Dovetec smoke through auger tube?

[kgilman]

I just installed an older Dovetec insert stove as a free standing unit. When i start the stove all goes well. All of the fans come on, once it heats up the auger turns and seams to operate as it should. Once it gets burning well I’m getting blowback through the auger tube and smoke is coming out of the hopper? Not sure if it's a design flaw of if something is plugged? I did check all of the intake tubes for fresh air and the exhaust seams to be moving plenty of air out of the exhaust tube? The fuel I'm burning is wood pellets.

[stove dealer]

Dovetech stoves are amaizablaze ancestors. They probably should not have pellets burned in them. Usually smoke indicates plug ed exhaust. Clean drop tube of dirt so corn will slide rapidly out of tube. There is a hole in the drop tube that blows air down the tube to stop smoke from going up it. Find this hole and clean it out. You must have air coming down the tube.
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dealer for Amaizablaze 7100 4100 2100 factory trained repair man

[heavynlori]

hello - we too are a fellow dovetec insert user - lots of heat, little to no high tech adjustments, tinkering necessary

we have this problem as stated by stove dealer also - clean that little hole up inside the auger chute - it is up to the right as you look in there

if it is plugged you will get smoke back inside the hopper

we found this thru trial and error when we got this unit from the previous owner and had the same trouble due to the fact we had to turn the unit on its face to bring inside and it must have dislodged some old debris as this unit had not been used in a couple of years and the owner just wanted it out of his basement

we do not use pellets in our stove either - only a small cupful to get the fire burning initially - it burns very well and we have not had any problems with anything in the corn causing trouble - we do have very clean dry corn though

if you have moisture develop in the hopper it is due to a dirty exhaust - shop vac from the inside and the outside - we also hook a section of garden hose to the shop vac and insert it up in behind the top of the firebox (there is a narrow long opening across the back at the top) and use the shop vac suction and also to blow the ash loose in there - it is messy but has to be done - the hopper will drip condensation when you have problems with the exhaust
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Original Dovetec corn stove insert
Homemade screener/cleaner

[kgilman]

Thank you for the input I believe that was the problem. I took off the blower motor and when I looked in, there was a hard crusty burnt piece of something blocking the hole. I vacuumed it out and then used my compressor to blow air through the tube. I started it and no smoke yippe. But now my auger will not turn. I started the stove and the blowers came on when it got up to temp, but the auger does not turn. It was initially working yesterday? The small two dial switch on the side says that the auger is on (red led). But it is not turning. I have cleaned out all the pellets so it can't be jammed. I guess its time to test the motor and the switch?