St. Croix Pellet Stove auger will not work

[Carte Family]

Hello everyone. Our family is grateful this forum exists. We browsed around on it a few times over the years; I thought we had signed up for the forums before, but apparently we did not. We don't know a whole lot about the repair of these type of stoves. The place we bought it from (Pettigrew Feed and Hardware) decided to turn on us and not do house calls for us anymore. This thing has been a lemon from day one and has had almost everything replaced.

Last year during the winter, the auger would make a screeching sound when it would turn. But it always worked. This year, the first time we go to fire it up, the auger will not even work at all. A green light usually will come on every few seconds (depending on what setting you have it on) when running it, but this time it won't even come on. When I press the auger button, then the green light will come on, and stay on indefinitely. But the pellets still don't feed.

We have read it could be anything from the motor, to the main circuit board thing (which was already replaced a year or so ago), or maybe a vacuum thing or whatever. Do these symptoms sound familiar to anyone here? We were thinking of trying to figure this thing out, but don't want to buy a bunch of expensive parts for no reason. We've been watching a bunch of youtube videos and reading a bunch to try to get an idea.

 

[Carte Family]

I think we found out what is wrong. Hopefully replacing this thing will make the stove work.

(broken image removed)

 

[mralias]

Is that a clogged vacuum line? Looks burnt.

 

[bbfarm]

The screeching doesn't sound good. I wouldn't think replacing the vacuum hose would fix that problem.

Other than the dark end the hose looks pretty clear.

Is the auger motor turning? If it is turning and the auger is not check the set screw on the motor shaft. Maybe it loosened.

 

[Carte Family]

It is a burnt vacuum line...I don't know why, but when I was trying to remove the auger motor to see if it was clogged, I glanced over to where the vacuum hose connect to the stove and it wasn't attatched. As you see, it's burnt, brittle, and unable to connect. The screeching is most likely from a torn gasket, according to some youtube videos, and what I found. Hopefully those will take care of our problems!

 

[Bioburner]

Make sure you get high temp hose or will be replacing again.

 

[Carte Family]

I think it is a high temperature hose... it's a part directly from St Croix (from a dealer). I will let you all know what happens when we get the part and install. Thanks so much.

 

[Carte Family]

So I replaced the hose, and still no go. I bypassed both the vacuum switch, and the high limit switch with a car fuse, and neither made a difference...the auger motor still will not start. I just ordered an auger motor, and am going to try that. Is there anything else that it could be, besides that or the control board?

 

[wwert]

Try jumping the proof of fire snap disc. You can plug in the auger motor to ac with a jper cord to see if it works

 

[heat seeker]

After you try to start the stove, and it fails, are there any lights blinking on the control? That can tell you just what the problem is.

You can try putting 115 volts from the wall to the auger motor to test it (be careful, don't get shocked!). This is after disconnecting the motor electrically from the stove controls.

Let's diagnose this instead of throwing parts at it.

There are a couple of fuses on my Afton Bay circuit board, yours may have them too.

Check the connector where it attaches to the control board very carefully. Make sure all the pins are in place.

Check for disconnected wires for the auger motor - at both ends of each wire.

These stoves are not very complicated, so we should be able to zero in on the fault.

 

[rickwai]

remove auger motor and then try it. I have seen the auger get jammed and the upper bushing need lube. Motor may be ok auger may just need freed up.

 

[relxn88]

I have a St. Croix and I learned early on that it was very susceptible to the auger jamming due to fines. I built my self a sifting box to remove the majority of fines from each bag before I load the hopper. It might sound like a lot of work, but I spend about 15 minutes every Saturday and do about a dozen bags. Have you tried vacuuming out the hopper and auger chute? Just a thought.

 

[Carte Family]

I did clean out the auger, and yesterday, when i went to unplug the wires for the auger to replace it, since no codes were showing or anything, and I knew it could be nothing but the auger, I found, buried behind the other wires, one of the connections for the motor unplugged. Pushed it back on and it is happily burning away. Thanks for your help everyone...at least now I have ideas from you all if something like this happens again!

 

[Bioburner]

Gremlins

 

[mralias]

See what happens when you clean. You knock wires off. I say keep the stove dirty.