St Croix Lancaster Problems

[Buckeye1470]

I have a St. Croix Lancaster I bought new approx. 8-9 years ago. Kept it clean and maintained. Replaced Door and Pan gaskets last year. That has been only issues ive ever encountered. This year, for first time, it is not working properly. I can start the stove. Run it on number 1 setting for about 30 minutes. Then bump up to nember two setting. then let it continue to run at that setting. Great looking flame. Stimulated very well. After two hours, it shuts down on its own, meaning it starts blinking, like it normally does when it runs out of corn. Hopper is always full. First, I assumed I had a stuck auger. Emptied corn. Checked operation. Works fine. Refilled and restarted. It continued to keep shutting down after two hours. Pot is burned up.....not overloaded or anything like that. Can restart and it will continue to burn just fine for two hours, then shut down. The last few times I played with all the seat settings. I will run on any settings, and pot burns nice and evenly. Then, of course, after two hours, it will shut down again. I have completely taken this thing apart and sucked out all the ash and checked all gaskets. Installed all new gaskets on combustion fan, combustion fan housing, auger gasket and glass gaskets. LOL....I am at my wits end.....Not frustrated....YET! If I start leaning towards a switch or electrical issue......where should I start? Or....am I missing something else? ANY HELP WILL BE APPRECIATED !!
If possible......send me a text!
765-238-2585

Thanks.....Tim Adams

 

[heat seeker]

What code is it blinking? It sounds like the stove cools off to where the proof of fire snap disc quits. I think that running the stove low is running it way too cool, anyway. If that's not the problem, perhaps the snap disc is dirty, loose, or defective.

 

[Buckeye1470]

Number 2 light is blinking when I ck stove and its gone out. This code all relates to the vacuum switch. Stove was on setting 4 last time it happened. Stove was hot. I checked vacuum hose. I removed it and plugged off one end. Hooked up hand held vacuum pump. Hose held vacuum indefinitely. I hooked hose back up to the stove and blew in it, to blow out any ash that may have been plugging up inside the stove. Port is clear. Removed hose again. Hooked one end up to vacuum switch and pulled 8" of vacuum on it and let set for an hour or so. It held. In process NOW, of leaving hose hooked up to vacuum switch and other end hooked up to the hand held vacuum pump. Im leaving vacuum pump hooked up to it while running stove. Im hoping that it will shut down again, if it does, I am thinking the vacuum switch is faulty after a period of time or reaching a certain temperature and causing an open in the switch. If it doesnt shut down and keeps on running, then we are losing vacuum in the fitting coming out of the side of stove, OR combustion fan is slowing down too much and not drawing enough vaccum to keep the vacuum switch activated. Combustion fan is always running, when I check it, during its shut down......but again, it may be running too slow to maintain enough vacuum. If that is the case, I guess I will buy new combustion fan to start with.

 

[jzm2cc]

I worked on an Auburn recently that kept shutting down due to low pellet flow. Found typical dry auger bushings, and a clinker type clump at top of auger channel. This clump also caused a bent auger flight, just had to straighten out with a hammer so it wouldn't rub metal to metal.

Also had more cresote in exhaust channel than I've ever seen. Pulled out exhaust motor housing and burned it out with Map gas torch and putty knife (outside of course). Did usual choke cable trick behind burnpot through the two small 3/8" holes. Burns awesome now. Some of these issues may be causing your shut downs, especially if proof of fire snap cap is cooling down.

I guess you could jumper one component (vacuum switch, then POF snap cap) at a time to see if it keeps burning past 2 hrs. Hopefully its not control board related.

 

[heat seeker]

One other possibility - the combustion blower may overheat after the 2 hours, which will shut it off until it cools, at which time it will start running again like nothing happened. Have you ever blown the windings of the exhaust blower motor out?

 

[rickwai]

1st thing I would do is open the door and suck the exhaust out with a leaf blower. Try this prior to replacing parts.

 

[adayrider]

Lancaster is what I have been burning for about 11 years. If you are on 8-9 years with no troubles you are do. I would do what Jzm2 says, process of elimination. Are you sure the pellets aren't bridging? Same size or same brand of pellet? I would start with the vacuum switch since you had problems with door gasket. Maybe it was the vacuum switch instead of door gasket.