St. Croix Hastings Feeder Issue

[bogieb]

So I cleaned the Hastings today and performed the LBT (with door open and stove unplugged). Started it back up and it seemed to be fine running on #3 manual while getting the house back up to temp. After a while, I turned it to SmartStat. After about 20 minutes, I noticed that the on button wasn't blinking (as it should if on a thermostat). I turned it back to manual and placed it on setting #2 but there didn't seem to be a change in the flame several minutes later, just the blower speed. I then turned it down to #1 - same thing. Feeder was going every 7 seconds (I timed it) and the flame stayed at what it was on #3.

Then I turned it to SmartStat mode, and the feeder went non-stop even though the temp should have told it to idle and the fire grew. I turned the stove back to manual and shut it down. There were still small flames 7 minutes later, which tells me there are a bunch of pellets in the pot (I've never had it go that long, only a minute or two).

Figured while I'm waiting for the cool down to check my work, I'd jump on here and see if there are any suggestions on what might cause a feeder issue in a drop system. It is on a new surge/protector battery backup.

Thanks for any insight you can give me.

 

[heat seeker]

Unplug it while it's cooling, to do a control reset. Except for startup mode, the auger should never run 100% of the time. The most, on mine, is about 50% on level 5 (5.5 seconds out of 11.5 seconds cycle time.)

ETA: when you time the auger, please note both the "on" and "off" times.

 

[bogieb]

Never thought to time the on time. It seemed to me to only be about a second or so and off for 7 seconds (definite)

 

[bogieb]

After the fan turned off, I unplugged it, took it apart and set it up again. There were unburned pellets that had popped out and into the ash pan - unusual for me to see, but I think they say it isn't unusual for this stove. I replaced door gasket while I was at it, as it had a slightly smaller one in there than was supposed to be. Emptied the hopper and vacuumed out fines.

Started it up and ran it on #2. Feeder was off for 7 seconds, fed for 2.5-3. But the flame was huge - bigger than normal on #3. Was going to turn it down to one but then I ran into another issue, the baffle fell off (I had removed it and reset it - apparently not well enough). So I turned it off again. That damn thing ran with huge flame for as long as I had the stove going to begin with. These are the same pellets I've been using all along, so don't think that has anything to do with it (in case someone was going to suggest that).

It is now cooling off again and I'll put the baffle back together.

When I took out the "bricks" along the back face, there are two round holes there. I don't remember seeing them before. I know there are holes behind the side "bricks". Does something belong there? I'm probably just misremembering.

 

[bogieb]

Should there be some sort of flap between the chute and auger? Stupid question probably.

 

[heat seeker]

Two small holes on either side of the burn pot? Those are for cleaning with a flex cable. They should be plugged. You can get electrical knockout plugs that size at a hardware store.

Mine has no flap between the chute and auger.

 

[bogieb]

When I took out the "bricks" along the back face, there are two round holes there. I don't remember seeing them before. I know there are holes behind the side "bricks". Does something belong there? I'm probably just misremembering.

Never mind about that - it is normal, just found somewhere that those holes are referenced. Now just need to know if there is something that should be between the auger and the chute.

 

[bogieb]

Two small holes on either side of the burn pot? Those are for cleaning with a flex cable. They should be plugged. You can get electrical knockout plugs that size at a hardware store.

Mine has no flap between the chute and auger.

Ah, sorry, I didn't refresh the page before posting a minute ago

 

[bogieb]

Two small holes on either side of the burn pot? Those are for cleaning with a flex cable. They should be plugged. You can get electrical knockout plugs that size at a hardware store..

Except my local store - just went there. Looks like an hour trip is in store for me to get to HD

 

[bogieb]

Finally got back - fortunately didn't have to go all the way to HD, just part way to another local hardware store about 10 miles away. Between the reset (unplug) and plugging up the holes behind the "brick", the stove is acting much like its old self. It now is listening to the thermostat and feeding correctly. Don't know what happened to the plugs that were in the holes in the back wall - must have somehow sucked them out and thrown them in the wood either while vacuuming or LBT'ing. I bought a couple of extras for the next time

Thank you Heatseaker for telling me what I needed to plug those holes (and to unplug to reset again - figured it had reset during the cleaning, obviously it got confused). Evidently the holes were inputting so much air it was letting the fire run riot - and boy wasn't it black in there when I took it apart! The manual warns about too much air creating creosote in the stove, I just didn't realize how nasty it could get in the space of 15 minutes.

Up side to that exercise was the Harman got to stretch its legs for a while - it hasn't worked like that since last winter.

 

[heat seeker]

Glad you're back in the "warm zone"!