Problem with withfield advantageII

[deadoom]

Hi,

I changed the gasket(rope) on my WF adv II's door.

Something's weird now. The auger feeds well, like before. But if I pull the air rod (to give the stove more air), then the auger stops feeding. It works to a certain amount of "air" but as soon as I pull the rod just a little too much, the auger stops feeding. The light keeps flashing on the control board though. As soon as I put the rod back where it was (or completely close), the auger starts working again.

Now, that's a problem because I need to give the stove more air or else the flame is just a little too weak.

ps: sorry for my english, this isn't my first language.
I also want to add that this forum has been really helpful since I bought my house that came with this 1993 pellet stove.
I already replaced the exhaust blower last year and I do regular maintenance/cleaning.

Thanks

 

[Stovensen]

Hello deadoom, and welcome to the forum. Yes, this issue sounds very weird indeed. Especially, since the damper rod is placed on the opposite side of the controlboard and the wire harness. Still, a wire close to the damper rod could have an internal damage, and if it gets poked around by the damper rod this could explain the weird behaviour of your auger motor. I suggest you unplug the stove and open both side panels for a close inspection of all the wires.

The correct wiring diagram will be useful for this inspection.
Since your Advantage II is from 1993 it should have the control board with rotary knobs. Please check the stove serial number and see if you can find the relevant diagram in this pdf document from Hearthtools:
http://www.hearthtools.com/parts/whitfield_wire_diagrams.pdf

Good luck and take care. Keep us posted.

 

[deadoom]

Hello deadoom, and welcome to the forum. Yes, this issue sounds very weird indeed. Especially, since the damper rod is placed on the opposite side of the controlboard and the wire harness. Still, a wire close to the damper rod could have an internal damage, and if it gets poked around by the damper rod this could explain the weird behaviour of your auger motor. I suggest you unplug the stove and open both side panels for a close inspection of all the wires.

The correct wiring diagram will be useful for this inspection.
Since your Advantage II is from 1993 it should have the control board with rotary knobs. Please check the stove serial number and see if you can find the relevant diagram in this pdf document from Hearthtools:
http://www.hearthtools.com/parts/whitfield_wire_diagrams.pdf

Good luck and take care. Keep us posted.

Hello stovensen,

Thank you for your response. I opened both sides and look for a potential wire that would be in contact with the rod or damper, nada.

I have no clue how to troubleshoot that one.
When is the auger supposed to stop for safety measures ? Could it be related ?

 

[Stovensen]

When is the auger supposed to stop for safety measures ? Could it be related ?

The auger is wired in series with three safety devices: The pressure switch and two high limit switches. The high limit switches stop the auger in an overheating situation, and the pressure switch is monitoring the flue for anything blocking the exhaust air flow, thus preventing the stove from pumping lethal carbon monoxide out in the house!!
Have you checked your chimney/venting system lately for anything that could cause the tripping of the pressure switch? It makes sense that the pressure switch is tripped when you open the damper fully, doesn't it? We have previously heard of birds nests, leaves or mice blocking the flue.

Good luck and take care. Keep us posted.

 

[deadoom]

I did a full cleaning of the chimney/vent/stove late september. I even installed a grill/cap on the chimney to prevent this.

The problem began the exact same day I changed the door rope. No smoke leak + the door now stays clean.

I'll have a complete clean up done this week end, again...and I'll try different things.