Monitor 441 Heater

[FordMan59]

Tom (Hay, and everybody):

I first need to get the stove running, then replace the blower motor, or at least replace the bearings. After that I would appreciate any advice on going through the entire stove and doing a rebuild. I have heard that parts may become very hard to find for monitor stoves soon.

I have looked at the rebuild kits available on ebay. I can either tackle it myself or have a repairman do the rebuild. I would like to tackle it myself and save some money. Honestly I am a bit overwhelmed right now. Maybe I will feel better if I can just get the stove running and repair the blower.

Thanks very much for any advice
Charley

Hickory Home and Garden in Hickory, NC sells parts on eBay under the user name hhgconline and is the cheapest place I've found to buy original Monitor parts. You can also buy silica cloth that you can cut to size and use for burn mats and high temperature gasket material to make your own gaskets from McMaster-Carr much cheaper than you can buy the original Monitor burn mats and gaskets. I use part number 8799K3 for burn mat material and 9323K21 for gaskets. You can also use Rutland 77 stove cement available at most hardware stores for about $6-7 for a 2.7 oz. tube for gluing the burn mat into the pot instead of paying $20 for a tube of Monitor glue. You can also look up Hickory Home and Garden on the internet, they don't have the Monitor parts listed on their web site but, they have a toll free number listed on their web site so if you don't want to buy the complete rebuild kit you can call and order only the parts you want. HHG shipped my parts by USPS priority mail and I had them in KY in about 3 days. McMaster-Carr shipped by UPS and I had my order in about a week. I used the McMaster-Carr materials when I rebuilt my 422 in Feb. 2012 and there's been no problem using the alternative materials. If you're mechanically inclined you should be able to do the rebuild yourself with no problems in a few hours. 2012 was the first time my 422 had ever been rebuilt so I had no prior experience just help from the knowledgeable people on this site. I started on it mid afternoon took it apart, cleaned everything, replaced the burn ring, burn mat and gaskets and was using it that night. Monitor is scheduled to stop production on service parts for the kerosene units at the end of 2014 so you may want to buy extra parts for future use. I bought 4 extra burn rings and an extra burn pot for mine and my sons 422's and 2 extra burn rings and an extra burn pot for my 2200. Parts prices have already increased about 10-15% since I bought mine and I expect them to continue to increase in price especially when production ceases in 2014.

[Chas123]

still not sure where to attach spring

that spring is attached to the toggle over center lever that in turn touches the bottom side of the needle valve. the valve has two metal projections that catch on the toggle reset. when activated, the needle valve is closed.
newer units are just a button that moves the float away from a magnet that holds the needle valve shut.

Hay:

Is there anywhere to get a look at a picture of this? There are 2 springs, are you talking about the spring that is vertical on the left side of the fuel pump chamber? The one I am asking about is on the right. It spring loads a lever that can be pushed in from outside right hand side of stove.

Sorry I guess I am kind of stupid. Thanks for your patience.

Charley

[HayZee518]

reset lever

that spring is attached to the toggle over center lever that in turn touches the bottom side of the needle valve. the valve has two metal projections that catch on the toggle reset. when activated, the needle valve is closed.
newer units are just a button that moves the float away from a magnet that holds the needle valve shut.

[Chas123]

Some questions about 441

The filter goes first and then the spring. The spring should touch the cover.

Tom

Tom (Hay, and everybody):

Thanks for all your advice, much appreciated!

I have some questions about a 441 I have been running for quite a few years, maybe 10. Every year I clean water out of my outside tank, take apart fuel tank filter housing, drain any condensed water, replace filter, purge fuel line until kero looks bright red and clear. I clean the fuel pump sump in place, I haven't ever taken it out Remove & clean the fuel filter from right side of stove.

I usually fuss around some getting the fuel pump to start working. It usually starves a few times then starts working.

This year things didn't go so well. First when I tried to light the stove for the first time after cleaning everything, the blower motor was stuck and wouldn't turn. After a bunch of tries it started turning, but was howling. I thought I would light the stove just to make sure everything else worked, and then order a blower motor.

The stove lit and actually got to running on high, but very quickly after that it the stove shut down, no error number, but after a while lights started flashing. Looking in the fuel pump it is clear that fuel is not replenishing, so the stove is starved for kero.

While fiddling with the opened fuel pump, I noticed that the lever on right side didn't seem to do anything, I pushed harder on it and there is a spring that popped off on the right side, it appears to hold the lever back. Could you (or anyone tell me how that spring attaches? I see the attachment point on the left facing the stove, but where does it attach on the right? It seemed like the lever hadn't been doing anything and was stuck, After I pushed hard on it and popped the spring, it seems like it has to travel excessively to do its job. I never really used that lever, I don't know if it was hooked up properly from the get go.

I first need to get the stove running, then replace the blower motor, or at least replace the bearings. After that I would appreciate any advice on going through the entire stove and doing a rebuild. I have heard that parts may become very hard to find for monitor stoves soon.

I have looked at the rebuild kits available on ebay. I can either tackle it myself or have a repairman do the rebuild. I would like to tackle it myself and save some money. Honestly I am a bit overwhelmed right now. Maybe I will feel better if I can just get the stove running and repair the blower.

Thanks very much for any advice
Charley

[hawkins111]

M441 filter and spring

The filter goes first and then the spring. The spring should touch the cover.

Tom

[pavo6503]

Filter screen installation

So I took the filter screen out of my 441 to clean it out and dammit my short attention span got the better of me. Does the screen go back in with the spring and tit in the well, or does it go back with the spring an tit against the cover?

This is driving me crazy!

Thanks

[Chris K]

Flooded no more

All,
Thanks for the previous help - the new ignitor is in and working. I don't have rely on a woodstove now. Good call on the soaked gaskets, I had to dry them out.
-Chris

[FordMan59]

Anyone have sources for ignitors?

Hickory Home and Garden in Hickory, NC. They can be found on the web by looking up Hickory Home and Garden where they have a toll free number listed or they sell on ebay under the user name hhgconline. They've got the cheapest Monitor replacement parts I've been able to find. When I ordered from them they shipped USPS priority mail and I had my parts in KY in about 2-3 days.

[HayZee518]

mpi parts

eBay, Nelson & Small in Maine, Keeseville NY - Adirondack Hardware.

[Chris K]

Time for a new ignitor

First of all, thanks for all the posts. I did some testing on the ignitor no / infinite resistance across the ignitor and ~117volt across the board when calling for ignition. It's time to start looking for new ignitors - I'm not sure how the ignitor would have broken because of the vent becoming plugged with snow. There was a pocket of sooty snow probably, from an air starved monitor burning rich but I don't what that would do to cause the ignitor to fail.
Anyone have sources for ignitors?

[ticki2]

you only need to unplug the unit for a second to reset the onboard computer. leaving it unplugged longer doesn't accomplish anything

That's good to know , I thought it would have to be off long enough to have to reset the clock .

[hawkins111]

flooded M441

I hope you looked at the pad under the burner to be sure it was not soaked with fuel? If the fuel gets too high in the pot it can spill out the air holes as well as the igniter hole. You can not afford to start the heater unless you are certain the pad is dry. A fire on the air side of the pot will melt the air hose and cause all kinds of trouble. As has been stated, I think you are going to need a new igniter. An OHM check should show you 12.7 Ohms.

Tom

[HayZee518]

computer reset

you only need to unplug the unit for a second to reset the onboard computer. leaving it unplugged longer doesn't accomplish anything

[Bryand]

If you vent was covered then the heater could not pull in any air thru the combustion blower so therfore the air pressure switch will not let the fuel pump come on. It appears your real problem is the ignitor. You can unhook it from the board and check the ignitor itself with a ohm meter to see if you are getting a reading thur it. If it is good you should get a reading on it.

[Bryand]

Looks like you better start looking for a ignitor. The ignitor is going to get hot before the fuel ever starts pumping. If you got most of the oil out the ignitor will burn off any extra in the pre ignition stage.