does not allow for much control.

 

[chanlon1974]

No I asked what do you need, not why. I see the inputs, but do not see how to adjust it. I would like to adjust mine too.