How to Troubleshoot a Breckwell Pellet Stove

If cleaning doesn't solve the problem, the manufacturer offers some other solutions to a few common occurrences.

Cleaning Your Pellet Stove

1. Clean your stove and exhaust pipe if the control panel is showing the "AS" or "#2" error message. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations for maintenance and cleaning, which follow.

2. Stir the burn pot every day to avoid "clinkers" forming in it, and clean it weekly.

3. Wipe the glass daily with a clean cloth or paper towel, and use window cleaner once a week.

4. Use a stiff brush on the combustion chamber weekly to loosen ashes, and vacuum them away. Vacuum the ash pan as well.

5. Take off the doors of the ash cleanouts at the beginning of the heating season, and monthly while the stove is in use. Thoroughly clean all the ash from these sections, including top, bottom, and both sides.

6. Pull the heat exchanger out and slide it back in several times a day. If you see creosote accumulation when you clean the burning chamber, use a soft brush to clean the exchanger.

7. Clean the blowers at the beginning of the heating season and after each ton of pellets you burn. Brush and vacuum the combustion and convection blowers. Replace the gasket on the combustion blower.

8. Use a brush to clean the venting system at the beginning of the heating season and after each ton of pellets you burn. Check for creosote accumulation, and wear and tear.

Troubleshooting a Clean Stove

1. Ensure that the combustion blower is operating if the stove is clean and the "AS" or "#2" light is blinking, or when the stove shuts down intermittently. If the blower is working, the stove has no mechanical problems. Check the door seal and the gaskets on the ash pan, and repair or replace if necessary.

2. Check your installation if the stove still doesn't operate after cleaning and gasket replacement.

3. Check the damper if the stove stops working and the control panel displays a "POF" or "#3" message. If the damper is open too far, the pellets aren't being burned completely because the flame isn't steady. Eventually the flame will die, but the stove will continue to feed pellets. At that point, the stove will shut off.

4. Close the damper slightly, about 1/8 inch. Check the flame after 10 to 15 minutes. If the flame still isn't steady, adjust the damper another 1/8 inch and check the flame after another 10 to 15 minutes. Continue in this way until you reach the right damper position for that heat setting.