We purchased a St. Croix Auburn in time for the 2006 winter. I burned corn the next three-four years and then when the corn price got high switched to pellets. Those first few years it worked great. Through the years I have replaced the main blower fan motor assembly and also the exhaust fan. The last 2-3 years I have been having more and more difficult time getting the stove to burn hot. I cannot burn it on level 5 or the burn pot overloads. The flame also tends to be an orange color. I have never changed the burn pot, although I am needing to now I think. Has anybody here had an Auburn not burn well and able to get it burning good again? Thank you for considering this.
St. Croix Auburn--Need Help Getting It To Burn Better
- Thread starter DoosanMan
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Doug Doty
Burning Hunk
If the holes are open in the burn pot it can only be not enough air in or not enough air through and out for the amount of fuel being delivered, sounds like it might be plugged up a bit somewhere or over fueling for some reason. Is it going through pellets at the right rate but not heating to expectations ??. Maybe a weak combustion fan but I here they rarely fade away slowly. Could you put a Vacuum gauge on it, they tell a lot on these stoves.
First 2 things I'd recommend would be new gaskets, and take it out for a super cleaning ........................ why do you suspect burnpot issues?
bogieb
Minister of Fire
Stupid question, but did you adjust the damper when you switched to pellets? Heck, I don't even know if that stove has a damper. If it does, seems to me that my Hastings' instructions said that when changing from corn to pellets (or vice-versa) that a damper change may be needed. Now that I have imparted the only bit of knowledge on the subject that I have, I will go back to my corner and mumble softly to myself 
................., I will go back to my corner and mumble softly to myself
Thanks, bogieb, I'd be a lot better off if I did that more, myself ..............
Lake Girl
Moderator
POF switch may need to be cleaned or replaced. Tried looking at the manual and it mentions the part # but not where it is located. Some folks have detached and found ash/dust build-up.
(broken link removed)
3 – 80P20038 P.O.F. switch
Edit ... stove not shutting down so this isn't as likely a problem!
(broken link removed)
3 – 80P20038 P.O.F. switch
Edit ... stove not shutting down so this isn't as likely a problem!
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If you still have your firebrick, remove it and clean the two holes that are each side of the pellet shoot. Also check behind your ash pan and look toward the top to see if there is a removable trap door being held in by two 1/4" self tapping screws. Remove one of the screws and loosen the other screw and you'll be amazed at how much fly ash is trapped in there. That is the path that combustion air flows through and is likely the cause of your burn pot seemingly over flowing, the reality is its actually under burning and would likely be worse if your were burning corn as you would need even more combustion air. Can you check to see what program your control board is on?
What I would do is disconnect the stove, take all the fans out ,remove the firebrick take it outside and blast it with an air compressor until no more ash comes out.
Not sure if your st croix is like ours with those 2 holes behind the firebox, but this is the best way to clean them
We have done ths the last 2 years and it makes a world of difference.
Ths should solve your airflow problem
Not sure if your st croix is like ours with those 2 holes behind the firebox, but this is the best way to clean them
We have done ths the last 2 years and it makes a world of difference.
Ths should solve your airflow problem
Ok, I wonder if it does need a super cleaning. Now this afternoon I diagnosed a second problem.
1. When I light it.........it shuts off after a few seconds and the #2 light is blinking. I have checked and both my combustion fan and exhaust fan are running. What could be causing this? I tried this about 10 times and it finally took off. Now when I shut it down............it is the same thing again.
2. I notice on my combustion fan (this is the main blower located bottom and back of stove) that I can feel quite a bit of air blowing out around that area. Is that normal? Should I be feeling any air at all there?
I really appreciate your help here.
thanks
Doosanman
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The number 2 flashing lihght is a vacuum fault. Check to make sure your pipe and cap are not plugged. Have you tried the dollar bill test on your door and ash pan door?
Bioburner
Moderator
According to the manual the #2 feed light blinking is low vacuum, bad door gasket, ash pan door open or gasket, defective vacuum switch, vacuum switch hose plugged or disconnected or vent system plugged, Page 14. Just got one to play with.
What is the dollar bill test? Could you please explain that to me? Thanks!
TimfromMA
Minister of Fire
Bioburner
Moderator
Take a bill and close the door on it and latch. If the bill pull out easily the gasket are probably letting in air and not through the fire pot.To much air around the gaskets and the vac switch won't activate.
Put a dollar bill between door and stove when shut the door. The dollar bill should be hard to pull out. If it is easy it indicates air leak.
Considering your also having a burn issue, I would suspect that you have a dirty stove and or venting. This would cause the vacuum switch to fail and you already noted that the combustion blower is working. Clean stove and venting thoroughly would be my suggestion.
LuvMyPellets
Burning Hunk
The low vaccum on a St Croix. Been there and done that twice. New door gasket, New Vacuum switch. Learned the hard way. Both times the exhaust blower not moving enough air to pull a tight seal. The design of these stoves with the blower mounted the way it is makes it get very hot vs a Harman that is mounted out in the open and on the back of the stove. Bearings go quicker and slow down the fan the hotter it is and they are non replaceable,.
In several locations around the door all have to pass for the seal to be good.
Do the same thing with the ash pan if there is a gasket there.
All tests have to pass.
While you are at it clean that exhaust blower and the cavity it sits in.
Do your brush work on the heat exchanger both to the right and left. When you get through with the brushes and firebox metal wall thumping use an air compressor to blow the mess out of the stove (very messy operation should only be done out doors or attach a leaf blower vacuum attachment to the vent and suck the crud out of the store,
St. Croix stoves have a spot between the two clean out holes that is hard to get the ash out of. You might have to to resort to a flexible shaft on a electric drill to get to it from either clean-out holes or you can go in from the combustion blower cavity towards the firebox to reach it.
Update--Took blowers off and spend a good while blowing it all out. I got a tremendous amount of ash out of it. I tried it now and there is no alarm. It is blowing noticeably better. I ordered a new burn pot as this one is was about burned up. It was the original. Now I am trying to decide if I have time to paint it while it is out.
heat seeker
Minister of Fire
with burn pot out make sure ash, corn/pellets are not clogging the rectangular holes where the air enters the burn pot. I have seen this many times. Also get a refridge. coil brush. It is a long slender brush.m run it up the ash trap holes. That usually hepls the stove breath better.
Did you get your Auburn working properly? I have had mine since 2002 and have yet to replace a part on it. Great stove. I have learned when it starts to not burn like it should 99% of the time its the back wall needing cleaned out. I hammer the wall on the inside for ash to drop down to the ash trap opening. After 2002 they started making holes to the left and right of the burn put, towards the top of the pot, that has a metal plug, those pry off and you can put a flex wire in there and run with a drill. to clean it out. There are pics online of an Auburn cut in half view. The best thing though is to use a leaf blower/vac on the exhaust pipe to suck the exhaust system clean. Does great. I do it every other weekend , only takes a couple minutes. I burn corn only. One more thing, the Auburn is known to overload on setting 5 sometimes even on 4 , this depends on the fuel type. There is a jumper on the circuit board to switch from 8 11 and 13 second cycles. You could experiment with that. (unplug before touching the board) If you have an outside air intake as I do its good to put an elbow in it to prevent wind from blowing into it. I always have 2 or 3 days a winter where the wind is at just the perfect direction that it will not stay going for anything. Use a drill bit in the burn pot holes if they are even slightly plugged.
heat seeker
Minister of Fire
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