Pellet issues?

[bit_flores]

Okay, I am puzzled....

I replaced the auger motor assembly on my Breckwell P26 Cadet. The vent tube to the pressure switch is clear and the vent hole behind the burn pot is clean. The new auger motor works great and turns the auger fine.

I am still experiencing the same problem. My flames are nice and lively. The both combustion and heat exchanger fans are running great. The auger motor and auger are spinning fine. BUT: The fire eventually dies out even when the stove is on the highest setting. The pellets seems to stop feeding about 3/4 the way up the auger shaft, they just “spin” there and go no further. The fire dies out. Then later on, the pellets “decide” to start come up the auger shaft and then I have a huge pile of un-burned pellets in my burn pot. There is no rhyme or reason on when this problem will occur. It could be in the 1st hour of starting the stove, or maybe a few hours later. I am playing “Pellet Roulette”!

I have a nylon lower bushing and an upper brass bushing. The bushings seem good, with little or no play.

I can see no pellets on the top of the auger shaft when looking up the chute from the burn pot. The auger spins, but the pellets simple are not feeding all the way up the shaft. I know I have crappy pellets this year. Lots of dust, fines, and extra long pellets. Are the pellets the problem??? Am I missing something?

AAARRRRRGGGHHHH !

 

[packerfan]

Eve if they aren't the best, the pellets should feed no matter what, as long as the auger is working correctly.

 

[jtp10181]

Actually if the pellets are really long they can bridge the auger and cause a jam. That might be whats happening.

 

[bit_flores]

My buddies and I went in on two truckloads of pellets from a new mfg. in Tennessee thinking we'd be saving a ton of money. Smart move, eh? We started noticing problems right away. We noticed that the bags have major dust & fines, AND the at least half the pellets are way LONG, 1.5" to 2" in length. All the dust had "bound" up my auger at least 6 times and burnt out the auger motor, hence the replacement motor assembly. I then started sifting the dust out of the pellets. It helps, but I am still have this feed problem.

We have a big variety of pellet stoves models, but I seem to be only one having severe issues. I was actually thinking about buying a new pellet stove or furnace that is capable of handling crappy pellets. But I thought about it and decided that was throwing more money out the window.

Can I install a high-speed motor assembly? Will a higher auger speed actually force the pellets up the auger shaft? Is it possibly to find a modified design auger? I am willing to play with modifications since I am about to write off the pellets and possibly the stove! Pimp my stove! LOL

 

[stoveguy2esw]

that unit is a top feeder right? i believe that the bridging issue is what you are experiencing , long pellets will not stay put in the auger , they keep getting pushed out, as lousey as this sounds it may bring light , either sit and break down a quantity of pellets to about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch , or run out and buy a bag of fuel that appears to be of that length , and run them , see if you have the same results , im betting you will not. if the unit runs normally , then the longer pellts are the problem , and i'd suggest squacking at the manufacturer if they are that "hayed out' (long) if they wont feed they are of no use to you, and the PFI does set a standard for length

 

[bit_flores]

Thanks Pyro & StoveGuy,

I did manage to go over to Tractor Supply today. I bought a couple of bags of Somerset pellets. There are definitely smaller pellets, just like they should be.

I just got done with the dinner and house chores and am getting around to the pellet stove. I emptied out the hopper and put in some of the Somersets, then started to feed the auger. Guess what? The pellets now feed thru the auger. I just started the stove and will report back on the progress.

 

[bit_flores]

NO Good... The new Somerset pellets feed and the fire is going for a while. The fire is much better, good heat and flames. I have the feed-rate at the highest setting (E). But somewhere along the way, the pellets stop feeding up the auger shaft again and the fire goes out. The auger motor is turning fine, but the pellets hang up for a while. I press the FEED button for a long while, then finally, the pellets started dropping into the chute. These pellets seem to be the right size. Can I have a bad auger? I don't know what's going on. By the way, here's what I see with the auger motor: feeds 1/2 rpm (about 5 seconds), then rests for about 9 seconds at the highest setting (E). Breckwell P26 Cadet. This is a new auger motor rated at 4 RPM.

 

[hearthtools]

You may want to pull the auger

I have seen ON A NEW OUT OF THE BOX Breckwell
the Auger flights not welded to the Shaft.
The auger MOTOR tuned the shaft but the flights did not turn just the shaft down the middle.

It only had a few tack welds that had no penetration into the shaft.

 

[hearthtools]

you also want to check your feed times and and off

Time the auger feeds
Time between feeds.

 

[bit_flores]

My auger is turning. I can look up the drop chute and see the shaft spinning. I put my hand in the hopper and I can feel the auger spinning. I can look into the hopper and see the pellets churning. The pellets are just spinning there....

I left the stove on last night on the highest setting (E). The fire was barely staying lit. I woke up about 5am, the fire was out and I have a big pile of unburned pellets in the burn pot.

It seems like the pellets get caught half-way up the auger shaft and just sit there for the longest time. The fire goes out, then the pellets finally start feeding again. All this time, the auger still is moving, trying to feed the pellets up the shaft.

 

[bit_flores]

you also want to check your feed times and and off

Time the auger feeds
Time between feeds.

Here's the info:

Breckwell P26 Cadet
Highest speed/feed setting (I have been using this setting trying to run this stove)

Time the auger feeds: 5 seconds
Time between feeds: 9 seconds

 

[hearthtools]

you also want to check your feed times and and off

Time the auger feeds
Time between feeds.

Here's the info:

Breckwell P26 Cadet
Highest speed/feed setting (I have been using this setting trying to run this stove)

Time the auger feeds: 5 seconds
Time between feeds: 9 seconds

Have you pulled the auger out?
it is held in with two bolts if you take all the pellets out and push the feed button for a few minutes before you take it out. The auger will come out easy.

UNPLUG the stove
TAKE THE auger MOTOR OFF FIRST.



I cant find any feed time chart for that stove at this time.
but a year would help that stove was made from 1993 -1996

I think you need to call or email breckwell
give them the modle # year and serial #
Also let them know what control board you have.
Had this stove been updated.

 

[bit_flores]

Okay, I am puzzled....

I replaced the auger motor assembly on my Breckwell P26 Cadet. The vent tube to the pressure switch is clear and the vent hole behind the burn pot is clean. The new auger motor works great and turns the auger fine.

I am still experiencing the same problem. My flames are nice and lively. The both combustion and heat exchanger fans are running great. The auger motor and auger are spinning fine. BUT: The fire eventually dies out even when the stove is on the highest setting. The pellets seems to stop feeding about 3/4 the way up the auger shaft, they just “spin” there and go no further. The fire dies out. Then later on, the pellets “decide” to start come up the auger shaft and then I have a huge pile of un-burned pellets in my burn pot. There is no rhyme or reason on when this problem will occur. It could be in the 1st hour of starting the stove, or maybe a few hours later. I am playing “Pellet Roulette”!

I have a nylon lower bushing and an upper brass bushing. The bushings seem good, with little or no play.

I can see no pellets on the top of the auger shaft when looking up the chute from the burn pot. The auger spins, but the pellets simple are not feeding all the way up the shaft. I know I have crappy pellets this year. Lots of dust, fines, and extra long pellets. Are the pellets the problem??? Am I missing something?

AAARRRRRGGGHHHH !

Yes! I have already replace the entire motor assembly. I took out the auger when I changed the motor and it "seems" fine. I assembled it again and it runs, the auger moves. The auger shaft and the pellet drop chute are clean.

I had to change the motor because I had major pellet problems at the beginning of the heating season. My new pellet supply had LOTS of dust & fines and extra long pellets. The auger "bound" up about six times, after that the motor was shot. This feed problem has been going on with since I started using these pellets. However, I tried some different pellets from Tractor Supply. Those pellets seem to be the right size, but now I have the same feed problem with those pellets.

The stove is circa 1994. I bought it new and this is the 1st major problem that I have had with it. The control board has NOT been updated.

 

[Mr Whitfield]

It could be the auger motor , The motor is thermal protected, if the motor get overloaded(Hot), it will shut down, and start working again when it cools down. How old is the auger motor in your stove. Run the stove and check the motor if it gets very hot, that could be your problem.

 

[bit_flores]

The new Somerset pellets feed and the fire is going for a while. The fire is much better, good heat and flames. I have the feed-rate at the highest setting (E) because the feed rate is poor. The resulting fire is about a "C" setting.

But somewhere along the way, the pellets stop feeding up the auger shaft again and the fire goes out. The auger motor is turning fine, but the pellets hang up for a while. I press the FEED button for a long while, then finally, the pellets started dropping into the chute. These pellets seem to be the right size. I don't know what's going on.

The auger motor & gear assembly is new. The big issue is: the auger itself is moving, but the pellets do not feed all the way up the shaft.

 

[bit_flores]

Well I email Breckwell Tech Support Friday. No Response. I also have been trying to call them all day today. No answer, just a "we are busy" message.

So I went out and bought a tube of graphite lubricant. I read about the graphite trick in another post here. I poured the whole thing into the auger (with pellets) and coated the side of the bin. We'll see what happens...

 

[bit_flores]

My experiment with the powered graphite did not succeed.

BUT, I did find that if I press on the pellets as they feed to the auger, the pellets will feed great! So, pressure will induce feed through the auger. Why now, after 15 years, does this happen? Can anyone help?

 

[stoveguy2esw]

is this doing it on all heat settings or just on high? if on all settins,pull the auger and check the flighting , look specifically to see if the flighting has "laid back" in the area that the pellets are stopping at, as crazy as this seems , if the angle of the flighting is not perpendicular to the shaft the pellets will not advance , they just roll up the slope of the flighting and fall back instead of advancing, have you ever had a foriegn object jam? honestly it sounds as if the auger flighting is out of true, and it can cause this in some cases. sorry about the long pellet theory earlier i guess that was a miss on my part, but was possible. guess we need to dig deeper. hope this helps ya

 

[bit_flores]

Thanks Pyro,

I was working on this stove problem yesterday. With all the problems I had with crappy pellets, who knows what was going through the stove. I do know that I had one really bad instance with a locked up auger. I suspect that I had foreign material in one of my pellets bags.

I am also beginning to think that it is an auger problem. I would love to order a replacement auger from Breckwell, but they don't answer the phones!

Here's my next plan of attack: replace auger, upper & lower bushings.

Thanks!

 

[johnnywarm]

Thanks Pyro,

I was working on this stove problem yesterday. With all the problems I had with crappy pellets, who knows what was going through the stove. I do know that I had one really bad instance with a locked up auger. I suspect that I had foreign material in one of my pellets bags.

I am also beginning to think that it is an auger problem. I would love to order a replacement auger from Breckwell, but they don't answer the phones!

Here's my next plan of attack: replace auger, upper & lower bushings.

Thanks!

You can buy Breckwell parts online.

John

 

[bit_flores]

Parts for the P26 Cadet are no longer available online on the Breckwell website. I checked yesterday, there are no augers available online at their website. That model is discontinued. I have to call Breckwell to order parts...

 

[johnnywarm]

Parts for the P26 Cadet are no longer available online on the Breckwell website. I checked yesterday, there are no augers available online at their website. That model is discontinued. I have to call Breckwell to order parts...

Try this--- [email protected]

 

[bit_flores]

Ok, I forwarded him the email I sent last Friday. I had sent that email to [email protected]

Thanks for the addy!

 

[johnnywarm]

Ok, I forwarded him the email I sent last Friday. I had sent that email to [email protected]

Thanks for the addy!

Hes a nice guy that may be able to help you.I have a Breckwell big e and so far i'm very happy with it.

John

 

[hearthtools]

I dont have any breckwell augers in stock or I would try to help you.

One of the problems is getting the correct auger kit.
they change the style of auger a few times and breckwell is bad about keeping records of what serial # range the changes were made.
It would be best to call them and give them ALL THE INFO of your stove
YEAR Model and ser#