Burn pot cleaning tool

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Stevekng

Feeling the Heat
Oct 21, 2007
357
Central Maine
I have found that a large blade screwdriver does a great job without the chance of wearing the metal. Found that little tidbit here on the forum. Screwdriver is a lot cheaper too! :)
 
I put a die grinding bit on my drill and have at it. I'm careful and it doesn't bite into the metal to much, but eats the heck out of the carbon. I ghly suggest you try it, takes me about 5 mins to have my burn pot totally clean with very little effort.

May need a dust mask though

Edit- sorry wine and tying... ;)
 
I have used powdered graphite rubbed into the pot after cleaning and have almost no sticking of anything in a pot or burner bottom. Think of it as Teflon for your stove.
 
I have used powdered graphite rubbed into the pot after cleaning and have almost no sticking of anything in a pot or burner bottom. Think of it as Teflon for your stove.
I'll have to look into that. Thanks! The Maine's Choice I have been burning (to get rid of) seems to leave a lot of clinkers in the pot.
 
I'll have to look into that. Thanks! The Maine's Choice I have been burning (to get rid of) seems to leave a lot of clinkers in the pot.

Lol. Been there! We're all trying to heat our homes as cheaply as possible yet when it comes to a poor choice in pellets, our "prized pellet stash" becomes highly expendable : )
 
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As far as scraping the crusties off the burn pot, I too use a flathead screwdriver. I'm very careful not to scratch up the burn pot and give the crud more places to take hold.
 
I use a Painters 5-in-1 tool to scrape my burn pot liner.
Available at any hardware store.
Stiff enough to chip off anything really stuck on.
And the pointy side helps clean out the holes/slits.

Takes just a minute or too to clean the liner for service.
Good Luck,
---Nailer---
 
Flat blade screw driver & a nail for the holes.
I've tried all of the above screwdrivers,chisels,scraping tools, and other burn pot-denting devices and this diamond pad is quick and easy for the women who have to do the job. I get alot less grousing from the little woman when she gets too impatient on Patriot sunday,for me to get to it.;)
 
Flat blade screw driver & a nail for the holes.
Oh, I hadn't thought of that! (the nail) My problem is, I can't see inside the pot, so I have to clean it by touch. Do you use a mirror to see if the holes are plugged?
 
As far as scraping the crusties off the burn pot, I too use a flathead screwdriver. I'm very careful not to scratch up the burn pot and give the crud more places to take hold.
Well, give the scraping I've had to do, I imagine there's some scratches by now. That stuff's pretty tough. Seems sometimes like all I'm doing is continuously smoothing it down using the tool that came with the stove, but the screwdriver actually manages to chip it off. Sometimes I have to go sideways with it tho, to get it started!
 
Harman's tool works well but a blacksmith -friend of mine- soaked it for me, for better work. Since, I file it up only once a week, with a 'bâtarde' (strong file). It works fine (once a day)...
 
And for the summary cleaning, I removed pot-nuts and stand the burn pot on a big peace of wood (no problem with ignitor), so I could see what I've done (holes)...
 
Well, give the scraping I've had to do, I imagine there's some scratches by now. That stuff's pretty tough. Seems sometimes like all I'm doing is continuously smoothing it down using the tool that came with the stove, but the screwdriver actually manages to chip it off. Sometimes I have to go sideways with it tho, to get it started!

Hamans tool has limitations. Its more for quick scraping of the heat exchanger. The scraper end works well for quick scrapings while the stove is running.

Try a shorter screw driver. You can hold one hand by the tip at the beginning of the carbon bump and give the other end a bump with your other hand. After the majority is removed, the rest can be removed using the same 2 handed technique but with short stroked scraping motions. Feel around in there with your fingers. Its definitely a "feel" thing and you're gonna have soot hands.

Same goes for cleaning the holes. You have to feel around a bit. IMO, the hardest part is being crunched down in that position. I also use a nail. It helps to bend a 90 into it in case you drop it...you won't have to fish it out through the burn pot clean out.
 
Two handed technique too, for me, with the filed Harman's tool. And for holes I use drills, in trigonometric handed rotation...

They work well for me but I agree that's your personnal feeling the most important thing...
 
Hamans tool has limitations. Its more for quick scraping of the heat exchanger. The scraper end works well for quick scrapings while the stove is running.

Try a shorter screw driver. You can hold one hand by the tip at the beginning of the carbon bump and give the other end a bump with your other hand. After the majority is removed, the rest can be removed using the same 2 handed technique but with short stroked scraping motions. Feel around in there with your fingers. Its definitely a "feel" thing and you're gonna have soot hands.

Same goes for cleaning the holes. You have to feel around a bit. IMO, the hardest part is being crunched down in that position. I also use a nail. It helps to bend a 90 into it in case you drop it...you won't have to fish it out through the burn pot clean out.
I definitely have been using my hands to find the clinkers. not sure where all the holes are though so I guess I'll have to use a mirror to see what there is.

But I definitely don't pat my dog before I wash my hands!!
 
I definitely have been using my hands to find the clinkers. not sure where all the holes are though so I guess I'll have to use a mirror to see what there is.

But I definitely don't pat my dog before I wash my hands!!

A mirror will work well. Once you find out how many rows there are, just sharpie it somewhere. Under the hopper lid is a good spot.

BTW, I also speed-burned Maine's Choice ; )
 
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Oh, I hadn't thought of that! (the nail) My problem is, I can't see inside the pot, so I have to clean it by touch. Do you use a mirror to see if the holes are plugged?
No mirror. The holes are evenly dispersed in the pot. Once you find the next row it's easy to to simply go across the row by feel. It takes me about 30 seconds to 'nail' all the holes.
 
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