I Screwed Up

[Sneakers]

Every year just before the cold sets in, I do a deep clean on the pellet stove. Pull it apart, vacuum, replace gaskets... I did this back in September, but didn't watch what I was doing when I re-assembled it. I left the wire for the exhaust blower motor in a bad location, and it rubbed on the motor flywheel. Eventually cut thru and shorted it to ground, causing the house GFCI to pop. Which is odd, because I would have thought the internal 7.5A fuse would pop first.

Repaired the wire and everything seems ok, motors still run, etc... , but it still blows the GFCI as soon as it calls for the glow plug to turn on. Glow plug checks good, but replaced it anyway, still pops the GFCI. It's a fairly simple control/motor wiring setup, not much that can go bad, it looks like I fried the controller logic box. Ordered a new one, ETA next Wen.

This is probably the last time I'll invest this much in repair costs, as the stove is almost 30 years old.

 

[OccamsRazor]

Is the internal fuse shorted?

 

[Sneakers]

No, checked with a meter. It turns on, fans kick up, auger moves, but after it does it's pre-check and calls for the igniter, it pops.

 

[stgislander]

GFCIs do go bad over time.

 

[Bonehead]

Especially after they get exercised.

 

[1stGenSMIB]

I need to do this to my pellet stove now that it is getting cold..right now it is a plant stand..

 

[Blister]

GFCIs do go bad over time.

Exactly change the GFCI for $20 before doing anything else. A GFCI trips in milliamps to ground, definitely not 7.5 A. They do go bad sometimes, it's a nuisance when it trips without cause, but can kill someone if it does not trip.

 

[Dakota]

I have nothing of value to add to this topic but FYI, we just did a mass cleaning on ours and I still cannot believe this happened. We had a nail stuck in the auger. After we got it out, we could clearly see it was a pallet nail. It took us all day to get that bleeping nail out and both of us were head to toe covered in soot. I even had that stuff on my teeth.

I am an absolute neat freak so I know sloppiness wasn't the cause so I cannot help but think it came out of a bag of pellets. Just something to be mindful of when dropping your pellets in the stove.

Perhaps, this was a 1 in a million thing.

 

[Sneakers]

GFCI is brand new. I had a brand new AFCI in there first, and when it started popping, replaced it with a new GFCI.

I also tried the stove on a different circuit, same thing.

 

[Ken King]

we just did a mass cleaning on ours and I still cannot believe this happened. We had a nail stuck in the auger. After we got it out, we could clearly see it was a pallet nail.

I've read where some people are griping about the nails and they use Traeger pellets. Maybe you need a large magnet to pre-screen them.

 

[Dakota]

I've read where some people are griping about the nails and they use Traeger pellets. Maybe you need a large magnet to pre-screen them.

Thanks for the tip. We have used Traeger pellets in our smoker but I cannot be sure which brand we were using at the time we got the nail in our pellet stove. It could have been Lignetics? maybe?

Now that I have taken some time to do some research, I am learning that this isn't uncommon. They suspect that pallet wood could be used to make the pellets or that there was some sweeping up at the factory done.

I think I will invest in a large magnet.

 

[Kinnakeet]

Every year just before the cold sets in, I do a deep clean on the pellet stove. Pull it apart, vacuum, replace gaskets... I did this back in September, but didn't watch what I was doing when I re-assembled it. I left the wire for the exhaust blower motor in a bad location, and it rubbed on the motor flywheel. Eventually cut thru and shorted it to ground, causing the house GFCI to pop. Which is odd, because I would have thought the internal 7.5A fuse would pop first.

Repaired the wire and everything seems ok, motors still run, etc... , but it still blows the GFCI as soon as it calls for the glow plug to turn on. Glow plug checks good, but replaced it anyway, still pops the GFCI. It's a fairly simple control/motor wiring setup, not much that can go bad, it looks like I fried the controller logic box. Ordered a new one, ETA next Wen.

This is probably the last time I'll invest this much in repair costs, as the stove is almost 30 years old.

Have you checked the amp draw maybe your stove is drawing to many amps on start up?

 

[black dog]

Why is the stove plugged into a GFCI to begin with?
A surge Protector, yes. A GFCI, nope.

 

[Sneakers]

Have you checked the amp draw maybe your stove is drawing to many amps on start up?

It's a ground fault condition, not an overload, which is why the internal fuse doesn't pop.

Why is the stove plugged into a GFCI to begin with?
A surge Protector, yes. A GFCI, nope.

It's not specifically plugged into a GFCI, the entire room is GFCI protected and the outlet happens to be on the protected string.

Pending testing with the new control board, I may be removing the GFCI.

 

[phreddyp]

It's a ground fault condition, not an overload, which is why the internal fuse doesn't pop.

It's not specifically plugged into a GFCI, the entire room is GFCI protected and the outlet happens to be on the protected string.

Pending testing with the new control board, I may be removing the GFCI.

Try plugging it in another GFCI outlet with an extension cord ( Kitchen countertop, Bath) if it trips it ain't the GFCI. Its the stove. Why did you replace an Arc Fault breaker with a GFCI they are two entirely different things and offer two distinct types of protection. Also AFCI breakers have GFCI protection built in them just not personnel protection rated.

 

[Sneakers]

Try plugging it in another GFCI outlet with an extension cord ( Kitchen countertop, Bath) if it trips it ain't the GFCI. Its the stove.

Post #9.

The AFCI was in when it started popping, didn't have another, used a GFCI just to eliminate the AFCI hardware as an issue. Problem follows the stove.

 

[phreddyp]

Post #9.

The AFCI was in when it started popping, didn't have another, used a GFCI just to eliminate the AFCI hardware as an issue. Problem follows the stove.

Yep that's what it sounds like to me, also that is why I wanted to make sure that your 2nd circuit was also GFCI protected.

 

[Gilligan]

With SGI's expert technical assistance, I removed all the GFCIs in our shop and also learned how to safety-wire breakers permanently in the "on" position. Never had a power interruption since.

Follow me for more tech advice.

 

[phreddyp]

With SGI's expert technical assistance, I removed all the GFCIs in our shop and also learned how to safety-wire breakers permanently in the "on" position. Never had a power interruption since.

Follow me for more tech advice.

Did you use the super glue method ?

 

[Gilligan]

Did you use the super glue method ?

I'm not familiar with that one. SGI is getting old...he's probably not up on the latest tech.