Ussc 6041i

[Fordguy64]

i removed the little black jumper. I don’t have a thermostat yet. I was just jumping the two connectors on the board together, just to test things out.. although I never did it very long? Wonder if it takes a minute for the board to recognize the call for heat?

 

[ARC]

Wonder if it takes a minute for the board to recognize the call for heat?

Around 5 minutes to see any difference in flame height and more like 15 - 20 minutes for stove to reach max temperature for the set heat range. Does you stove go from 1-5 or 1-9 heat range. With the jumper removed , If 1-5 set it on 4 if 1-9 set it on 5-7 if the flame burns only at a idle the thermostat circuit is working. Look for the blinking dash between heat range letter and number means stove is ramping.

 

[Fordguy64]

Mine goes 1-5. The stove doesn’t seem to recognize the jumper being removed. When I remove the jumper and don’t have anything hooked to the thermostat leads it still acts like the jumper is still there because when I adjust the heat setting up to anything over 1 it will stay on that setting and not return to 1.. also think I have an auger problem, when I turn it up the auger seems to run more but there are a lot of runs where little to no pellets come out. So I guess I’ll be pulling it back out

 

[ARC]

Auger sounds right, sometimes a lot drops some times a little if you watch long enough you might even see it drop nothing. It depends a lot on length of pellets 1/4 inch pellets drop more often the 1 inch pellet.

Does the dash blink when the jumper is not in place?

 

[Fordguy64]

No it just stays on whatever I set it to like when the jumper is installed

 

[ARC]

Setting won't change but the dash blinks as in the above GIF.
Should also check feed rates using C codes. C2 and C3 2 should be 2.00 and 3 5.00. Never no previous owner could have changed them

ADJUSTING OPERATIONAL CONSTANTS
TO ADJUST THE OPERATION CONSTANTS, PRESS & HOLD THE “MODE” AND “AUGER DELAY”
BUTTONS SIMUTANEOUSLY FOR 3 SECONDS. THE DISPLAY WILL SHOW “C-1”. USE THE HEAT
RANGE UP OR HEAT RANGE DOWN BUTTONS TO CHANGE THE CONSTANT NUMBER (SEE THE
LIST OF VALUES BELOW). WHEN THE DESIRED CONSTANT IS DISPLAYED, PRESS THE “ON”
BUTTON UP, TOGGLING BETWEEN VIEWING AND EDITING THE VALUE. WHILE EDITING A
PARAMETER, USE THE “AUX UP” AND THE “AUX DOWN” BUTTONS TO ADJUST THE VALUE TO
THE DESIRED POINT. THEN PRESS “ON” AGAIN TO RETURN TO THE CONSTANT NUMBER LIST.
PRESS THE “OFF’ BUTTON TO EXIT THE ADJUST OPERATIONAL CONSTANTS MODE.
 C-1- RESET TO DEFAULTS (HOLD “MODE” AND “AUGER DELAY” BUTTONS FOR 3 SECONDS
TO RESET ALL TO DEFAULTS.
 C-2- FUEL LBS. PER HOUR HR-1 (0.01-6.50) - THIS IS THE FUEL RATE IN POUNDS PER
HOUR FOR A HEAT RATE SETTING OF 1 The DEFAULT IS 2.00 LBS..
 C-3- FUEL LBS. PER HOUR HR-5 (0.01-6.50) - THIS IS THE FUEL RATE IN POUNDS PER
HOUR FOR A HEAT RANGE SETTING OF 5. THE DEFAULT IS 5.00 LBS. THE FUEL RATES
USED BETWEEN SETTINGS 1 AND 3 ARE LINEARLY INTERPOLATED BETWEEN THE TWO
SETTINGS.

 

[ARC]

No it just stays on whatever I set it

With jumper removed and nothing hooked/plugged into the two spades on either side of the jumper stove should stay in idle. Numbers do not change on control board stove just does ramp up.

 

[Fordguy64]

Ok that makes sense now.. I thought that when there was a no heat call it would show hr-1 and when there was a heat call it would show hr-4( or whatever it was set to). But it just flashes on whatever hr- you have it set two for the heat call even though it’s just running on hr-1. I’ll test again tonight

 

[ARC]

I thought that when there was a no heat call it would show hr-1 and when there was a heat call it would show hr-4( or whatever it was set to). But it just flashes on whatever hr- you have it set two for the heat call even though it’s just running on hr-1. I’ll test again tonight

correct just flashing dash shows something is happenings and flame size

 

[Fordguy64]

yep that was it. Just didnt wait long enough for the changes. Thing cranks out some heat!

 

[Fordguy64]

How do you guys check for exhaust leaks? I’m having a heck of a time chasing down a very slight smoke smell upon start up.. I was thinking a smoke bomb in the burn chamber?

 

[ARC]

Hard to do on a insert as you can not observe the area/vent with stove inserted into fireplace. Usually RTV silicone or silicone tape every joint and pay special attention to stove adapter where you hook venting to. That is the usual weak point.

On a regular stove run blower in test mode or hook it to direct power with old lead cord. Kids bubble liquid from the dollar store or deluded dish soap. paint bubble liquid or soap on seams and around vent adapter look for bubbles just like checking a innertube for holes.

Other wise you could smoke bomb or look at pipe when first starting stove. Semi dark room with a flash light but you have to be quick and have flash light pointed in the right direction. When pipe heats up it get more draw and the smoke stops. Also on start up there is more smoke then when the fire is going.

 

[Fordguy64]

I was just reading about x-treme tape. Has 500* working temp. Any one use that?

 

[ARC]

I was just reading about x-treme tape

Post a link for the tape you are looking at, Note foil tape does not always work because I have a hard time keeping it completely smooth and any wrinkle could let smoke out. Tape should say silicone and good to 500F. Silicone tape is good for venting because it does not stick to the vent it sticks to itself. You wrap/stretch tape around pipe and the tape acts like a big rubber band squeezing in on itself. If you ever have to remove it just cut crossways and it comes off with no sticky residue left over. First one below is what I use you can also buy it HD or Lowes usually in plumbing section. You will need about 2 feet of tape for every joint you are going to do.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BYHBCNZ?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_2

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Nashua-...sing-Silicone-Tape-in-Clear-1743079/203534911

 

[Fordguy64]

I got the one from Home Depot seems to be working. I put the stove in service mood and checked with soapy water, didnt see any bubbles anywhere. Wife will have the final say when she gets home to see if she can smell it

 

[ARC]

Make sure she is smelling smoke not pellets, some pellets can really stink some smell like pine or hardwood. I had one batch that wife would not allow in house, kept bags on porch only brought in when stove needed filling. Wife was not happy I brought it in at all, good thing it was only 1 ton.

 

[Fordguy64]

so tonight will be the first night with the stove running. ive got the stove running very well on setting 1. ive noticed now that its actually getting colder and the thermostat is calling for heat it will ramp up fine but it seems on the way back to 1 it will start to build up some pellets in the burn pot. like its not burning them fast enough. it does seem to level back out and be ok but it does take a little while. Im assuming this is a low air flow thing? or normal?

 

[ARC]

A little build up while ramping up or down is normal, it can take up to 15 minutes to total go from say HR4 to complete idle. If you think the build up is to much try pulling damper out a little.

 

[Fordguy64]

Definitely got some tuning to do. Woke up this morning to a burn pot full of pellets lol

Also, I pulled the fuse on the agitator because it makes so much noise.. I shouldn’t need that if I’m just running pellets. Obviously assuming I get the air flow correct?

 

[ARC]

I pulled the fuse on the agitator because it makes so much noise

Stove runs much better with agitator working even when burning pellets. Harder to fine tune stove without it running you will get more build up. You need to figure out why agitator is causing to much noise. I can not hear mine most of the time over the room blower noise. Is it the motor, the agitator rubbing on pot, pot jumping, dry brass bushing from motor to inside the firebox? The motor sits on a bar some remove that bar give it a little coat of silicone where the motor rest on the bar and lower edge of bar let it dry and install it. Stops some of the vibration of motor/agitator turning to stove frame. If pot is jumping and banging you might want to add a clip to the side of the box it sits in make pot tighter and the agitator will not lift it up. 1/8 in x 1/2 in flat steal bar folded over. If brass bushing is super dry the rod will some time high pitch squeal thin coat off high temp grease inside busing will help.

 

[Fordguy64]

mine has the chain driven agitator. I did replace the bushings because it was sloppy, probably the original ones. The burn pot does a lot of clunking around. I’ll look into the 1/8” metal trick

 

[ARC]

mine has the chain driven agitator

Your right when they first went from USSC 6039 to 6041 it was direct drive then they changed it to chain drive.

I’ll look into the 1/8” metal trick

Pellets can wedge between agitator and pot then when agitator rotates it lifts pot when pellet clears the agitator pot will slam back into place (pot jumping). With clip installed my pot does not make any more noise/jumping when burning pellets. If I am burning corn it will start to grind and chirp if a big enough clinker forms, but I do not get the pot jumping. Usually just open door hit clinker with a metal poker and that loosens the clinker up. Clinker is stony, hard deposits that form in the burn pot from unburned minerals in low-quality pellets get a lot more when burning corn

You can burn pellets without the agitator but it is hard to get it just right. Just right one day, over flowing next, draft and pellet quality have to be near perfect. Agitator gives you a better burn and you do not have to be spot on with draft or pellet quality.

 

[Fordguy64]

Well I spent some time messing with the burn pot/agitator today. It’s much better now.. also went through my c settings and I think I might have figured out my problem, or at least some of it.. I had the dft setting backwards so it wasn’t actually changing the draft fan speed when I changed Pr settings 😑

 

[ARC]

I had the dft setting

Speaking of draft settings you have stove in Auto correct? In Auto the draft settings change per your heat settings. In Manual the draft/exhaust blower is set at highest speed and does not change you control the draft with the slide damper.

 

[Fordguy64]

Yep it’s in auto. It ran great last night! I’ve also been working in home assistant for the thermostat and to track EGT and room air temps. I’ll be incorporating “pellet tracking” as well at some point. Blue is egt with an actual egt prob in the exhaust and the yellow is the “room air” temp that’s coming out of the stove. On pr1 the egt is around 240 and the room air is 140. Still lots of “tuning” to do but I’m just happy to have it running pretty well at this point lol