Timber Ridge 55-trpah issue

[bond1973]

Not sure who may be familiar with these but here goes. Shut down stove the other day to clean it. Came back hours later and performed a partial cleaning. Fired up the stove and waited for the control panel to blank out (meaning it's running) Came down later and noticed it wad still cold but stove was running... the room blower wasn't blowing. Turned it off and let it cool and finished the complete cleaning. Turned it on, pellets ignited... shutdown with E 2 (which it does A LOT), turned it back on and flame was going strong... still no room blower. Noticed the flame started shrinking. It's running now with very little flame...running at 5/5... no room blower. Checked the connections for thermal sensor... they SEEM fine... Englander had me run a test (talked to them on the phone while I was at work) to check diagnostics... he said as long as it didn't show a 9/2, then communication with thermal sensor should be fine...I got 8c/8d back and forth. Next step is to take a day off of work to get on the phone with them while in front of my stove to troubleshoot it. Hate to take a day off of work to troubleshoot stove. Anybody have any insight? Hmm...ok... the room blower just kicked in. Lol. After a real long time. It has done this since the issue began and the blower doesn't run long. Not much flame at this point, though I hear pellets dropping in... still love any input as there's definitely still an issue.
Thanks
Rick

 

[slvrblkk]

What are your bottom 3 buttons set at? Is the stove new or used? If you aren't running a thermostat, make sure the jumper wire is in the terminals on the board and tight.

 

[bond1973]

1-5-1 (support had me change from 4 to 5 during a previous issue). Stove is new... bought in October/November and first fired it up this past Christmas Eve. No thermostat... it's been running ok since I first fired it up Christmas Eve. One previous issue with pellets not feeding... think the end result was a clogged vacuum tube.

 

[slvrblkk]

What brand pellets are you burning? Do you have a bunch of fines in the bottom of the hopper? You can also try bumping your LFF number to 2 or 3 to get it to feed more.

 

[bond1973]

Right now... Maine's Choice. Been using them in both my stoves this year with no issues thus far. Not sure on the fines...I don't often let it run low enough to see. Kills me... because it's been running relatively fine.

 

[stillersnut]

Stove temp may not be getting hot enough upon start up, set bottom 3 #s at 3-5-1. Set temp & blower at a higher # during start up, like a 5/6. Then adjust accordingly after stove heat up. This is a big unit & takes about an hour or so to get heated entirely.

 

[MaryH]

Three things, I can think of to make the room blower misbehave.

The stove isn't getting hot enough, for the sensor to turn on the blower.

The sensor, is defective, or there is a clog of ash.

The thermal cutout, in the motor itself, is tripping, and shutting the motor down.

How much fuel have you burned through it, since you got it?

Have you leaf blowered it?

Have you taken the room blower out, to check/clean it? (you can reuse the gasket)

 

[bond1973]

I have put approximately ... many bags. Probably over 50. Have not leaf blowered it... haven't cleaned the vent pipe at all other than tapping it and opening the clean - out which is connected directly to the back of the stove. Also haven't removed the blower. Guess maybe vent pipe and blower cleanings in order...

 

[stillersnut]

Needs a good cleaning

 

[CTBossfan]

Not sure who may be familiar with these but here goes. Shut down stove the other day to clean it. Came back hours later and performed a partial cleaning. Fired up the stove and waited for the control panel to blank out (meaning it's running) Came down later and noticed it wad still cold but stove was running... the room blower wasn't blowing. Turned it off and let it cool and finished the complete cleaning. Turned it on, pellets ignited... shutdown with E 2 (which it does A LOT), turned it back on and flame was going strong... still no room blower. Noticed the flame started shrinking. It's running now with very little flame...running at 5/5... no room blower. Checked the connections for thermal sensor... they SEEM fine... Englander had me run a test (talked to them on the phone while I was at work) to check diagnostics... he said as long as it didn't show a 9/2, then communication with thermal sensor should be fine...I got 8c/8d back and forth. Next step is to take a day off of work to get on the phone with them while in front of my stove to troubleshoot it. Hate to take a day off of work to troubleshoot stove. Anybody have any insight? Hmm...ok... the room blower just kicked in. Lol. After a real long time. It has done this since the issue began and the blower doesn't run long. Not much flame at this point, though I hear pellets dropping in... still love any input as there's definitely still an issue.
Thanks
Rick

I had this issue when I first used mine and after i bumped up the lower level settings no more issues with low flame and not enough heat at start up causing E2. If you weren't having this issue before and it's just started? Then like others mention give it a good cleaning the burn pot is key in my opinion, I keep that clean and vacuum out the auger every few bags and haven't had an E2 in a very long time.
On start up i believe the manual says to push it up to 8or9 (high feed setting) so 5/5 might not be getting the stove hot enough especially if your bottom 3 settings need a bump up. Could be without bumping some of the bottom numbers up your running at more like a 2/2 instead of a 5/5 at least thats what i found after tinkering. And that could cause the E2 due to lack of heat.

 

[stoveguy2esw]

definately do a deep cleaning, but also , look over in the back right hand corner just above the back corner of the ash drawer for a small tube about the diameter of a pencil, check the end of the tube for buildup, if that tube is blocked the feed auger will not run consistantly, clear it with a toothpick

 

[bond1973]

After my first tech call to Englander I learned about that small tube and do keep that clean and opened up. Remove the hose on the other end and blow through it. Also learned, that first support call, about banging on the back wall of the firebox to knock the packed ash down. I cranked the heat/blower up to 8/8 or 9/9 this morning before leaving for work...the fire grew and the blower kicked in...however I noticed I'm not ALWAYS getting pellets as the auger turns...thus...I'm wondering if it's something to do with what slvrblkk mentioned...maybe so many fines in the hopper that the pellets aren't making their way down sufficiently. When I get home today I plan to empty the hopper and clean all that out and see if that resolves it. If not...hoping to leave early today so I can call support.

 

[Polar Bear]

Every once and awhile, the auger turns and nothing drops on mine as well. Nothing I really worry about, since the next auger turn drops some. I just pegged it as shifting issues.

 

[bond1973]

I thought, and have noticed, the same...however sometimes it seems like 3 auger turns will go and no pellets...

 

[Shannon Hackenberg]

After my first tech call to Englander I learned about that small tube and do keep that clean and opened up. Remove the hose on the other end and blow through it. Also learned, that first support call, about banging on the back wall of the firebox to knock the packed ash down. I cranked the heat/blower up to 8/8 or 9/9 this morning before leaving for work...the fire grew and the blower kicked in...however I noticed I'm not ALWAYS getting pellets as the auger turns...thus...I'm wondering if it's something to do with what slvrblkk mentioned...maybe so many fines in the hopper that the pellets aren't making their way down sufficiently. When I get home today I plan to empty the hopper and clean all that out and see if that resolves it. If not...hoping to leave early today so I can call support.

When you empty your hopper and vacum fines I would drop your auger as well the fines get stuck in the auger coupler,which in turn freezes the auger,I had this happen on mine same stove as your mines a Englander your is a TimberRidge when you take the 2 allen screw out of the black coupler you may have to wiggle it lose if this is the first time you drop it.Englander uses a black silicone to help seal that.I would also give it a good cleaning use your rubber mallet to beat back and clean heat exchange well and blow through the hose never use a toothpick in the inside of the stove that just pushes the crap back into the vacum hose.Also the setting the rep had you do is right are stoves can not be changed as much as the other models like 55-trp10,55-trp22,55-trpep here is what those 3 buttons do on this particular model low burn feed determines the auger speed low burn air is the combustion blower and air on temp is room blower on this model air on temp has to be a 1 or it will not work,mine is what yours was 1-4-1 and rep had u change to 1-5-1 so he increased your combustion blower.Heres what i would try clean it good and turn it on if the flame is really lazy and seems like its not burning right and it goes out of S U and the blower kicks on set it at 9 room blower and see if its blowing as it should on 9 if not the vacum switch is shot,this is after you clean the heat exchange very well.My friend has the same stove and his was doing this turned out vacum switch was shot,good luck.

 

[Shannon Hackenberg]

I thought, and have noticed, the same...however sometimes it seems like 3 auger turns will go and no pellets...

With you saying this I would really look at vacum switch that controls the fire thats why even when its running right it sometimes does not drop pellets.My stove does the samething.

 

[bond1973]

Just to point out...in case I didn't already...I DO hear the auger turning properly, but no pellets fall. I have removed the auger once because I had a problem with the pellets backing up and jamming in there...that time I could hear the auger wasn't turning fully. Here's a question...the hose for the vacuum switch...it connects to the "nipple" closest to the back cover of the stove, yes? There are two side by side and I didn't pay attention when I pulled it off, but I believe that's the correct one.

 

[Shannon Hackenberg]

Just to point out...in case I didn't already...I DO hear the auger turning properly, but no pellets fall. I have removed the auger once because I had a problem with the pellets backing up and jamming in there...that time I could hear the auger wasn't turning fully. Here's a question...the hose for the vacuum switch...it connects to the "nipple" closest to the back cover of the stove, yes? There are two side by side and I didn't pay attention when I pulled it off, but I believe that's the correct one.

Yes grey nipple not black

 

[CTBossfan]

...however I noticed I'm not ALWAYS getting pellets as the auger turns

I noticed this when I was trying to work through the E2 issue. It seemed not enough pellets were dropping to raise the heat level to a good start up temp. Increased the bottom # and that increased the feed rate.
Still I get times when the auger turns and nothing comes out. Seems we all have seen this and it must be normal.

Also if your hopper runs low I noticed it will clear out a spot near the auger once this happens your fire will not burn very well as it's starving for pellets. Even though you may have 1/2 a bag in the hopper it will chow down in the center and leave bunch in the surrounding area. I'd like to be able to fill it to the top but I feel I need to vacuum out the auger area every 2 bags or so. I let it run low to get to the auger.

 

[bond1973]

Well...I got through to tech support again while driving home from work. Wasn't going to make it home by 5, but the guy took my number and called me back after his last official support call of the day. He had me run through some diagnostic stuff and ultimately had me change my settings to 3-5-1 (was at 1-5-1). Told me to try that out overnight and that he'd call me back tomorrow to check on me. After the call I emptied the hopper, vacuumed it out, dropped the auger and cleaned as best I could. Put it all back together, fired it up and it's now heating up the room downstairs. Good flame and good heat coming out on 6/6. Bumped it up to 7/7 to get it warm down there. Not sure if it was the cleaning or changing the settings... still weird to me that it changed all of a sudden, so I doubt it's the settings.

 

[bond1973]

Thank you all for your time and input. People on here are awesome.

 

[Shannon Hackenberg]

Good deal so basically he turned your auger speed up then?

 

[bond1973]

Not very noticeable, but apparently. Tested the vacuum sensor and thermal sensor... have another question now for those familiar. It was suggested to take the auger right out...I couldn't as the OAK tube was in the way...any trick to removing it? I could only drop it down.

 

[Shannon Hackenberg]

Not very noticeable, but apparently. Tested the vacuum sensor and thermal sensor... have another question now for those familiar. It was suggested to take the auger right out...I couldn't as the OAK tube was in the way...any trick to removing it? I could only drop it down.

Well that trick I never take the auger off i drop it like u and take a piece of garden house attach to my small shop vac and vacum the coupler that way or use my fingers and pick the bigger pellets out if you have them.Thats just me and how I do mine. So he tested the vacum switch and ruled that out?

 

[Shannon Hackenberg]

Well that trick I never take the auger off i drop it like u and take a piece of garden house attach to my small shop vac and vacum the coupler that way or use my fingers and pick the bigger pellets out if you have them.Thats just me and how I do mine. So he tested the vacum switch and ruled that out?

I just let the whole assemble rest on the tube then vacum just watch yo dont break the auger nubs where the wires attach