About Englander Pellet Stove Auger Motor
Do you have an Englander pellet stove auger motor? The Englander line of pellet stoves has been notorious for premature auger motor failures.
The original factory auger motors for both the upper and lower fuel drive were sleeve bushing motors. These motors generally created more noise during operation as well as having a shorter life span.
Need help with your Englander pellet stove auger motor? Give our team a call at (800) 236-6647 today.
Signs of A Breaking Down Englander Auger Motor
- Aging auger motor. In most cases, Englander auger motors for pellet stoves will start to squeal/grind, turn slower, or stop working all-together when reaching the end of their life span.
- Safety issue/faulty switches. Keep in mind that both the high limit switch and vacuum switch in the Englander stove line can shut down the auger motor operation if there is a safety issue at hand and/or if the switch or switches are faulty. If one or both of your auger motors have stopped working, the easiest way to troubleshoot is to test the auger motor to direct power.
Watch the how-to below to direct test your auger motor:
Englander Pellet Stove Auger Motor Tips
ALWAYS MAKE SURE TO UNPLUG YOUR STOVE FROM THE WALL WHILE PERFORMING SERVICE OR TROUBLESHOOTING
If your Englander pellet stove’s auger motor is operating correctly when given direct power, but not operating in your stove, check the simple things first:
- Clean your fuel hopper. To start with the Englander auger motor troubleshooting process, clean out your fuel hopper and make sure there are no foreign objects or obstructions.
- Check the wiring. Next, check the wiring going to the auger motor, high limit switch, and vacuum switch. Make sure wires are securely connected and there are no breaks or deterioration to the wires.
- Create a ‘jumper wire’ to bypass your high limit and/or vacuum switch. Learn how here.
- *IT IS VERY IMPORTANT to never leave a safety switch bypassed, only for troubleshooting purposes. If you bypass one of the switches and your auger motor starts working, it may be the switch itself or a safety issue at hand that is preventing the switch from locking in as it should.
- The high limit switch will generally trip if either the burnpot gets backed up with fuel, combustion motor is weak, or the convection motor is weak or not operating properly. The vacuum switch will generally trip if the gasket seals are worn/loose around the door, ash pan or combustion motor.
- The vacuum switch will also trip if the exhaust motor housing or venting is plugged or if the exhaust motor is weak/not operating properly.
Englander Auger Motor Replacements
Do you need to do an Englander auger motor replacement for your stove? Perform the following steps to troubleshoot your Englander stove:
- If you require a new Englander auger feed motor for your stove, we offer top of the line replacements with the best warranty at the guaranteed lowest price with the fastest shipping. As always, we offer lifetime service and support with all purchases. With the Nations top NFI tech team, we are confident in getting issues resolved and getting you the right parts you need the first time around.
- The majority of Englander stove models will use a 1 RPM Counter Clockwise auger motor for both the upper and lower auger drives. Some models will use a 2 RPM and some models will use a 4 RPM auger motor. Double check your motor label or owners manual and please contact us for assistance if you require help.
- Most original factory auger motors had direct spades on the motor for electrical connection. Our replacement motors have upgraded wire leads for connection and will connect to the wires coming to the auger motor in the same fashion. It does not matter which lead wire connects to which colored wire from the auger motor when installing.
Englander Auger Motor Installation
For installation of your Englander auger motor, most models have a simple set screw that you loosen and then wiggle the auger motor to come off. In other models, there may be a cotter/set pin holding the auger motor to the auger shaft. We do offer both styles of motors for easy installation and correct replacement.
If your auger motor attaches with a set screw, make sure when installing the new motor that the flat side of the motor shaft is lined up with the set screw before tightening and that the motor is inserted all the way in to the auger shaft/collar.
Links For All Englander Auger Feed Motor Replacements:
Need to perform an auger feed motor replacement for a specific motor? Check out the links below.
1 RPM CCW Motor Englander Auger Motor Replacement:
2 RPM CW Motor Englander Auger Motor Replacement:
4 RPM CW Motor Englander Auger Motor Replacement:
*In the event you need to reverse the direction of your Englander auger motor, watch this video.
Contact Us for Englander Pellet Stove Auger Motor Help
If your Englander pellet stove isn’t working, it may be the auger feed. Follow the steps provided in this article, or get in touch with our team for further assistance. We are always happy to assist. If you have any questions or need further assistance please contact us.
There are many benefits to opting for a pellet stove for alternative heating. While Englander pellet stove auger motors do have a tendency to fail, Englander pellet stoves still do provide a great source of heat for you and your family. If you found this blog post helpful we would love a comment from you.
Sincerely,
Mr. Pellethead
When I plug my stove in the lower auger turns on without turning the unit on
Edward,
Thanks for contacting us. I would say that would indicate an issue with the circuit board. Your best bet will be to contact Englander direct with the make, model, and serial number of your stove for assistance with the circuitry or board replacement – their site is heatredefined.com.
Hope that helps.
Thanks,
ESESstoves
The armature on my lower auger motor won’t spin even though the motor itself has power and is running. I removed it and it looks clean, nothing caked on it. It also gets really hot to the touch, not sure if that’s normal or not. Thank you for any assistance you can give.
Thanks for contacting us. The armature spindle should spin freely when the motor is out of the unit (not under load). It’s normal for auger motors to get hot to the touch – Shouldn’t be scorching hot, but will get very hot to the touch. As long as it’s still operating and functioning you should be fine. If the motor starts to no longer operate correctly or gets loud then more than likely a replacement will be needed.
Any other questions please let us know.
Thanks,
ESESstoves
My upper auger motor appears to be running intermittently as it should be. However, the upper auger sometimes turns well and sometimes barely turns. Can they become loose? What else could be the problem?
Thanks for the message Lisa, happy to help. Sounds like the gears in the upper auger are getting worn out. When an auger motor starts to be intermittent with it’s operation/turning, in most cases it is the gears in the motor wearing out. You can certainly check the the connection to the auger. Some models used a cotter pin and others a flat set screw to hold in place. Any other questions or if you need guidance for a replacement please let us know.
Appreciated,
my top auger isn’t feeding ,I’ve cleaned an checked for jams . Removed the motor an did a test an it turns,put it back but the auger still doesn’t turn?I’ve also did the bypass test on the vac switch. what should I try an how can I manually check to see if the auger will turn? At a loss for what to do.
Hey Cay, happy to assist. Glad you checked to make sure the auger shaft is free and clear and not jammed. When you removed the motor to test and it turned, did you do any kind of a torque test? When you put the motor back in the stove was it humming or trying to turn? Or did it seem like no power was coming to it? Let’s see if we can determine if the motor is getting power and is just weak or if the motor is not getting power. If it’s not getting power, than next to check would be the high limit switch. You can bypass just like you did the vac switch by connecting the two wires together. ONLY FOR TROUBLESHOOTING, NEVER LEAVE A SAFETY SWITCH BYPASSED. Keep us posted with what you discover, happy to assist however we can.
Did you figure out your problem ? as I seem to be having the same one
So I have had the exact same issue with my stove. When I replaced the electric motor and gear box I opened it up to find one of the gears broke into multiple pieces. I normally get about two seasons out of my auger motors because mine run for days on end without shutting them down to cool off. Hope this helps bud
My pellet stove will come on and if I hold the on button it will feed pellets but it won’t feed them on it’s own
Thanks for contacting us Justin. What is the make and model stove you have? More than likely this is a safety switch not locking in as it should, most likely the proof of fire low limit switch. Let us know the make and model and we will assist best we can. Thanks!
Top auger on my englander is acting up. Stove seems to run fine for a while, and then top auger stops turning and fire goes out. Checked vacuum switch and it appears fine, cleaned stove thoroughly (on top of regular weekly cleanings). It seems like when the top auger stops working, if I press the start button again it runs fine. Should I just replace that top motor, or could this be a circuit board issue? Or something else I’m not thinking of?
Thanks for contacting us Ben, happy to help. If the top auger motor is intermittently working, in most cases that would be an issue with the motor itself or with the vacuum switch. You can take the motor out of the stove and do a torque test on it; potentially the gears are just getting weak. Video here for creating a test cord. Grab an old rag and a pliers and grip the motor shaft. Plug in to direct wall power. You should not be able to stop that shaft from turning if it has proper torque. https://youtu.be/rlmiCYI2WPk.
If the motor is fine, we will want to check the vacuum switch and common causes for it to trip.
1. Make sure the door gasket, glass gasket and ash pan gasket if applicable is sealing tight all the way around.
2. Make sure the unit, ash traps and venting have been thoroughly cleaned
3. Double check the voltage on your exhaust motor. Should be near line voltage on start-up and when running on high setting.
4. Check the vacuum switch hose/tubing. Make sure there are no cracks.
Also videos here for further information on the vacuum switch as well as creating a jumper wire for troubleshooting.
Jumper Wire: https://youtu.be/FDVkbsHS95U
Vacuum Switch: https://youtu.be/pHeQzUmSlIE
Keep us posted. Thanks!