Whitfield stove not getting any combustion air

[idaho]

I just did a thorough cleaning a few days ago. Cleaned vent fan but did not clean blower fan. Now I cannot get anything but a lazy fire. It seems like the blower fan is acting up a bit, does the blower fan create the combustion air?

Tomorrow morning I will climb on the roof and see if there is a cap of any kind. I doubt there will be. The vent pipe goes from the stove up four feet and then straight through the wall into a block chimney. I don't think there is any pipe in the chimney.

I'm not using a thermostat.

I'm hoping to hear back from someone soon because I leave town for a week on Monday and hate to leave the misses with a faulty stove.

I guess my main question is, is the blower fan responsible for combustion air and what else could be preventing combustion air from the fire. I adjust the damper rod and nothing, change the fine tuning combustion air and nothing.

Thanks

 

[THE ROOSTER]

No the blower fan has nothing to do with your combustion... "IF" it was working BEFORE you cleaned it, you more than likely have messed it up...

Shut it down, and trace your steps again ( so to speak)...

OH, unplug it, this should let it reset...

 

[idaho]

It was acting up before I cleaned it, shutting down in the middle of the night, did it again last night. I worked well after cleaning for a few nights. I have it shut down now. I did unplug it once while it was running to see if it would reset the fan.

Is there another fan for combustion air or is just a damper and fine tune?

Does the vent fan draw in combustion air? I did take it apart to clean it. It wasn't that dirty, at least not compared to the pictures found here.

 

[idaho]

The exhaust fan is not working. I guess I can assume it is bad. If the exhaust fan effects combustion air it must have been having issues before because there were times where I would start the stove up and there would be quite a bit of time before the fire became active from the added combustion air. Is there a switch that could be stopping the exhaust fan from coming on. It looks like some kind of vacuum censor connected to the fan, does this effect the fan coming on? Is there anything I can do to test the fan?

 

[gerald]

Your exhaust blower fan may be plugged, or you did not remove the brick from the firebox. There are three layer counting the brick inside the firebox that have to be cleaned The exhaust blower sucks the intake air through the burn pot, up through the heat exchanger, and out the exhaust.

Jerry

 

[idaho]

Thanks Jerry.

I cleaned all the layers. Attached a small hose to get behind the burn box and above the burn box around the heat tubes. Got lots of ash out but it really wasn't that crusty like the pictures. I cleaned the exhaust out and pulled the fan out with it. I am going to pull the fan back out now and see if something broke lose and lodged in the fan. I can hope. It is my guess the fan quit blowing and then burned up the motor. Will no as soon as I get done with my coffee.

I know there is topic for parts, but just in case any new info is out, what should I expect to pay for a new exhaust fan and motor for a whitfield?

 

[gerald]

If the exhaust fan is running, then that probably is not your problem. The fans have only one speed, Also if the exhaust fan is not running, you will have a room full of smoke, as the stove will not operate without the fan. Check for blockage somewhere, which sounds like you are doing. If the fan is not working, you can test it by connecting it to 110 volt and see if it works, or if you have a multi-meter, you can see if there truly is 110 volt or more is being sent to the fan.


Sorry, I presently don't sell Whitfield parts, so I don't have prices.

Jerry

 

[idaho]

It's not looking good. The combustion blower isn't coming on. I bypassed the low limit switch and it still did not come on. I kind of thought I would get a bit of a spark when I touched the two wires from the LLS together. I haven't done the multimeter yet.

It looks like the motor will cost from 160.00 to 190.00 depending on where I get it. I can also feel the combustion fan motor heating up when it is turned on suggesting it is getting power. No fire in the box so I know it is the motor causing the heat.

 

[imacman]

It's not looking good. The combustion blower isn't coming on. I bypassed the low limit switch and it still did not come on. I kind of thought I would get a bit of a spark when I touched the two wires from the LLS together. I haven't done the multimeter yet.

It looks like the motor will cost from 160.00 to 190.00 depending on where I get it. I can also feel the combustion fan motor heating up when it is turned on suggesting it is getting power. No fire in the box so I know it is the motor causing the heat.

Have you tried using an old lamp cord to connect 120v directly to the combustion motor? If not, try it (with stove un-plugged)....these motors don't go bad that often, but it's possible. Best to do it with motor out of the stove....that also confirms that nothing is jamming the vanes.

 

[idaho]

That's a good idea. I will try it right now. Is there any ground issues?

Do I need to have the Low Limit switch hooked up?

 

[idaho]

I just checked it. Could feel the motor vibrating but no fan. The fan moves when I spin it by hand but the motor isn't engaging.

 

[Wi Thundercat]

Loose set screw ?

 

[idaho]

Loose set screw ?

If you are talking about the set screw on the fan, it's tight. Is there an internal set screw in the motor?

 

[Wi Thundercat]

You got it, refering to the one on the fan.

 

[idaho]

LOL just broke off my star wrench in the set screw. I think the new motors come with the fan.

 

[idaho]

OK, now I have the motor plugged in directly and when I tap the motor it starts spinning. It doesn't get up to full speed and it is struggling like it wants to.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Check for ash between the mounting plate and impeller.

 

[Wi Thundercat]

Maybe try and work some oil into it and see if it frees up. Sounds like you are due for a new motor.

 

[imacman]

Scrape, wirebrush, etc as much ash/carbon off the motor & vanes as possible. Spraying some WD 40 into the bearings may loosen it up. If it does, let it run for awhile, then unplug and oil bearings. Might be some life left in that motor after all.

 

[idaho]

Yep cleaned it up between fan and plate and oiled it some. It is still laboring. I think it is time for a new motor, new gasket and I am not sure the low limit switch is working either.

 

[Wi Thundercat]

Scrape, wirebrush, etc as much ash/carbon off the motor & vanes as possible. Spraying some WD 40 into the bearings may loosen it up. If it does, let it run for awhile, then unplug and oil bearings. Might be some life left in that motor after all.

X2 ;-)

 

[idaho]

Scrape, wirebrush, etc as much ash/carbon off the motor & vanes as possible. Spraying some WD 40 into the bearings may loosen it up. If it does, let it run for awhile, then unplug and oil bearings. Might be some life left in that motor after all.

X2 ;-)

Yep, after last post I went and plugged it again and it fired up to full speed. Now the fan seems to be floating, as in if I shake the motor the fan mounting rod slides back and fourth freely where it wasn't earlier. Any suggestions for gasket material on a sunday?

Also, can I sort of wash the parts with WD-40 and to get oil to the bearings do I need to drip it into the holes shown on the oiling diagram? It looks like the rod is pretty dirty where it is going into the motor, can it be irrigated with WD?

 

[Wi Thundercat]

WD40 will clean the crud off the parts but you must oil after as the WD40 washes the lube out of the bearings.

 

[idaho]

Thanks, I'm excited! Bad time to buy a new motor. Still wondering what to do about gasket material.

 

[imacman]

As has been said before on this forum, these motors last a long time, and rarely fail.....most of the time they just can't overcome being dirty and not getting lubricated.

This should be part of everyone's cleaning regimen, unless the motor is ball bearing.....even then, sometimes it helps to shoot a little oil around the bearing.