Whitfield Advantage Pellet Stove

[DHersey]

I apologize if this has been posted before, I didn't see a search feature. I recently bought a early 90's whitfield advantage pellet stove. I feel I got a good deal on the stove for 500.00 which included all the piping and a thimble. I am somewhat familiar with Pellet stoves and cleaning them as I have a owned a Harmon P38 since 2006. The whitfield is going to be used at a 2nd home (Camp) which we plan on keeping warm this winter. My question is, I want to burn the Whitfield on a low setting throughout the winter to keep the water from freezing (the camp will be checked daily and occupied during the weekends). When I run the stove on the lowest setting the exhaust motor seems to run very slow, I have a lazy fire and within hours the burn pot is full of partially unburnt pellets. When I turn the stove up to 3 and above the exhaust motor speeds up and I get a nice bright fire and all pellets are burnt. I have only tested the stove for a few hours so I don't know what the pellet feed rate difference is between 1 and 3. Is there a way to speed up the exhaust fan on the low setting? Or will I have to burn the stove past 3? (I have taken the Whitfield apart and cleaned it thoroughly)

 

[Bioburner]

May have a bearing in need of oil on the fan. Some stoves were made with sealed motors too. Search feature is in the upper right corner. May need to get a new fan assembly Whits are straight forward. They were the first standalone pellet stove. The WP1. Have you cleaned the impellers on the exhaust fan? Should be able to get a downloadable manual thru Lennox but another company has taken control of the pellet line and I had a tough time getting a manual for a Ebay stove in early July. Other here will be able to get you something. Welcome

 

[Don2222]

Hello
Sounds like your stove is an example of a poor Low Drafter!
I had the same problem with my Avalon Astoria which is the same design. The damp morning air also contributes to this issue.
The 1st item would be replace the exhaust blower with a higher current large blade fellow that I highly recommend. Do you have a 6" or 7" mounting hub?
Then I would seriously consider a Selkirk DT pellet vent up & out kit that warms and drys out the burn air!

 

[DHersey]

I cleaned the stove and exhaust fan assembly yesterday (took blower fan off and cleaned all the fins and vacuumed it out) It does have a new exhaust motor and a new auger motor. Works really good at a higher pellet feed rate. Just runs to slow for a slower pellet feed rate. I will search for any other info. Thanks to both for your help

 

[Don2222]

Please check your exhaust fan blades with my pic below.
If you have the one on the far left, upgrading to a larger petal blade will greatly improve your issue!
If you have the larger 7" exhaust blower mountiing hub, then I would go with the 5" double paddle blade on the far right.
If not then either of the two in the middle will work much better!

I did that to an Enviro Mini and resolved the problem along with an ash pan latch.
See
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...h-can-you-say-titanium-step-drill-bit.129231/


See blades below
Click pic to enlarge

 

[Bioburner]

Something else we did not address is the condition of the gaskets. Just because the vacuum switch is allowing to stove to run does not mean the air flow in going thru the pot as well as it should. Try the dollar bill test on the door gaskets.

 

[DneprDave]

It could be the rotary switch on the control board that controls the combustion blower is worn or dirty.
My old style control board in my garage pellet stove only works well on the "3" setting or higher, because it is worn. I haven't messed with it because I always run it at higher settings.

If you have the all electronic control board, they seem to work or not, so that wouldn't cause your problem.

Dave

 

[Pellet-King]

Does this stove like mine have seperate blower and heat setting's?, Never seen a Whit without it, I've always run the blower on a 3 and the heat i adjust accordingly, running on a 1-2 blower speed isn't good, I'd leave my stove on a 1 heat and 3 blower for week's at a time during the shoulder season.
I know by reading here alot of stoves do not let you adjust the blower seperately, sounds like your blower control is worn like said above
Whit's are bulletproof stoves and are the godfather of all pellet stoves

 

[MountainSean]

Please check your exhaust fan blades with my pic below.
If you have the one on the far left, upgrading to a larger petal blade will greatly improve your issue!
If you have the larger 7" exhaust blower mountiing hub, then I would go with the 5" double paddle blade on the far right.
If not then either of the two in the middle will work much better!

I did that to an Enviro Mini and resolved the problem along with an ash pan latch.
See
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...h-can-you-say-titanium-step-drill-bit.129231/


See blades below
Click pic to enlarge

I wouldn't recommend swapping out the fan blades for the larger one on a Whitfield. Those stoves already had an issue staying running on low sometimes due to burning through the pellets in the grate before more dropped. That was one reason Whitfield went to the smaller burn grate size. Increasing the air flow would exacerbate the problem.

If you have a lazy flame on low the very first thing to do is make sure the stove is clean including behind the ash traps in the exhaust channels on either side of the burn grate. You access those by removing the firebrick and then pull the ash traps off by taking out the two screws inside the channels. You will also need to remove the burn grate and mounting plate to get those traps out. Also check all your gaskets to make certain they are in good shape and finally you can check your voltage going to the combustion blower. Should be right around 70 on low, if it is a few volts less then you can adjust the combustion blower fine tuning up a little. If you have a silver faced metal board it is the second metal button down on the right. Pop that off and turn it clockwise a little and see if it helps. If you have a newer plastic digital panel you access the combustion pot on the back of the control panel. If your voltage on low is anything less than 60 though you probably have a bad component on the board. You would need to get it rebuilt or replaced.

 

[Don2222]

I wouldn't recommend swapping out the fan blades for the larger one on a Whitfield. Those stoves already had an issue staying running on low sometimes due to burning through the pellets in the grate before more dropped. That was one reason Whitfield went to the smaller burn grate size. Increasing the air flow would exacerbate the problem.

If you have a lazy flame on low the very first thing to do is make sure the stove is clean including behind the ash traps in the exhaust channels on either side of the burn grate. You access those by removing the firebrick and then pull the ash traps off by taking out the two screws inside the channels. You will also need to remove the burn grate and mounting plate to get those traps out. Also check all your gaskets to make certain they are in good shape and finally you can check your voltage going to the combustion blower. Should be right around 70 on low, if it is a few volts less then you can adjust the combustion blower fine tuning up a little. If you have a silver faced metal board it is the second metal button down on the right. Pop that off and turn it clockwise a little and see if it helps. If you have a newer plastic digital panel you access the combustion pot on the back of the control panel. If your voltage on low is anything less than 60 though you probably have a bad component on the board. You would need to get it rebuilt or replaced.

I guess we disagree a little bit here. We must stay focused on the exact problem stated in the 1st post. The flame is lazy but unburned pellets are piling up in the burnpot . This means not enough air flow . Yes it is agreed that cleaning the stove is the first item that may resolve the issue but if not then larger impeller blades will improve low drafting. It is the fix for Enviro Mini and Breckwell Big E and may work wonders here too.

 

[MountainSean]

I guess we disagree a little bit here. We must stay focused on the exact problem stated in the 1st post. The flame is lazy but unburned pellets are piling up in the burnpot . This means not enough air flow . Yes it is agreed that cleaning the stove is the first item that may resolve the issue but if not then larger impeller blades will improve low drafting. It is the fix for Enviro Mini and Breckwell big E and may work wonders here too.

The issue is that by "upgrading" the fan blade to one that moves more air you would be putting a band aid on the problem. An older Whitfield Advantage like the OP said he has can burn too quickly on a low setting when it is working correctly causing the fire to go out between pellet dumps. Putting a larger fan blade on the exhaust motor may indeed seem to fix the current issue by creating more air flow thus correcting the current lazy burn on low. However it will create a potential issue down the road when/if the underlying cause is ever addressed, whether it is a bad control board, dirty stove, bad gaskets etc when that increased air flow from the larger fan will cause an excessive amount of air to go through the burn pot and cause his pellets to burn out faster than the auger motor feeds them. You don't want to cause one issue by using a patch that covers but does not actually resolve another problem; not when the best solution is to determine the underlying cause and address that directly.

 

[Pellet-King]

just run the blower on a 3 and auger on a 1...case closed

 

[Don2222]

The issue is that by "upgrading" the fan blade to one that moves more air you would be putting a band aid on the problem. An older Whitfield Advantage like the OP said he has can burn too quickly on a low setting when it is working correctly causing the fire to go out between pellet dumps. Putting a larger fan blade on the exhaust motor may indeed seem to fix the current issue by creating more air flow thus correcting the current lazy burn on low. However it will create a potential issue down the road when/if the underlying cause is ever addressed, whether it is a bad control board, dirty stove, bad gaskets etc when that increased air flow from the larger fan will cause an excessive amount of air to go through the burn pot and cause his pellets to burn out faster than the auger motor feeds them. You don't want to cause one issue by using a patch that covers but does not actually resolve another problem; not when the best solution is to determine the underlying cause and address that directly.

Underlying cause? I had an Astoria which has the same design with the same problem. I cleaned it and replaced all the parts and could not find any underlying cause and still had the same problem. I am not saying you are wrong just looking for the solution.

 

[Stovensen]

Hello,

Welcome to the forum. Since your Advantage is an early 90's model it probably has the rotary knob control board. Below I have attached the service manual. It covers both the older rotary knob boards and the newer touch pad control boards. You'll find very detailed charts with the relevant voltages at different settings and also timing charts for the pellet feed.
Note: The voltage readings in the service manual are made with a high quality Fluke 21 Multimeter, which ensures true RMS-readings. If you don't have a multimeter of a somewhat similar quality, you cannot rely fully on the readings.
So please take your time and read this service manual thorughly... it has many useful informations that are absolutely necessary if you want to service the stove yourself.
Good luck and take care.
Bo

 

[Arti]

Hello
Sounds like your stove is an example of a poor Low Drafter!
I had the same problem with my Avalon Astoria which is the same design. The damp morning air also contributes to this issue.
The 1st item would be replace the exhaust blower with a higher current large blade fellow that I highly recommend. Do you have a 6" or 7" mounting hub?
Then I would seriously consider a Selkirk DT pellet vent up & out kit that warms and drys out the burn air!

Don
I think we need to spend the time to find the real problem.
To modify the stove, throw money and parts at it doesn't look like a good plan to me.
I realize that u are trying to help however some good trouble shooting is in order before we dig out the crowbar and sledge hammer to fix it.

 

[Don2222]

Don
I think we need to spend the time to find the real problem.
To modify the stove, throw money and parts at it doesn't look like a good plan to me.
I realize that u are trying to help however some good trouble shooting is in order before we dig out the crowbar and sledge hammer to fix it.

I agree , the above would be the last resort but it does work if nothing else.

 

[DHersey]

Thanks for all the responses. I appreciate all the input and apologize for not getting back here. The gasket on the stove has been replaced recently and seems to have a good seal (checked with a dollar bill) I have downloaded the service manual (thanks Bo for that) and will look it over tonight. Is it possible to add a control knob to manually adjust the exhaust fan? That way I could adjust the pellet feed rate to a desired setting and adjust the exhaust fan to match? just a thought is all

 

[Pellet-King]

Thanks for all the responses. I appreciate all the input and apologize for not getting back here. The gasket on the stove has been replaced recently and seems to have a good seal (checked with a dollar bill) I have downloaded the service manual (thanks Bo for that) and will look it over tonight. Is it possible to add a control knob to manually adjust the exhaust fan? That way I could adjust the pellet feed rate to a desired setting and adjust the exhaust fan to match? just a thought is all

Huh?, you already have exhaust fan and pellet feed control's, the fan controls the both fan speeds at once and the pellet feed controls the amount of pellets dropping, never run the fan below the midrange, you answered your own question in your first post, leave the fan on 3 and you can adjust the pellet/heat feed to whatever you want 1-3, above a 3 is too much and I have never set my pellet feed above a 3.

 

[DHersey]

My exhaust fan and pellet feed is controlled by the same switch,,if I turn my stove up to 3 and above the fan kicks in and gives a nice bright flame,, any setting lower than that I have a lazy fire with a build up of unburnt pellets. It appears that on the lower settings the fan is "out of sync" with the pellet feed.

 

[Bioburner]

My exhaust fan and pellet feed is controlled by the same switch,,if I turn my stove up to 3 and above the fan kicks in and gives a nice bright flame,, any setting lower than that I have a lazy fire with a build up of unburnt pellets. It appears that on the lower settings the fan is "out of sync" with the pellet feed.

Did you by chance check the voltage to the fan? If its not getting enough maybe the switch is worn and not getting the proper juice to the motor. I have a Quest that uses the same control?

 

[DHersey]

I haven't checked that yet, but I am thinking your right about the switch.

 

[Pellet-King]

This is your board.....uses 2 knobs, blower speed which should set in the middle or a 3, and pellet feed,which can be set anywere according how much heat you want, I never saw any other older board than this.
Read this thread, you need to get a newer push button board, but you already own this stove for too much putting in another $300+ is not worth it....to me
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/whitfield-advantage-gone-cold-control-board.59248/
and cleaning here, you remove the firebrick...right?
http://www.butkus.org/whitfield_operate/whitfield_cleaning/cleaning_a_pellet_stove.htm

 

[DHersey]

My Board is different, I will post a pic tommorrow. I dont have the trim switch and my "fuel feed" has settings 1-6. I did remove the firebrick and clean behind (wasn't dirty). I ran the the stove last night on 2 with the damper almost all the way open and it did a pretty good job at keeping the pellets burnt. Maybe I am just trying to compare it to my Harmon P38.
I have an extra P38 control board from when I updated my harmon,,to bad it wont work in the Whitfield