PELLET STOVE TROUBLESHOOTING

Pellet stoves are a tried and true technology with a proven track record.  Breckwell stoves also have a proven record of reliable performance and years of use.  However, at times, it may become necessary to troubleshoot your stove.  This section is specifically designed to help you in that process.  In addition to the information you find here there is a detailed troubleshooting guide in the back of your owners manual.

Anytime one of our newer (2001 or newer) pellet stoves fails to start, or shuts down unexpectedly while running, you will receive an error code on your control panel.  Just to the left of the Heat Level number settings is a diagnostics display.  Either the AS (#2) or POF (#3) light will begin to flash.  This flashing light will provide you with a starting point to troubleshoot your unit and get it back up and running again.  It is important to notate which light is flashing on your control panel prior to troubleshooting the unit.  This flashing diagnostics light will guide you in the right direction for making the necessary adjustments or corrections to get your stove back up and running.

Below you will find some assistance for the most common questions we recieve.

AS or #2 Blinking Error

The AS or #2 blinking error is always related to your airflow, or a loss of negative pressure.  The most common reason for this problem is inadequate maintenance or cleaning.  When was the last time you completely cleaned your stove in accordance with the directions in your owner's manual?  What about your exhaust pipe?  When was it last cleaned from tip to tip?  Have you ever cleaned the fan blades on your combustion blower?  Both of your blowers should be completely removed and cleaned once every ton of pellets burned.

These are the most common reasons that you will receive the #2 blinking light.  If you perform a complete and thorough cleaning of your stove and exhaust pipe your problem will most likely be resolved.  You may also want to take a moment and download our maintenance quick reference page for future reference.

If your pellet stove will run for a little while and then shut down with the #2 blinking light you most likely do not have anything mechanically wrong with your unit.  Check to make sure that the combustion blower is still running.  If it is, there is nothing mechanically wrong with the unit.  Instead you either have a poor seal on the door or ash pan gasket, a dirty stove or exhaust vent, or a poorly installed unit.  Inspect the gaskets and repair if needed, clean your stove, combustion blower, and exhaust system well and your problem will most likely be resolved.  If not, then you should probably look at your installation as a possible source of the problem.  Take a moment to look at our installation and venting page for more information regarding this subject.

However, if this does not correct your issue you should consult the trouble shooting section of your owner's manual for more detailed instructions.  If you still have difficulties please contact your dealer or us for further assistance.

 

 

 

 

POF or #3 Blinking Error

If the pellet stove shuts down and displays a POF or #3 blinking light there are a couple of possibilities.  What the #3 blinking light means is that one of your thermodisc have shut the unit down.  This could be the High Temp Thermodisc or the POF (Proof of Fire) Thermodisc.  Exactly which one is dependent upon a couple of different factors.

If the pellet stove was running fine and then at some point later you noticed that the burnpot is full of unburned pellets and the #3 light is blinking the problem is almost always related to damper control.  If you have the damper open just a little too far, then you will be consuming the pellets a little faster than they are being burned.  This will initially cause you to experience a fluctuating flame.  The flame will start to die down and then the stove will feed pellets.  The flame will come back up.  The flame will then again begin to die down, and then come back up when more pellets are fed.  This fluctuating flame will at some point die down completely and the pellets will be fed into an empty burnpot.  Since there is no fire, they do not burn.  The stove will continue to feed pellets until the POF Thermodisc cools and shuts the unit down.  At that point the #3 light will begin to blink.

In order to correct this situation you simply need to close the damper a little bit (1/8" or so) for the heat level setting you operated the stove at.  Look at the fire about 10 or 15 minutes later to see if the fire is stable.  If the fire is fluctuating as previously described, then close the damper another 1/8" and observe the fire again in 10 minutes.  Repeat this process until you find the correct damper setting for that heat level.

If this does not apply to your situation you should contact your dealer or us for additional troubleshooting advice.