Wood Insert Blower Possible Issue

[willisj318]

I hope this has not been discussed too much, I've looked on the forums and found some possible answers but also maybe not.

I have new insert, a Lopi Large Flush NexGen Fyre. It's our first winter with it, so far temps outside have been 30-35, unit has been working well, blower comes on after heat up and I can turn it on and off as desired the rest of the day. For reference after the initial burn I would put in one or two medium sized logs and let it slow burn and the blower would stay on and heat the house. I have a laser thermometer and temps are 400/550. (to gauge I am lasering the interior sides of the unit)

Yesterday was really the first "cold" day. 25 out. Unit came to temp as normal and the blower functioned as normal until the afternoon. The blower would not come on using my method above. Temps in the unit were the same. I loaded it up and got temps over 600 and it then came on, but again went off when temps got in the low 500s. I filled up for night and left the blower in the on setting to see what would happen in the morning.

In the morning I had a nice bed of coals and temps right around 200, blower was running. I got the fire going and the blower stayed on for a bit then shut off midway through the initial burn. Temps currently around 400 and it is not coming on, getting it back above 600 it will pop on. The instructions/guide book doesn't have much info on the blower so it is hard to understand how it is really supposed to work. "Comes on once it warms up" is all it says.

My question since I am new to this as my last experience just had a blower I could turn on and off at will. Should I call the dealer? I'd like to only call them if I have to. Is this normal or am I possibly doing something wrong or misunderstanding something? Is the drop in temp outside effecting it that much?

 

[vbu]

Is this on an exterior chimney? Do you know if they installed a blockoff plate?

 

[Dix]

Welcome to the forums !!

Blowers are usually activated by firebox/coal bed temps (sensor in the stove, the PE is located in the right back corner). If the coal bed isn't hot enough, the blower will not come on (my experience with the PE).

That being said, I usually leave my fan on, but at the lowest setting, allowing the fan to cycle off of the sensor. When I hear the fan stop running, I know it's time to check the house temps, coal bed, and the upcoming outside weather. as to how I am going to reload.

When I reload, it's usually at least 3 splits, gives a better burn, IMHO.

 

[Hogwildz]

Check and make sure the sensor is attached properly and contacting the stove as and where it should be. I don't bother with the auto function on my insert fans. The only time the blower ain't going full bore is during reloads, power outages & when the insert is napping during warmer weather.

 

[webby3650]

Check and make sure the sensor is attached properly and contacting the stove as and where it should be. I don't bother with the auto function on my insert fans. The only time the blower ain't going full bore is during reloads, power outages & when the insert is napping during warmer weather.

Unfortunately this unit doesn’t have an on/off/auto. Off and auto is it.

 

[webby3650]

If this is a fireplace that’s on an exterior wall, the cold is absorbed through the brick and can influence the inserts operation. Having a lot of ash build up can also cause this issue. The sensor is mounted to the bottom side of the firebox floor on the right side. It’s hard to get to.
Installing a block off plate and putting some roxul insulation bats around the insert will help tremendously if it’s on an outside wall.

 

[Hogwildz]

Unfortunately this unit doesn’t have an on/off/auto. Off and auto is it.

That can be remedied with some wiring & solder

 

[HoosierMike]

Just fired up my new insert for the first real fire, blower came on when the top of the stove, about 6 inches back was about 500 degrees, I cranked it down and let it burn out and the fan shut off at about 330 degrees at the same measuring point on the stove. Is this about right or should it stay on longer and come on sooner? Thanks!

 

[willisj318]

Thanks for the replies and warm welcome. Any good videos on re wiring that you recommend? I'd prefer it just be on when I turn it on to be honest.

The unit is in the middle of the house, not external, but it is on a slab. Today it is 0 F outside and the unit was around 600 and it will did not come on. Came on for about 30 minutes then shut off once it cooled a bit. It is around 500-550 right now with the laser and will not come on.

 

[TradEddie]

The wiring is likely very basic, I know it is on my Lopi. The "sensor" is just a bimetallic switch. If you can locate the wires going to that switch, just wirenut them together, remove the sensor/switch from the circuit. Creating on/off/auto is slightly more complicated, but it's still basic electric circuits, not complex electronics.
It sounds like you have either a loose wire, or maybe a loose sensor that's not making good thermal contact. Check those before making more drastic or irreversible changes.

TE

 

[willisj318]

The wiring is likely very basic, I know it is on my Lopi. The "sensor" is just a bimetallic switch. If you can locate the wires going to that switch, just wirenut them together, remove the sensor/switch from the circuit. Creating on/off/auto is slightly more complicated, but it's still basic electric circuits, not complex electronics.
It sounds like you have either a loose wire, or maybe a loose sensor that's not making good thermal contact. Check those before making more drastic or irreversible changes.

TE

Thank you for the thoughts and insight and sorry I have been so late to reply. After these replies I noticed I had a fan blowing and was hitting where the sensor was, so I thought maybe that airflow was throwing it off so I moved it. After that it had been fine since. Maybe coincidence, maybe not. Until yesterday. The blower would not come on at all yesterday even though temps were in the 700s. The stove was plenty hot enough.

Strangely enough this morning after the fire died out I decided to turn it on and see if it would come on. Sure enough it came right on. I think next steps is I will take it apart and check the sensor, and if all else fails I will call the dealer. Thank you all.

 

[Garbanzo62]

If it is a new stove and it was instaled by a Dealer, I would call them. I don't have a Lopi, but my fan (on Auto) Stays on all night. Got up this morning and the coalbed had it hot enough that the fan was still on. What you are describing does not sound right to me. Now if you installed yourself, then maybe some of the other factors might come into play. I have exterior Chimney and no blockoff plate. (that will be a springtime addition. My exterior chimeny brick get up to 70+ degrees so I know I am heating the brick up, but My fan stays on

 

[EJL923]

i still would wire it to stay on. I can only speak to my stove but the sensor is late to come on a lot, and with a flush insert most of your heat is going to come from the blowers. Mine are on 24/7 for 4 months. Hopefully your blowers are variable speed like mine. If you do want it off, like say you wont be home for a while, a simple plug in timer running a 6, 8, 10 whatever hour cycle is an option.

 

[danham]

Use your laser gun as close to the snap switch (sensor) as possible to see at what temp the fan comes on when it is "behaving" properly. Then measure the temp when it shuts off. If when it is "misbehaving" there is a substantial difference at either end, you probably have a bad snap switch. Don't expect precision from a cheap bi-metallic snap switch, but extreme variations of the sort you describe suggest a bad switch. I am continually shocked at how cheap and flimsy the blower and related parts are compared to the rest of an expensive stove.

-dan

 

[willisj318]

Thanks everyone!

I've been charting the temps like danham suggested actually and they are all over the place. It will shut off at around 400 sometimes and other times never shut off. Sometimes it has shut off in the 500s. Sometimes it comes on around 400-450 and other times it has to be 600+.

At the very least i called the dealer and they are coming out to take a look. Thanks all!

 

[Fod01]

2 cents time again....
my snapdisk was connected with 2 spade connectors. To bypass and make full manual - disconnect the 2 connectors from the snapdisk. Connect the 2 together that come out of the fan assembly. I had it manual for a while but put it back to auto. If I wasn't loading for an overnight burn, we had to shut the fan off before going to bed - lost some heat there, but then the fan wouldn't be running on a cold stove in the morning.

Honestly, nothing sounds strange here. There's a delay before the ash bed is hot enough to get the snapdisk to trip - like half an hour at least on a cold stove. A deep bed of ash will delay it further. The fan is going to cycle on/off if the temp is borderline because the fan cools things down again. In the morning if the fan has been off, those coals are just heating the stove, which is why it comes on. It'll go off again as soon as the fan scrubs that residual heat.

 

[Caw]

I honestly rarely use the automatic feature of my blower anymore. I turn it on myself when the box is hot enough, I find mine waits for too long. Sometimes if I go to bed early I'll flip it to auto turn off because I know the coals will be gone in the AM but one of us is usually up early and we just shut it off manually when we go downstairs every morning.

 

[EJL923]

I honestly rarely use the automatic feature of my blower anymore. I turn it on myself when the box is hot enough, I find mine waits for too long. Sometimes if I go to bed early I'll flip it to auto turn off because I know the coals will be gone in the AM but one of us is usually up early and we just shut it off manually when we go downstairs every morning.

same, maybe once per year for the last 10 years. There was a few years i would use a timer and if youre set on shutting the blowers off at certain times i would go that route. you will get a feeling for when the coals burn down to no heat. In fact i just picked up a timer for my boot dryer, has buttons for 30 min, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 hrs which would work great. better than relying on the snap disk. There is no harm turning the blowers on early, or off late.

 

[willisj318]

This blower is either Off or "On" variable speed but turns on automatically per temperature. I can't simply turn it on and have it blowing.

 

[EJL923]

This blower is either Off or "On" variable speed but turns on automatically per temperature. I can't simply turn it on and have it blowing.

yes, you would have to wire it always on, bypass the auto. my stove came with auto or always on

 

[Caw]

This blower is either Off or "On" variable speed but turns on automatically per temperature. I can't simply turn it on and have it blowing.

That's interesting. Mine has both auto and manual control options. As mentioned above you could rewire it to have that capability fairly easily I bet if you're handy.

 

[EbS-P]

You should be able to bypass the thermal snap disc. As long as the speed control knob has the on/off click. A small wirenut or insulated spade connectors would do it.