Xtrordinair Blower issue

[RealToast]

I purchased a vacation home last Spring that includes an Xtrordinair 36 Elite ZC, installed new around 1998 or 99. I tried the unit out right away and it worked like a charm! Fire got hot in about 20-min and the blower began cranking out heat. Got so warm I had to open windows to let some cool air in.

Well, after 5 or 6 uses, the blower no longer kicks in. The stove puts out some heat; but not nearly as much as when the blower is working.

I called a service tech who came by. He discovered that the tiny thin metal "trigger" pin at the lower right corner was bent downward. (the trigger works like the light switch in your fridge. When the doors are shut, the pin is pushed in and the blower will function. When you open the door, the pin pops out and turns the blower off). Once he straightened out the pin, he removed the brick barrier on the right side, pushed the pin in with is finger, and heated up the thermostat with a hot air paint stripper gun. Doing this, the bower turned on and kicked right in. Great!

Except, a couple weeks later when I was back at the cabin when it was cold enough to light a fire, once again the blower does not function. This time, the pin is functioning properly. The fire gets plenty hot (seemingly) and burns for hours. Still, no blower. I do not think the problem is electrical because it was functioning fine with the artificial heat when the service guy was there.

After tons of web search, I'm coming up empty. One thing I'm wondering is if the stove's air circulation could be due to decreased air flow because of buildup. But, it would seem that the blower would still at least turn on; just not blow as hard.

Any help appreciated.

Thanks.

Chilly

 

[Isaiah53]

I purchased a vacation home last Spring that includes an Xtrordinair 36 Elite ZC, installed new around 1998 or 99. I tried the unit out right away and it worked like a charm! Fire got hot in about 20-min and the blower began cranking out heat. Got so warm I had to open windows to let some cool air in.

Well, after 5 or 6 uses, the blower no longer kicks in. The stove puts out some heat; but not nearly as much as when the blower is working.

I called a service tech who came by. He discovered that the tiny thin metal "trigger" pin at the lower right corner was bent downward. (the trigger works like the light switch in your fridge. When the doors are shut, the pin is pushed in and the blower will function. When you open the door, the pin pops out and turns the blower off). Once he straightened out the pin, he removed the brick barrier on the right side, pushed the pin in with is finger, and heated up the thermostat with a hot air paint stripper gun. Doing this, the bower turned on and kicked right in. Great!

Except, a couple weeks later when I was back at the cabin when it was cold enough to light a fire, once again the blower does not function. This time, the pin is functioning properly. The fire gets plenty hot (seemingly) and burns for hours. Still, no blower. I do not think the problem is electrical because it was functioning fine with the artificial heat when the service guy was there.

After tons of web search, I'm coming up empty. One thing I'm wondering is if the stove's air circulation could be due to decreased air flow because of buildup. But, it would seem that the blower would still at least turn on; just not blow as hard.

Any help appreciated.

Thanks.

Chilly

I have a 44 Elite that was installed about 2 years ago. In my research, I recall several reviews that mentioned the thermostatic snap switch that turns the blower on and off based on temperature being faulty. That would be my suspicion. Could still be the door pin not making contact. I am sure it is something in the electrical circuit rather than the air flow path. On my unit I think the snap switch is located behind the face plate in the lower right hand part near the variable speed knob. For me it would be a job for a competent dealer or service repair man.

 

[RealToast]

I have a 44 Elite that was installed about 2 years ago. In my research, I recall several reviews that mentioned the thermostatic snap switch that turns the blower on and off based on temperature being faulty. That would be my suspicion. Could still be the door pin not making contact. I am sure it is something in the electrical circuit rather than the air flow path. On my unit I think the snap switch is located behind the face plate in the lower right hand part near the variable speed knob. For me it would be a job for a competent dealer or service repair man.

Thank you for responding. I'm going up this week to test the thermostat again with a hot air gun. One thing my tech questioned last week was moisture content of the wood I'm burning. I bought a half-chord of wood that I'm burning; lodgepole pine I believe. I'm wondering if this relatively soft wood is even putting out enough heat to trigger the thermostat. If the thermostat test works, where the blower turns on with the artificial heat, I would be lead to believe that my issue is simply wrong fuel. Bringing a box of oak to test.

Thanks again.

 

[Isaiah53]

It does take a surprising amount of heat to get the blower to come on. It generally takes about 30 minutes of a roaring fire from a lot of kindling and small splits on mine. I have also generally observed that you have to develop a bed of hot coals before it will come on. If you are not getting that, it may well be a fuel problem.

Good luck.

 

[maverick06]

i have a similiar stove, the snap disk took forever to turn the blower on, literally it would take 2-3 hours of a fire going before it would click. (it might have been reasonable if you didnt have an inch of insulating ash, but it was illogically long otherwise).

open it up, cut the wires to the disk (and replace with a different disk) or just wire nut the wires together and be done with it. Now my blower turns on whenever i tell it to, and off whenever i tell it to. I use an IR gun to make sure the stove is appropriatly hot first. that was 7 years ago, life is good.

 

[RealToast]

Problem solved!

And, with some level of embarrassment, I can now share how we are now enjoying a toasty fire with a fully functional blower.

I did go out and buy a Dewalt professional hot air gun and I did set it on High and I did put that 1000-degree high heat right on the thermo plate for a good 10 minutes. Nothing! So, after having determined that my thermo switch must be defective, I called the local service guy out again so that he could help me replace it. He did show up and he did ask me to put the hot gun on the plate again before he started taking things apart. I did apply the heat again, and, again, the gun failed to cause the thermo switch to turn the blower on.

Service guy did replace the thermo switch, and we did then once again apply the hot gun to the new thermo plate. And...
Nothing.

At this point, service guy determines that there was no electricity getting to the switch! Huh? An electrical problem? My mind now reeling with the need to get yet a new, electrical service person out to the home, and...

No. Turns out, the original owners had the fireplace installed with the blower electricity controlled by a light switch some distance from the fireplace, paired with another light switch for lights in the family room! I experimentally toggled the switches and, voila!, the blower engaged immediately! I had no idea there was a switch. I had thought the switches where part of a dual switch for the same lights, as you often see in a long hallway.

So, there you go. Two service calls, an expensive heat gun, new parts, and a simple, otherwise free solution.

A good education is rarely inexpensive.

Thank you to all who attempted to help this newb.

Cheers!

r