Quadra-Fire Castile troubles...

[pulke01]

Hi All,

My Quadra-fire Castile will not feed. I had a tech come out and diagnose as I am unfamiliar with this stove being that the stove was installed prior to me buying the home.

He said that my auger feed motor was bad...
I replaced the part and still no feed.
I referred to my manual and it said to replace snap disc 2. I did so. Still no feed.
I went back to the manual and it said possible bad vacuum switch. I replaced that and still no feed.

At this point, I am pretty frustrated. The red light comes on when i plug in the machine after the blue lights blink a few times (I believe it is three cycles of four blinks), I adjust the remote thermostat so that the stove calls for heat, it clicks but no feed. The glow bar heats up and still nothing. The glass door is secure, and all covers are in place I thought a possible feed jam, so i emptied the unit and manually turned the auger and it fed. with no problem.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I am new to the appliance and certainly don't want to break anything or replace more parts that I now see that I didn't have to.

Thanks,

Keith

 

[tjnamtiw]

If nothing else, you're set with spare parts It sounds like a car dealership where you just throw parts at it and hope it works.
The number one thing to check is whether you have enough vacuum to pull that switch in. What follows assumes that you have some mechanical/electrical savvy. If this isn't true, then perhaps calling a more competent 'tech' might be in order. If you wind up with the same one, suggest that he buys back that auger motor!

Find the vacuum switch by looking at your manual and seeing where it's situated. Remove the rubber hose from it and blow air into it to see if it blows out the little nipple at the top of the pellet chute. This nipple tends to clog up with fines over time. If it is clear, the next step is to unplug the stove, pull off the two wires attached to the vacuum switch and, using a piece of thin wire/paper clip, connect them together and wrap with electrical tape. This bypasses the vacuum switch. Plug the stove back in and see if you get pellet feed. THIS IS ONLY A TEMPORARY TEST SET UP. DO NOT RUN THE STOVE LIKE THIS WITHOUT THIS SAFETY FEATURE.

Report back with your findings and we'll go from there.

 

[tjnamtiw]

This is the sequence of operation of your stove.

 

[kappel15]

What red light comes on? When you turn up thermostat, does the red call light come on in junction box?

 

[pulke01]

If nothing else, you're set with spare parts It sounds like a car dealership where you just throw parts at it and hope it works.
The number one thing to check is whether you have enough vacuum to pull that switch in. What follows assumes that you have some mechanical/electrical savvy. If this isn't true, then perhaps calling a more competent 'tech' might be in order. If you wind up with the same one, suggest that he buys back that auger motor!

Find the vacuum switch by looking at your manual and seeing where it's situated. Remove the rubber hose from it and blow air into it to see if it blows out the little nipple at the top of the pellet chute. This nipple tends to clog up with fines over time. If it is clear, the next step is to unplug the stove, pull off the two wires attached to the vacuum switch and, using a piece of thin wire/paper clip, connect them together and wrap with electrical tape. This bypasses the vacuum switch. Plug the stove back in and see if you get pellet feed. THIS IS ONLY A TEMPORARY TEST SET UP. DO NOT RUN THE STOVE LIKE THIS WITHOUT THIS SAFETY FEATURE.

Report back with your findings and we'll go from there.

No such luck. I disconnected the hose at the sensor in the back and blew into it. i could hear the air as i blew into it.

Do note, that switch (and hose) were replaced today.

 

[pulke01]

What red light comes on? When you turn up thermostat, does the red call light come on in junction box?

Yes, the red call light is the light that i was referring to

 

[Mt Bob]

You did all this after the tech left?The tech would have had a new motor on his truck.Not sure if I believe this thread.

 

[pulke01]

You did all this after the tech left?The tech would have had a new motor on his truck.Not sure if I believe this thread.

The tech was from my local oil company who advertises that they service pellet stoves. (Pioneer Oil - Worcester, MA.) They were here to tune up the oil burner. When I realized that the stove was not working, I asked them to service it when they came out as well. Long story short, two techs showed up (one each an apparent specialist in each) and the oil is working great, and the pellet stove tech informed me that it was the feed motor. I asked him to leave the side panel off and I would call my local dealer (note: their service was 5 weeks out. That vendor is Enchanted Fireside- Worcester, MA) and I was able to get the part and replaced it.

The stove I previously used was an enviro free standing that had a manual light. The castile is a much more tecnologicaly advanced stove so until i learned more about it, I wanted a professional to work on it. I now see that when I was billed for the pellet tech, my money was wasted.

Thanks for the doubt...but I now hope that you see that I'm not full of soot.

 

[Mt Bob]

Well cool,but your first post shows replacing 3 parts in close time frame,no matter.Your castille is much older tech. than my 1992 integra.TJ posted the very good tech stuff for you.(buy the way I would ask for a refund from the people you paid).Anyay yours is a simple system,unhook tstat at stove and jumper and try,If that does not work,jumper vacuum switch and try-if that works,you got a leak or combustion motor problem.

 

[pulke01]

Well cool,but your first post shows replacing 3 parts in close time frame,no matter.Your castille is much older tech. than my 1992 integra.TJ posted the very good tech stuff for you.(buy the way I would ask for a refund from the people you paid).Anyay yours is a simple system,unhook tstat at stove and jumper and try,If that does not work,jumper vacuum switch and try-if that works,you got a leak or combustion motor problem.

Yes, I have replaced 3 parts. It has been in a 2 week time frame. Its just very frustrating at this point. Every time I hear the boiler kick on, I look down at this pretty stove that isn't running. I am kind of handy but like i said, my enviro was very simple and didn't have all the bells and whistles that this does.

Thanks for the advice. I'll try that and post my findings.

 

[smwilliamson]

The Castille control box should be set to #6 I believe, denoted by how many blue blinks at start up. Look into the control box once plugged in and see if there is a yellowish orange light in there. If so, thermocouple is bad and you won't get any feed. Make sure the manual reset high limit on the feed tube is not tripped and remove the black hose from the feed tube coming from the vac switch and make sure the barb isn't clogged. Get back to me. I'd say the oil technician did the right diagnosis for you so you'll keep buyin oil!

 

[smwilliamson]

You did all this after the tech left?The tech would have had a new motor on his truck.Not sure if I believe this thread.

I don't know those quad auger motors are over 2 bills and he wasn't really a quad tech but and oil tech acting as a pellet tech

 

[kappel15]

The older Castiles were set at 4. Either 4 or 6 will work. Make sure you unplug stove before changing setting. Always unplug stove before pulling or installing the control box also. I will not go further as you are getting more then enough help and it could start getting confusing. kap

 

[tjnamtiw]

No such luck. I disconnected the hose at the sensor in the back and blew into it. i could hear the air as i blew into it.

Do note, that switch (and hose) were replaced today.

"NO SUCH LUCK"??? Did you jumper the two wires from the vacuum switch, as I said? You replaced the switch BUT even if it's a GOOD switch, without jumping across it, you're ASSUMING that you have vacuum. That's a bad assumption! Jumper the switch before anything else!

 

[DMKNLD]

Just to cover your bases on other possible vacuum related causes, you're sure pulke that the prior owner didn't do something like leave a rag in the exhaust vent over the summer to keep critters out ? (don't ask how I would know that ) Or the thing is plugged up with ash? Anything causing an obstruction to the combustion blower's ability to move air through the stove and venting (especially if you're at or above your max EVL recommendation) can affect your vacuum issues, which in turn can shut down the auger function.

Your door seal and fire pot seal are OK ? Do the dollar bill test around the door gasket sections to make sure that's not leaking and causing any vacuum problems.

It can be a combination of several of these issues, which I found to be the case on my Castile when we inherited it from a prior owner when we bought our Maine farmhouse. I chased my tail much of the first burn season trying to get it running right (thanks to tj and others on this forum who helped me figure it out, or it would have been a decorative planter in my yard instead of humming along happily heating my farmhouse as we speak)

Prior owners can be well intention-ed, but some times misdirected, in the things they do to a pellet stove, that then becomes your problem to fix. Luckily that's what this forum is here to help with !

A belated forum welcome, and hang in there, brother, you'll get it figured out !

 

[pulke01]

Just to cover your bases on other possible vacuum related causes, you're sure pulke that the prior owner didn't do something like leave a rag in the exhaust vent over the summer to keep critters out ? (don't ask how I would know that ) Or the thing is plugged up with ash? Anything causing an obstruction to the combustion blower's ability to move air through the stove and venting (especially if you're at or above your max EVL recommendation) can affect your vacuum issues, which in turn can shut down the auger function.

Your door seal and fire pot seal are OK ? Do the dollar bill test around the door gasket sections to make sure that's not leaking and causing any vacuum problems.

It can be a combination of several of these issues, which I found to be the case on my Castile when we inherited it from a prior owner when we bought our Maine farmhouse. I chased my tail much of the first burn season trying to get it running right (thanks to tj and others on this forum who helped me figure it out, or it would have been a decorative planter in my yard instead of humming along happily heating my farmhouse as we speak)

Prior owners can be well intention-ed, but some times misdirected, in the things they do to a pellet stove, that then becomes your problem to fix. Luckily that's what this forum is here to help with !

A belated forum welcome, and hang in there, brother, you'll get it figured out !

thanks so much for the kind words. I'm hoping to have this ironed out and burning soon. It's been an uphill (and expensive) battle so far. I really appreciate all the advice on this. It's such a pretty stove and it grinds my auger seeing it there not doing what it does best.

 

[dmac80]

OP, I understand your fustration, I had a long thread recently about nuisance shutdowns and feed issues on my quad. Unfortunately there are lots of possible causes. The good news is this is a great forum and you'll get help.

Is there a 'reset' button on the castile? My quad has a reset button to the lower right side near the door handle, I need to hit that a few times (wait 30-60 seconds between presses) to kick it in the ass sometimes and get it feeding. Also is your rope' tadpole gasket' that seals the door when shut frayed or loose? Mine was in tatters and I replaced it and it fixed A LOT of issues for me. Lastly as they suggested if you jump the vacuum switch with electrical wire it can point towards or eliminate a vacuum issue (switch or door gasket or other components of that process).

 

[pulke01]

I'm now seeing that when i first plug the insert in, a yellow light flashes once, then the 6 flashes of blues. Is this the thermocouple? Thermocouple cover?

 

[DMKNLD]

Yes, an amber colored control box light is your thermo-couple indicator. If it's just the ceramic thermo-couple cover not seated completely you won't get the amber light flash I don't believe - it just won't get up to temp to turn on the green or red lights in your control box.

Take off the T-C cover and look at the teminal end of the T-C and you may find it's broken at the soldered part - if so, there's your problem !. But the T-C solder can look intact and it still be fritz-ed on the electrical continuity.

If you've got a multi-meter you can definitively test it by disconnecting the T-C wires (unplug the stove first, as in any electrical intervention ! ), put a multi-meter probe to each
T-C wire connection, then gently heat up the soldered end of your T-C with a lighter or brief passes of a propane torch and see if you get continuity as it heats up - I recall 12 milli-volts is what it should read if it's working. .

Sounds like a bad T-C is likely your problem. Keep us posted.

 

[tjnamtiw]

Every thing I've read says that if the thermocouple is bad, you will get an amber light. I've never seen a single flash of a yellow/amber light as a sign of thermocouple failure. That one beats me! Maybe Kap can shed some light.

Still waiting for you to jumper the vacuum switch...........

 

[DMKNLD]

You mean the amber light stays on continuously, versus flashing just once, tj? From what I recall, there is no actual amber / yellow light, but rather the red and green lights flash together, correct ? Time to read up on that....... Kap will know no doubt.



.

 

[kappel15]

Usually with a bad thermocouple, the green light will stay on and the red light will flash in the control box if circuit is open or if the thermo is fractured.

 

[smwilliamson]

I think but cannot be entirely sure that the yellow/amber light comes on for a sec at plug in then goes out if tc is good and stays on if bad.

Check the power to the vac switch with a DMM, should be 115v or somewhere thereabouts. Just worked on a heatilator today that was sending 74v. Good indication control box was bad.

 

[pulke01]

I didn't have any wire so after replacing the thermocouple, I cut the wire and connected the vacuum switch connectors and fired it up. Still no feed.

 

[tjnamtiw]

You mean the amber light stays on continuously, versus flashing just once, tj? From what I recall, there is no actual amber / yellow light, but rather the red and green lights flash together, correct ? Time to read up on that....... Kap will know no doubt.



.

Yea, it's really a blend of the two lights that turns out to be amber colored. I've never seen it but I thought that it stayed on continuously.