Hi All,
I've burned a full skid (1.3 ton) of Cleanfire hardwood blend in my St. Croix Hastings and I've never had such a dirty stove. After about 1/3 ton I opened the air intake up almost all the way and that helped a little (fewer unburned pellets, finer ash), but my stove is still filthy, along with the side of my house where the chimney vents. This is my fourth season burning pellets and I've never had these kinds of issues before. I used to have to empty the ash pan once a week (2x if I was running on 3 or 4 when it got real cold), and I field stripped and cleaned the stove once a week. With the cleanfires I'm emptying twice a week and I let the stove cool and vacuum the ash on the window and back every Wednesday and do a full field strip and vac on Saturdays. The side of my house has a 3 foot ring of ash either side of the chimney now (never had a problem with staining on the house before). My stove is now giving me a hard time starting and it takes 2-5 tries to get it lit after cleaning. I'm guessing the vacuum switch is all munged up. I've also got a growing chunk of creosote on the burn pot that is getting harder and harder to scrape down or chip off every week.
I run my stove 24x7, usually at 2, except for when I shut down for a cleaning. Previously I burned straight hardwood (3-4 tons a year) and ran a dozen bags of softwood at the end of last year as I'd run out of hardwood and it was still chilly at the end of April. I have my stove professionally serviced by Royal Fireside in Uxbridge, MA every year as well.
I've got 2.6 tons of these things left, I'm afraid I'm going to ruin my stove if I keep burning them. Reviews from last year were pretty good, so I went with them this year, but I think the Quality Control at the plant must be slipping, or they're getting materials from dirtier sources.
I'd appreciate any thoughts or suggestions.
Thanks,
Steve
I've burned a full skid (1.3 ton) of Cleanfire hardwood blend in my St. Croix Hastings and I've never had such a dirty stove. After about 1/3 ton I opened the air intake up almost all the way and that helped a little (fewer unburned pellets, finer ash), but my stove is still filthy, along with the side of my house where the chimney vents. This is my fourth season burning pellets and I've never had these kinds of issues before. I used to have to empty the ash pan once a week (2x if I was running on 3 or 4 when it got real cold), and I field stripped and cleaned the stove once a week. With the cleanfires I'm emptying twice a week and I let the stove cool and vacuum the ash on the window and back every Wednesday and do a full field strip and vac on Saturdays. The side of my house has a 3 foot ring of ash either side of the chimney now (never had a problem with staining on the house before). My stove is now giving me a hard time starting and it takes 2-5 tries to get it lit after cleaning. I'm guessing the vacuum switch is all munged up. I've also got a growing chunk of creosote on the burn pot that is getting harder and harder to scrape down or chip off every week.
I run my stove 24x7, usually at 2, except for when I shut down for a cleaning. Previously I burned straight hardwood (3-4 tons a year) and ran a dozen bags of softwood at the end of last year as I'd run out of hardwood and it was still chilly at the end of April. I have my stove professionally serviced by Royal Fireside in Uxbridge, MA every year as well.
I've got 2.6 tons of these things left, I'm afraid I'm going to ruin my stove if I keep burning them. Reviews from last year were pretty good, so I went with them this year, but I think the Quality Control at the plant must be slipping, or they're getting materials from dirtier sources.
I'd appreciate any thoughts or suggestions.
Thanks,
Steve