troubleshooting a vacuum switch

VACUUM PRESSURE SWITCH REPLACEMENT

Whenever an organic fuel like pellets burns, an incomplete combustion will produce carbon monoxide, a deadly gas. That is the reason to have negative air pressure in the burning chamber - it "sucks" fresh air inside (instead of blowing something out).

Pellet stoves have a combustion blower to supply fresh air into the burning chamber and to remove the combustion gases through the vent pipe.

A correct air supply is essential for an energy efficient burn process; a proper damper setting can solve this. Read more about this on the included instructions!

How a pellet stove vacuum switch works:

A diaphragm located inside the pressure switch closes the normally open switch if the negative pressure is sufficient. If the negative pressure drops below the designated safety range, the switch opens and interrupt the power to the stove.

Inexperienced people often suggest to blow air in the vacuum switch and listen for a clicking sound. Don't do that because the switch is build to detect very slight amounts of vacuum. Your switch is probably already ruined at this useless experiment!

How the heating sequence in your pellet stove works:

On a call for heat, the control board bypasses the vacuum switch for a short time. It will start the combustion blower at first, pre-feed pellets in the burn pot and then ignite the pellets.

After this, the auger feeds pellets only if the vacuum switch detects a sufficient vacuum and the safety switches are closed.

IF YOU'RE NOT SURE whether your old vacuum switch is working accurate - REPLACE it; IT MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE! We test your new replacement switch carefully before shipping!

If you just bypass the vacuum switch, your stove may work again - BUT, you still DON'T have a sufficient vacuum in your burning chamber, and deadly poisonous carbon monoxide may get released into your room.

Just think about a high-temperature limit switch, it will stop your heater when the temperature reaches a dangerous high. If you bypass this safety switch, your pellet stove runs again, but it will not stop heating if anything goes wrong with your heater and may possibly set your house on fire!

Don't ever bypass any safety switches on your heater; the results could be deadly!
IF Your Stove WORKS again with a BY-PASS on your NEW VACUUM SWITCH, this always indicates a LOW VACUUM pressure problem (NOT a vacuum switch problem). Please read about on how to solve this problem in the included instruction sheets.

Please read our included instructions; they show you a simple way how to test your vacuum pressure switch!

YES - we could buy a much cheaper vacuum switch (like many others do...) - some poor generic parts are easy to find, it may even save you a few dollars. Whatever deal you may get, it's not worth! Carbon-monoxide poisoning is DEADLY!

Let me help you, after over 40 Years in repair-service – I may know what you’re looking for...

We store over 10'000 different repair parts in our warehouse, commercial quality at wholesale prices, ready to ship within 24 hours.

We're selling exclusively on e-bay to offer you the well-known e-bay customer care that includes a 100% money back warranty!

Please click on your Pellet Stove Brand below to find some parts that you may need.

Austroflamm Avalon/Lopi Breckwell Dansons Englander Enviro Harman Heatilator Hudson River Jamestown Kozi
Lennox Lopi Magnum Napoleon Osburn Quadrafire Regency St. Croix U.S. Stove Vistaflame Whitfield

If you just have a part number, click here.

Vacuum Pressure Switches

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