Quest WP4 Troubleshooting

[rahedk]

I'm running an older Whitfield Pellet stove, upon starting the stove i've noticed the flame becoming lazy and the door glass darking. After research I completed all the usual suspects door rope gasket, cleaned exhaust piping, ect. with no success. Upon lighting the stove i've also noticed the damper has no effect on the flame? Also i'm getting little or no exhaust air outside the home? Could there be a plug between the combustion fan and the fire grate? Also, the low limit switch seems to wants to trip because very little hot air is reaching the fan/exhaust area of the stove. Can anyone tell me on the WP4 stove door were specifically the airwash holes are at?
Thank You. Suggestions???

 

[hearthtools]

I'm running an older Whitfield Pellet stove, upon starting the stove i've noticed the flame becoming lazy and the door glass darking. After research I completed all the usual suspects door rope gasket, cleaned exhaust piping, ect. with no success. Upon lighting the stove i've also noticed the damper has no effect on the flame? Also i'm getting little or no exhaust air outside the home? Could there be a plug between the combustion fan and the fire grate? Also, the low limit switch seems to wants to trip because very little hot air is reaching the fan/exhaust area of the stove. Can anyone tell me on the WP4 stove door were specifically the airwash holes are at?
Thank You. Suggestions???

Sounds like an air leak or Blocked flue
Go through all the steps on our Maintenance and Trouble shooting Pages
http://www.hearthtools.com/parts/Whit_parts.htm
also read this thread
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/12660/

 

[rahedk]

Thank You, I had already read that post (this AM) and look at the website information (yesterday). The website provided me with the information I used to troubleshoot prior. Seeing i'm a layman in the pellet stove world when you mention flue are you speaking after the fan of before the fan on the combustion side of the stove. It seems to me the block could be somewhere near the damper. Also, when a fan motor goes gunnysack (normally) does it fail or reduce in rpm over a period of time. I'm asking, in the sense maybe it's not operating up to speed. Thank You

 

[hearthtools]

Thank You, I had already read that post (this AM) and look at the website information (yesterday). The website provided me with the information I used to troubleshoot prior. Seeing i'm a layman in the pellet stove world when you mention flue are you speaking after the fan of before the fan on the combustion side of the stove. It seems to me the block could be somewhere near the damper. Also, when a fan motor goes gunnysack (normally) does it fail or reduce in rpm over a period of time. I'm asking, in the sense maybe it's not operating up to speed. Thank You

The only way to tell if you have a blockage is to pull the blower and look behind it.
and to clean the PIPE.

As far as the blower not working at speed the only way to tell in to but a meter on it and see what the voltages are
the large PDF file on my site has the voltages for each setting.

 

[rahedk]

Found a blockage between the fan and the fire box. Alls good. Thank you

 

[hearthtools]

So you are saying you pulled out the Combustion blower
And guess what
there was Ash back there?

This is what people dont understand
All pellet stoves need to be fully taken apart every year.
Not just cleaning the Firebox area is going to keep your stove going.
If you cant do it Get someone who can.

Most of my customers that have us service the stoves Very few need to have blowers replace
Most are still going for 15 years without any parts.

But the people that call us every 5 years are replacing blowers and other parts every 5 years

 

[rahedk]

Yes Figure that? I found alot of ash in that location. I can now damper my stove down a 1/2 to 3/4's further and produce a beautiful flame and excellent heat. It took my room temperature half the time to raise to a comfort level. Man was I ever wasting alot of pellets. By the way never use air to clear the blockage, at least not in your home with beige carpet or what used to be.OopsThanks Again.

 

[hearthtools]

Yes Figure that? I found alot of ash in that location. I can now damper my stove down a 1/2 to 3/4's further and produce a beautiful flame and excellent heat. It took my room temperature half the time to raise to a comfort level. Man was I ever wasting alot of pellets. By the way never use air to clear the blockage, at least not in your home with beige carpet or what used to be.OopsThanks Again.

When I say blow out the blower
that is when you take the blowers OFF and OUTSIDE to blow them out

A shop vac with a 1/2 Polly hose adapt to it works great to suck out all the other tight spots