King 5502M - hopper fire (2024)

O

olivercfc

Member
Apr 5, 2018
19
Atlanta
  • Dec 23, 2021
  • #1

I have a King 5502M pellet stove that heats an outbuilding. Last night it lighted as normal but this morning the flame was huge and the room fan was no longer blowing. I looked in the hopper and the underside of the lid is burned while the pellets at the top are singed. The ones at the bottom are blackened/burned so I'm reasonably confident there was a hopper fire.

Is the room fan not blowing a cause or symptom?

And shouldn't it shut down if it detects a fan not blowing?

Still need to do a proper inspection/test on it but wanted some advice first. Thanks.

Mt Bob

Minister of Fire
Oct 31, 2013
4,422
park county montana
  • Dec 23, 2021
  • #2

Your combustion fan was not running,for some reason. A power outage, fan motor quit,or control board quit sending voltage to the fan motor. Looks like the hopper lid did it's job, and contained the fire.

  • King 5502M - hopper fire (2)

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ARC

O

olivercfc

Member
Apr 5, 2018
19
Atlanta
  • Dec 23, 2021
  • #3

Your combustion fan was not running,for some reason. A power outage, fan motor quit,or control board quit sending voltage to the fan motor. Looks like the hopper lid did it's job, and contained the fire.

Thanks for the response.
Looks like I can plug the fan directly into the mains to test so I'll do that tomorrow. Seems like that would be cheaper than the control board.

Here's the lid if anyone is interested.

  • King 5502M - hopper fire (4)

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ARC

ARC

Minister of Fire
Oct 31, 2017
539
Au Sable Forks, NY
  • Dec 24, 2021
  • #4

olivercfc said:

And shouldn't it shut down if it detects a fan not blowing?

Yes if exhaust blower not working stove should shut down with loss of vacuum. Without room fan stove should overheat and shut down. Did you lose power? How is your venting set up, did you have High winds that could have blown back into your vent pipe? In order for fire to reach the hopper it had to go up chute then down auger quick enough to not be pushed out into chute. The auger/chute design was suppose to eleminate hopper fires that direct to firepot auger system sometimes allowed. Are your pellets extremely long? Could they have bridged the chute causing a plug-age that then caught on fire? Another possibility is the triac on the control panel for the auger went bad, stove shut off but the auger continued to run because the triac was stuck in on position over filling burn pot creating huge flames.

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  • King 5502M - hopper fire (6)

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maraakate

O

olivercfc

Member
Apr 5, 2018
19
Atlanta
  • Dec 24, 2021
  • #5

ARC said:

Yes if exhaust blower not working stove should shut down with loss of vacuum. Without room fan stove should overheat and shut down. Did you lose power? How is your venting set up, did you have High winds that could have blown back into your vent pipe? In order for fire to reach the hopper it had to go up chute then down auger quick enough to not be pushed out into chute. The auger/chute design was suppose to eleminate hopper fires that direct to firepot auger system sometimes allowed. Are your pellets extremely long? Could they have bridged the chute causing a plug-age that then caught on fire? Another possibility is the triac on the control panel for the auger went bad, stove shut off but the auger continued to run because the triac was stuck in on position over filling burn pot creating huge flames.

I've lost power once before with the stove running and it stayed shut down when power returned. That outage was for at least 1 hour though. This time, the control board looked like it was running normally but the room fan was not blowing.
Not sure what would happen if it was down for a few seconds or so.... so I don't *think* I lost power but it's not impossible. Maybe the control board got in a weird state after a few surges or something

The pellets don't seem any longer than previous years but I did notice that one particular brand was a bit more dusty than usual.

edit - forgot to mention the venting
There's about 2' horizontal straight from the back of the stove through the exterior wall and then 3' up. Very simple L-shape - since this is an outbuilding I could place the stove where I wanted with the easiest venting. No high winds.

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  • King 5502M - hopper fire (7)

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ARC

ARC

Minister of Fire
Oct 31, 2017
539
Au Sable Forks, NY
  • Dec 24, 2021
  • #6

After you get it cleaned up it will be interesting to see what happens in test mode;

This test is used at the factory where the stoves are assembled to test the functionality of the control and the stove
before the unit is shipped. To perform this test, press and hold the OFF and AUGER DELAY buttons simultaneously for
3 seconds. To advance through the test, press any key unless otherwise noted in the test step.
1. Exhaust Fan Output Test – The display will show “drft”. The exhaust fan is turned on full then reduced to a level just
above the typical minimum pressure switch setting. The ON LED indicates whether the pressure sensor is detected.
If the pressure switch is not detected, the fan ramps to full on for two seconds then returns to the previously established
level if the pressure switch closes. If the Draft Fan Fuse is not blown and the fuse detection circuit is functioning,
the Draft Fan LED will be lit and the other three top row LEDs will be off.
2. Room Fan Output Test - The display will show “rfan”. The room fan is turned on full. If the Room Fan Fuse is not
blown and the fuse detection circuit is functioning, the Room Fan LED will be lit and the other three top row LEDs
will be off.
3. Ignitor Output Test - The display will show “ignt”. The ignitor motor is turned on full. If the Ignitor (AUX) Fuse is not
blown and the fuse detection circuit is functioning, the Aux LED will be lit and the other three top row LEDs will be off.
4. Auger Output Test - The display will show “augr”. The auger motor is turned on full. If the Auger Fuse is not blown
and the fuse detection circuit is functioning, the Heat Range LED will be lit and the other three top row LEDs will be off.
5. Hopper Switch Test – The display will show “hppr”. The “ON” LED is lit. If the hopper switch is open (lid is open),
the “HEAT RANGE” LED will turn on. If the lid is closed, the “HEAT RANGE” LED will be off.
6. Thermostat Input Test – The display will show “stat”. If the thermostat input is closed, the ON LED will turn on,
otherwise it will be off.
7. Flue gas Thermistor Test – The display will show the flue gas temperature in degrees F.
8. AC Frequency Test - Displays the measured AC Frequency in hertz (59-60) followed by the letter ‘H’.
9. Watchdog Reset – The watchdog timer is tested to ensure that the board can be reset. The message “BYE” is
displayed until the watchdog resets the board.

O

olivercfc

Member
Apr 5, 2018
19
Atlanta
  • Dec 26, 2021
  • #7

ARC said:

After you get it cleaned up it will be interesting to see what happens in test mode;

2. Room Fan Output Test - The display will show “rfan”. The room fan is turned on full. If the Room Fan Fuse is not
blown and the fuse detection circuit is functioning, the Room Fan LED will be lit and the other three top row LEDs
will be off.

Well... this has confused me more. The self test didn't give any failure message or error for #2 but the fan didn't come on, it just sounded like electrical noise or like something was physically stopping the fan from moving. Problem solved I thought - replace the fan.
I took the fan out, cleaned it up a bit and hooked it directly to the 120v to double-check and it spun right up. I put it back in the stove and the control board gave an "Err 9" (which I think means controller error.) I unplugged it and plugged it back in and it passed the diag test.

I suspect this means the control board is on the way out?

P

piaman15

New Member
Feb 19, 2022
5
middletown, ny
  • Feb 20, 2022
  • #8

hello. how did you make out? i have a piazzetta monia. the gasket at the end of the pellet feed was faulty and the hopper started to fire. i caught it early. there is no damage. the display shows e3 (high hopper temperature) now and the stove won’t start. i tried to reset factory settings. do i need a boot loader? i’m having trouble getting a dealer to help. i live in northern catskill mountains of new york state.

Mt Bob

Minister of Fire
Oct 31, 2013
4,422
park county montana
  • Feb 20, 2022
  • #9

piaman15 said:

hello. how did you make out? i have a piazzetta monia. the gasket at the end of the pellet feed was faulty and the hopper started to fire. i caught it early. there is no damage. the display shows e3 (high hopper temperature) now and the stove won’t start. i tried to reset factory settings. do i need a boot loader? i’m having trouble getting a dealer to help. i live in northern catskill mountains of new york state.

You should start a new thread, instead of tacking on an old thread, about a stove that is nothing like yours.

P

piaman15

New Member
Feb 19, 2022
5
middletown, ny
  • Feb 20, 2022
  • #10

Mt Bob said:

You should start a new thread, instead of tacking on an old thread, about a stove that is nothing like yours.

ok, thanks for tip

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King 5502M - hopper fire (2024)

FAQs

Why is my pellet stove not producing enough heat? ›

Answer: If your pellet stove it not producing enough heat it may mean that the blower needs to be cleaned or the intake might be blocked. This could also mean that the heat exchangers are being insulated from the airflow by a covering of ash and need to be cleaned.

Why does my pellet stove go out on low setting? ›

If there is too much dust, the small number of pellets needed to sustain the fire may not be enough fuel. Usually, if this is the case, the stove will start-up and run fine if it's set to the high heat setting, but at lower heat settings the fire will die out. A simple cleaning will fix this issue.

What does HR-1 mean on a King pellet stove? ›

C- 2 - Fuel Lbs Per Hour HR 1 (0-5.0) - This is the fuel rate in pounds per hour for a heat range setting of 1. The default is 1.75lbs. C- 3 - Fuel Lbs Per Hour HR 9 (0-5.0) - This is the fuel rate in pounds per hour for a heat range setting of 5.

Why is the exhaust fan not working on my pellet stove? ›

Probable cause: The pellet vent is clogged. Either the motors are dirty or need replacing. If a blower requires replacing, ensure to identify which blower (convection – pushes heat into the home whereas combustion - pushes exhaust outside; or auger motor - feeds pellets into the burn pot).

Why is my pellet stove flame so low? ›

Pellet stove use a series of fans to draw air to fuel the fire. A low flame usually is a sign of an air problem. There could also be a clogged duct, a faulty fan or broken seals on the fireplace or stove doors. A low flame isn't a problem that should be ignored, but you should call the professionals.

How do you increase the heat output of a pellet stove? ›

The Fuel Matters.

High-quality pellets are low in ash and high in energy content. They burn cleaner and hotter, reducing maintenance and maximizing heat output. Look for pellets with a low moisture content—below 10% is ideal—as drier pellets burn more efficiently.

What is the most efficient setting on a pellet stove? ›

It is best to run the appliance on the lower heat settings like 2 or 3 rather than up at 4 or 5.

Why is my king pellet stove not dropping pellets? ›

The hopper may be empty. Fill the hopper and allow a few minutes for the unit to auger the pellets onto the burn pot. Venting may be blocked. The Pressure Switch senses a lack of air flow and will shut the motors off.

Are King pellet stoves any good? ›

It is phenomenal! We love it. It heats our place right up and is cozy and warm. I have no complaints.

Why is my pellet stove not getting enough air? ›

If it has never been cleaned there is most likely a layer of dust impeding the air flow. you should also clean the combustion blower also as the same thing will happen. the stove monitors the flue temp and if it gets to high it slows the rate of pellets.

Why is there no flame in my pellet stove? ›

Faulty Igniter: The igniter is a crucial component of your pellet stove. If it's faulty or damaged, it may not be able to ignite the pellets. Power Supply Issues: If there's no power supply to your pellet stove, it won't ignite. Always check if the circuit breaker has tripped and reset it if necessary.

Why is my pellet smoker not getting hot enough? ›

Verify that the power cord is securely connected to the smoker and that there are no loose connections. Confirm pellet supply: Make sure that you have enough pellets in the hopper. Insufficient pellet supply can cause a lack of heat generation. Check if the pellets are properly feeding into the fire pot.

Why is my stove not producing enough heat? ›

Probable Causes of Inconsistent Heat

Now, this could be due to the heating element. It may fail to generate sufficient heat in real time, and thus leading to an obvious fluctuation in temperature. The cause could also be in the source of power. Fluctuations in voltage for electric stoves can cause inconsistent heating.

Why is my stove not giving out heat? ›

The most likely explanation here is that not enough fuel is being burnt quickly enough to generate the heat output capabilities. When lighting the fire it is important to get the appliance very hot and to establish a glowing fuel bed before adding new fuel. This enables new fuel to start burning straight away.

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