Year 4 with a DVC-500 not off to a good start.... Help!

Are the comustion blower and distribution blower the same? They were on my mag, can you switch them out?



Eric

Coalfire wrote:Are the comustion blower and distribution blower the same? They were on my mag, can you switch them out?



Eric

Nope, seperate blower for combustion, exhaust and distribution ........

ablumny wrote:

McGiever wrote:Is it at all possible that its the coal? First year with this source and its the most contaminated with twigs and dustiest I've ever gotten. Crazy but possible? ??

Only one way to find out; go buy a couple bags of Rice. Or get a 5 gal bucket of Rice from a nieghbor?

just back from my dealer who at this point has elevated himself above the bad dealer reputation. He walked me through a dvc500 in the showroom, confirmed with me all the things I tried and that there was little more to try. We spoke about my suspicion on the combustion motor. He said possible but unlikly if its clean and spinning and based on age thats its worn out. Ill try to feed it power directly anyway later.

<DVS500at last>, He handed me a bag of his coal (for free), which Ive used with success in the past. After reasembly, if it lights with the same ease as my prior years, Ill have to blame the new source this year.

My dealer suggested the coal I got has a high % of somethign other them coal in it. Shale, etc. Why I ask..... Apparently the local dealers here go to 3 main mines, I think in PA he said. 2 of the 3 are only exporting thier coal now. 1 of those 2 still allows long time dealers like my guy to source. The 3rd is servicing long time guys first then everyone else. My source this year is not a long time dealer thus he suspects he might have had to get his supply from a less reputable or source with lower quality stds. This source also stores thier coal in the open, no walls, no concrete floor...might explain ehy this years load is the dirtiest twig filled load Ive ever gotten. Well it all made sense to me but I wouldnt be able to validate.....

Anyway, I was pleased enough with my dealer and his time today to overpay for a new dedicated Ash vac! I hope I get the thing lit to produce some ash!

Thanks again.
Next installment later.....

If everything seems to be functioning, and the only thing changed from last year is the grates I would remove them again and re-seal them. I did my grates every year. I found the rear and center was most difficult to get a good air tight bond. I used high heat furnace cement at first. I found that high heat silicone worked best for me.

ablumny wrote:just back from my dealer who at this point has elevated himself above the bad dealer reputation. He walked me through a dvc500 in the showroom, confirmed with me all the things I tried and that there was little more to try. We spoke about my suspicion on the combustion motor. He said possible but unlikly if its clean and spinning and based on age thats its worn out. Ill try to feed it power directly anyway later.

<DVS500at last>, He handed me a bag of his coal (for free), which Ive used with success in the past. After reasembly, if it lights with the same ease as my prior years, Ill have to blame the new source this year.
.....

Heyyyy.... Thats a good dealor! Taking the time to go over the stove with you, then giving you a FREE bag of Rice was a good move on his part; Make the customer happy, so they come back!
Good luck with the test burn.

Allright team...... I got the stove back together and connected up.

Coal mouse, existing coal I had and no go.
Broke out my old bag of cowboy lump, another coal mouse and some starter gel for looks and a couple of handfuls of existing rice coal.....poof, all that ignites and is burning. Lump coal is glowing nicely. Slowly start adding more shovels of existing rice behind and around the lump. that starts to ignite. Add a shovel full on top, that ignites. Feeling pretty good here, I dump a pail of existing rice into the hopper. Feeder pushes it up to the bed. All seems well.

However all isnt working as expected. By this time in my start up and given I have the temp and feeder knobs pegged all the way, the coal bed should be lit from edge to edge of the grate area and starting pretty far back towards the pusher before it dives down to the pusher. The flames should be high enough that my wife is constantly advising me we are going to melt the stove. None of that is evident. Ive got a 3" or so deep band of lit properly rice but its edging its way towards the ash pan and the coal behind it doesnt seem to be playing along.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/EFgYITpRGKJlx6_G8DxiNA?feat=directlink

If this thing goes out. I will repeat this process however I will use the new bag of rice I got from the dealer today.

Either way, it appears my initial problem may also have been crappy coal mice ! HArdware/electronics are still suspect!

Looks like your pushing fresh coal in, too fast now. Turn Stove Temp & Feed Rate back to '1' until the fire moves back on the plates.

DVC500 at last wrote:Looks like your pushing fresh coal in, too fast now. Turn Stove Temp & Feed Rate back to '1' until the fire moves back on the plates.

Thats makes sense and I have moved them back.

....man I tought I knew everythign about this thing

standby fo results
THANKS!!!

ablumny wrote:Either way, it appears my initial problem may also have been crappy coal mice ! !

Yeah, I never trusted those coal mice. I have always had good luck with Wood pellets and Gelled alcohol fire starter. I follow the directions in the Owner's Manual for starting, by creating a 'valley' in the coal on the top of the grates, then filling that valley with about 2 cups of wood pellets, which makes a 'hill' of pellets in the valley, then covering that with gelled alcohol. THEN I put freah coal on the back half of the 'hill', leaving the front of the hill open to allow the wood pellets to start burning. Works every time If the pusher bar has pushed fresh coal up to the grates, and the grates are covered with coal, then leave your Feed Rate & Stove Temp settings at '1' until the coal is burning nicely from side-to-side of grates. In about 15-20 minutes, go ahead and turn up the Stove Temp & Feed Rate a couple a notches, and let the fire catch up to these settings. Then in another 15-20 minutes turn the settings up again if your so desire. No need to turn Feed Rate up past 3 or 4.

Its been an hour since I lowered the setting to 1.

I dont recall the dark, seemingly unlit coal on top of the bed, the bed is lit closer to the back now but still close to the front. I took this pic wit the door open, door closed a nice sized blu flame is evident.
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/pUdDoTVotE6Lbef9LhK1NQ?feat=directlink

I also notice that the fan motor indicator LED's will glow brighter or dimmer depending on fan speed. The draft motor indicator is staying dim, no setting adjustments have an affect other then TEST mode. then it goes bright. Wondering it thats normal.
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Ia-LUPCDXb6o3KYv1ynS6Q?feat=directlink

so weird

ablumny wrote:Its been an hour since I lowered the setting to 1.

I dont recall the dark, seemingly unlit coal on top of the bed, the bed is lit closer to the back now but still close to the front. I took this pic wit the door open, door closed a nice sized blu flame is evident.
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/pUdDoTVotE6Lbef9LhK1NQ?feat=directlink

It looks good. The flame should stay in the back of the grates once the excess coal on the grates burns off. I bet it's warm in that room now!

I also notice that the fan motor indicator LED's will glow brighter or dimmer depending on fan speed. The draft motor indicator is staying dim, no setting adjustments have an affect other then TEST mode. then it goes bright. Wondering it thats normal.

That is normal. Don't forget, the computer controls the draft, based on the pressure in the firebox. Crack open the ash door, and I bet you'll see the draft motor light get bright, as the computer tries to compensate for the open door, and tries to keep a negative pressure in the firebox.
Good work!

Suspect your motor is running at reduced speed due to dry, dirty shaft or lack of enough lubrication...hence the dimming light.

Motor is drawing above normal amps...due to struggling to spin.

Just for a test, try plugging in the convection motor where combustion motor goes...see how light reacts to a different motor. That will be a big *clue* for you as to whats to blame.

DVC500atlast:
I have to say I never had any of these issues over the past three years and I thought I had a grasp on expectations for fan speeds and what the coal bed looked like at certain settigns but I give in and accept the situation as "good".

I cracked the ash pan door for a few minutes but no change to the draft motor speed or light. Indicates?

McGiever:
Thanks. The motors blades, thus shaft as well sit in the back of the ash pan area. Over the summer the inside of my stove took a beating and rusted worse then Ive seen ion the past. That blade was in bad shape. I got everything cleaned out and that blade cleaned off but it was spining freely. I will however make an attempt to reexamine. Thanks guys..

Turned the stove temp back up as well the feed rate after the buring coal band was far enough back up the grate.

The coal band has moved back to the front of the grate, lit coal into the ash pan !!

Something aint right

Someone suggested I swap the power lines between the combustion and draft fans to see if the dim light would follow a possible ban motor. not easily possible since the draft motor wires are hard wired and I dont feel like cutting, splicing, etc......but thx..