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Appendix 1 - Insights into Pellet Stoves
Printed 3/18/98
Travis Industries Pellet Stove Troubleshooting Guide (
1994)
D
ETERMINING WHICH
S
YSTEM IS
F
AULTY
A pellet heater is best thought of as a combination of four systems working together to burn pellets and
transfer heat to the room. It will only burn when there is an acceptable amount of air, pellets, and heat present
in the firepot. Air is supplied through the
Air/Exhaust System
. Pellets are supplied through the
Pellet
Feed System
. Heat comes from combustion and is transferred to the room through the
Convection
Heat System
. The last system is the
Safety System
. If any one of these systems does not work
correctly, the heater may not work efficiently, start up, or run continually. When troubleshooting any problem
with the stove, it is easiest to determine which system is not working correctly and then go through each
component of that system until the problem is found. The tables below lists the major components of each
system and tips for troubleshooting the heater (see the illustration below for each component's location and
appearance).
Air/Exhaust System
Consists of:
Purpose:
Possible Problems
Air Inlet, Flex Hose
Provides air for combustion
Flex Hose crushed or blocked
Air Control
Adjusts the amount of air going
to the firepot
Adjusted incorrectly or does not slide in and out
all the way
Firepot
Holds pellets during combustion
Firepot holder is on incorrectly, clinkers formed
on firepot grate
Firebox (not pictured)
Provides a chamber for
combustion
Air leaks - check the door seal, ashpan seal
Airwash assembly sealed (check gasket).
Ash Traps
Trap flyash
Ash piled up and not cleaned out
Exhaust Blower
Pull air through firepot and push
flue gases out flue
Ash piled up and not cleaned out
HINT:
This system is the hardest to troubleshoot and crucial to the heater's operation. It must be air-tight
through the entire chain of components. The most common problem is an air leak into the firebox.
This will rob air from the firepot, making combustion incomplete.
Exhaust
Switch Box
Hopper
Exhaust Blower
Convection Snap Disk
Auger Tube
Convection Blower
Heat Exchanger Tubes
Air Control
Control Box
Auger Motor
Firepot
Air Inlet
Ash Traps
System
Snap Disk
Hopper
Snap Disk
Flow Switch
Igniter
Summary of Contents for 400 PI
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