SOme Trouble with Augie (the push auger)

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Soup

Member
Sep 27, 2020
53
Where it gets cold
So the AUger had stopped recently while in operation.
At first I had thought the Stat was satisfied then I saw
the auger lite come on. I did notice alot, an awful lot
of dust in the auger. So I cleaned out, sifted any remaining
dust out of the pellets, eventually put them all back in.
So that was a couple of days ago, the stove ran say
ok for the last two days or so with the exception of
this:
* Seems like it is slow to fill the pot with
pellets at start up.
* After start up, flame is good for a little
while then at some point the flame may drop
below the height of the burn pot.
* Flame may at some point regain it's
appropriate height but, it will not maintain
it's height and end up down at the height
of the burn pot. (this makes for not as good heat, runs longer)

So above is the observation of the last
two days. Last night I let it run on the
stat all night, calling for heat when needed.
Pretty much, it followed the above scenario
I outlined above.

This morning while inattentively sitting
near by, I noticed that the stove would briefly
kick off, then back on. I first thought maybe there
was a bad connection in the surge protector. I just
uncrumpled it up and continued with the observation.
Anyway, Ends up, the auger light was flashing and the
stove would kick off. Also, the auger was not turning
anymore.
When I had the dust in the auger.( a couple of days ago)
I noticed that when the auger light came on the motor did
spin, it was just the auger was not spinning.

SO at this point I am asking questions:

And I can and will run it again and see what the
auger is doing. Then I can pull the auger out
to look at things.

I am just wondering...
Cuz the motor was spinning(when I thought the dust was jammin' it.)
That probably the motor is still good and perhaps it is something
in the drivetrain of the motor assembly auger connection...

Anyway, interested in what your thoughts might be.

Got my attention on this, want to get it running
trouble free and effective......


Thanks, Soup
 
I am sorry refresh our memory what stove is this? Avalon ???. Is the auger set screw tight on the flat part of the auger or motor shaft depending on stove?
 

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Last edited:
Yes, Sorry about that!
Avalon Newport Bay...
I will check that screw, or see if there is a set screw.. then check it's tightness.... thanks! let you know....Soup
 
According to manual there is a set screw and the motor shaft has a round side and a flat side. Flat side should be in alignment with set screw.

[Hearth.com] SOme Trouble with Augie (the push auger)
[Hearth.com] SOme Trouble with Augie (the push auger)


[Hearth.com] SOme Trouble with Augie (the push auger)
 
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Yeah, so I went through the machine. The connection of the allen screw appears
tight. I tightened it only slightly(barely a 1/4 turn) I would say it is tight.
The machine is/was incredibly dusty, I cleaned with a brush and vacuum the whole
thing. I removed the vacuum switch for accessibility, cut a few zip ties so I could move
stuff about and with the brush I had and my nice vac I made it spotless. Cleaned
the squirrel cage on the the heat fan as well.
So I also bypassed power to the auger and ran AC to it with a nice surge protector.
This allowed me to turn it on and off. Seems to run strong , it does!. The connection
however, looked rather oxidized. So I cleaned them up. I also checked connections
on the vacuum switch. There the tangs are copper, they looked pretty good.
I have it running right now and we will see if the flame is dropping below
the burn pot... (HEAT: is set at one dot above medium)
[How high should the flame be, at one dot above medium]
I am not thinking at this time,,,, like I may have solved this problem.....
AND wonder what you might think regarding perhaps a faulty
vacuum switch. I did clean the fitting on the exhaust blower already.
so that is good to go....
Could this be a potential reason for the auger to
just stop. A bad vacuum switch.

Thanks!,
Soup
 
Could this be a potential reason for the auger to
just stop. A bad vacuum switch.
Yes bad switch or loss of vacuum would stop the auger. I installed and maintained pellet stoves for 10 years before retiring I only replaced 3 bad vacuum switches usually loss of vacuum was caused by dirty stove/vent.

Things that cause loss of vacuum, in order.
1 dirty venting pipe
2 dirty stove some stoves have hard to reach places. search pellet stove leaf blower trick.
3 plugged or dirty vacuum hose or nipple
4 Cracked silicone vacuum hose
5 bad door gasket
6 bad hopper or ash pan gasket if stove has them
7 bad glass gasket
8 bad hopper switch, not loss of vacuum but usually in line with vacuum switch
9 plugged outside air hose or house to tight
10 bad or weak exhaust blower
11 bad vacuum switch

anyone please add to list if you have come across with something else
 
Last edited:
Thanks!.
So it just ran through a cycle. Shut off normal, on the thermostat.
I am going to just run it and be around. Not running it unattended.
How about the vacuum line, does that stuff fail? You know,
become hard and crack and leak etc etc......
AND
What is Medium interms of flame height off the top of the
burn pot? 4-6"s?
Soup
 
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How about the vacuum line, does that stuff fail? You know,
become hard and crack and leak etc etc......
yes and sometimes doesn't leak until stove/hose gets warm

Yes bad switch or loss of vacuum would stop the auger. I installed and maintained pellet stoves for 10 years before retiring I only replaced 3 bad vacuum switches usually loss of vacuum was caused by dirty stove/vent.

Things that cause loss of vacuum, in order.
1 dirty venting pipe
2 dirty stove some stoves have hard to reach places. search pellet stove leaf blower trick.
3 plugged or dirty vacuum hose or nipple
4 Cracked silicone vacuum hose
5 bad door gasket
6 bad hopper or ash pan gasket if stove has them
7 bad glass gasket
8 bad hopper switch, not loss of vacuum but usually in line with vacuum switch
9 plugged outside air hose or house to tight
10 bad or weak exhaust blower
11 bad vacuum switch

anyone please add to list if you have come across with something else
 
[

Things that cause loss of vacuum, in order.
1 dirty venting pipe
2 dirty stove some stoves have hard to reach places. search pellet stove leaf blower trick.
3 plugged or dirty vacuum hose or nipple
4 Cracked silicone vacuum hose
5 bad door gasket
6 bad hopper or ash pan gasket if stove has them
7 bad glass gasket
8 bad hopper switch, not loss of vacuum but usually in line with vacuum switch
9 plugged outside air hose or house to tight
10 bad or weak exhaust blower
11 bad vacuum switch

] : Thanks for this list.....

Tomorrow, I am going to run my Oil Burner Soot Vac in the exhaust.
If I think about this::: I think I have only done this once, since this stove
was put in place. So that means there are several (ten thousands of miles)
since last suck through.....
Will write again! as I progress....

Soup
 
Ah, yes. TOmorRoW sometimes becomes several days later.
[if at all lucky, sometimes - just fades like the next spaghetti western!]
A good thorough cleaning. Probably something my arteries are in need of as well.
The stove at this time is running fairly well, producing heat etc. etc.
Comparatively speaking, where would you put electric consumption of pellet stoves in the list
of appliances.
"Grandmas Hair Dryer" being say a 1

"Juniors Tele" being a 5


"All the AC units" (In Texas; where the Xis) 10

-----------------------------


And what can be said from brand to brand regarding pellet stoves,

Do some consume less power than others? Newer verses older... etc. etc. etc.????

Thanks, Soup
 
electric consumption of pellet stoves
In New York were electric is high, I pay around $1.50 a day around $45.00 a month during the full burn season, I do not have a ignitor fire/blowers run 24 hours a day stove only get turned off for cleaning