Sierra Products Pellet Heater EasyFire B User manual

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EasyFire B Model Pellet Heater Quick Troubleshoot and Technical Guide
SPI’s EasyFire pellet heaters are designed to operate as a seasonal zone heater burning 1/4" wood pellet fuel. Utilizing
a 12VDC control and drive system allows for extended battery operation when AC power fails. The following outlines
the general operating parameters and trouble shooting encountered during installation and seasonal operation. Basic
operation is controlled combustion of wood pellets metered by the feed drive system into a burn pot and a
combustion/convection fan motor providing separate air for combustion and heat exchange. This process is controlled
by a digital main controller which monitors all function through two sensors and incoming outgoing operating voltages.
Additionally, starting functions are provided by an industrial style cartridge heater located in the burn pot and both
internal and optional thermostat.
Standard operation: W ith both 120VAC and 12VDC battery power attached and a functional pellet flue system the
heater is designed to operate continuously during the heating season. On a daily bases the heater requires fuel to be
added to the storage hopper and depending on the fuel quality, burn pot area cleaned. Starting and operating
sequences are controlled by an operating software program contained on a EPROM memory chip. Fuel rate is
controlled by mode setting and trim position (standard trim knob setting is 9:00 and is located on control panel next to
operation buttons). Normal start up and operation summary follows:
Condition - Heater is cold, power connected, button to “OFF” position. Hopper door closed (safety switch closed).
External thermostat jumped (factory standard) or optional thermostat closed to call for heat.
1) Select a run button (Low, Medium, High) and press. The LED light will shift from OFF to run button.
A) Feed motor starts initial fuel shot (approx. 40 seconds) and ignitor ON. Ignitor will begin to start heating and
pass 300 degrees in 30 seconds.
B) Fan motor starts in 60 seconds @ 3 volts providing combustion and convection air. Feed will cycle OFF
completing the start up fuel shot. Smoke will be visible normally visible through the door glass with in 2
minutes.
C) Feed will cycle ON for short periods during the start cycle add small amounts of fuel. Heater continue in
START UP mode until temperature rise is confirmed by sensors or for a total of 10 minutes.
If temperature does not increase by 15C during this STARTUP phase the heater will begin the SHUTDOW N (for
further information read SHUTDOWN in several paragraphs).
2) RUN mode begins when temperature rise is achieved (normally within 5-7 minutes).
A) Fan increases based on run button selected. Feed pulses increase based on temperature and TRIM setting.
Feed trim adjustment allows for a lower or higher average fuel delivery.
Initial flame is high based on a cool heater and fuel shots provided for start up. As operating temperature is
reached the feed pulse will decrease and flame will drop.
B) Feed rate will vary up and down as the heater adjusts for operating temperature. Temperature measured at T-
2 sensor mounted on fan housing manifold.
C) Heater will continue to operate as long as fuel, thermostat setting, and operating button remains.
Condition - Shutting down operating heater. Selecting the OFF button or external thermostat no longer calls for heat.
A) Feed motor immediately stops. No fuel is added to the burn pot and the coals remaining began the burn out.
B) Fan is reduced to shut off voltage of 5 volts and maintained until sensor T-2 records a 20C reduction of
temperature or 20 minutes time elapses.
Other related operating parameters
Three basic functions are constantly monitored during operation including flue drafting, operating temperatures, and
AC power input. Blocked flue will cause an unsafe condition and will cause the unit to shut down with a steady RED
fault indication noted on the control panel. Continued high temperature may cause a unsafe condition. The heater will

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stop the feed during high temperatures to allow the heater to cool. A flashing RED will indicate high operating
temperature. AC power outage will stop external thermostat function if the optional battery is connected allowing the
heater to run continuously while AC is out.
Common operating problems:
(Refer to installation manual and repair manual for additional information regarding specific component replacement
and testing).
Basic tools required for troubleshooting - Multi Volt/Ohm Meter, standard and phillips screw drivers, standard jewelers
screw driver (fan speed adjustments on main control board).
No power - Power is provided by both AC and DC supplies. There are two replaceable fuses located near the power
connections. They are identified as Main (1 amp) and Ignitor (5 amp). If AC power is present to the main control
system a LED will be lit on the OFF button. If DC power is present a GREEN LED will be lit on the control panel.
Quick Testing -
1) Check AC power with volt meter at wall socket - 115VAC.
2) Check DC power at battery - 12VDC.
3) Remove fuses and check continuity with OHM meter. Blown fuses can be cause by voltage spikes (lightning,
power company). If fuse is found blown, replace only once and retest. If the fuse blows again further
troubleshooting is required before further fuse replacement.
Start up:
No fuel - Fuel located in the hopper is feed by a auger from the hopper bottom up to the shoot which directs the pellets
into the burn pot. The feed motor is controlled by the main control system and on models EF3801B, 5001B, and
5001U-B a hopper safety switch (EF4001-B auger can not be accessed from the hopper door). The switch will disable
the feed system if the hopper lid is open. The switch is located on the upper right hopper vertical panel and is
accessed through a small panel. Fuels is only feed in Low to High operating modes and requires “priming” auger. If
hopper is out of fuel, cycle from OFF to LOW several times to allow pellets to feed into burn pot.
Quick Testing -
1) Confirm hopper lid is sitting on the switch arm and the arm is closing. With hopper lid open, push the switch arm
down and listen for click noting switch closure. With heater cold, and lid open, push switch arm down, push Low and
the feed motor should start to turn.
2) Confirm feed motor is not jammed by emptying hopper and verifying a foreign object has not be caught. Remove
top cover from feed tube from inside hopper if there is any question. If the feed motor is mechanically jammed, the
control system has a built in circuit breaker. The breaker will require a reset by cycling from OFF to LOW. Do not
recycle more than three times so the circuit does not become damaged by overheating.
3) Pellets Jammed in feed shoot (above burn pot). Remove all jammed pellets and clean shoot with scraper.
Ignitor does not heat up - The ignitor has a separate 120VAC circuit which includes a fuse, relay, and ignitor. This
circuit is activated by the main control board via a 12VDC wire harness lead. When the main control call for start the
12VDC circuit is closed sending 12VDC to the relay. As the relay closes, the 120VAC circuit is completed and the
ignitor begins to heat. As noted in prior section, if 120VAC power is not available the heater will still start the fan and
feed if 12VDC is connected allowing a manual start with starter and match light.
Quick Testing -
1) Inoperative ignitor most likely have a blown fuse. Remove the 5 amp ignitor fuse and test with OHM meter.
Replace if blown. As noted before if fuse blows again then further testing is required.
2) Testing ignitor requires access to the relay located near the main board assembly. Access is through the lower
right pedestal for the 3801/5001, junction box on the 4001 insert, and lower right cabinet for the 5001U. Remove
the power to the unit. Unplug the ignitor lead from the relay and the neutral circuit. Using the OHM meter check for
continuity between the two leads. If the circuit is open the ignitor has failed. If the circuit is complete check one
lead and then ground the other lead to the ignitor base. If circuit is complete ignitor has failed. A grounded circuit
will cause the fuse to blow.
3) If ignitor check out, remove the harness leads to the relay and using the volt meter set to 20VDC, confirm 12VDC

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when the power is reapplied a run button is pushed. If 12VDC is found then the relay has failed.
Heater starts then burns out - The start up is controlled by the control system and best results are from a cold start. If
a warm heater is immediately restarted it may not be able to confirm the required temperature increase as the heater
temperature is already warm and the temperature is actually falling during the initial start up. Allow the heater to cool
and shut down before restarting.
Trim settings - W ill not change the first portion of the start up however will effect the initial run mode. If the trim is fully
counter clockwise (Lowest) the heater may run low on fuel, most likely if the operating conditions are warm. High or
Max trim settings may cause the opposite problem as the heater feeds to much fuel and allows the HIGH TEMP
control stop the feed to cool the stove. Best starting trim setting is the mid point or 9:00 o-clock.
High temp starts will also occur if the burn pot has additional fuel prior to start up. This additional fuel which is then
added too as the start cycle begins pushes the temperatures up as the heater starts. This is considered an
temperature overshoot as the tem perature climbs quickly.
Heater will not start when run button is pushed - Check external thermostat jumper or remote thermostat as the unit
will not attempt a start unless this circuit is closed.
Run mode Troubleshooting:
Once the heater reaches the run mode it will continue operation by using the coals in the burn pot to light the pellets
continuing to fall. If the coal bed burns down at some point the pellets may not light and then the heater will shut down.
This is normally confirmed by finding the burn pot with unburned fuel and shut off. This can also happen if the hopper
runs low on fuel or the fuel bridges (hangs on the hopper sides).
Run mode problem generally are either operational or limits exceeded - Blocked Flue (loss of flue draft) or High
Temperature is exceeded. Blocked flue indication is a solid RED LED on the control panel and requires a recycle of
the heater to clear. This is for the operators protection as a blocked flue could cause a dangerous condition. Block flue
most likely is not fully blocked and will occur if the flue pipe is subject to high wind conditions or is blocked by ash. If
this happens during initial installation a corrective action to the flue system will be required. Check the installation
manual for flue recommendations.
Operational problems are generally related to ash build up in the burn pot or the heat exchange system and can be
correct by cleaning.
Over Feeding - Over feeding is a common problem and is related to a lack of combustion air rather than to much fuel.
If the heater is clean and seems to feed more fuel adjust the trim down to slow the feed rate. If the heater has been
operated for sometime since the last cleaning then shutting it down and cleaning will solve the over feed. Check the
door for proper adjustment as a partially closed door will cause reduced combustion air. Operating the heater for an
extended time with an open door will cause a shut down with RED LED and require a restart.
HI TEMP/FLUE RED WARNING LIGHT:
When the Hi-Temp/Flue indicator light comes on (red lite beneath control knob) it means a fault has been detected
in either the flue system, over temperature, or fan/feed motor.
Slow Flash Red Light - Indicates a blocked flue. Check flue and clean out for built up ash deposits.
Solid Red Light - Indicates an over temperature. Check the air intake at rear of unit. Turn the feed trim down 25% to
reduce fuel rate.
Fast Flash Red Light - Requires unit to be unplugged to reset. Indicates a feed motor jam or fan motor fault. Fan
motor test would require running unit on “fan and clean” only to determine if red light indication is repeated. If not, feed
system is jammed and requires the hopper access cover to be removed and jammed material to be removed.
Shutdown:
Shut down is the simplest mode as the feed is stopped and the fan continues to operate until the heater is cool. If the
fan continues to run after it is fully cold then the T-2 sensor and the main control did not register the required
temperature reduction. Unplug the heater to reset and run again. If problem persists then the T-2 sensor or the control
system will require component replacement.

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Battery Operation Troubleshooting -
Battery operation requires a fully charge 12VDC battery capable of sustained 2 amp/hr. loads while maintaining a
minimum of 11.2 VDC. This voltage is required for proper system operation. Most battery operation problems can be
traced to a battery in pour condition.
Quick Testing
Remove battery from heater and charge overnight with automotive type battery charger. Test battery with automotive
load tester. Replace if required. Testing connections from term inals on rear of heater back to the harness. If all
connects are secure a main control board will be required.
Additional detailed information is contained in the installation and repair manuals. Please refer to these for in depth
troubleshooting guides and harness replacement.
Component Adjustments and Replacement:
Main Control Board - Main control board is located in the lower right pedestal (3801/5001) or lower right rear - 4001
insert and right switch plate for the 5001U. The control board is held in place with several phillips screws.
Fan speed adjustments are accomplished by turning the LOW and HIGH fan pots on the lower right corner. These
adjustments are made in the corresponding run mode. Factory settings are based on fan voltage as read across the
motor terminals 6.8VDC LOW, and 9.0VDC HIGH.
A GREEN LED light flashes on the control board to confirm AC or DC power is present.
Switch Board - Switch board is attached to access panel with several phillips screws. Harness plugs into bottom of
switch.
Sensors - Access for sensors is through the rear panels or T-2 through the switch panel on freestanding units. Both
the T-1 and T-2 sensors are the same sensor type mounted differently. T-1 is mounted on the exhaust side of the
combustion fan housing. It is held in place with a tie wrap. T-1 sensor allows for cabinet air to drawn through the high
temp plastic holder. When door is open or flue blocks the flow reverses. T-2 sensor is attach to a aluminum block and
attached to the manifold. Wire harness connections should be secure and not pulled tight.
Additional information is available on line@ www.sierraproductsinc.net/pages/customer_service
Technical Customer Service - 909-399-3355x29
P/N 140814 EF B Model TS February 2009