Castle Serenity Pellet Stove Problems [5 Easy Solutions]

Castle serenity pellet stove users often face problems with it. The fuel stops feeding, the fire becomes lazy, the auger refuses to work, the stove won’t stay lit, and the fault light does not turn off. 

Castle Serenity Pellet Stove Problems

If you have one of those issues, you don’t have to worry anymore. In this article, we will talk about castle serenity pellet stove problems and solutions in detail.

Just scroll down to get the troubleshooting guide.

Castle Serenity Pellet Stove Problems [5 Easy Solutions]

Here are the most common problems of castle serenity pellet stove including solutions. Let’s begin.

1. Auger Not Working

Using cheap pellets, and having some loose screws or bent parts can make the auger refuse to work. Now you know the reasons why the auger is not working. So what about the solutions? Scroll down to read. 

1: Cheap Pellets

Using cheap pellets can cause the auger to jam real quick. When it comes to pellet stoves, it’s not a good idea to use the cheap stuff. 

Solution:

Only use quality pellets for the stove. Even if it costs more, try to take better pellets for burning.

2: Loose Screws

There is a set of screws that works for keeping the auger on the motor shaft. If the screws get loose somehow, the auger will get jammed easily.

Solution:

Remove the motor portion below the hopper. Then check the screws and tighten them properly. Don’t forget to reattach the part after tightening the screws.

3: Bended Parts

A bend motor or parts of the stove could make the auger jam. Although it is very rare, you should check whether it happened or not.

Solution:

You need to remove the motor portion again to check this thing. If there are bends in the motor, call the local representative for fixing that.

But for the ultimate solution, you can read our guide on why Castle Serenity pellet stove auger not working.

2. Castle Serenity Pellet Stove Fuel Not Feeding

Castle serenity pellet stove fuel not feeding can be caused by a lack of negative pressure in the fire chamber. Uncleaned piping/stove and auger issues can also be the reason.

After reading the core reasons, let’s jump to the detailed solutions.

1: Lack of Negative pressure in the fire chamber

A lack of negative pressure in the fire chamber could cause the issue. When the pressure sensor cannot find negative pressure in the fire chamber, it shuts the feed auger off. You will find that there is no vacuum signal on the control board. Castle serenity stove not feeding pellets? That’s for the same reason as well.

Solution:

Firstly, check all of the door seals in the stove and close them properly. Then enter the diagnostic area of the controller. Find the circle next to feeding. Highlight that circle. Wait for the auger to be cycled and start feeding pellets. Then highlight the circle of exhaust. In less than 30 seconds the vacuum signal will be highlighted.

2: Uncleaned piping/stove

The piping or the stove itself could be clogged with ash over time. If you have kept it uncleaned, it could be the reason behind the fuel not being fed. You won’t find any vacuum signal in this case too.

Solution:

Clean the piping and the stove properly. Make sure that there is no ash plugged inside.

3: Auger issues

The auger of the stove could be obstructed or damaged in some cases. The hopper lid and vacuum signals will be present, but the fuel will not be fed.

Solution:

Get the auger out of the housing and clean it. Go to the diagnostic area to highlight “feeding”. If the auger does not start working, you should replace it.

3. Pellet Stove Lazy Fire

Lazy fire can be caused by a dirty stove, poor-quality fuel, or improper airflow. And those issues can be fixed by yourself. Just keep reading the article.

1: Dirty Stove

A dirty stove can make the fire lazy and smoky. If you have kept your stove uncleaned for a long time, don’t be surprised to see a lazy fire in your stove.

Solution:

Get ready to clean your stove. Start with the fire pot, then clean the ash pan. Then go for the exhaust vent system. Use the cover plate clean-out hole to clean the stove properly.

2: Poor Quality Of Fuel

Are you using poor-quality fuel on your stove? If you are, then it’s the culprit. Low-quality fuel cannot produce strong fire in the stove. 

Solution:

Empty the fuel tank of the stove and refill it with high-quality fuel.

3: Improper Air Flow

Better fire requires proper airflow. A lazy fire cannot get enough air to burn the fuel.

Solution:

Adjust the damper properly to allow proper airflow in the stove. Remember, the amount of air should match how intense you want your fire to be.

For your convenience, you can watch this video on how to adjust the damper of a pellet stove.

4. Stove Won’t Stay Lit

Castle serenity pellet stove won’t stay lit because of a bad proof of fire switch, a defective vacuum dial, or a damaged fan.

Have you known the reasons? Now scroll below to know the solutions-

1: Bad Proof Of Fire Switch

The proof of fire switch turns the pellet stove off when it cannot sense fire in the burn pot. If the switch is damaged, it will not work properly. As a result, it will turn the stove off even when there is a fire in the burn pot. The castle serenity pellet stove starts and stops because of this. 

Solution:

Unfortunately, you need to spend some money replacing the fire switch. The replacement won’t take much time and you can do it by yourself.

2: Defective Vacuum Dial

A defective vacuum dial is not able to report the amount of vacuum properly. This could cause the stove to turn off.

Solution:

You need to replace the vacuum dial to get it working. Call a technician if you are not sure whether you can do it or not.

3: Damaged Fan

There is an exhaust fan on the stove. When your stove starts up, the fan is supposed to start blowing air. Once the air starts blowing, the pellets will be fed and the fire will be lit. If the fan is not starting, it might be damaged.

Solution:

Firstly, open the fan and check whether it’s correctly attached or not. Try detaching and reattaching the fan. If it does not work, replace the fan.

5. Castle Serenity Pellet Stove Fault Light On

The castle serenity pellet stove fault light turns on for a few reasons. The fuel can go out, the 52C proof of fire switch can get damaged, or the temperature could be too high for the stove.

However, all of the issues have a solution. Keep reading to know about those.

1: Fuel Went Out

The fault light of the castle serenity pellet stove turns on when the fire goes out. This happens when you don’t have enough fuel on the stove.

Solution:

Get some fuel for the hopper. Check the control whether started to detect fuel or not. 

2: Damaged 52C Proof Of Fire Switch

So you have filled the hopper with fuel. But the fault light is still on without any reason. Open the diagnostic area of the controller. Check the circle next to “NTC1”. If that’s not highlighted, the 52C proof of fire switch is damaged.

Solution:

You already know what to do to fix this. Yes, you need to replace the switch.

3: Overtemperature

In order to check this, you need to go to the diagnostic area again. Next to “NTC2”, you will see the temperature in Celsius. If it’s too high, it is the reason for the fault light.

Solution:

Let the stove cool down for a moment. Now restart the stove. The fault light should be gone.

FAQ

What is the life expectancy of a pellet stove?

Your pellet stove should last for at least 10 years. However, if you are not maintaining it properly, it might get damaged a few years early.

Can a pellet stove run all day?

Yes, it can run for at least 24 hours without hassle. Just make sure that you have enough pellets in stock for it.

Is it safe to leave a pellet stove on when not home?

In short, yes. Modern pellet stoves contain safety features built-in. So you don’t have to worry about burning your whole house down if you aren’t home.

How do you know if an igniter in a pellet stove is bad?

If the igniter is getting power but not glowing red-hot, it is a bad igniter. Castle serenity pellet stove igniter replacement should be a good idea in that case.

How long does a 40 lb bag of pellets last?

You can expect that amount of pellets to last for at least 24 hours. 

Conclusion

The article has been a long read, isn’t it? But you have completed it successfully. Now you have the solutions to castle serenity pellet stove problems.

Well, if still you face any issues while solving your Castle Serenity pellet stove, let us know in the comment box. We’ll come back soon with a solution.

Good luck!

About William

William is the founder of Fireplacehubs.com. He has real life practical skills in fixing smoker & heating appliance issues. He loves to share his knowledge & helps others in fixing their appliances & saving their money. William firmly believes that anyone can repair his or her unit with the correct guidance & knowledge. See more at about us.

22 thoughts on “Castle Serenity Pellet Stove Problems [5 Easy Solutions]”

  1. Stove. Turning off because of temp being too high. There is a sensor behind the cover plate on the hopper that senses temp, but it has a reset button. The code tells you to check the burn pot, so it acts as if there is low fuel and stop the auger from working.

    when I first had this happen I spent time taking the side off the stove to get at the sensor and reset this tiny breaker. I got smart, now I use a wooden skewer about 12″ long. I place a flash light at the side, run the skewer between the two connecting wires (blades) on the sensor, depress the tiny button into place, and the auger starts working again. I assume the hopper has this safety device so your stove cannot overheat the hopper and ignite the stored pellets. It only happens if the stove gets to a high temperature, say high flame or, pellets that give a high btu output.
    I am running them this winter and I am very unhappy with these expensive pellets I paid for. My castle does like them. I do think the serenity runs better on soft pellets and pellets that burn to an ash, like Green Supreme, etc, this year I paid almost 8 dollars a bag for northern warmth…horrible, black sticky burn and clumpy that clog the burn pot.
    They do burn very hot to to the point that they have warped the burn pot. They are just not for this stove type with its high heat sensors. Im convinced that the castle serenity needs lower btu soft pellets. Good luck adding this little trick to save time on this fault.
    I keep the stove on low to avoid this overheat issue.

    Reply
    • Hi Don

      If your thermostat is reading higher temp than the set, it’s for the mercury switch which is not completely straight. The mercury switch sits inside the thermostat and lays horizontally. If the switch is tilted at all, it affects your thermostat’s accuracy. Check and fix.

      Thanks

      Reply
  2. My serinity stove will feed pellets and light up, then it stops feeding pellets and dies out . Always keep clean……
    Problem???

    Reply
  3. Hi, my castle serenity stove has a problem in that periodically the stove will alarm and the module says “check burner pot” or hopper. I clean the stove every 3 days- brush it down, wire brush the burner pot and vacuum out all the ash. I use high quality pellets. Could this be a sensor issue ? I run the stove on manual and at the lowest power levels most of the time. I could use some help if anyone has ideas.
    Thanks for your time.
    Royce

    Reply
  4. After cleaning stove i used remote to turn on and after about 5 minutes it shut off just like the power went out.Fuses are good had them checked by electrical supply store.When i put it back together it started and ran fine.About 2 weeks after i tried to turn it on with the remote and the power shut off.Flipped the power switch at the bottom power came back on.Tried to turn it on with remote again and it shut off again .Flipped power switch power came back on turned it on by the control pad and it ran.Any ideas.

    Reply
    • Hi Stephen

      Usually, a pellet stove turns off due to one or more reasons like a dirty unit, or poor air adjustment that produces insufficient heat to trip the sensors. Plus, faulty stove wiring, a defective combustion blower, and the pellets not feeding the auger correctly could be the culprit behind the issue.

      Well, as you have cleaned the stove & checked the fuse, now check all the issues mentioned above & fix whatever you get faulty following our instructions in the pellet stove keeps shutting off.

      Hopefully, your problem will be solved.

      Wish you all the best.

      Reply
    • Hi John

      Generally, a pellet stove Glass gets black due to poor combustion which can be caused by poor-quality pellets or lack of air supply. In other words, a problem with either the air or the fuel supply to the combustion chamber could be the reason.

      Consequently, poorly combusting fire can’t burn cleanly, release creosote & the stove glass gets black.

      Well, to solve the issue clean the stove, use quality pellets, clean the air supply, clean the burn pot & ensure a standard combusting fire.

      Hopefully, your problem will be solved.

      Wish you all the best!

      Reply
  5. After my pellet stove starts it snaps. I thought it was just snapping pellets in half but it does it when the auger isn’t running. When gets to temp it stops snapping.

    Reply
    • Hi Greg

      Your pellet stove snaps may be due to an issue with the balance of fuel & air inside your stove.

      Well, to fix the problem, first, clean your stove & then adjust the feeding rate.

      Hopefully, youir problem will be solved.

      Wish you all the best!

      Reply
    • Hi Martin

      Generally, the fan can make such a sound due to dirty fan blades. Clean them first.

      If still the sound exists, check the bearing that may fail & you need to replace the fan.

      Hopefully, your pellet stove problem will be solved.

      Best of luck!

      Reply
  6. Our stove has been working perfectly for about a month and a half now. Lately the stove starts going and burns for about 3 minutes then the power goes out, filling the stove with smoke which then starts filling the room. No power to the whole unit. We tried the on/off switch, it powers back on, but the same thing happens again. Power completely shuts off to the unit.

    Reply
  7. I have a Serenity pellet stove, the stove will ignite but the pellets won’t feed and the fire is lazy. The stove shuts down and now it won’t ignite.

    Reply

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