Quad CB 1200i won't drop pellets

[clunk]

Hi all, maybe someone can help. This is the 4th year running my CB 1200i. This morning my wife turned the stove on before she left for work and if fired up fine but when I came down a half-hour later the fan was on but no fire. I checked the hopper and noticed it was really low on pellets and figured the augur was empty. So I added a bag and hit the reset button. Stupidly, as it was dark and the glass was dirty, I did not check to see what it looked like. Anyway, it didn't start so I hit the reset button again. After awhile I heard a loud pop and then saw a big flame. The firebox was completely full of fines and pellets all the way to the top of the feeder hole.

I got the fire out after the house filled with smoke and the smoke alarms freaked out the dogs, etc. So tonight I cleaned it all up, vacuumed out the hopper and the augur area, added some pellets and fired it up. Now it won't drop pellets. Any ideas?

 

[jtakeman]

Did you clean the vacuum tube? It may have got plugged with the same fines.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

You have ash all through the stove and likely in the venting and it is possible your high limit is tripped.

Clean everything out really well reset the high limit and retry starting the stove.

 

[clunk]

Did you clean the vacuum tube? It may have got plugged with the same fines.

Where do I find the vacuum tube?

 

[clunk]

OK, I found the vacuum tube. Should I just try to blow through it?

 

[clunk]

Blew through the vacuum tube and re-attached. Still won't drop pellets.

 

[rparker]

When Smokey gives a suggestion...follow it. Have been on here long enough to get an idea of whom to pay close attention to.
Sounds like before you do anything, a complete cleaning is in order. You probably have ash, fines, etc everywhere possible icluding the venting. Also check to pellet delivery chute from the auger as it could be plugged.
I have a CB1200 FS and if something like that happened, I would want to make sure that I cleaned every possible place.
Let us know what you find.

 

[DexterDay]

When was the last time the ash trap in the back of the stove was cleaned? When was the last time venting was cleaned?

Sounds plugged up to me. Also. You never want to just hit reset again, with a pot full of pellets. The fire was HUGE because you had 2X the necessary amount of pellets for ignition. Add on a slow breathing stove and you have a LARGE FLAME

 

[mralias]

When was the last time the ash trap in the back of the stove was cleaned?

Hey Dex, where is that ash trap located? Only clean out on my 1200i that I could find is the two clean out plates inside the stove in the lower right and left corner, the exhaust transition assembly and the ash pan. Is there another one I missed somewhere? I ask because I truly don't know where it is.

 

[tjnamtiw]

Just a point that could cause more trouble and mask the underlying problem > When you blew out the vacuum tube, which way did you blow? Towards the vacuum switch or towards the stove? Never blow towards the switch as it will destroy it. Also, you should make sure the nipple that the hose attaches to at the top of the chute is clear. Since you had the chute probably full of pellets too, take a mirror and flashlight and look up the drop chute to make sure you don't see any pellets up there.

 

[kinsmanstoves]

clean, clean, and then clean.

Eric

 

[clunk]

Fixed. The problem apparently was that the augur chute was clogged. When I took a mirror and looked up there I saw it. I took a coat hangar and poked out the stuck pellets and the problem was solved.

Dexter, I know not to hit reset with a pot full of pellets; as I said I failed to see the pellets in the pot. I won't do that again! As far as cleaning, I've had this unit for four years and keep it pretty clean.

So what did I learn? Fines will clog the augur chute on these CB 1200's. I'm using Vermont Wood Pellets, which burn hot and produce no clinkers, but they have more fines than the Barefoots I used last year. I'm either going to have to vacuum the hopper regularly for the rest of the winter or put together one of those fancy fine-sucker mechanisms.

Thanks to all of you for your help. This is a great forum.

 

[DexterDay]

Hey Dex, where is that ash trap located? Only clean out on my 1200i that I could find is the two clean out plates inside the stove in the lower right and left corner, the exhaust transition assembly and the ash pan. Is there another one I missed somewhere? I ask because I truly don't know where it is.

Oops. Forgot the OP's was an insert. The freestanding model has a large clean out in the back.right hand side of the stove. You can see the comb blower and the 2 areas at the bottom of the heat exchanger where the exhaust leads down.

 

[mralias]

Oops. Forgot the OP's was an insert. The freestanding model has a large clean out in the back.right hand side of the stove. You can see the comb blower and the 2 areas at the bottom of the heat exchanger where the exhaust leads down.

Rats, I was hoping for another place to get at the ash. The two clean out plates inside the insert are located so you can clean the ash from the exchanger. Thanks for the reply.

 

[tjnamtiw]

Fixed. The problem apparently was that the augur chute was clogged. When I took a mirror and looked up there I saw it. I took a coat hangar and poked out the stuck pellets and the problem was solved.
.

See, I'm not as dumb as I look!

 

[DexterDay]

Rats, I was hoping for another place to get at the ash. The two clean out plates inside the insert are located so you can clean the ash from the exchanger. Thanks for the reply.

Nah. Its the same area to clean. Just a different route to get there. Mines on the back (inside) and yours is located so you dont need to pull the insert out.

Sorry