Alright, I will try to make this brief while including as many details as possible to help diagnose.
I purchased a non-running Quadra Fire Classic Bay 1200 for cheap as a new homeowner entering my first full winter in my house (last winter took until mid-March to install my own hot water baseboard boiler, and replumb the heating pipes throughout the house due to damage suffered from two winters without heat before I bought it.)
Anyways, initially once plugging it in (with thermostat jumped for diagnostic purposes; one less item to throw problems into the mix as the original thermo does not appear in good condition) the only thing that would happen is the call light would come on and the exhaust blower. I disassembled the exterior of the stove to gain access to as much of the internals as possible without removing anything vital to operations of the stove. This included the hopper lid, both outer doors, the cover plates underneath those doors, the plate covering the ignitor, and the ash pan. I discovered that the ignitor WAS becoming red, there is a Red and White striped wire that runs to a wire nut connecting it to a red wire which is loose and not connected to anything on the right hand side of the stove below the control panel, and the Vacuum Switch was missing a screw and was loose.
I used a spare nut and bolt to refasten the vacuum switch to the body of the stove, but that made no difference. I jumped the vacuum switch and plugged the stove in and the augur motor began feeding pellets into the firepot. The pellets will begin to smoke but a flame will not start, instead the smoke will start to escape through the door. I believe that narrows it down to either a thermocouple or ignitor problem. Is it possible for the ignitor to turn red but still not be putting out enough heat to fire the pellets? What is the easiest way to diagnose between the two?
Obviously there is something wrong with the vacuum switch, or the stoves vacuum itself but was planning on worrying about that after I get the stove to start fires unless the two are connected.
I purchased a non-running Quadra Fire Classic Bay 1200 for cheap as a new homeowner entering my first full winter in my house (last winter took until mid-March to install my own hot water baseboard boiler, and replumb the heating pipes throughout the house due to damage suffered from two winters without heat before I bought it.)
Anyways, initially once plugging it in (with thermostat jumped for diagnostic purposes; one less item to throw problems into the mix as the original thermo does not appear in good condition) the only thing that would happen is the call light would come on and the exhaust blower. I disassembled the exterior of the stove to gain access to as much of the internals as possible without removing anything vital to operations of the stove. This included the hopper lid, both outer doors, the cover plates underneath those doors, the plate covering the ignitor, and the ash pan. I discovered that the ignitor WAS becoming red, there is a Red and White striped wire that runs to a wire nut connecting it to a red wire which is loose and not connected to anything on the right hand side of the stove below the control panel, and the Vacuum Switch was missing a screw and was loose.
I used a spare nut and bolt to refasten the vacuum switch to the body of the stove, but that made no difference. I jumped the vacuum switch and plugged the stove in and the augur motor began feeding pellets into the firepot. The pellets will begin to smoke but a flame will not start, instead the smoke will start to escape through the door. I believe that narrows it down to either a thermocouple or ignitor problem. Is it possible for the ignitor to turn red but still not be putting out enough heat to fire the pellets? What is the easiest way to diagnose between the two?
Obviously there is something wrong with the vacuum switch, or the stoves vacuum itself but was planning on worrying about that after I get the stove to start fires unless the two are connected.
