mkpanache said:SmokeyTheBear said:mkpanache said:It's just me and my wife. I don't know if I can get that thing outside. That's a great idea, though.
I did something I swore I swore I would never do. I bypassed the pressure/ vacuum switch, but the flame wouldn't stay running because there just wasn't enough air. Obviously, I missed something when I cleaned it.
$175 for the first two hours and $60 for each hour after for a professional to clean it. God. I don't know that I have a choice.
Can you get to the vent pipe in the chimney?
If so check the termination cap for crud plugging it and while you are up there and the stove is completely back together attach an electric leaf blower and suck the crud out.
I wasn't kidding when I said there was a hard spot to clean on those stoves, also have you used a stiff brush and given the heat exchanger tubes a very good cleaning (remember to use a face mask)?
Also make certain there is no down slope in that section that the clean out tee attaches to.
You need to do a deep cleaning job (stove) every single ton of pellets burned.
The roof is covered with snow - I can't get up there the way it is now, but I am going to suck the stove out with the leaf blower. I know the combustion motor area is plugged; I thought I got everything last night, but I was wrong. I am going to turn my stove and run bendable piping outside the window to suck it all out. I have not cleaned the heat exchange tubes. Will the blower take care of this? There is no down slope, so I think I am okay with that. I should have been using a face mask all along - I haven't been.
But what is this about a deep cleaning after every ton? If I go through three ton a season, that's three of these cleanings each year? I have been told by many that this kind of cleaning should only be done once per season.
Thank you for your help.
The leaf blower is not likely to get any bonded crap off of the heat exchanger, however with a means of running it while scrapping will prevent crud from coming back at you while you poke and scrape.
Yes that three cleanings of the stove a year is about right burning three tons, with a decent pellet you can go a ton and a half and make it two cleanings.
I take advantage of my vent set up and do it every half to one ton, it is at most a ten minute thing for me, most of the time is lugging the blower out and putting it back.