heatmor over heating

[STEVEGODSEYJR]

My heatmor 200 has recently started over heating. I have the water temp set at 165 and high point shut off at 180. It has plenty of water, all openings are sealed tight but I just dont have a clue as to what else would cause this. I opened the door and it still had a good fire going and the blower hasn't kicked on in 3 hrs.Guys give me some ideas to look at:bang::bang::bang:
Thanks Steve

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

You checked the ash auger door for good seal? The ARD door is clean and sealing properly on that gasket and the blower gasket and blower flapper is clean and sealing clean with no creosote causing any gaps? Last place is the door gasket. The door is sealing properly? That is the only thing I can think of that would allow air into the firebox to keep the burn going. It only happened once on my 200 unit. Not sure which of the first three above was not sealed properly but I went over all three of them again and then it dampened down. I have not had that problem since, that was three years ago. I weekly take out the ashes, clean the ARD door, blower flapper and gasket and check it after the first burn cycle to ensure I have just a wisp of smoke coming out of the chimney once it cools down a little after a burn cycle. Is this a new install or have you had the unit for awhile? I have replaced the gasket on the ARD door once and I have replaced the ash auger gasket once do to my own fault.

 

[STEVEGODSEYJR]

Dusty
What is the ARD door?

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

It is an Anti Rollback Devise. When you open the outer door there is a metal rod that springs back from the lower part of the firebox, on the end of the rod is a small metal door attached, may be 2.5 by 3.5 inches and rectangular in shape. Once you open the outer door, remove the shelf plate to reveal your blower motor. to the right of the blower motor and tube that it is mounted too you will see the little door and the rod connected too it. That thing needs cleaned from creosote. The inside of the plate is gasketed to form a seal when it closes. If it is all gunked up, you will leak air. Mine has a nut on a threaded rod, remove it and the washer and pull the rod back toward you and the door hinges down for cleaning in there. Clean the gasket with a fine wire brush, I use a small stainless steel or brass one. Also clean out the inside of the opening from creosote and the metal surface that the gasget seals too. Once you get it cleaned and all hooked back up, when you push the rod in it should seal that opening. When you close the outer door to the OWB the rod goes home and seals the ARD opening. When you open the outer door the ARD should open to allow some air into the firebox. it is there to prevent a flashover fire from hitting you in the face if you open the inner firebox door and the unit is still really hot inside. When the fresh air hits the firebox it can flashover when the main door is opened and a flame will roll out and hit you in the face. Even with the ARD door it can sometimes still occur if the blower had just recently shut off and the temp is still high. Thats why you are supposed to stand back and to the right when you open the firebox door.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Steve, If you have a manual, details on the ARD are in the manual. It needs cleaned on a regular basis. Mine seems to leak creosote out the bottom from time to time and down on the floor inside the front of the unit. Since I use a wire brush on those gaskets, they seem to go after a couple of seasons so I scrape them off, clean them with some solvent, get a gasket from the dealer and I smear a little high temp silicon on the plate then paste the new gasket on. I keep a spare gasket just in case I would clean it and tear it up somehow on the weekend when I could not get to the dealer.

 

[STEVEGODSEYJR]

thanks guys. I will check these things out! You rock Steve

 

[Mike Griffin]

when my heatmor 100 was overheating I found the Chimney was partially plugged. That doesn't seem logical this time of year.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Guess the OP went missing, hope he solved his problem. Never had my chimney plug. It cleans itself out from time to time My unit is on a concrete pad and not surrounded by any combustibles so when it burns itself out if there are any sparks that come out the top they drop down to the gravel or onto the concrete pad. I have two sections of the heavy SS pipe so it is a little high up there to clean it with a brush.

 

[Uncle John]

when my heatmor 100 was overheating I found the Chimney was partially plugged. That doesn't seem logical this time of year.

Any idea why it was plugged?
A crow? A squirrel?

Never heard of a chimney plugged on a Heatmor

 

[Mike Griffin]

Any idea why it was plugged?
A crow? A squirrel?

Never heard of a chimney plugged on a Heatmor

I was burning in warm weather with wet wood. I had just put a chimney extension on after not having one for a couple years. Not sure why it plugged, but it hasn't overheated since.

 

[STEVEGODSEYJR]

I am here:msp_biggrin:. Had to work long hours last couple days:msp_sad:. I cleaned ard door out and took of blower fan and cleaned out around the door. I haven't had any trouble since. I hope this was the problem.I will keep my eye on it very close. Thanks again guys Steve

 

[Uncle John]

I am here:msp_biggrin:. Had to work long hours last couple days:msp_sad:. I cleaned ard door out and took of blower fan and cleaned out around the door. I haven't had any trouble since. I hope this was the problem.I will keep my eye on it very close. Thanks again guys Steve

Heatmor recommends cleaning and oiling the flappers once a year I think.
But it could need to be done more often

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

IMHO, You need to clean all of them way more than once a year! I do mine every few weeks at the longest cycle. Course mine runs full bore all winter, day and night and I am heating 2400 square feet of house and Domestic hot water too. It is just part of my maintenance that I figure I have to do. I would not go longer than two weeks to clean the ARD, and Blower. I take ashes out every weekend so the firebox does not build up too high with them. Keep your door shelf area clean from the Creosote as well so the gasket makes a clean seal on the firebox door. Glad the OP is up and running again. Sure was a cold spell we just went through, I would not want to be down and out during the worst part of the winter, course, who knows what February will bring, Farmers Almanac says our area is supposed to be 6 degrees below normal during the month of February and February is supposed to be colder than January.

 

[Arbonaut]

When you install it, before the sand goes in around the grate platform, all the inner perimiter where the firebox meets the slab has to be caulked. If your slab cracks under the firebox over the years, you got potential for a draft there. I don't want to be the one to scoop out 600 pounds of sand. Hahaha. But that is what you would have to do. Don't forget, your Dayton blower is a crude setup, and it needs oiled often, more often the older your Heatmor gets. You gotta take off the thumbscrews and oil the shaft through the holes. I'm speaking from experience-here is a tip. I tried 3-in-1 oil, high grade sewing machine oil and here is what works best-Motor oil. I use synthetic, and it never all comes out of the bottle, too tacky. I turn 'em upside down and pour out the empties in a old 3-in-one can. That Royal Purple 5w30 is better than anything else.

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[Marklambert61]

How old is your heatmor?

How old is your heatmor? Ash box may have rusted through....Shes getting air from some place!

Mark

 

[jh35]

Thanks Stroker. I caulked mine like nobody's business inside and out. It is about 8 years old but new to me last fall. I have had no trouble yet but plan on doing some maintenance this weekend.