New St. Croix Lancaster Multi Fuel stove

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PJS

New Member
Oct 21, 2012
19
New York
Hello Everyone, I am a new stove owner and also new to these forums. I just had a St. Croix Lancaster Multi Fuel stove installed yesterday, and I have a lot of questions. Let me start off by saying I bought this stove new from a friend who had received it when they put a sunroom on their home( it was included) and they did not want it. I think or thought it was a good deal @ $750...not so sure yet...but anyway, I plan on burning wood pellets and the directions are telling me to get a different burn pot as stove is set-up for corn only? But as I was reading different posts last night some say you can use the same pot for the pellets? So I tried to get the stove to start and it would not start on its own.. it does mention starting gel which I did not have. Please give me your thoughts on this stove and also operation of it...how to get it to start etc. as I start this new venture..

I appreciate your help.

Thanks PJS
 
First things first welcome to the forums PJS.

You should get the manuals for the stove if you haven't got them they are available by download from the St Croix website.

Normally when a stove has multiple burn pot options it is best to use the one they recommend for the fuel you are going to burn. A corn burn pot usually has extra air holes along its sides that a pellet one doesn't this is to help the corn burn more evenly, the pellets really need to have the burn air come through from the bottom to help eject the ash. You can use the same pot for pellets but you'll have to pay close attention to build up in the pot.

I don't have an opinion one way or another about your stove.

Generally for manually starting a stove you place a hand full of pellets into the burn pot that have been mixed with gel or an other approved starting material. This is lit with a match or other source of flame. When you see a good flame start to appear, you hit the start button on the stove and then close the door. You need to find the starting instructions for your stove, some stoves have a slight variation on the manual start routine.

A lot of folks will skip the gels and such and use a torch to start the fire.
 
Congrats. Here`s a link to the manual: http://stcroixstoves.com/pdfs/Multi-Fuel Manuals/Lancaster Manuals.pdf Also what i think your looking for is a pellet conversion kit which if memory strikes me right it`s a igniter kit to avoid using gel and yes you can use the exiting burn pot just has more holes in it for more air which can be controlled by the damper adj. Here`s a link to parts a little pricey but good for reference: http://www.pondscapesgardencenter.com/category_s/372.htm What is the manufacture date on it?
 
I have a new pellet kit for your stove. 75.00 . You have to manually light it using gel or a small torch. Sounds like you need a manual. You probably should look at a hopper extension as the Lancaster doesn't hold much fuel.

Where are you located? How much are they retail? Thanks.
 
Congrats. Here`s a link to the manual: http://stcroixstoves.com/pdfs/Multi-Fuel Manuals/Lancaster Manuals.pdf Also what i think your looking for is a pellet conversion kit which if memory strikes me right it`s a igniter kit to avoid using gel and yes you can use the exiting burn pot just has more holes in it for more air which can be controlled by the damper adj. Here`s a link to parts a little pricey but good for reference: http://www.pondscapesgardencenter.com/category_s/372.htm What is the manufacture date on it?
 
I have been burning a Lancaster for several years now. It is the easiest man. lighting stove I have seen. There used to be a drastically different pot for pellets but now you use the same pot and the only difference is it has a 3 sided shield extension on top of the pot. all air holes are the same. I cant figure out the advantage of the shield? I use the corn pot and cut the ash clinker once a day to empty ash from burn pot. I can go a week or more w/out shuting stove down. I just use a Natural bristle paintbrush to brush ash off glass. I only shut down to wash glass when it get real dirty or if the house gets to warm. It is a great stove, I heat a 1600 sqft newer home w/ no problem unless it gets down in the teens w/ wind blowing. I have it on a tstat. To light put exactly 1 cup of pellets in pot, squirt a little starter gel on top and start stove and go to work, lights every time. My wife runs the stove when I am gone and she is no very mechanical.
 
I just use a Natural bristle paintbrush to brush ash off glass

A mechanic rag or old wash cloth works well too (dry of course)& if careful no glove needed from burns. Yes it is burning. IMG_1856.JPG
 
Where are you located? How much are they retail? Thanks.
I'm located in Minn. These pellet extensions were 75.00 4 years ago and will be more if you get from a dealer. I have been helping liquidate a dealers inventory to help his widow. There is a few parts left and I am sure there was 2 boxes with pellet kits in them.
 
I dont see any reason to use them. Is it to keep a pellet from bouncing out of the pot every now and then. It dont change the air-fuel ratio. if my gets to full I would want ash to spill into ash pan??
 
I dont see any reason to use them. Is it to keep a pellet from bouncing out of the pot every now and then. It dont change the air-fuel ratio. if my gets to full I would want ash to spill into ash pan??
I agree rickwai I have got a st. croix york approved for 50% corn mix of which i would not use corn it is more $$ than pellets + the sugar induced clinkers are a pain in the@$$ Not only that & i did not find out till later that you should use :304 grade stainless for max corrosion/heat resistance (corn) versus 316 grade(mine) according to metal property studies.(BTW For the liner)
 
......I tried to get the stove to start and it would not start on its own.. it does mention starting gel which I did not have......

First of all, welcome to the forum. We'd love to see some pics of the new stove, when you get it burning.

BTW, cheap dollar store hand sanitizer will also work for as "starting gel". Put a handful of pellets in the burn pot, squirt a bunch of it on the pellets, mix around a little and let sit a minute......light.
 
Thank you everyone for your input..I have been able to start stove with no problems. I have also left stove running for last 2 days. The only issue I have so far is that stove seems to be feeding too many pellets as they start to back up, especially on #5 setting. Question- do the pellets fall faster the higher you put stove or does the fan just run higher to push more heat out? Also when I drop a clinker it drops almost everything and then the stove takes a long time to refire..is this normal or am I doing something wrong? And I am alright burning wood pellets in the corn pot? Can I just buy a thermostat at Home depot?
Thanks again...Paul
 
First of all, welcome to the forum. We'd love to see some pics of the new stove, when you get it burning.

BTW, cheap dollar store hand sanitizer will also work for as "starting gel". Put a handful of pellets in the burn pot, squirt a bunch of it on the pellets, mix around a little and let sit a minute......light.


Not sure how to get pics on the thread?
 
When you increase the heat level you are increasing the pellet feed, if your stove is backing up you have a fuel/air balance issue, the damper on the stove is there to correct that provided the stove's air paths are clean and not filled with ash and the gaskets are good and all doors are closed and the combustion blower is working correctly and you haven't gotten too much vent pipe in the system and you are not too high in elevation for the venting you have. Lots of things to check.
 
I have a Greenfield out in my shop.... similar stove.

I tried using the pellet pot and they stink... way too small to get any heat. Use the corn pot if you want to stay warm.

If you pellets are stacking up in the pot you need to clean your stove.... yeah I know you DID clean it but you really didn't clean it like you need to. You need to remove the ash trap doors and get up the back of the stove to knock out the ash.... tap the fire box with a small hammes ane watch the embedded ash fall out. Pull the baffle plate and get up there with a brush... Then use a leaf blower attached to the stove exhaust to suck out all the ash.

Do a search for "leaf blower trick"....
 
Also set your damper with a pencil... insert the pencil in the air inlet and gently close it onto the pencil... that's all the air you will need for combustion. If you need more your stove is plugged with ash...
 
I have a Greenfield out in my shop.... similar stove.

I tried using the pellet pot and they stink... way too small to get any heat. Use the corn pot if you want to stay warm.

If you pellets are stacking up in the pot you need to clean your stove.... yeah I know you DID clean it but you really didn't clean it like you need to. You need to remove the ash trap doors and get up the back of the stove to knock out the ash.... tap the fire box with a small hammes ane watch the embedded ash fall out. Pull the baffle plate and get up there with a brush... Then use a leaf blower attached to the stove exhaust to suck out all the ash.

Do a search for "leaf blower trick"....


Same stove - couldn't have said it better myself! Clean it once a week and bang behind the brick with a rubber mallet. Then leaf blow about every 1/2 - 1 ton and you will be good!

Oh and def need a corn pot. Their pellet pot is a joke
 
I have a Greenfield out in my shop.... similar stove.

I tried using the pellet pot and they stink... way too small to get any heat. Use the corn pot if you want to stay warm.

If you pellets are stacking up in the pot you need to clean your stove.... yeah I know you DID clean it but you really didn't clean it like you need to. You need to remove the ash trap doors and get up the back of the stove to knock out the ash.... tap the fire box with a small hammes ane watch the embedded ash fall out. Pull the baffle plate and get up there with a brush... Then use a leaf blower attached to the stove exhaust to suck out all the ash.

Do a search for "leaf blower trick"....
I am doubting that the stove is that dirty..it was brand new and has only been burning for 5 days total...i will adjust the damper withthe pencil trick too
 
When you increase the heat level you are increasing the pellet feed, if your stove is backing up you have a fuel/air balance issue, the damper on the stove is there to correct that provided the stove's air paths are clean and not filled with ash and the gaskets are good and all doors are closed and the combustion blower is working correctly and you haven't gotten too much vent pipe in the system and you are not too high in elevation for the venting you have. Lots of things to check.


Ok I have opened damper a little, turned stove to 5 setting.( high) and I will check stove in a little while and see if it is burning the pellets or letting them back up...thanks
 
Sorry another question from this newbie...So the stove is burning pellets and heating the basement really well...but my big plan was to get some of that heat upstairs..I even cut in 2 floor registers above the stove..but heat doesn't seem to come up? I don't have a thermostat on the stove so its running constantly i am running on low setting when no one is home and 3-4 when we are home...how long will it take before I feel some heat upstairs? If I cannot get it to heat some upstairs I really don't need to run it as my wife doesn't really go into the basement..Me and the kids do...so I need to make this work if its possible. Thanks in advance for any help or ideas..PJS
 
Cool down time is about a hour. You may still have some hot embers in burn pot so be careful emptying burnpot. As far as basement install each home is different. It will be much warmer downstairs than upstairs, but heat does rise. You just have to experiment.
 
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