No vacuum switch?

[Silas043009]

Hello I have a englander 25-pdvc/55-shp22....top auger stops working after about 20 mins and then control panel only shows 9 on the blower speed and controls are locked until I physically unplug the pellet stove. I removed all panels to check the vacuum switch and cannot find one anywhere. I thought these models even have two and I can't find one. No hoses or anything from exhaust fan or blower fan. There are only two wires that go from the blowers straight to the control panel. I've attached some pictures if anyone can help out please. Ty!

 

[Cedarjunki]

Well first you need to determine the year of it. Your other post you say you think 2004.. there should be a tag on the stove with the year stamped on it. If its an 04 im pretty sure it should have the sensors. My 2000 25pdv does not and i believe they added them around 02 when the design changed slightly

 

[Cedarjunki]

By looking at the pic of your board i have 2 suggestions...
First is to give the whole stove including fans and motors a good cleaning using compressed air and then see if it changes anything.

Second.. i cant tell to be positive but i do not see the jumper installed in the thermostat terminals. ? Might double check and make sure that jumper is there

 

[rich2500]

Depending on the year if it would have the vacuum switches they would not be connected to the blowers,one would be connected to the exhaust chamber and the other to the firebox.

 

[Cedarjunki]

If you look at the board bottom right corner the switch terminals are empty. Im guessing its a pre 2002 model.

 

[Silas043009]

Sorry for the delay and thank you for everyone's response....unfortunately I don't have a thermostat hooked up to this unit as I only use it as a secondary heat source and I cannot even read the date on the badge. They stamped it uneven and can't even read it. The guy I bought it from (craigslist) told me he thought it was a 04 but now I'm guessing he is wrong. Prob 02 or newer? So if I don't have vacuum switches, where would I find the sensors? Or if they are connected to the firebox? I don't see anything connected to the exhaust chamber. Sorry I'm a novice at this stuff. Also when I hold down the on button the top auger spins none stop until I release the button. This is when the control panel locks up and shows a 9 on the blower speed.

 

[Harvey Schneider]

Sorry for the delay and thank you for everyone's response....unfortunately I don't have a thermostat hooked up to this unit as I only use it as a secondary heat source and I cannot even read the date on the badge. They stamped it uneven and can't even read it. The guy I bought it from (craigslist) told me he thought it was a 04 but now I'm guessing he is wrong. Prob 02 or newer? So if I don't have vacuum switches, where would I find the sensors? Or if they are connected to the firebox? I don't see anything connected to the exhaust chamber. Sorry I'm a novice at this stuff. Also when I hold down the on button the top auger spins none stop until I release the button. This is when the control panel locks up and shows a 9 on the blower speed.

I'm pretty sure that the big change in design was in '84. You can find wiring diagrams, trouble shooting guides and service instructions on the (broken link removed to http://www.heatredefined.com/support/troubleshooting-guide/troubleshooting-help) web site.
Here is the older wiring diagram

 

[Cedarjunki]

When i say thermostat jumper. I am talking about a tiny piece of wire connecting the thermostat terminals on the board.. without this jumper installed it will only run on setting 1. I am only guessing with the years. My pdv is a 2000 and has the older style burn pot. "Just a simple bent plate as the wear plate" instead of a welded box like rbe newer ones.. which does yours have?
If you look at the back of the control board on the bottom you will see 2 metal male prongs. Between these it says "switch" with no wires connected to these it leads me to believe the stove is not equipped with the sensors. Or they have been deleted. Mine does not have the sensors but has the 2 prongs on the board.

 

[Jigger]

The vacuum switches your looking for are actually snap disc. My stove is a 2005 and they are mounted on the bottom.

 

[Silas043009]

Hmmmm not sure about a snap disc...? There is nothing mounted the bottom of the stove. I attached a few pictures so maybe things will be alittle clearer. I also look in between the two male prongs on the control board and there is a black little box between them nothing else....don't think there ever was a jumper wire between the two since it always worked well before this problem started. Thank for everyone's time and help so far. Very much appreciated!

 

[Silas043009]

Pic of the bottom

 

[Cedarjunki]

Is it stamped 25 pdvc or 25 pdv??? That burn plate look identical to my pdv. For what i found online the pdvc were diff.

You need to verify if there is a jumper wire in the thermostat screws.. it will not run right without it

 

[Cedarjunki]

Check this link.. is this what the wear plate in the fire pot looks like? If so read the description it gives an idea for the year range

(broken link removed)

 

[Silas043009]

Wow I'm sorry it is a 25-pdv!

 

[Silas043009]

Yeah I guess the year was wrong too...would be nice if I provided better information. ..sorry guys. From cedarjunki link it says should be between 93 and 2000. And i do see the thermostat jumper underneath.

 

[Cedarjunki]

Yeah I guess the year was wrong too...would be nice if I provided better information. ..sorry guys. From cedarjunki link it says should be between 93 and 2000. And i do see the thermostat jumper underneath.

Without that jumper it doesnt matter what level you set the heat at it will only run on 1.

As far as vacuum switches or snap discs.. mine has none. No hopper switch either.

So give it a good cleaning.. blow out all that dust in the motors and on the board and give it a shot.

 

[Silas043009]

Yeah sorry I was looking where the screws were for the thermostat not underneath but I do definitely see the jumper there. Seems like not enough air is blowing into the burn pot to keep the fire nice and big. Guess I'll have to drag my compressor up here and give it an extra good cleaning and hope that helps.

 

[Cedarjunki]

When was the last time you cleaned the pipe? Removed the exhaust fan and cleaned the fins? Vaccumed out behind the plate above the burn pot? Its probably getting plugged up and choking

 

[Silas043009]

I cleaned the flue every year before starting it up a year...never really bad since I burn only on very cold days (30-40 bags a season) but I haven't removed the blowers to clean the fins. I do regularly clean behind the three plates in the burning area (the one above the burn pot, behind the plate in the burn pot and the small plate on the left hand side next to the burn pot)

 

[Cedarjunki]

I would start with the cleaning..

Have you called or emailed englander tech??

 

[Harvey Schneider]

Yeah sorry I was looking where the screws were for the thermostat not underneath but I do definitely see the jumper there. Seems like not enough air is blowing into the burn pot to keep the fire nice and big. Guess I'll have to drag my compressor up here and give it an extra good cleaning and hope that helps.

If you think the fire isn't getting enough air, you should check the door seals for leaks. The traditional test is to close the door on a dollar bill. If there isn't resistance to pulling it out, the gaskets are in need of replacement. There is also a gasket on the combustion blower and a gasket at the firepot.

Twenty minutes sounds like the timeout on proof of fire. You need to check the thermocouple, first for continutiy, then for short to ground and finally for output milliVolts cold and hot.
(broken link removed to http://www.heatredefined.com/support/troubleshooting-guide/stove-shuts-off-while-burning)