Video on Youtube titled "The Pellet Stove from Hell" looks like the older US Stove Control Panel

Looks like the controller feed rate range is screwed up. We won't comment on the start up.

bad install looks like the exhaust pathway is at least partially plugged up, the "boom start" is precombustion buildup stove is providing enough thermal energy to light but the airway is not allowing a smooth path of air and as the igniter cooks the pellets the smoke (did ya notice all the smoke coming out from the stove before it lit?) and gasses build until enough aire gets introduced to ignite the gasses that arent able to leave the burn chamber and build up, the ash drawer is leaking badly as seen when it lit and also if you watch te flame the front of the fire is being pulled down to the air coming into the ash pan.

guy needs a pro to come out and do a major rebuild for one , probably needs to check parameters on the circuit board as well.

This is what happens when you do not have enough air running through the machine OR what happens if you have too much fuel during start up. I've gone to a house where that happened (the evening prior to me coming out) and it blew the glass right out of the stove. I found fresh unburned pellets in the exhaust vent that got pass the motor. I asked them why there was so many pellets around the hearth pad and they told me that the explosion actually blew the pellets out of the hopper. Kinda wish I was around for that one.!!

Everyone take notice that this is a US Stove....say no more.

I have seen the stoves "backfire" so to speak when they are very very dirty also, and one time i saw a stove that "blew up" when a 22 shell had been dropped into the hopper by the customers kid and made its way down into the fire pot....FIrst harman i ever saw with a hole in the metal sides

That particular stove controller can be mis programmed to deliver way too much fuel. This can cause all of what was seen in the video to happen. There are other things like Mike and Scott have said that can also cause the same thing to happen. But there is no information in the video.

smwilliamson said:

Everyone take notice that this is a US Stove....say no more.

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Well said.....


That is a Crazy Video.... Crazy Big Fire.


I gotta watch it again... And to think that guy thought that it was a "Bad A$$" Pellet stove. Doin its thang!

DexterDay said:

Well said.....


That is a Crazy Video.... Crazy Big Fire.


I gotta watch it again...

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I've watched it twice, and both times the only thing I think is "Cool -- the walls of his stove are on fire."

Actually, I also think "I hope my stove never does that ..."

thedude110 said:

I've watched it twice, and both times the only thing I think is "Cool -- the walls of his stove are on fire."

Actually, I also think "I hope my stove never does that ..."

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ive seen stove swhich were burned dirty then given back to the store (we get to eat them <sigh> ) anyway i digress, i go through most of them when we get them back ive test fired stoves straight off the truck (its actualy fun if you are a pyro like me ) anyway (again) they would have been run so dirty that after a quick cleanout and firing the soot (unburned residue from an incomplete burn) that clings to surfaces would actually start to burn. its pretty kool, but upsetting at the same time as i tend to think "how many folks are actually letting their stoves get this buggered up in their house?"

lets keep em clean gang, a properly maintained stove will burn the same way after lots of use as it did when you burned your first fire, if it dont start looking for why before you cant fix it or it makes a mess.or even worse it defecates in the sheets when you really need it to work.

Mike,

You know that telling a lot of us on here to keep 'em clean is preaching to the choir.

LOL keep preaching the Choir has taught me well!

stoveguy2esw said:

ive seen stove swhich were burned dirty then given back to the store (we get to eat them <sigh> ) anyway i digress, i go through most of them when we get them back ive test fired stoves straight off the truck (its actualy fun if you are a pyro like me ) anyway (again) they would have been run so dirty that after a quick cleanout and firing the soot (unburned residue from an incomplete burn) that clings to surfaces would actually start to burn. its pretty kool, but upsetting at the same time as i tend to think "how many folks are actually letting their stoves get this buggered up in their house?"

lets keep em clean gang, a properly maintained stove will burn the same way after lots of use as it did when you burned your first fire, if it dont start looking for why before you cant fix it or it makes a mess.or even worse it defecates in the sheets when you really need it to work.

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Mike can you talk a little more about stoves that were "burned dirty" and firing the soot and how to avoid all of that? This is my second year with a Mt Vernon, and I notice that every time I clean my stove (which is every 7-10 days in burning season) that I need to clean the glass. That makes me think I'm not burning hot enough or long enough. With the Mt Vernon there's so many settings that its difficult to know what settings will allow me to burn hot enough to avoid what you are talking about.

joescho said:

I notice that every time I clean my stove (which is every 7-10 days in burning season) that I need to clean the glass.

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Its normal for glass to soot up, especially burning on low. Almost all makes and models soot up the glass.
Mine will in a couple days burning on low.

smoke show said:

Its normal for glass to soot up, especially burning on low. Almost all makes and models soot up the glass.
Mine will in a couple days burning on low.

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Yeppers.... Couple days is all it takes. Let it go a couple weeks and you'll see what "Dirty" means...

As long as your cleaning that Vernon as often as you say, your not gonna get the build up Mike describes.

Best way to tell, is the color of your ash. A lighter grey to a lighter brown (grey being better), isnt bad. When you start getting a black to dark brown soot... Then you may have a problem.

Here is my glass after about 25 bags... Or a few weeks. !!

DexterDay said:

Yeppers.... Couple days is all it takes. Let it go a couple weeks and you'll see what "Dirty" means...

As long as your cleaning that Vernon as often as you say, your not gonna get the build up Mike describes.

Best way to tell, is the color of your ash. A lighter grey to a lighter brown (grey being better), isnt bad. When you start getting a black to dark brown soot... Then you may have a problem.

Here is my glass after about 25 bags... Or a few weeks. !!

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The one thing that also surprises me every time is it cleans up with just water! My Jotul insert in my basement that burns regular wood needs to be scrubbed with glass cleaner designed for stoves... and it takes about 30 minutes to get it all off too!!

then of course its dirty again in no time.......

joescho said:

Mike can you talk a little more about stoves that were "burned dirty" and firing the soot and how to avoid all of that? This is my second year with a Mt Vernon, and I notice that every time I clean my stove (which is every 7-10 days in burning season) that I need to clean the glass. That makes me think I'm not burning hot enough or long enough. With the Mt Vernon there's so many settings that its difficult to know what settings will allow me to burn hot enough to avoid what you are talking about.

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understand that when stoves are designed, they are built with specific spaces in the airflow chambers (the intake, firebox and exhaust/ heat exchange pathways). as ash accumulates in the unit with use this starts to affect the volume of air that is able to flow through these spaces. at some point a tipping point is reached where the air volume is no longer sufficient to completely burn away the combustible materials, while it will still support a fire the fire is only attaining a partial percentage of combustion. the "soot" that coats the combustion and exhaust areas of stoves and your pipes as well is simply unburned fuel (similar to ceosote in a bad burning woodstove chimney) as this us really the same stuff you are feeding the unit once the stove is cleaned out enough to get that airflow back its possible to reignite this unburned fuel and have it literally burn off from the surfaces its clinging to.

as for your glass, its not unexpected to have the glass get ashed over somewhat after several days, note that the slowing airflow i described above even though its not bad enough yet to leave soot coating, it is going to slow the air down somewhat and that affects the airwash system in most all pelet stoves, especially since very little of the total amount of airflow is relegated to airwash duty as most is channelled for combustion, smaller openings provide more resistance to flow, air wants to move through the path of least resistance in a negative pressure (direct vent) system. so, in a nutshell, airwash is one of the first things that start to show buildup.

now burning hotter may help depending on the makeup of the ash, if its light gray or brownish its generally just ash, if its dark charcoal gray or black, its unburned and running hoter may clean that up some, note also that higher RPM's are present in high burn so air velocity would improve a bit so the glass may stay a bit cleaner longer with this working for you as well.

finally, if the coating is like in the picture above , the other poster put up, its not abuse, but his stove is probably in need of cleaning by the time it gets that heavy. pay attention to the color of the stuff on the glass the lighter in color it is the more completely burned it is. also, keep a mental note as to if it seems to build up quicker than it has been, this is an indication that you may be building up in an area that is not part of your regular cleaning, check the vent pipe and maybe go back over your manual carefully to ensure that there isnt a spot you may have overlooked.

BTW the Mt Vernon is a great stove. hopefully some of the members who have that brand or unit can chime in and help you a bit with the settings. i know pellet stoves pretty well in general terms, my stoves i know intimately, but other brands im just not "up on" the control sets to really be able to advise you in anything other than general terms.

hope this helps ya!

SmokeyTheBear said:

Mike,

You know that telling a lot of us on here to keep 'em clean is preaching to the choir.

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i know smokey, trust me the "harping" i do when i beg for maintenance is more for the folks who may prowl through threads looking for answers who may not be regulars. i see individual threads from the hearth when just "googling" topics so its in my mind a good practice to "preach" even though i sound like the "choir" is my target, the "occasional visitor" may benefit from it.