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Author Topic: Replacing Sequoyah E3400 with CB Classic Edge 750 HD  (Read 11654 times)

Roger2561

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Re: Replacing Sequoyah E3400 with CB Classic Edge 750 HD
« Reply #30 on: January 06, 2020, 05:06:53 PM »

Well, time for my first attempt to see how good my dealer is.  My combustion air fan died overnight.  It was running when I loaded it at 1:00AM, wake up at 7:00AM and I see the boiler says it has been running for 5 hours, and is sitting at 160F.  I figure all my wood burned faster than I expected, but then I walk out there and it is quiet.  Opened up the airbox and no obvious issues there, the fan looks clean, hasn't melted, no wires are loose, airbox not full of soot.

So I have it sitting there, bypass open, for now, while I've got a message in to my dealer via the Central Boiler support site.  Unfortunately no spare fan onhand and I guess this could be the firestar controller itself, rather than the fan.

EDIT: They'll be here Thursday morning.  A few more days than I'd hoped for for service, and Wed night will be pretty cold.  But I've got heating oil for backup.  Looks like ordering a spare fan would be $190 or so after shipping based on my first few checks so I think I'll let warranty play out here and see if they can hook me up.

Oh man, that sucks.  I hope it's only the fan not the controller.  If it is the controller, it's an easy unit to change.  Don't ask me how I know.  Is the digital display lit up on the controller?  Does your manual offer any troubleshooting options to try while you're waiting for the dealer to show up?  Also, I know with my Edge 550 I can go to the CB site where they have an online troubleshooting guide.  It helped me a bunch when the power supply on my controller fried due to 3 power surges from a fallen tree.  All you have to do is input the serial number of your 750 in the box and they have many options from which you can pick the one that closest resembles the trouble you're having.  It will walk you through how to narrow down the problem and how to rectify it/them.  Good luck.  I hope you are heating your home sooner rather than later.  Roger     
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bjp

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Re: Replacing Sequoyah E3400 with CB Classic Edge 750 HD
« Reply #31 on: January 07, 2020, 08:20:37 AM »

Oh man, that sucks.  I hope it's only the fan not the controller.  If it is the controller, it's an easy unit to change.  Don't ask me how I know.  Is the digital display lit up on the controller?  Does your manual offer any troubleshooting options to try while you're waiting for the dealer to show up?  Also, I know with my Edge 550 I can go to the CB site where they have an online troubleshooting guide.  It helped me a bunch when the power supply on my controller fried due to 3 power surges from a fallen tree.  All you have to do is input the serial number of your 750 in the box and they have many options from which you can pick the one that closest resembles the trouble you're having.  It will walk you through how to narrow down the problem and how to rectify it/them.  Good luck.  I hope you are heating your home sooner rather than later.  Roger   

The model-specific troubleshooting guide has been really helpful, but not many options to follow for the fan after checking to make sure the blades turn freely.  The only other thing left for me to do is pull it off and check it with the multimeter, but I can't get a replacement part here any faster than the dealer can so it'll probably just frustrate me more to find out it's just a simple capacitor I don't have around to replace.

The controller appears to be fine, the display lights up, it is still reporting up to firestar online, the LEDs light up white and red as the stepper motors move the air intakes and I can see they are actually moving.  It could be the electrical in the controller just for the part that feeds that fan, but we'll see.  The dealer should have replacements for both parts on hand, and better to get to know them now than during the middle of a -20F run of weeks.
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RSI

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Re: Replacing Sequoyah E3400 with CB Classic Edge 750 HD
« Reply #32 on: January 07, 2020, 02:52:31 PM »

If you have a volt meter, check for voltage at the fan motor. If it is there then it is a motor problem.
Did you try spinning the fan wheel and see if it starts? If the capacitor is bad, they will usually run if started manually. If that works then check to see if the connections on the capacitor are ok, especially if it is a type that has the capacitor mounted on the outside of the motor housing.
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boilerman

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Re: Replacing Sequoyah E3400 with CB Classic Edge 750 HD
« Reply #33 on: January 07, 2020, 09:59:24 PM »

Does your FireStar fan indicator light show the fan is on? If so, then unplug the fan and use a multimeter in the harness connector to see if power is present. If you have 120V present make sure you are getting good fan wire connections in connector. If so you likely have a bad fan motor. I would expect fan would be covered under warranty if your furnace is less than a year old like other electrial components. Should be easy fix for your dealer. Let us know what you find out on Thursday.
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bjp

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Re: Replacing Sequoyah E3400 with CB Classic Edge 750 HD
« Reply #34 on: January 08, 2020, 10:19:36 AM »

Does your FireStar fan indicator light show the fan is on? If so, then unplug the fan and use a multimeter in the harness connector to see if power is present. If you have 120V present make sure you are getting good fan wire connections in connector. If so you likely have a bad fan motor. I would expect fan would be covered under warranty if your furnace is less than a year old like other electrial components. Should be easy fix for your dealer. Let us know what you find out on Thursday.

Thanks both boilerman and RSI!  I removed the harness and checked it out with the volt meter, and I see 120.4V coming out of the controller going to the wire harness when it tries to power the fan so the controller looks good, at least.  I also tried kickstarting the fan with a can of compressed air to see if it could power, but not start it, but no luck there.  Just a brief spin from the air then nothing.  So I think I am pretty confident something is shot on the fan.

I'll post an update tomorrow.
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bjp

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Re: Replacing Sequoyah E3400 with CB Classic Edge 750 HD
« Reply #35 on: January 09, 2020, 09:29:23 AM »

I am back in business.  It was the fan. 

Once the old fan was removed, a quick look inside the case showed a clearly visibly broken wire in the motor winding, just dangling loose.  Worked fine for almost three months but must have had some kind of weak point. Excellent service from my dealer! He arrived with a large air compressor in tow as his next job after mine was a water blowout on another customer's 15yr old boiler so that the leaky firebox can be welded, so they sure seem like a full service dealer.  Such a huge difference from where I was before with the Sequoyah and no support due to an out of business manufacturer.
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Roger2561

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Re: Replacing Sequoyah E3400 with CB Classic Edge 750 HD
« Reply #36 on: January 10, 2020, 03:33:52 AM »

Glad to hear you're back in business and that your dealer is the real deal.  Lets hope the failure is just a one time occurrence.  Roger
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Re: Replacing Sequoyah E3400 with CB Classic Edge 750 HD
« Reply #37 on: January 22, 2020, 10:37:36 AM »

Glad to see the forum back up!

Maybe a week or so ago, I decided it was time to take a look at the primary air channels.  Air flow felt reduced when I hit the 'ignition air' button and stick my hand in my firebox - plenty of air from the front, not so much from the side air channels.  And that's where I started to have a bit of a problem.

While opening the front primary air channel, the one just below the door, I managed to snap the carriage bolt in the middle.  The left and right acorn nuts came off just fine, the middle one snapped the bolt.  So I have a piece to replace.  No big deal, it does not seem to be reducing burn performance.

But for the side air channels - how do you get the metal air channel pieces off?  I was able to remove the acorn nuts and washers on both sides, but I simply could not budge the channels themselves.  For the front air channel, I shoved my fingers in the air holes and was able to wiggle it loose eventually, is it just the same kind of procedure for the side ones?  Maybe I screwed up by putting the front air channel back on before trying to remove the side ones, maybe it needs to be out of the way for them to be removed.  I have a feeling I have a minor blockage in there.  I think I can make it through the rest of the season and just deal with it in the spring, but I may still need some tips on how to get those channels removed.
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Pointblank

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Re: Replacing Sequoyah E3400 with CB Classic Edge 750 HD
« Reply #38 on: January 22, 2020, 03:16:20 PM »

I've used a large screwdriver to pry out the side channels. I start at the back of the stove and work it out toward the front. Might have to tap it in with a hammer to get it started. Just be careful not to bend or deform them. Once you get it started they come right out.
As far as the acorn nuts, if they give you trouble, try heating them up with a small torch. Snapped a few off myself at first. Creosote seems to work its way in them and a propane or map gas torch loosens them right up. Use some high temp anti-seize when you reassemble and they'll come out easier next time.
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bjp

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Re: Replacing Sequoyah E3400 with CB Classic Edge 750 HD
« Reply #39 on: January 22, 2020, 04:12:56 PM »

I've used a large screwdriver to pry out the side channels. I start at the back of the stove and work it out toward the front. Might have to tap it in with a hammer to get it started. Just be careful not to bend or deform them. Once you get it started they come right out.
As far as the acorn nuts, if they give you trouble, try heating them up with a small torch. Snapped a few off myself at first. Creosote seems to work its way in them and a propane or map gas torch loosens them right up. Use some high temp anti-seize when you reassemble and they'll come out easier next time.

Thanks, Pointblank!  They're only really held in place by the washers and nuts, right?  So when prying them out, has it mattered whether you work from the top of the channel or the bottom, or just do both the whole way until it pops free?

I think the middle acorn nut was cross threaded on mine at delivery, it turned pretty easily about 3 rotations and then locked right up on me.  Next time I'll give it some heat if it starts to resist, and thanks for the tip on anti-seize, that makes perfect sense.
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Pointblank

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Re: Replacing Sequoyah E3400 with CB Classic Edge 750 HD
« Reply #40 on: January 22, 2020, 06:34:24 PM »

Ya, once the acorn nuts are off, its just a friction fit. Yours is newer so might be a bit different, but with mine, there's a small bevel on the top side of the channel. I take a large screwdriver and push/tap it in and start there. I start at the back and work the top and bottom of the channel loose toward the front. They extend into the grove/channel of the stove an inch or so and creosote will somewhat cement them in, but they come out pretty easy if you keep working the edges and breaking the creosote loose.
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Roger2561

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Re: Replacing Sequoyah E3400 with CB Classic Edge 750 HD
« Reply #41 on: January 23, 2020, 03:02:58 AM »

I had the same problem with mine regarding snapped carriage bolts.  My local orange box store had stainless steel carriage bolts, the acorn nuts and fender washers.  I think I spent all of $15.00 for everything, now if they break I have plenty on hand to replace them.  With regards to the removal of the air channels; what I do now is every time I put wood in it, I take the poker and run it along the groove at the bottom of of where channel meets the low part of the firebox.  It helps to keep any creosote buildup from hardening, I then take a large screwdriver and pry the channel out from the bottom instead of using the holes.  They come out much easier for me that way.   
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bjp

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Re: Replacing Sequoyah E3400 with CB Classic Edge 750 HD
« Reply #42 on: January 23, 2020, 05:43:31 AM »

Thank you both again so much!

Pointblank, your description sounds identical to mine, so I bet that'll work.  Roger, I've been doing exactly that with the poker/scraper at the low part of the channel too, after reading something on the support site about creosote drain holes in the channels, so hopefully that'll put me in a good place to get it done this spring.  I'll pick up a handful of replacement bolts/etc too.  These are extreme enough temperatures I'm sure I can count on more than a few sheared bolts going forward.
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