Fuel Feed Related Problems

  All England's stove works pellet units use a two auger feed system. This system feeds the fuel though at a rate determined by the control board settings. The upper auger located at the bottom of the hopper runs intermittently. The lower auger which brings the pellets from the upper auger to the fire runs continuously.
  Each of the augers is independently run by a motor and gearbox assembly. These motors are identical and interchangeable. Feed related issues fall under two categories; bottom auger stopped, or bottom auger turning but no fuel is being fed.
  Lower auger not turning. If the lower  auger is not turning the following should be checked; 1. Is the auger physically jammed? Foreign objects such as wood chips or other objects that may have somehow gotten into the pellets. 2. Is the motor getting power? If the motor is getting power it will get fairly hot quickly. If the motor is getting power but is not running and the auger is not jammed, the motor is bad. If the motor is not getting power, either the motor's wires or the control board are bad. Another possibility is if the electric motor is running but the auger is not turning, this could be a loose setscrew holding the motor to the auger, or a stripped gear in the gearbox. A stripped gear would mean the auger  motor must be replaced.
  The lower auger is turning but no fuel is coming out. If this is the case, the first thing that should be done is the hopper should be emptied. Check the auger itself to see if it is physically jammed as foreign objects in pellets could jam the auger. If the auger is free the next step would be to determine if the motor is receiving power. The motor will get warm if it is getting power within a few minutes. If the motor is getting power and is not running the motor is bad. If it is not receiving power the next step is to check the wiring. in some of the newer units the top auger is wired through a vacuum switch, if this switch is bad, or if its vacuum hose is cracked or disconnected the top auger will not run. To confirm this locate the switch and follow the wires back. Remove the wire from the switch that connects to the auger motor, follow the other wire from the switch to the control board and unplug it from the board, then  connect the first wire to the empty terminal on the control board so that the auger motor wires are both leading to the circuit board. Then turn the unit on if the motor runs, check the wires and the vacuum hose and replace if necessary. Another possibility could be the over temperature limit protection in the control board. This will stop the top auger if the unit reads as being too hot, the auger will start moving again if the unit cools to an acceptable temperature however and generally will continue to operate.

The vacuum switch to the left in this picture is wired through the top auger motor.