- Oct 9, 2012
- 24
I have been having my PDVC25 cleaned by a furnace company for 4 years now because I am tool illiterate. However, I decided this year to get bold and get in there and see what made this thing work. Its really not all that mechanically complex, however, removable side panels especially on the room air blower side would be a wonderful addition, since i'm old and fat and crawling around upside down on the floor and reaching into the dark for a screw is not my forte'.
Now or a question or two. Everyone tells me "the outside air is really not important unless your house is totally sealed up like a vacuum." However, this past season and again now I get a smokey smell if I am burning on low. Magic window settings are by factor 6-4-1 which fed tooooooo fast and burned way hotter than i wanted and I run now at 4-6-1. I notice that my fire goes up and down (high active flame then dwindles to tiny flame awaiting pellets). I would love to have a plan old steady, active flame reaching about the top of the burn pot and just holding there. Is it possible? Also i get some smoke smell when the flame is tiny waiting for pellets.
Take note my outside air is not installed but my house is drafty and the stove sits on a cold concrete floor. The first year my restrictor plate in the bottom fell of and everyone said don't worry about it you don't need it. Yesterday I found a screw that fit and I put it back in and closed it as far as it would go and the stove did seem to run somewhat better with a steadier flame but still great variance in up and down.
My last main issue is gaskets! Obviously, the pro's cleaning for the last 3 years said they took removed and cleaned the blowers, etc., but did they really? They never mentioned gaskets or replacing them and as I understand it you can't remove the motor to the exhaust/combustion blower without replacing the gasket. So I wonder #1 did they actually remove and clean, #2 just run their shop VAC long enough to fool me, or #3 actually do it and replace gaskets that I am having a terrible time finding to purchase locally. My last hardware store question and answer I go the recommendation to use hi temp silicone and make the gasket for myself? Any thoughts on that approach?
Sorry I have been so long winded here but having read lots and lots of posts I think this is the place that I can finally get some straight HONEST answers and opinions. So anything you could share would be most appreciated.
Thanks so much for helping a Do-It-Yourself novice. P.S. I've got the hole saw that makes the hole for the outside air -- just trying to get up the nerve to apply it to mybeautiful 14 inch wide board wainscoating and hoping to come out of the house in the same spot if you recommend installing the outside air. Who knows the wall may look like swiss cheese when i'm done.
Thanks again.
Tom
Now or a question or two. Everyone tells me "the outside air is really not important unless your house is totally sealed up like a vacuum." However, this past season and again now I get a smokey smell if I am burning on low. Magic window settings are by factor 6-4-1 which fed tooooooo fast and burned way hotter than i wanted and I run now at 4-6-1. I notice that my fire goes up and down (high active flame then dwindles to tiny flame awaiting pellets). I would love to have a plan old steady, active flame reaching about the top of the burn pot and just holding there. Is it possible? Also i get some smoke smell when the flame is tiny waiting for pellets.
Take note my outside air is not installed but my house is drafty and the stove sits on a cold concrete floor. The first year my restrictor plate in the bottom fell of and everyone said don't worry about it you don't need it. Yesterday I found a screw that fit and I put it back in and closed it as far as it would go and the stove did seem to run somewhat better with a steadier flame but still great variance in up and down.
My last main issue is gaskets! Obviously, the pro's cleaning for the last 3 years said they took removed and cleaned the blowers, etc., but did they really? They never mentioned gaskets or replacing them and as I understand it you can't remove the motor to the exhaust/combustion blower without replacing the gasket. So I wonder #1 did they actually remove and clean, #2 just run their shop VAC long enough to fool me, or #3 actually do it and replace gaskets that I am having a terrible time finding to purchase locally. My last hardware store question and answer I go the recommendation to use hi temp silicone and make the gasket for myself? Any thoughts on that approach?
Sorry I have been so long winded here but having read lots and lots of posts I think this is the place that I can finally get some straight HONEST answers and opinions. So anything you could share would be most appreciated.
Thanks so much for helping a Do-It-Yourself novice. P.S. I've got the hole saw that makes the hole for the outside air -- just trying to get up the nerve to apply it to mybeautiful 14 inch wide board wainscoating and hoping to come out of the house in the same spot if you recommend installing the outside air. Who knows the wall may look like swiss cheese when i'm done.
Thanks again.
Tom