I fired up my Maxim last Sunday when it was cold here, at which time the burn chamber was quite clean (I'd scraped it down to the metal in most places). After four days, it's a tarry mess, as shown in the attached images. I'm just wondering if anybody else has had this experience while burning pellets, and if it's just "normal". If not, I have three theories, and I'm curious if anyone has any input:
- My pellets may suck. I'm currently burning Michigan Wood Fuels pellets that I got for $3.50/bag at Home Depo, but they have terrible reviews. Can crappy pellets cause this tar?
- My air/feed rates may be set wrong
- It's idling too much. After I filled it, the temperature came up a ton, so it has been idling a great majority of the time. Even so, I'm still surprised at the huge extent of the tar buildup. Can this possibly be normal (see pics)?
Thanks!
- My pellets may suck. I'm currently burning Michigan Wood Fuels pellets that I got for $3.50/bag at Home Depo, but they have terrible reviews. Can crappy pellets cause this tar?
- My air/feed rates may be set wrong
- It's idling too much. After I filled it, the temperature came up a ton, so it has been idling a great majority of the time. Even so, I'm still surprised at the huge extent of the tar buildup. Can this possibly be normal (see pics)?
Thanks!