Pellet stove just cleaned now problem?

[hockeyfun1]

I have an Ashby St Croix pellet insert that is about five years old. It took a few years but it got my living room hot as the unit seemed to break in. I got it cleaned the other day for the first time as I only burn a half ton a year. I noticed it was quiet after a lot of vacuuming and the cleaner had the stove out and was caulking something. What was he likely caulking? Did he break something?

The stove also wobbled, so I had to pull it out and put it back in a few times. Maybe moved it back and forth a couple inches. Could that have loosened something up?

I have a bag of timber heat from last year. While it wasn't well reviewed, it worked fine for me last year. I never had much of an issue running last year's leftovers. Now it just seems it's not burning that hot.

The damper has a hill icon. Should the damper be set towards the top of the hill or bottom or the hill?

 

[jzm2cc]

If the flame is tiny no matter what setting you use then it's stuck at #1 setting (idle). The thermostat wires may have become disconnected during movement of stove. Please describe what stove settings you use (SmartStat, Tstat, Manual, etc) for clues. Did you manually select a higher heat setting after stove was worked on, if not then it will just stay at idle heat level.

The damper on St Croix stoves are usually only slightly open. A good starting point that many use is to close damper on a typical yellow pencil, thats all the air stove typically needs. In your case with a remote damper control, note where the dial setting us for this condition and mark panel so you can get back to a known starting point. Larger samper opens may indicate a plugged stove which are common on St Croix stoves if not familar with cleaning hidden passages.

 

[hockeyfun1]

If the flame is tiny no matter what setting you use then it's stuck at #1 setting (idle). The thermostat wires may have become disconnected during movement of stove. Please describe what stove settings you use (SmartStat, Tstat, Manual, etc) for clues. Did you manually select a higher heat setting after stove was worked on, if not then it will just stay at idle heat level.

The damper on St Croix stoves are usually only slightly open. A good starting point that many use is to close damper on a typical yellow pencil, thats all the air stove typically needs. In your case with a remote damper control, note where the dial setting us for this condition and mark panel so you can get back to a known starting point. Larger samper opens may indicate a plugged stove which are common on St Croix stoves if not familar with cleaning hidden passages.

I have it set to manual and always use manual. I have it set to 5/5 and the flame is still crap. I'm sitting in front of the stove and it should be unbearable but I'm just barely warm. I tried all different damper settings. The flame went up when I put the damper towards the top of the hill, but it never lasts long. This is how the stove used to act when it was new.

 

[jzm2cc]

Count how many seconds green auger LED lights on heat setting #1 after stove has run for about 10 minutes. Then advance to heat setting #5 and wait anout 5 minutes and do the same second count.

I don't have my notes in front of me to reference but thinking #1 heat setting runs auger for about 1.5 seconds, #5 setting is like 6 seconds.

You may also hear blower speeds increasing as stove ramps up each heat level.

Note stove takes about 90 seconds to automatically advance to each heat level (i.e. it will not jump from #1 to #5 feed levels immediatelly since fire pot would smolder or over flow, thus the slow ramp up which is transparent to user).

 

[hockeyfun1]

Count how many seconds green auger LED lights on heat setting #1 after stove has run for about 10 minutes. Then advance to heat setting #5 and wait anout 5 minutes and do the same second count.

I don't have my notes in front of me to reference but thinking #1 heat setting runs auger for about 1.5 seconds, #5 setting is like 6 seconds.

You may also hear blower speeds increasing as stove ramps up each heat level.

Note stove takes about 90 seconds to automatically advance to each heat level (i.e. it will not jump from #1 to #5 feed levels immediatelly since fire pot would smolder or over flow, thus the slow ramp up which is transparent to user).

I haven't shut it off since my original post, so I'm on setting 5 right now and it's only lit for three seconds.

 

[jzm2cc]

That doesn't seem like hi setting to me. Can you report back the seconds between each green LED appearance?

For example green LED on for 3 seconds off for 8 seconds, then back on.

I recall my St Croix Prescott runs a 55% duty cycle on #5 setting. On for 6.5 seconds, off for 5 seconds, total period time is 11.5 seconds whether its on low or high.

So either your stove is defaulted to low or maybe circuit board jumper is set up wrong.

What year is stove? Older stove need a jumper wire across the red and black thermostat connections whether you run in thermostat or manual mode. If this wire us not in place it just stays at level 1 heat output despite what setting you select. Worth trying a jumper wire just in case and manual shows how to do this.

 

[hockeyfun1]

That doesn't seem like hi setting to me. Can you report back the seconds between each green LED appearance?

For example green LED on for 3 seconds off for 8 seconds, then back on.

I recall my St Croix Prescott runs a 55% duty cycle on #5 setting. On for 6.5 seconds, off for 5 seconds, total period time is 11.5 seconds whether its on low or high.

So either your stove is defaulted to low or maybe circuit board jumper is set up wrong.

What year is stove? Older stove need a jumper wire across the red and black thermostat connections whether you run in thermostat or manual mode. If this wire us not in place it just stays at level 1 heat output despite what setting you select. Worth trying a jumper wire just in case and manual shows how to do this.

It's either 2010 or 2011. It's green for 3 and off for 8 seconds.

This worked like crap just like this for the first two years, then the last couple years it would be 85F in here by now. It's only 70F and outside is 30F. I can get it to 85F before on a 15F day easily.

What years require the jumper?

 

[jzm2cc]

That's a pretty new stove so it shouldn't require a jumper. Please check top of control panel and make sure slider switch is set to MANUAL position and not SmartStat, ot Tstat positions, otherwise stove will be waiting for thermostat to close contact (basically short between red and black terminals), when it doesn't see a short it will stay at level 1.

You may just want to put a shorting wire on thermostat red and black terminals as a fail safe.

These are great heating stoves if running correctly. Hope this helps.

 

[hockeyfun1]

That's a pretty new stove so it shouldn't require a jumper. Please check top of control panel and make sure slider switch is set to MANUAL position and not SmartStat, ot Tstat positions, otherwise stove will be waiting for thermostat to close contact (basically short between red and black terminals), when it doesn't see a short it will stay at level 1.

You may just want to put a shorting wire on thermostat red and black terminals as a fail safe.

These are great heating stoves if running correctly. Hope this helps.

Yes, it's set to manual. Always has been. It's the bottom of the three settings.

 

[jzm2cc]

There is an internal jumper that can be moved to different positions to adjust feed duty cycle times but that's a sensitive topic on this forum for safety reasons.

If you get a chance, please try heat level #1 and let us know how many seconds auger light is on. We know #5 is 3 seconds. If this stays the same for level 1 it will confirm my suspicions.

 

[hockeyfun1]

Level 1 was 1.5 on and 10 off.

 

[Lake Girl]

He may have been rechaulking venting connections ... guess you should have asked?

What model Ashby? Does it have a versa grate? There are different settings for each model and for different fuel types...
(broken link removed to http://stcroixstoves.com/pdf/Ashby-P-Manuals.pdf)

 

[hockeyfun1]

He may have been rechaulking venting connections ... guess you should have asked?

What model Ashby? Does it have a versa grate? There are different settings for each model and for different fuel types...
(broken link removed to http://stcroixstoves.com/pdf/Ashby-P-Manuals.pdf)

The manual you posted appears to be the model I have. I looked at the picture of the versa grate in the manual, and am not sure what it is or if I have one. I set that a few years ago to the correct setting according the manual. I'm guessing if the unit is unplugged or the power goes out, it still keeps the settings, correct?

 

[jzm2cc]

Sounds like you are running program #3 feed setting, try #4 program per instructions in PDF link page 51 which changes duty cycle from 11.5 seconds to 10 seconds. Older circuit boards required an internal jumper to be moved for this.

This may not be a total fix as your board only runs auger 3 seconds out of 11.5 second duty cycle, but with 3 seconds on out of 10 seconds it will be an improvement.

Ideallt the auger should run 5.5 seconds on heat setting #5, you may have a permanent board issue.

Thanks Lake Girl for manual link

 

[Bioburner]

And was the stove plugged into a good surge suppressor?

 

[hockeyfun1]

And was the stove plugged into a good surge suppressor?

They installed a new outlet next to the stove inside the old fireplace. I didn't see a surge protector there. Is there a recommended one to use that won't melt? Not sure even if a battery backup would be better in there in case the power goes out while the stove is on. I don't know how hot it gets inside there.

 

[hockeyfun1]

Sounds like you are running program #3 feed setting, try #4 program per instructions in PDF link page 51 which changes duty cycle from 11.5 seconds to 10 seconds. Older circuit boards required an internal jumper to be moved for this.

This may not be a total fix as your board only runs auger 3 seconds out of 11.5 second duty cycle, but with 3 seconds on out of 10 seconds it will be an improvement.

Ideallt the auger should run 5.5 seconds on heat setting #5, you may have a permanent board issue.

Thanks Lake Girl for manual link

I will have to look what it is set to. Overall, like I said, this unit ran like crap when I bought it, just like it is now. Prior to the cleaning it ran great. It sounds like old pellets wouldn't be causing this issue anyway, correct?

 

[Bioburner]

Sounds like you have a auger feed issue and that's controlled by the controller and since it was not hooked up to a surge suppressor probably against manufactures recommendations your likely the victim of high voltage spike IMO
If the stove is powered by a individual circuit it could have a suppressor installed on the line and not need to be at the outlet. I have done basically that for my A/V equipment

 

[hockeyfun1]

Sounds like you have a auger feed issue and that's controlled by the controller and since it was not hooked up to a surge suppressor probably against manufactures recommendations your likely the victim of high voltage spike IMO
If the stove is powered by a individual circuit it could have a suppressor installed on the line and not need to be at the outlet. I have done basically that for my A/V equipment

Not sure, like I said, it used to act like this, then was fine. Even last year it seemed the 5 setting fed it too much. It used to be unbearably hot in my living room.

 

[Lake Girl]

When you unplug, the board will reset to factory default. Don't remember what settings were changed to make it run better?

 

[hockeyfun1]

When you unplug, the board will reset to factory default. Don't remember what settings were changed to make it run better?

That's interesting. Last year I got a new service panel, so obviously the power was off. It seemed like the stove ran even hotter but overall it was really good. This year, I'm guessing they unplugged the stove when it was cleaned. I can check the settings again. They were what the manual said to put it at for burning pellets. I thought I tested it one year and it kept the settings, but maybe not.