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[ctlambert09]

I have seen the posts about sequoyah not covering or honoring warranties after they sold the company. I am going through about a solenoid a week and at $30 a piece it is costing me right now more to run my wood furnace than it would to run oil. Since the heating season started I have pissed through 11 solenoids in my stove. Has anyone come up with a fix for this " design" flaw? I understand creasote is building up and making the door stick. I have cleaned and cleaned again. Creasote reducing products have not worked. These stoves claim to be able to burn any type of wood, but my free fire wood for my stove with this issue is costing me more than oil. Can someone please help me out? I am about to blow the stove up and start running oil again. We have been pretty lucky in new England this year thus far with a mild winter. But fixing in the middle of the night it is still freakin cold. I have to stock solenoids at this point just to keep this thing running.

[Ridgekid]

Dumb question (from me not you) Are you sure you put the right replacement solenoid in?

Welcome to the site!

[ctlambert09]

Yes took the part number directly off the original.

[Ridgekid]

Ok. Low voltage causes high amp draw.  Do your have proper voltage being supplied? 

[Bull]

Welcome to the site ctlambert09

[RSI]

Is it able to fully seat when energized? If not if will die very fast. If it is creosote keeping it from moving, is it possible to shorten the travel? The farther out they are the weaker they get.

[ctlambert09]

Ridgekid; Yes the voltage is correct, I am an electronics technician and everything checks out on that end, the damper is getting stuck due to creasote and when it goes to pull it just won't.

RSI; It fully seats when energized, whats happening is there is a scew at the top of the chamber that goes into the chamber about 1/4"-1/2" and the door hits it, when the stove cools before it energizes the door gets stuck to the screw due to creasote almost welds it shut and the solenoid can not pull the door open.

I replaced the solenoid yesterday at noon, by 6pm the solenoid was dead. this by far is the fastest that I have blown the solenoid

[Ridgekid]

Sorry, didn't mean to offend your level of expertise. Just trying to help.

Why do you think you have creosote issues? Wood Too green? Operating at lower temps?

[ctlambert09]

no offense taken. It is just frustrating. It has been brought to my attention that the fact that the door hits the screw that sticks into the chamber does not allow the damper to fully close, this could cause when the blower is off the smoke to escape through the 1/2" that is still open after the solenoid de-energizes. About a year and half ago I had an older assembly on the stove which came with it, in the 2 years plus that i ran the stove i never had a problem. When the solenoid on that assembly blew i contacted the dealer and he said that they had changed the design and that instead of giving me just the solenoid he would replace the solenoid and damper assembly that bolts to the back of the stove. Since then I have had nothing but issues with the solenoid. towards the end of last winter the control module went. Replaced by the dealer and for some reason the older module I could set temps much higher, this one only allows me to set my high point at 185 and I have the set point for the blower to turn on at 174. I checked the part numbers from the old module to the new and they are the same so this confused me a little. I am buying an original solenoid this afternoon and putting the old assembly back on the stove. I am hoping that this resolves somewhat of an issue with this. the old damper assembly allows the damper to shut fully in the de-energized position. The wood is seasoned, i do have some green wood,and pine but the manual says that it can burn it, I keep up with maintenance and cleaning schedules so any input helps

Thank you everyone the help. my next step after this will be tackling why this controller module can not be set like the original.

[RSI]

I was going to suggest maybe putting a bigger solenoid on it but if it isn't closing all the way that is probably the source of the creosote.

[abarton]

Not quite sure of the design but is there anyway to sharpen the screw to a point so it has minimal area to stick to

[KOZ975]

I was a dealer for those stoves.  Please try and raise the back of the stove about 1 1/2" to make it so the creosote does not run to the damper when stove is at idle.  This should minimize your trouble.  I doubt it will solve it all but it will help.  There are so many factors to consider.  The new style damper assembly comes at an angle so nothing can run up hill towards the damper.  Hope that helps.  P.S.  Keep all air ports and exhaust clean to reduce air pressure.

[hellonwheels]

I was a dealer for those stoves.  Please try and raise the back of the stove about 1 1/2" to make it so the creosote does not run to the damper when stove is at idle.  This should minimize your trouble.  I doubt it will solve it all but it will help.  There are so many factors to consider.  The new style damper assembly comes at an angle so nothing can run up hill towards the damper.  Hope that helps.  P.S.  Keep all air ports and exhaust clean to reduce air pressure.

I agree, make it so the back is higher than the front.  That way the creosote won't puddle in the chamber.