Princess thermostat problem

[Jeff in Maine]

I was going to post a question this morning but did not really know how to word it so it would make sense. Now I know why I am having this problem and need some help.
It seems that no matter how open I had my thermostat I could not get any flames in the stove. this has been ongoing for about 3 days now. I have been getting a lot of smoke roll out when i try to add more wood too, and my wood is not really burning enough to make much heat just " mulling away very slowly" no flames at all unless the by-pass was open. Well just a second ago I went to make sure the thermostat was wide open, and the dial will go around and around . What do I need to do to fix this??

 

[showrguy]

Tighten the set screw !!

 

[Jeff in Maine]

I will have to take the thermostat cover off for that correct? If so, I will have to wait cause that cover is way too hot to handle. If you mean the little allen screw in the dial head, that is not the problem. The dial and the shaft turn together it must be disconnected in under the back cover?

 

[Jeff in Maine]

The stove has about 6-8 inches of coals in it right now, but they are not even glowing hot the entire stove is dark black inside even though the damper is wot ? I just do get it?? Its like there is no air getting to the fire?

 

[showrguy]

I will have to take the thermostat cover off for that correct? If so, I will have to wait cause that cover is way too hot to handle. If you mean the little allen screw in the dial head, that is not the problem. The dial and the shaft turn together it must be disconnected in under the back cover?

It’s under the cover, you’ll see it..

 

[Jeff in Maine]

I will let the fire go down tonight so it will be cool in the am. Can you or someone explain what I am looking for and if I need to do something how to do it? I have seen many say do not mess with the thermostat and, I agree I really don't want to do anything to it that I should not do

 

[stoveliker]

If there is smoke roll out, I suggest you may instead have a near complete blockage in your flue. That similarly keeps the stove from breathing properly.

With a poor Tstat, and an open chimney of the proper height - even if that chimney is not that warm b/c of the smoldering, you should not have smoke roll out if the by pass is open.

 

[Jeff in Maine]

Well in my haste to post this issue I did not mention that this winter I had burned some white birch. With birch sometimes like 70% of the time when I open the door to re-load there seems to be some very nasty acrid birch bark that will waft out the door. I never open the loading door without opening the bypass first.
The chimney is fine I just cleaned it 20 minutes ago to be certain. I am grasping at ideas now, , I need to slow down ha ha. In the am my son will come over and help me slide the stove ahead so I can remove the pipe and look in it and inside the bypass area. Does anyone think that there is a chance that the cat would be plugged? I know that sounds like I am really grasping but it is a thought I had.

 

[showrguy]

I will let the fire go down tonight so it will be cool in the am. Can you or someone explain what I am looking for and if I need to do something how to do it? I have seen many say do not mess with the thermostat and, I agree I really don't want to do anything to it that I should not do

There is a coller on the other end of the shaft, if your stove is cold I’d set the stat to 12 oclock and the flapper to closed, and tighten the set screw in that collar, then check the movement with the stat knob….. make sure the flapper is closed before re-installing the cover…. This is all assuming the set screw is loose !!
Stoveliker is also correct, but that would not have anything to do with your knob spinning freely..

Plugged Cat is surely possible
, what stove are we talking here ?
Check/vacuum the Cat while stove is cold…. Did you vacuum behind the Cat when you cleaned it ?

 

[stoveliker]

I didn't read the last sentence of the original post... My bad.

 

[Jeff in Maine]

There is a coller on the other end of the shaft, if your stove is cold I’d set the stat to 12 oclock and the flapper to closed, and tighten the set screw in that collar, then check the movement with the stat knob….. make sure the flapper is closed before re-installing the cover…. This is all assuming the set screw is loose !!
Stoveliker is also correct, but that would not have anything to do with your knob spinning freely..

Plugged Cat is surely possible
, what stove are we talking here ?
Check/vacuum the Cat while stove is cold…. Did you vacuum behind the Cat when you cleaned it ?

This is a bk Princess 2015 model, I must confess I did not clean behind the cat this fall before starting up for this current winter. Every year before I have done that. I have a tear in a ligament in my elbow and did not want to attempt moving the stove ahead to remove the stove pipe. In years past there has been very little in behind the cat. But if you think about that, I did not clean out last winter's material / build up and now it is the end of another winter. Maybe the buildup it to the point now it is interfering?

 

[stoveliker]

You don't have telescoping pipe? That way you don't have to move the stove ...

 

[Jeff in Maine]

Well actually I think I do but I will need it moved in order to get a driver bit to fit in behind the stove to remove the cover.

 

[BKVP]

OK. STOP! First, when you turn the black knob, does the rod coming out of it also turn? If not, the set screw in the knob (7/64" or perhaps 5/64" allen wrench is need. Turn rod clockwise until it stops. Turn knob clockwise until while line is point straight down at the floor (6 o'clock).

Tighten the set screw, really tight. Then check it to make certain rod will turn.

If the rod is turning when you turn the knob turns, there is NOTHING you can fix. The thermostat needs to be replaced. You can also send it in to us and we can recalibrate it for you at no charge.

BKVP

 

[Jeff in Maine]

YES when the knob turns so does the rod. Well when I turn the black knob that sets the desired heat the knob turns and so does the rod. I don't want to waste your time Chris if the thermostat is working correctly but I'm not too sure it is.
I wanted to be sure the thermostat was wide open, this afternoon so I went out to check like I stated in my first post. When I got to it , it was at the 6:00 position as in wide open. I had this thought because my wife was sitting in front of it yesterday and doing a puzzle, while the stove was full of wood, but she was getting cold. So she went to check on the setting, it was at the 4:00 position so she opened it up all the way to WOT and still nothing happened no fire just black smoking wood. Then I got to remembering that I had read on here that the knob on someone's stove would turn round and round So I gently tried that with mine and sure enough it will turn up past 12:00 and right back around towards 6; again. I did not go that far but it would have.

 

[Jeff in Maine]

All this winter there has been a slight but noticeable smoke smell that I cannot find, could that be caused from a bad thermostat? Tell me how to proceed with the removal of the thermostat and what other parts you would need (ie ) shaft knob assembly ect if that is what I need to do and an address to send it to and tomorrow I will begin the process. Thanks Chris

 

[Jeff in Maine]

Not to belabor this but I just checked the dial movement, It will move counterclockwise from the 6:00 position all the way to 12:00 and on downward to the 8:00 position. I will check in tomorrow. Jeff

 

[stoveliker]

Hm, counter clockwise there is no "stop" as far as I know. I.e. it should be possile to go all the way counterclockwise and past "noon"...?

I thought the hard "stop" was going clockwise at 6 pm.
(my memory is spotty on this tho)

 

[Highbeam]

Hm, counter clockwise there is no "stop" as far as I know. I.e. it should be possile to go all the way counterclockwise and past "noon"...?

I thought the hard "stop" was going clockwise at 6 pm.
(my memory is spotty on this tho)

That’s right. If it hard stops clockwise pointing at the 6 o’clock position then the knob is right. Something else is happening.

Clogged cap? Wet wood? Clogged cat?

 

[Jeff in Maine]

if that is the way the knob works correctly then maybe mine is fine? It does hard stop at the 6:00 position. The other option is clogged up cat or maybe ashes in behind it. The wood is either 3.5 or 4 years old always stacked up inside never seen wet weather. the wood is not an issue. The chimney and the cap is fine like I have said I cleaned it yesterday, just to be sure. I will move the stove forward later today and clean the stove pipe, the thimble into the chimney and in behind the cat and blow it out as well.

 

[stoveliker]

Do you hear the flap close when you dial from 6 pm to 1 pm or so? When the stove is cold I hear a distinct sound around 2 pm.

 

[Jeff in Maine]

yes it clunks shut at around 1 o'clock

 

[stoveliker]

Then indeed check for blockages.

Do you have a outside air kit? If so, check that too.

 

[Jeff in Maine]

I do not

 

[showrguy]

Hmmm, this story keeps changing !!