BixbyFAQ
From Cornburning
Bixby Adjustment (Trim Pot) Knobs (from iburncorn forum) 
The Basics
If the stove seems to not be able to get a nice flame, and the burn pot fills up, then it is probably not getting enough air. Check to make sure that the air trim control is not set all the way down or something. This problem is more complex and deserves closer attention than the problem of filling up simply because too much fuel is being loaded in. This problem can slowly get worse as the stove is used, which means that the only sure way to fix it is to thorougly check and clean the stove. Remedy: Turn up the air trim pot. Inspect and clean the stove
Too Much Fuel
If the fuel in the pot is building up (getting higher in the pot than it should be), then the most probable cause is that there is either not enough air or there is too much fuel in the Burn Pot. The fuel level should be about the same height as the lower burn pot, during the first few hours of operation. Too much fuel will cause excess soot on the door glass and in the exhaust. If this is happening on all levels, then the feed rate Trim Pot should be turned down. Each notch is 6% of correction. The Trim Pot should be turned one notch at a time and run for a full dump cycle before the affects will be seen.
Not Enough Fuel
Another thing that can cause a build up of fuel in the Burn Pot is that there is not enough fuel. Unfortunately too much fuel and not enough fuel end with the same result, too much fuel in the Burn Pot. If there is not enough fuel, the fuel in the pot will burn too quickly, leaving only a small amount of burning fuel and a small flame. The fuel will still be dumping in at the same rate and not all of the fuel will be lit on fire. Eventually the corn that is not on fire, will catch on fire. The excess corn will create a larger than normal flame. The excess corn will be burnt up over time, since the stove is running in a lean condition. This scenario of not having enough fuel, will usually oscillate between a flame larger than it should be on that level and then back down to a small flame, before it gets bad enough to build up in the pot. This oscillation usually takes five to ten minutes per cycle. So if the flame gets very large, then very small, this is probably a case of not enough fuel. As corn is delivered to the Burn Pot, the flame will drop slightly in size and rise back up again, this is normal. Do not confuse this with the condition of not enough fuel.
Too Much Fuel? Not enough Fuel? Exhaust Leak? Vent Blocked? Other?
To distinguish between having too much fuel or not enough fuel, the stove needs to be monitored prior to the build up.
If the Burn Pot slowly builds up with fuel, then it is probably getting too much fuel in the Burn Pot. The flame will also be slightly lazy and not quite as vigorous as normal.
If the flame oscillates and burns up most of the fuel in the pot, it is probably because there is not enough fuel in the Burn Pot. Half way through startup the stove will usually have a pretty small flame if this is the case.
Note that other problems can cause the pot to overfill or to burn poorly. These include: 1) dirty vent pipes (as discovered by Cargo); 2) raised feeder wheel (as explained by Blume98) in the following thread http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?p=78146 ; 3) improperly positioned top paddle caused by jamming on an obstruction such as a piece of hard clinker; 4) blocked vents in the burn pot or the top paddle; 5) leakage of exhaust into the input air due to an improper termination cap or to improper sealing of the inner vent pipe; 6) gasket leakage (e.g., under the burn plate and at the door); 7) incorrect moisture content of the corn or inadequate quality of the wood pellet http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?p=112116 . The rope gasket under the burn plates is an important leakage point to check. At the first sign of difficulty in tuning a stove, Millrtym13 seats this rope gasket in a fresh 1/8" bead of high temperature silicone as explained at http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=9530 .
Gasification with floating flames during ignition, dark cloudy purple flame, minor explosions, major explosions, etc. Explanation: If the stove cannot produce anything that looks like a proper flame, then it is very likely that some part of the exhaust venting path is filled to the extent that exhaust flow is vastly reduced. If this happens during startup, then it is possible that the igniters are gasifying fuel. If there is no self-sustaining flame, the igniters can ignite the gasified fuel, leading to very noticeable explosions. These are characterized by a loud bang followed by puffs of smoke that leak past the door gasket and the ash drawer gasket, but which is primarily vented through the intake and exhaust venting. Don’t allow the stove to run in this condition. Remedy: Thoroughly inspect and clean the stove. See the cleaning section.
Best Time to Adjust Trim Pots
From LET http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=6162: "You shouldn't make adjustments just after the ash dump. It is running its own special program while that light (red LED on the power board, inside the left side panel) is flashing. The best time to adjust the stove is just before the ash dump. That is when it is running the richest, so then you can get an adjustment that won't over fill the pot."
External Factors
- Wind blowing towards your vent. The impact ranges from nil to significant depending upon your vent cap design, terrain, and wind speed. If it becomes a nuisance, construct a windscreen as in the following threads. http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=8295 and http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=5672&start=6 .
- Air density. The denser the air, the leaner your burn. It is governed by ambient temperature, and, to a lesser extent, barometric pressure and relative humidity. Click on the thumbnail for details on how to calculate the effect. It shows that a temperature drop from 32 degF to -4 degF increases air density by approximately 8% (i.e., leans the burn by ~8% or slightly more than 1 division of the trim pot) whereas a relative humidity change from 10% rh to 90% rh is effectively negligible for our puposes while a not-too-modest drop in barometric pressure decreases air density (i.e., enrichens the burn) by about 2.5% or slightly less than 1/2 a trim pot division. The stove can accommodate day-to-day meteorological variations without needing to continually tweak the trim pots. On the other hand, fellow perfectionists can take the above into account while exercising our pot-tweaking obsessions. See the following 2-page thread for more details http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=6438.
- Altitude. The higher the altitude, the lower the barometric pressure and the lower the air density and thus the richer the burn. For example, barometric pressure is approximately halved by an 18,000 ft increase in altitude. Note that the assumptions in the simplified air density formula, above, may break down over large changes in input parameters. See, instead, [Wikipedia detailed calculations of Altitude Pressure Variation]
- Height of your stack. The taller your vertical vent stack, the greater the draw and hence the leaner your burn. With tall stacks, you'll see greater variations in your burn as your draw changes; e.g., as your stack warms up.
Resources
See the Sticky on the Bixby forum at http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=787 and/or see LET's website at http://www.letenergysystems.com/page7.html .
Additional Bixby Tips for Troubleshooting the Flame and Adjusting Trim Pots
http://www.scribd.com/doc/3168695/Trouble-Shooting-the-Flame
Bixby Setup
The owner's manuals provide detailed setup information.
The following Bixby bulletin on venting locations (2007-09-14) is based upon revised NFPA requirements and supercedes the setup information in the earlier owners' manuals. Most notably, vents may now be located up to 1 foot from a window or door. http://www.scribd.com/doc/3168694/NFPA-Venting-LocationsRevised-20070914
In addition see below.
How to Move a Bixby Stove
It can be moved relatively easily on a 4-wheeled dolly or, on stairs, using a furniture dolly approached from the back of the stove. Use pads and don't strap too tightly. Lighten the load by first removing the side panels, ash pan, hopper door, burn plates, fire pot and heat exchanger panels. See http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=8347 for additional advice.
Clearances
Click on the graphic to view minimum clearances published by the factory.
Updated clearances and installation specs (2007): http://www.scribd.com/doc/3952484/Installation-Clearances-and-SpecsRevised2007-09-14
Deflector
The bottom of the vertical portion of the deflector should be centred over the burnpot.
Procedure for replacing the fuel deflector: http://www.scribd.com/doc/3349959/Replacing-the-Fuel-Deflector-115-and-UBB
Convection Tube Cover Plates
Two convection plates in front of the convection tubes deflect the exhaust in the burn chamber to travel up and over the length of the convection tubes then down the other side. This increases exposure of the hot exhaust to the tubes which helps to increase the efficiency of heat transfer.
These 2 rectangular stainless steel plates must be mounted on the 'ledge' in front of the heat exchanger tubes. They are held in place at the top by the pair of sliding scrapers. A common mistake is to instead place the convection tube plates on top of the burn plate so that the fuel drop pipe doesn't protrude past the baffle plates. They have been known to settle there during transport. As a result, fuel will accumulate behind the convection tube plates. This makes a mess and it restricts the amount of fuel that reaches the burn pot; thus affecting the burn.
Placement and cleaning of the cover plates of the MaxFire and the UBB: http://www.scribd.com/doc/3349962/Replacing-the-Heat-Exchanger-Cover-Plates-MaxFire-and-UBB
Venting
Venting Constraints
Click on the graphic on the left for some factory guidance on venting. It includes run length equivalences for elbows.
Note that the Bixby stove features a covered knock-out in the back to permit conversion to separate air intake and exhaust venting as in the setup by Belenus featured at http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=8225 . Check with your Bixby dealer and your insurance company before installing a non-standard vent design.
Vent Cap
As of approximately 2007, Bixby introduced a 3rd generation design of vent cap. It is made from AL29-4C stainless which withstands corrosive corn exhaust the best. DLS ( http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=8118 ) describes this new design as follows: "Yes, it's solid on the end. The exhaust vents out slots around the circumference, and the intake air is pulled in from slots on the back side. It is also unpainted." Jammer ( http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?p=98916 ) states that the tapered design draws air away from the house like a venturi.
Bixby Technical Support Bulletin- AL29 Vent Cap: http://www.scribd.com/doc/3153052/TSB001-AL29-Vent-Cap
Infinger2008 (http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?p=102772) explains that the termination cap separates the exhaust and fresh air using a cone inside the cap. This cone is held on with tabs and some caulking. The caulking seal can be broken during forceful installation. Check your cone and recaulk as necessary if you have trouble running your stove. Click on the thumbnail at left to see a disassembled vent cap showing a separated cone needing caulk; courtesy of Jawquin.
Tips
If ice accumulates on the vent cap during the winter, simply run the stove on high until the ice clears.
Seal all joints in your vent carefully using red high temperature silicone. Leaks will create a "short" between your exhaust and your air intake, affecting your burn.
Click on the picture on the right to see a partial blockage of a vent pipe caused by excess silicone sealant at a pipe joint. The lesson here is to wipe down all joints before the silicone cures. Use a rag on a stick or other suitable jig. http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=8295. In the same thread, LET states that the silicone bead should be applied at least 1/2" from the end of the pipe so that the caulking doesn't squeeze into the pipe.
Tip: Do not seal your vent cap. You will need to remove it easily for periodic cleaning of your vent and light leakage is no issue as the vent cap is outside and open/venting anyways.
Tip: Do not screw your vent cap to your pipe. This could dimple the vent and cap together, preventing removal of the cap, as advised by DLS in the following thread: http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=7647&start=30 .
Tip: To unseal a joint, JET advises that it be deflected to one side then held there for a fraction of a minute until the seal breaks. Repeat by deflecting in a different direction until the seal is completely broken.
Tip: You may apply high temperature silicone sealant to a hot pipe http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?p=109682 .
Benefits of Cleaning (heat output perspective, from iburncorn forum)
http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=2532&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=45
This post began in the following thread authored by Pstores. http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=3386 . See the Pstores thread for additional details.
Here's temperature measured at the front of the grill during a ramp up from temperature setting #1 to #8. 2 runs were done before a cleaning. Some of the side holes in the burn pot were crusted over before the cleaning. The air holes in the lower paddle were all clear before the cleaning. The vent was cleaned, too, but yielded only a few tbsp of soot. Heat exchanger was cleaned thoroughly. The 3rd run was measured after cleaning.
Green Slime Mystery Solved (from iburncorn forum)
[from post at http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=3678]
There have been reports of deflectors and burnpots developing a green coating, sometimes of a slimey texture, other times quite firm. One explanation is that the green coating is sulfur dioxide (SO2) infused sugar. The SO2 attaches to the starch(ie: sugar) in the corn. Different varieties of corn have different amounts of starch. Generally, higher levels of starch is not ideal for burning. Higher moisture is also conducive to more starch, and more SO2. Sulfur is naturally green, thus the color. Sugar doesn't burn, thus the accumulation. It all makes perfect sense now!
Bottom line for us corn burners...green is bad!
Bixby Maintenance - How to (from iburncorn forum)
See also the general WIKI page on Cleaning for tips on stove cleaning.
Once a week
- remove the convection plates that cover the exchanger tubes, run the scrappers up and down about 4 or 5 times.
- Take your vac and clean the bottom of the tubes and the plate around the burn pot, you can also clean the glass at this time.
Once a month
- do the above plus remove the plates around the burn pot and vac out the area around the pot.
- Remove the 2 spring clips that hold the pot in and lift out the pot, look at the small holes in the bottom of the pot, if any have ash in them take a 1/8" drill bit and push through those holes.
- Put the stove back together, close the door & hit the On button.
Bixby Maintenance - Schedule
Ok, KT, here is the maintenance and cleaning time tables from the newest owners manual:
- Fire Pot: Sidewalls brushed monthly, keep holes clear.
- Ash Drawer: Empty as needed.
- Heat Exchanger Tubes: No mention of frequency
- Exhaust Venting: At least yearly.
- Exhaust Fan: Once per year.
- Exhaust Manifold: Yearly. (this is cleaning around/behind the heat exchanger tubes)
- Fuel Hopper: Monthly
- Glass: As Needed.
- Feeder Tube: Monthly.
- Lower Paddle: Monthly.
- Air Filter/Compressor: Inspect Annually.
- Room Air Filter: Check monthly, replace every 2-3 months.
You guys with experience, please add to this with good hints and tips. This was pulled right from the owners manual. It seems It's a monthly and yearly schedule. I will probably do monthly stuff every 2 weeks, and yearly stuff twice. ---
To clean burn pot, deflector, and heat exchanger baffles, simply soak them in water for 30 minutes or so. They'll come out squeaky clean with no scraping or scrubbing. ---
Here's a tip from Corny for cleaning the drop pipe. Clamp a capped 1.5" rubber connector to it, filled with water as discussed in the following thread. http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=4202 . The 1.5" rubber connector will be a bit oversized for the pipe but it can be scrunched down enough to hold. Soak the end of the pipe in water like this for about 30 minutes, and it will come out clean with no scraping.
---
Here's a tip from LET on cleaning behind the heat exchanger tubes http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?p=76663: "You can make a cleaner from a metal coat hanger, cut a piece about 10" long and bend a 90 on one end about 1" long then bend a 90 on the other going the opposite direction about 2" long. Take the plates off, get your vac and put it right up to the tubes and using a flash light to see, put the small bend through the tubes and start reaching way back up in the collector and pulling soot down to the vac."
Regarding the heat exchanger tubes, JET suggests spraying them down with WD40 or some other corrosion protectant after the final Spring cleaning. He says most of the corrosion of these tubes occurs during the summer. Scoops uses Pam spray; smells nicer.
---
Here's some year end maintenance tips from Corny:
- Tighten the 3/16" Allen screw that connects the ashdump arm to the ashdump motor cam. It's right on top of the ashdump motor, easily accessible from inside the left side panel. Mine detached after 3 seasons of normal use.
- It isn't necessary to clean out the exhaust fan every year. It's OK to do it every other year because very little soot accumulates there in normal use. On the alternate years when you do not open up the fan cover, at least loosen and then retighten the fan cover screws. They tend to seize otherwise. On the years that you do clean out the exhaust fan, be very careful with the exhaust fan cover gasket. The original design is very flimsy and easy to tear; the screw holes are almost the width of the gasket itself, leaving very little "meat." The newer design is foil backed and somewhat less prone to tearing.
- To prevent rain from entering your exhaust and causing corrosion during the off-season, remove the vent cap and cover the pipe. An empty Crisco shortening tub fits snug nicely over the 5" pipe. You could instead tie on a plastic bag. If you do block the pipe, unplug the stove and attach a reminder note to the stove's power cord or other prominent place to prevent inadvertent operation while the cap is covered.
---
Bixby Guide to Cleaning the 110 Exhaust Manifold: http://www.scribd.com/doc/3144260/110-Cleaning-the-110-Exhaust-Manifold
---
Tip from Quark ( http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?p=96836 ): Do not oil the bearings of any Bixby fan or motor. They are all sealed and impregnated with grease. If they are loud, they are defective, so replace them.
---
Magnum uses Q-tips and gun cleaning solvent to clean the exhaust fan blades ( http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=8206 ).
Feeder Wheel
There should be no corn or debris under the feeder wheel. It should sit flat. If not, remove the feeder wheel and clean out the debris under it. To prevent this from occuring in the future, clean out the fines at the bottom of your hopper periodically. If you are burning pellets, ensure that they are all short enough for the feedwheel to pick up and deliver. Otherwise, they will build up in the hopper and could be forced up and behind the feedwheel. During the 2008/09 heating season, be especially wary of the Greenwood brand of pellets packaged on 10/2007 and 3/2008. They are reported to be recalled due to excessive length. http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=8568 .
Feedwheel Malfunction with Error Code 8.
Click on the thumbnail (above right) for the troubleshooting procedure proposed by the factory. Issues covered include jambing, feedwheel motor, feedwheel sensor, snap disc, and wiring.
Ref.: http://www.scribd.com/doc/3155819/Feed-Wheel-Does-Not-Operate courtesy of Quark's Corner.
Noisy Feeder Wheel
If noisy, remove any debris under the feeder wheel.
From Rox5488 http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=7231: "...check your feed wheel cover plate. Sometimes they get a bow in the middle and the plate will rub on the top of the feeder wheel hold down bolts. This is easily seen if you take the feed wheel cover off. Look under there for some scratches in a circle in the center. If that is it, bend the feed wheel cover the other way a little."
Feeder Wheel Removal
Remove the four 5/16" screws on the 4 corners of the feeder wheel shield. Then, using a 1/8" Allan key, remove the 4 screws near the centre of the feeder wheel. These are the screws with springs on them. Do NOT remove the large nut in the centre. It would need to be retorqued (approx 1.5 turns after hitting the back plate, according to LET).
Ref: http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=2577 and http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=5609 and http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=7581.
Feeder Wheel Gasket
To inspect the gasket, remove the two 5/16" screws that hold the gasket plate in the centre of the feeder wheel cover. If it is badly worn, it may be turned over by drilling out the rivets and replacing with a pair of washers and 1/2" #8 self tapping screws as discussed in the following thread http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=5115&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=36 and shown in the first photo. If gasket wear is a recurring problem, straighten the tab in the gasket backer plate as shown in the second photo with a reversed gasket. In this photo, one can just see in the rear that 1" self tapping screws were used in place of the rivets. These are too long, limiting the travel of the spring loaded backer plate and partially defeating the tab-bending fix. 1/2" screws were eventually used here.
Bixby procedure for replacing the feeder wheel gasket:
Click on the thumbnails at right for details, or download the following document courtesy of Quark's Corner. http://www.scribd.com/doc/3349948/Replacing-the-Feeder-Wheel-Silicone-Seal-115
Belenus designed a variation of this loop gasket featuring a retainer bar. See his post at http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=8106 for other photos and details on how to construct it.
Feeder Wheel Replacement
Bixby Guide to MaxFire and UBB Feeder Wheel Replacement http://www.scribd.com/doc/3349954/Replacing-the-Feeder-Wheel-MaxFire-and-UBB
Bixby Guide to 110 Feeder Wheel Replacement: http://www.scribd.com/doc/3153026/110-Feeder-Wheel-Replacement-Instructions
Feeder Wheel Tension
Bixby Guide to Setting 115 Feeder Wheel Tension: http://www.scribd.com/doc/3153049/115-Setting-the-Feeder-Wheel-Tension
Enerjet ( http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=8447 ) cautions us against overtensioning the large feedwheel nut or by placing washers over the feedwheel mount springs. This can damage the feed motor and mounts. He notes that tension at the centre nut can be lost over time due to the rubber feedwheel motor mounts taking a set. The feedwheel springs do not lose tension and needn't be tampered with. You might not necessarily have had to have removed the center nut previously to have lost some feedwheel tension at the centre nut. Suspect tensioning problems if you have a chronic problem of fuel accumulating under your feeder wheel despite frequent cleaning under it. Ashdump suggests, in the same thread, that excessively long pellets can contribute to such accumulation problems.
Feeder Wheel Motor Replacement
Reasons for replacing the feeder wheel motor can include: 1) wheel doesn't turn and the #8 LED light is blinking; or 2) the feeder wheel motor jams often or doesn't turn at all even though it isn't jammed.
Bixby Guide to Replacing Feeder Wheel Motor- MaxFire & UBB: http://www.scribd.com/doc/3349941/Replacing-the-Feeder-Wheel-Motor-MaxFire-and-UBB
Feeder Wheel Sensor Replacement
The feeder wheel sensor is located under the hopper. It has red, blue and black wires.
Bixby Guide to Replacing Feeder Wheel Sensor - Model 115: http://www.scribd.com/doc/3349944/Replacing-the-Feeder-Wheel-Sensor-115
Convection Fan
See also BixCheck Convection Fan Settings.
Convection fan is stopped or intermittent
The convection fan should run continuously during stove operation. Otherwise...
- Check that it really is stopped and not just slowed down. LET advises http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?p=78511&start=13 :"At slow speeds it can sound like it is off because its hard to hear it running. If is does actually stop then it is a defective fan and will need to be replaced. Take off the left side panel and use a flash light to see if the fan has stopped. If the fan does stop, the top of the stove would get very hot; and if it gets too hot the high temp cut off will shut the stove down (with a #3 error)."
- Check out the fan's bearings as discussed by LET http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=2854 : "Now if your convection fan quit then the stove might see a exhaust temp rise and think it had a blocked flue. Open the left side of your stove, UNPLUG it, then see if the convection fan spins easy, its the one right under the hopper. If the fan stops fast when you spin it then the bearings are bad. If that is the case contact your dealer and have it replaced. "
- Check electrical connections as discussed by Scoops and DLS http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=6325 :"Might not be securely plugged into the motherboard. Trace the cable from the fan to the board, unplug, and re-seat. If you look in your manual it will tell you where it plugs into the main board." "The connection at the mother board is J12, lower rt. corner. There is also a capacitor in the harness to the fan, and a ground, I think. Verify all these connections, and then check the fan, may be defective."
- The convection fan can shut down if overheated. Check that the air filter is clean. See http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=7300 about the perils of using an air filter that is too thick and thus restricts air flow. Remove the side panels and/or the air filter as an interim or troubleshooting measure.
From Tomorokoshi http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=7300:"The convection fan has a built in thermal cutout switch. The convection fan has two heat sources: the electric motor, and the back of the fire box. The cutout switch is designed to turn off power to the fan when something happens to it. In this case, a well running stove shut it down. The things to look for in this situation are: 1) Air filter starting to get clogged; 2) The room at a higher temperature - meaning the inside of the stove is also high; 3) The fan speed settings set lower than they could be. If the fan was not already at 100% you can increase the speed a little (via Bixcheck) to help cool it down. This may prevent this problem... In the meantime, leaving the side panels off may help. A box fan on low can blow a lot of heat out too."
From Mary B http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?p=108254 : recalculate the fuel tables using Bixcheck. It worked for her.
Convection Fan Removal
As reported by Scoops in the following thread http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?p=69627 ...
"... (It's) easy to take off, trust me, I've done it now about 3 times removing it while swapping out exhaust fans. There are 4 bolts that hold the convection fan, an additional 2 that come down from the hopper (you'll need to unscrew them just enough so that the convection fan can clear them). Remove the two purple wires that connect to the door sensor, then unplug the two brown wires that connect to the side of the outside of the manifold shield. Unplug the ignitor wire so its not in the way, probably do the same for the thermocouple (red side towards you). Then you will have to remove the three wing nuts that hold the control board move the control board back about an inch or two, then that sucker will slide out with a little finesse. This procedure will also allow easy access if you ever have to remove your exhaust fan. Thanks to LET for leading me this way to get at the fan.
From Ashdump http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=7300&start=18: "The task at hand was pretty simple but have to be very careful not to damage computer board when pulling out convection fan housing. There is also a screw on the exhaust side of the stove that is a MAJOR PAIN IN THE A** to get at to detach the housing. I had to unclip all wire ties to loosen the wires for room so the convection fan could come out. Definitely was not able to put everything back the way the factory did though!"
From Bioburner re. replacing convection fan for model 110 http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?p=94782: "Instead of removing the feed wheel motor, I loosened the computer board (four bolts) and loosened the back cover of the stove and just took the fan out the rear of the stove. It was a tight squeeze to fit the fan past the feed wheel motor, but possible. This seems a little easier than removing the feeder wheel and motor."
Converting to New Style Convection Fan for the Model 110
From Quark (http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=7766 ): "Make sure you change out the capacitor. The 110 fan (orange) used a 6uf capacitor. The 115 fan (Black) needs to use a 10uf capacitor. As for the axial fan, if you replace it try to find one with metal blades as they seem to run quietier and when the stove is reprogramed, it is pulsed the same as the convection fan. Not all of the axil fans will have a noise problem. Before changing it out, try it first. The reason for the reprograming: The 110 used a four speed motor (5 wires) in which one speed was energized at a time ie: low,medium, medium high and high. The axial fan is tied in with the high speed winding. So the axial fan only ran when the convection was running at high speed.The four outputs on the fan plug are turned one on at a time and all at a steady 120 volt.
The 115 (black) fan is a single speed fan and gets wired to the high speed plug. By reprograming the stove, the high speed pin gets controlled the same way as the 115, basically on and off twice every cycle. If you do not reprogram, the convection fan would only run when the stove would normally call for high speed and the would run at full high speed. The control of the convection fan is very similar to a speed control for a ceiling fan."
Guide for replacing convection fan capacitor: http://www.scribd.com/doc/3349978/Replacing-the-MaxFire-Convection-Fan-Motor-Capacitor
Replacing Convection Fan Motor
Model 110: http://www.scribd.com/doc/3349893/Replacing-the-Convection-Fan-Motor-110
Model 115 (s/n 5000 to 9800): http://www.scribd.com/doc/3349901/Replacing-the-Convection-Fan-Motor-MaxFire
Model 115 (s/n 9800(+) & UBB): http://www.scribd.com/doc/3349896/Replacing-the-Convection-Fan-Motor-MaxFire-9800-and-UBB
Procedure for replacing the capacitor of the Maxfire convection fan motor: http://www.scribd.com/doc/3349978/Replacing-the-MaxFire-Convection-Fan-Motor-Capacitor
Exhaust Fan
Exhaust Fan Problems
Fails to Run: From Tomorokoshi http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=5782 : "I've pulled most connections while it is running without any problem. You should be able to do it. Just be careful in there; those connectors are not the easiest things to get off. Check the crimp of the pins on the wires. The resistance of the motor is around 9 ohms. A clamp-on ammeter would help a lot. The motor draws about 1A at full power, so a high-capacity (clamp-on) ammeter might need a few turns of wire (you'd then need to divide the reading by the number of turns). The fan might run when the door is open. The system ramps the control signal, so it might not kick in right away. "
From JET http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=5782 : "I don't remember the exhaust fan being thermally protected. I wonder if there is a problem in the winding and the heat is causing it to short out?"
#6 Error but Exhaust Fan Still Runs
See http://forum.iburncorn.com/wiki/index.php/Bixby#Light_.236
Noisy
After checking that it is mounted securely, check that it is clean. Excess soot on the blades can throw it out of balance. To access, carefully remove the fan cover on the right side of the stove. See warning, below, about fragile fan cover gasket. Next, check that the speed sensor isn't touching the rotating fins. If none of these checks work, then replace the exhaust fan.
From LET http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?p=89059: "If you can hear a noise when you spin the fan by hand it may be the speed sensor on the exhaust fan is hitting the cooling fan fins. I have had a couple of stoves like that. You just have to bend it back a little. Other wise it is probably an out of balance motor. ... It's on the back side of the box on the motor. Its just below were the tube from the stove mounts on top of the box. You can feel it with your hand. If the stove is on be careful, ITS HOT." From Scoops in the same thread: "That rpm sensor is held on by two nuts. you can get access to it from the left hand side of the stove, its tricky, but you can do it."
From Tomorokoshi in the same thread: "The fan sensor picks up a secondary fan blade just behind the main housing. It is mounted to the fan housing by a yellow chromate bracket with two screws. If the sensor is hitting the blade, there will be a definite metallic sound. The sound will probably hit for two or three fins per revolution and then miss the rest, although it's possible for most of them to hit. While it is difficult to see, there is generally not a reason to pull out any of the motors. As you seem to have found it, the easiest way to adjust it is to bend the bracket back a bit. This method works if you are able reach in there - that is the difficult part. First, with the stove cool, open the door and get the fan motor running. From the exhaust side, push down on the sensor a little - not enough to bend the metal, just enough to flex it in. The noise should become louder if that is the problem. If you determine that as the problem, access to it is possible from the control board side. You can get a shot at it through the space between the back of the convection fan housing and the back of the firebox. However, the space to too small for you to actually do anything directly. Even though, you can feel the bracket and see how it fits in there compared to the rest of the assembly. A long, flat-blade screwdriver can get in there and be used to bend it up. This should be done with the stove unplugged. If you need to pull out equipment, I would recommend that you don't pull out the exhaust assembly. Instead, depending on how you can get things out, pull out the convection fan assembly. This may require that you also pull out the circuit board assembly and the the air pump assembly. However, while the convection fan is the hardest of those three, the exhaust fan assembly is more troublesome than all three put together." Scoops warns in the same thread that it is possible to bend the bracket back too far. When this happens, the sensor will not give the correct fan speed data and this will affect the burn. Also in the same thread, Den from PEI reported that he was able to make the adjustment using the 2 nuts that secure the speed sensor. [Bixby procedure for replacing the exhaust fan sensor]
From Rayburn11 ( http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=8255 ): "Exhaust blower making a rattling noise. ... I finally pulled the filter, then the air intake hose. Looks like it will come out the back and yes it will. 1/4" drive with three 8" extensions and it was out. Well the problem was the fan that cools the motor (i.e., cooling fins on the shaft of the fan) came loose from the nut that locks it to the shaft. ... It is a (model) 115, the fan is right in front of the motor locked on with set screw. "
Fan Cover & Gasket
Warning 1: The fan cover gasket is flimsy and easy to break. Treat it like a lady. See http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=3072 .
These gaskets have improved since ~2007. They now have a foil backing to help keep them intact. They are also now less expensive and are sold by Bixby in a package (of 5?). LET suggests that they be installed with the foil side facing out.
Warning 2: The fan cover screws are prone to seizing in place. Careful that you do not break them. If seized, use a can of Aerokroil to free them up. To prevent breakage, turn them only with a 5/16" nutdriver so that you do not build up enough torque to break them. If you do break them, turn them from the backside using vicegrips.
Tip: Replace the screws with studs and wingnuts. Alternatively, JET says to just buy some screws and put them in from the back side. Then fasten the fan cover over them using wingnuts. They are 10/24 thread, available anywhere. According to Blume98, the studs and wingnuts are available from Fastenal part #1125222 #10-24 X1/2 or 3/4 and nuts part#1136028. See the multipage thread at http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=5858 for a discussion on this tip and above warnings. As another alternative, Bixby suggests that they be replaced with 5/16" long bolts from the front as in the following technical guide: http://www.scribd.com/doc/3349912/Replacing-the-Exhaust-Clean-Out-Cover-Screws-115. DLS explains that 5/16" is just long enough to grab all the threads without protrusion into the exhaust chamber. Whether studs or bolts from the front or back, he suggests that they be stainless. He prefers SS cap screws.
Exhaust Fan Removal
From http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=5252&highlight=exhaust+fan+remove.
LET's method: "...you could remove the convection fan and then you could reach through from the other side (of the stove) and remove the nuts that hold the fan on. When you put the tach sensor back on make sure that it doesn't hit the cooling fins on the motor. After you put the motor and tach back on spin the fan from inside the collector box. If it hits then loosen the nuts move it out just a little. ... When I referred to taking the convection fan out and working from that side, you would not have needed to take the fan housing off the converter box. Just take off the nuts that mount the motor to the housing, remove the motor and put the new one back. That way you don't have to reseal the joint between the converter box and the fan housing."
Scoops' method: "I simply removed the 4 screws that connect the fan housing to the converter box, and lightly cut around the silicone to help make it easy to break away the two parts. This was a bit challenging but they will come apart, just take your time and do not over stress any parts. "
Note: Don't forget to carefully read the excellent instructions/schematics that come with the new fan package.
Exhaust Fan Replacement
Bixby Guide to Replacing Exhaust Fan - Model 115: http://www.scribd.com/doc/3349925/Replacing-the-Exhaust-Fan-MaxFire-115
In addition, see the procedure developed by Rayburn11 which he published in the following thread: http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?p=99143 .
Exhaust Fan Sensor - Model 115
Bixby Guide to Replacing Exhaust Fan Sensor: http://www.scribd.com/doc/3349922/Replacing-the-Exhaust-Fan-Sensor-115
Ash Dump Irregularities
NOTE: If an igniter is burned out on the stove, the stove may not perform the ash dump.
Burn Paddles - How to Clear a Jam
As reported by LET in the following thread http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=1597&highlight=feedwheel&start=6 ...
"... unplug the stove, remove the left side panel (where trim pots are), there is a motor with the linkage to the paddles, on the back side towards the pots on the bottom of the motor is a tab that runs across the bottom of the motor, that is a brake, push it in and hold it, with your other hand turn the arm on top of the motor to back it away from the cookie. This will work most of the time without tearing it apart. Usually the cookie just drops out."
Also relevant discussion by bobbr1 at See also http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=787&start=21 .
Dump cycle jams, produces elliptical clinkers
The clinker is likely too hot. The Bixcheck software should be used to reduce the Ash Dump Heat level. Default is 4, but might need to be 3 or less. This is explained as follows by Tomorokoshi in the following thread http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?p=78447 "Are your clinkers elliptically shaped? If they are, then they are still too hot when the ash dump process happens, and they are deforming so that some material is getting hoisted up where it should not be. When the clinker is compressed, it gets taller. The relatively cold paddles then flash-freeze the clinker material to everything. This can lead to jamming problems. ".
Dump cycle runs but produces no clinker:
From Tomorokoshi http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=5158&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15: "It is possible for the ash dump cycle to run without dropping the clinker. There are a couple possible ways for this to happen: 1) The clinker is too small and sticks to the side. The push out tab does not reach the clinker. 2) The paddle drive adjustment is out of tune, which makes the paddles not clear the burn pot all the way. This holds the clinker in at the leading edge. 3) You are on the wood pellet setting (unlikely). After you start up the stove and it has run for a while, empty out the ash drawer completely. If the ash dump cycle runs but it does not drop the clinker, there should still be some ash and dust that gets into the drawer. Alternatively, you can run a piece of tape between the drive cam lever on the drive motor and the bracket. If the motor runs, the tape will get torn. Another way, if you had the software, is to data log the stove operation to a file and then graph the file to see if it went through that process. Are you able to see the transition between the two clinkers? If the ash dump process never happened, there would be no transition. If the ash dump cycle happened, there should be a demarcation between the clinkers.
Dump cycle doesn't complete. No clinker. Subsequent Overflow.
From Ileed http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=5527&highlight=file: "I think you will find that the stove started a dump, and the bottom paddle is hung up on the bottom of the burn pot, jammed, and shut down. You will smooth the edge of the bottom paddle, put a bevel on it. You can probably do it in the stove, but I removed mine. To remove, take out the upper floor, burn pot, and upper paddle, then, remove the lower front grill, and pull the igniters back, and lift out the igniter holder. Now you can remove the lower paddle. Take a file and smooth the inner edge, or but a bevel on on. I would smooth the bottom, outside edge, of the burn pot. Put it all together, and it should make a dump at 20 hours, without jamming, and shut down."
From Rustydog http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=5787&start=15 :"My stove was manufactured in 2006 . Mine had a defect in the fire pot, it was cut incorrectly where the cutter slides through the fire pot slot and would jam all the time. I drove over to my dealer and looked at other Maxfires on the show room floor and it was obvious right away by comparing it with mine. My dealer exchanged it on the spot and the problem has never returned."
From JET http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=5787&start=15: You should file the sides of the slot, like so. (Click on the thumbnail at right)
From Tomorokoshi http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=6721&start=10: "The first thing to look at is the general shape of the clinker that you get - for this part, of course it's best to have one that actually drops out. Anyway, the clinker should be "perfectly" round - you should not have any hint of an oval or elliptical shape. If there is (see above re. elliptical clinker). The second thing to look at is if the clinker is too small. If the clinker is, suppose, 55% of the proper size, it might not actually fall out because it is held in a little and the ramp on the upper paddle didn't kick it out. You then wind up with a "double" clinker that may exceed the ability of the stove to drop it. The third thing, which is mechanical in nature, is what is known as the "ash dump timing adjustment" or something like that. Notice on the burn drive motor cam ball joint push rod linkage that there is a turnbuckle to set the length of the push rod. If the paddles do not sweep far enough over, the edge of the clinker on the right side of the stove will ever-so-slightly be held up by the rim of the opening of the lower paddle. The proper adjustment for the push rod is to run the motor IN THE FORWARD DIRECTION ONLY (due to backlash reasons) until the cam and the push rod are in line. This is the maximum opening point of the paddles. Now, adjust the turnbuckle until the clearance between the paddle opening and the lower rim of the burn pot is at least 1/8 inch. Watch out for the paddles bottoming out on the back of the firebox."
Bobbr1 phrases Tomorokoshi's #3 item above as follows http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?p=89919: "Open the stove as you would for a cleaning, remove the burn pot and with the power off release the brake (push in on the little black strip down towards the bottom of the gear motor .. control board side) on the gear motor and manually cycle the paddles to the open position (Do this in a clockwise motion) with the hole completely open to the ashpan, check to see that the top paddle completely clears the back side of the hole. If it doesn't clear, the cookie will hang and not drop causing jams etc. To fix, remove the shoulder bolt holding the tie rod end to the arm on the gearmotor .. loosen the jam nut and turn the tie rod end in a turn or two, replace the shoulderbolt and check the result. Keep adjusting it until the trailing side of the paddle clears the hole ... "
Dump cycle fails with loud buzzing:
From JET http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?p=70509 : "The [brake] is sticking on your burn drive motor. That piece that you have to press in, is the metal piece on the end loose? It is the part that should be sucked into the motor. If that is loose, a new pop rivet will fix it. If it isn't, then the brake mechanism on the bottom of the motor is sticking. If you want to mess with it, it is very easy to take off. I believe there are instructions on here already. If you don't want to mess with it, then it should be covered under warranty and you can contact your dealer."
Dumps but paddle doesn't return to correct position
From Blume98 in the following thread http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?p=78424 : "Sounds like [brake] on motor not coming on,it should be in out position,this should come on when arm hits switch, also make sure switch is close enough to arm to trip it ,may need a little adjustment."
From CornCanuck in the same thread : "Also check that the switch itself is not loose. Mine came loose last week and I was seeing jams and I couldn't figure out why. The 2 screws were loose on top and even the nut fell off on 1 of them. Just tighten them back up if that is the case: easy to do."
From LET in the same thread: "The brake is the plastic & metal lever that is on the bottom edge of the motor on the (left) side toward the back of the stove. When the motor is pulling current it creates a magnetic field that holds the metal tab on the brake in to release it, when the arm hits the switch it cuts the power to the motor and the brake should release. Something on yours is causing it to stick so the motor doesn't stop and just coasts to a stop. If you lube it make sure the lube is safe for plastic or it will kill it." In the particular incident, the brake was indeed sticking and dry teflon lube was used to free it.
From Quark ( http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?p=103998 ): "I would look at the burn drive limit switch. Two things stop the burn drive motor. 1) The limit switch at the end of the burn drive cycle. The switch does two things - first it drops the power to the burn drive motor and second it tells the stove if the motor stopped in the correct position. 2) The motor is also stopped by a timing circuit which when timed out could position the motor about where you say it is stopping. So if the limit switch is not seen, the motor will time out. ... The burn drive motor takes about 10 seconds for it to make one revolution ( 6 rpm). Time it and watch the action of the motor with the side panel off. Does it make 3/4 of a revolution or 1 3/4 revolutions? If it's 1 3/4, then it is missing the limit switch. There are a couple ways to adjust it: with the screws holding it in, or by bending the tab. If it did not work at all you would get a #7 at startup when it does the 3 turns to empty it out. If it is moving slowly and it times out, then maybe something is getting stuck in there. Do you ever hear a stuck buzzing sound?"
Removal of Lower Burn Pot
The [lower burn pot] can be removed after the ignitors are pulled out of it. From JET http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=5787&start=50 : "The igniters are not spring loaded, there is a metal clip holding each one in. To move them out you can stick a screwdriver in the louvers to move the clip to the side, then slide the igniter out as far as it will go. That should give you enough room to get the lower burn pot out. Then when you slide the igniters back in, the clips will pop into place and hold them in. Be careful if you have the ceramic igniters, they are brittle."
Bellows on Ash Dump Arm
The rubber bellows is not intended to be a user-serviceable item. There have been very few reports of the rubber breaking. When it does, it may be replaced under the Bixby 4/7 year warranty. Den ( http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=8645 ), however, managed to fix his broken bellows by trimming back the broken end and reattaching it.
Bixby Guides re. Ash Dumping
Bixby Guide on Repairing a Non-functioning Brake: http://www.scribd.com/doc/3153160/Burn-Drive-Motor-Brake
Bixby Guide to Troubleshooting Burn Drive Motor: http://www.scribd.com/doc/3155811/Burn-Drive-Motor-Does-Not-Operate
Bixby Guide to Troubleshooting Burndrive Motor that doesn't Park: http://www.scribd.com/doc/3155814/Burn-Drive-Motor-Does-Not-Park
Bixby Guide to Replacing Burn Drive Motor - Model 115: http://www.scribd.com/doc/3349886/Replacing-the-Burn-Drive-Motor-MaxFire
Bixby Guide to Replacing the Burn Drive Motor Switch - Model 115: http://www.scribd.com/doc/3349883/Replacing-the-Burn-Drive-Motor-Switch-115
Thermocouple
Replacing the flue thermocouple
Instructions are courtesy of Quark's Corner. Click on the images to enlarge them. http://www.scribd.com/doc/3349989/Replacing-the-Thermocouple-115
Additional details on the thermocouple are available in the Electrical Components section of the Bixby main page.
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