New guy with an Alaska.

xracer390 · Post by **xracer390** » Sun. Jan. 10, 2021 4:37 pm

So I had it running (wired correctly or not) and it seemed like it was making good heat. Walked away for a bit and came back to this. Cold.

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xracer390 · Post by **xracer390** » Mon. Jan. 11, 2021 3:15 pm

Would it be possible to get some pictures of all the connections and where they go to??

Spacecadet wrote: ↑
Sat. Jan. 09, 2021 11:16 pm
You don’t want to plug the room fan directly in to the wall. You can’t control the fan speed that way. It will always run at full speed and when the coal feed is set low and your not producing a lot of heat the room fan on full blast will only blow out cold air. Slowing the fan down will allow the air to pick up heat and blow it into your room.
Pictures :
The controller that I have attached to the side of the hopper is for the coal feed which is also the blower fan for the air that feeds the coal fire.

On the floor the black controller with the 2 wires is for the room fan. One plugs into the wall the other one gets the room fan plugged into it. It’s an Alaska original part.

The tan one I added to the picture is also a room fan controller. That one I bought for a spare for the fan on my Hitzer 30/95 which I have in my house. Which will work on any fan.

xracer390 · Post by **xracer390** » Mon. Jan. 11, 2021 3:16 pm

Is it possible to have old coal? Does it absorb moisture at all? The stuff I have has been in a plastic bin in a dry basement.

WNY · Post by **WNY** » Mon. Jan. 11, 2021 5:13 pm

Coal doesn't absorb moisture. it's ok if it;s damp to keep dust down. shouldn't affect it burning.

pusher motor could be going or mechanism that pushes it. make sure blower and everything is working ok.

if it went out and things were still running, something not correct.

xracer390 · Post by **xracer390** » Mon. Jan. 11, 2021 5:58 pm

Should the burner fan run wide open or should that be regulated?

WNY · Post by **WNY** » Mon. Jan. 11, 2021 6:36 pm

most of the newer stoves, the combustion blower (under the grate) run full blast, no adjust except some have an inlet cover to adjust flow. that helps keep it hotter i think. both my stoves run the combustion blower with no adjustments of speed or anything. just adjustment for feed rate and the heat blower turns off and off when hot enough.

xracer390 · Post by **xracer390** » Mon. Jan. 11, 2021 8:27 pm

Tried it again today. Got her going good and hot by hand feeding it. Put the feed on about 5. It was pushing coal down and it was igniting the coal that was coming down. I got working in the shop and half an hour later it was dead cold.

WNY · Post by **WNY** » Mon. Jan. 11, 2021 8:30 pm

sounds like it's not feeding properly. could be gearbox gear, or something is loose in the feed mechanism.
does the feed motor and blower change speeds when you adjust the rheostat? it should.
i would look at feed motor and pusher plate area., make sure the pusher plate or block or whatever moves the coal is working. You might have to clean it out and check the feed mechanism.

lincolnmania · Post by **lincolnmania** » Mon. Jan. 11, 2021 8:35 pm

throw the controller away, that is my advice.
you want the combustion air to run full blast to get the best burn. when you have it set to 5 you also cut back on combustion air.
control the feed rate with the adjustment on the feed arm.

add a Broan 50 cfm vent fan for the combustion air, take the blower wheel off the stoker motor. they work much better that way.

xracer390 · Post by **xracer390** » Mon. Jan. 11, 2021 8:52 pm

It's feeding fine. I let it run awhile with no flame and it pushed coal off the end. I'm still not sure everything is plugged in correctly so I don't think the blower and feed are wired together.

WNY wrote: ↑
Mon. Jan. 11, 2021 8:30 pm
sounds like it's not feeding properly. could be gearbox gear, or something is loose in the feed mechanism.
does the feed motor and blower change speeds when you adjust the rheostat? it should.
i would look at feed motor and pusher plate area., make sure the pusher plate or block or whatever moves the coal is working. You might have to clean it out and check the feed mechanism.

Spacecadet · Post by **Spacecadet** » Mon. Jan. 11, 2021 11:07 pm

xracer390 wrote: ↑
Mon. Jan. 11, 2021 3:15 pm
Would it be possible to get some pictures of all the connections and where they go to??

Yes. I took a few pictures. The stove I have is a Channing III. The plug that has the odd connections is the one that controls the feed rate. That plug connects to the feed motor. The feed motor is timed. It has the mechanical arm that goes to the feed blower assembly. Which turns the ‘puck’ in the bottom of the hopper box. The feed blower has a mini fan blade on top and a squirrel cage fan below it that’s inside the frame which forces air into the firebox into the coal which is what causes it to burn.
I looked at the pics you put up. I have a couple thoughts. Are the grate holes all clear? Is the tray under the grate clean and dust free? When the stove acts up a half hour later, is the feed blower blowing? Does it appear to be blowing speed or does it act or appear slow. By looking at pic of the out fire. I’m thinking the coal feed is working. But I’m wondering if the air feed blower needs to be lubricated or if it’s actually starting to bind and fail.

Spacecadet · Post by **Spacecadet** » Mon. Jan. 11, 2021 11:18 pm

xracer390 wrote: ↑
Mon. Jan. 11, 2021 8:52 pm
It's feeding fine. I let it run awhile with no flame and it pushed coal off the end. I'm still not sure everything is plugged in correctly so I don't think the blower and feed are wired together.

When it died and you had no fire, when you opened the door, was their a breeze going through the unburnt coal pile? Looking at the back the top fan should be easy to notice if it stopped spinning. Next. The squirrel cage - are the blades clean? Dust packs up on the fins and causes low air flow. The stove I have, the previous owner told me it was a piece of *censored*. He said No matter what he did, It wouldn’t heat his house. And eventually it wouldn’t stall lite. Well the fans blades were so plugged with dust they wouldn’t create a breeze. Just noise.

xracer390 · Post by **xracer390** » Tue. Jan. 12, 2021 7:25 am

I pretty much took the stove and fans apart 100% and cleaned it.
That is how I have mine wired.
Your exhaust fan is plugged straight into an outlet?
The plug your blower motor is plugged into is 120 v right?
Seems to be plenty of air through the coal and the holes were cleaned 100%

Spacecadet wrote: ↑
Mon. Jan. 11, 2021 11:18 pm
When it died and you had no fire, when you opened the door, was their a breeze going through the unburnt coal pile? Looking at the back the top fan should be easy to notice if it stopped spinning. Next. The squirrel cage - are the blades clean? Dust packs up on the fins and causes low air flow. The stove I have, the previous owner told me it was a piece of *censored*. He said No matter what he did, It wouldn’t heat his house. And eventually it wouldn’t stall lite. Well the fans blades were so plugged with dust they wouldn’t create a breeze. Just noise.

lincolnmania · Post by **lincolnmania** » Tue. Jan. 12, 2021 9:57 am

yea that's a newer alaska. nothing like the one i had.

Pauliewog · Post by **Pauliewog** » Tue. Jan. 12, 2021 10:14 am

Did you set your barometric damper with a manometer?

On that Alaska you should be reading a negative .04 inside the stove.

Can you post pictures of your
chimney?

Looking at the pic of when the fire went out, it appears you had adequate feed and air.

I have an Alaska 140 with two feeders the same style as yours. I run the second feeder when the OAT drops into the single digits. Your picture is exactly what my second feeder looks like when the OAT is in the double digits and I unplug it .

Is it possible you have a slightly positive pressure in the firebox and its starving for oxygen ?

Paulie

New guy with an Alaska.

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