Starting Lopi Northfield in cold from total shutdown (Greensmart II remote operation)

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Shortfinger

Member
May 30, 2017
3
NY
We've a six year old Lopi in a seasonal house occupied only in summer and fall.

Daughter and family want to go there for Thanksgiving. The house was shut down for winter just a couple weeks ago. All summer and fall we experienced problems with the Lopi stove (it's propane-fired) and required service, the last right before we left, replacement of the 3A tiny fuse that is inside the works, adjacent the control board. With that fuse blown the Lopi would only operate front burner low flame only, no smart mode t-state op, no blower operation.

The stove is operated using the Greensmart II remote. The remote uses 3 AAA batteries and the receiver box under the Lopi, the part receiving signals from the remote, uses 4 AA batteries which are only supposed to be used in loss of power for backup.

I am two time zones away and rely on a very capable house-watch guy to do all the freeze protection and drain, plus start-up, but he is not a full-fledged stove tech. I want him to go into the place now and see if the unit will operate as expected. The goal is to turn heat on two days before guests arrive in November, running in smart thermostat mode, then as soon as they arrive, go in again and turn on the water in the now-warm house.

Here is the question. In a total cold startup situation, should the top and front, both lift-off cast iron parts, be taken off, and the glass front be removed, to best get the continuous pilot going? I'm wanting to give him these instructions:

1. At the electrical panel, turn ON the dedicated 110V breaker labeled "heater stove."
2. Remove stove top, front, and glass panel.
3. Have a hand operated propane candle-lighter ready.
4. With Greensmart II remote not powered ON, press "0" button (the one that sequences through modes) and with button held, use the ^ toggle paddle on R up or down to set pilot operation to CPI.
5. With Greensmart II, press power ON button. Pilot should light. If it does not, light with lighter. Let pilot burn ten minutes and then reassemble stove with glass front, iron grille front, and top.

Does this sound like it can work? We have never been there in subfreezing weather, and for years since the stove and house was new have always just turned it on without needing to do anything else but do new batteries in both stove and remote, and turn on with remote. I am concerned about fresh air intake in a cold weather startup.
 
If anything you should clean the pilot assembly. You might need a small Allen wrench, pipe cleaner, 0000 wool is what I use. It might take several cycles to purge the air. You might have to de-energize (unplug and batteries out) between cycles if it locks out. I took use a lighter when purging these of air but under routine light of CPI you should not need to do that. And next time in this application consider a standing pilot millivolt stove