My Englander stove doesn't work right - ever.

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altarr

Member
Oct 23, 2011
65
RI
A few years ago, I thought I was making a wise investment buying an Englander "Summers Heat" stove at the big blue box. Worst. Decision. Ever.

The first year, I had it set up in the basement. The stove was a dirty burner from day one. I bought it mid-season and just chalked it up to wonky installation. Onto year 2.

Year 2, I brought the stove upstairs. Same issues. The stove would get its burnpot all clogged up at any setting. The pellets eventually overflow and the stove goes out. Calls to support usually end with me agreeing to clean it again, try new pellets, etc. Cleaning works ok but the problem always comes back.

Year 3. I redid the entire piping of the stove. I eliminated a couple of elbows and the stove now vents straight out of the house, one elbow up, one elbow at the top to the cap. The rise is over 3 feet. Same issues. Mid-year I switch to a new pellet entirely (premium) at the advice of support. Some improvement, but I cannot put the stove above 1 -2 or it will overflow and I get that oily burny smell in the house.

Year 4. I hire someone to clean it for me, figuring I am missing something. I watch intently and notice that he did EVERYTHING I ALREADY DO. Started the year hopeful, but right now its freezing out, my house is 62 and the stove is burning DIRTY AGAIN.

Bottom line, this stove has NEVER worked. (and now way out of warranty) There is something wrong and when you CAN get through to support, they give you a run-around/don't care.

I know this company has fans on this board and I am happy that your stoves work, but I spent THOUSANDS on a hunk of metal just waiting to give my young family either carbon monoxide poisoning or hypothermia. Maybe both.

Does ANYONE out there in TV land have any advice for me on this? The model is a 55-SHPAH. The burnpot will "clump up" with a consistency of brown sugar with the premium pellets and pumice with the cheap ones. The window eventually goes black when the pot fills up. This happens whether the stove is "dirty" or cleaned to within an inch of its life. All the seals etc were checked by the guy who came this summer.
 
A few years ago, I thought I was making a wise investment buying an Englander "Summers Heat" stove at the big blue box. Worst. Decision. Ever.

The first year, I had it set up in the basement. The stove was a dirty burner from day one. I bought it mid-season and just chalked it up to wonky installation. Onto year 2.

Year 2, I brought the stove upstairs. Same issues. The stove would get its burnpot all clogged up at any setting. The pellets eventually overflow and the stove goes out. Calls to support usually end with me agreeing to clean it again, try new pellets, etc. Cleaning works ok but the problem always comes back.

Year 3. I redid the entire piping of the stove. I eliminated a couple of elbows and the stove now vents straight out of the house, one elbow up, one elbow at the top to the cap. The rise is over 3 feet. Same issues. Mid-year I switch to a new pellet entirely (premium) at the advice of support. Some improvement, but I cannot put the stove above 1 -2 or it will overflow and I get that oily burny smell in the house.

Year 4. I hire someone to clean it for me, figuring I am missing something. I watch intently and notice that he did EVERYTHING I ALREADY DO. Started the year hopeful, but right now its freezing out, my house is 62 and the stove is burning DIRTY AGAIN.

Bottom line, this stove has NEVER worked. (and now way out of warranty) There is something wrong and when you CAN get through to support, they give you a run-around/don't care.

I know this company has fans on this board and I am happy that your stoves work, but I spent THOUSANDS on a hunk of metal just waiting to give my young family either carbon monoxide poisoning or hypothermia. Maybe both.

Does ANYONE out there in TV land have any advice for me on this? The model is a 55-SHPAH. The burnpot will "clump up" with a consistency of brown sugar with the premium pellets and pumice with the cheap ones. The window eventually goes black when the pot fills up. This happens whether the stove is "dirty" or cleaned to within an inch of its life. All the seals etc were checked by the guy who came this summer.

Has a leaf blower, ever been attached to the vent to give the stove, a good sucking out?

Has the combustion blower, been pulled, and cleaned?
 
Combustion is a funny thing. It needs the right events to happen. I believe, like most will here, that you have an air issue. Take a deep breath. We are all here to help. I don't own the model you have but I have had my share of issues and they have all been operator error.
 
Has a leaf blower, ever been attached to the vent to give the stove, a good sucking out?

Has the combustion blower, been pulled, and cleaned?

All the parts were pulled this summer and cleaned. All the piping etc was also cleaned thoroughly
 
Combustion is a funny thing. It needs the right events to happen. I believe, like most will here, that you have an air issue. Take a deep breath. We are all here to help. I don't own the model you have but I have had my share of issues and they have all been operator error.

I appreciate the words of encouragement, however, this stove has never worked properly in 3 different configurations with the final configuration inspected and signed off on by someone who sells stoves. I wish there was something I could change/say I did wrong.
 
Please describe your current vent setup from the stove on out (I know you posted it earlier but give the lengths of everything...horizontal and vertical...(and all 45's and 90's's)....also, what are your lower 3 settings? Burnpot filling up is typically an airflow issue.....
 
Mine does not suck....just sayin' ;)
All the parts were pulled this summer and cleaned. All the piping etc was also cleaned thoroughly

*But...was a leaf blower attached to the vent?

Did you ever check, that it's in the correct "burn mode"?

The factory setting for the three buttons of the stove, is 1-4-1..........it should be in burn mode "3"

Turn off the stove and let it cool.
Unplug it, for a few seconds, then plug it back in.
Press the blower up and down buttons at the same time...(you get about 5 seconds to do this)
You will see a number displayed, that tells you what "mode" it is in.
 
What are your settings? Bottom 3 numbers? Sounds like an air problem. Even though it was a service tech guy, doesn't mean he knew what he was doing. I have a PAH and run my lower 3 settings on 3-3-1. Burning Turmans, PennWood, Barefoots.
 
What are your settings? Bottom 3 numbers? Sounds like an air problem. Even though it was a service tech guy, doesn't mean he knew what he was doing. I have a PAH and run my lower 3 settings on 3-3-1. Burning Turmans, PennWood, Barefoots.

All GREAT pellets!
 
Sounds like an air issue

We need to know exact venting
What the settings are
Search Leaf Blower trick and perform
Make sure the burn pot sits correctly and there is no air bypass
Also, can you check the RPM of the combustion blower?
 
Sounds like an air issue

We need to know exact venting
What the settings are
Search Leaf Blower trick and perform
Make sure the burn pot sits correctly and there is no air bypass
Also, can you check the RPM of the combustion blower?

Personally, I think he's been in the wrong mode, and "maybe", his heat exchanger, has fur balls.

Hubby says to put a hamster, in the combustion blower, to check RPM's, unless you have a better way for the layman to do this?
 
It would also be useful to know how you burn the stove. Do you have it smoldering on a low feed rate and no air when heat is not called for? Or do you maintain a roaring blaze whenever it is on? Pictures of the fire box, flame, fire pot ash, etc would help us see what you are talking about.
 
Personally, I think he's been in the wrong mode, and "maybe", his heat exchanger, has fur balls.

Hubby says to put a hamster, in the combustion blower, to check RPM's, unless you have a better way for the layman to do this?

I have a cheap tachometer for the RPM. I figured if the op had one laying around it would be wise to check
 
I'm surprised that nobody has asked about door seals, firepot seal, etc.
 
What are your settings? Bottom 3 numbers? Sounds like an air problem. Even though it was a service tech guy, doesn't mean he knew what he was doing. I have a PAH and run my lower 3 settings on 3-3-1. Burning Turmans, PennWood, Barefoots.

When the stove is on and I hit each button it reads 1 9 1, I did these with englander. IS that what you mean?
 
Sounds like an air issue

We need to know exact venting
What the settings are
Search Leaf Blower trick and perform
Make sure the burn pot sits correctly and there is no air bypass
Also, can you check the RPM of the combustion blower?

The stove goes straight out the wall (a foot or so) elbow 90 degrees with cleanout tee, up 4ft, 90 degree, 1 foot out and cap

The stove is factory clean. Enough with the leaf blower question

The burn pot sits correctly. No idea how to check the blower.
 
It would also be useful to know how you burn the stove. Do you have it smoldering on a low feed rate and no air when heat is not called for? Or do you maintain a roaring blaze whenever it is on? Pictures of the fire box, flame, fire pot ash, etc would help us see what you are talking about.

I have a 120 year old house with no insulation. So I try to keep it going all the time. Unfortunately, with this stove, that is pretty much on 1 with 9 on the blower. Anything else it backs up FAST. Heat is ALWAYS called for in the house or its off.
 
Personally, I think he's been in the wrong mode, and "maybe", his heat exchanger, has fur balls.

Hubby says to put a hamster, in the combustion blower, to check RPM's, unless you have a better way for the layman to do this?

The heat exchanger got an enema. There is nothing left on it but metal. The hamster wont go near the fire.
 
Please describe your current vent setup from the stove on out (I know you posted it earlier but give the lengths of everything...horizontal and vertical...(and all 45's and 90's's)....also, what are your lower 3 settings? Burnpot filling up is typically an airflow issue.....
I posted the lengths a minute ago....

Also the "lower 3". When the stove is on they are 1 9 1
 
Do you have an outside air kit installed? I see that the manual for the stove says it's mandatory.

Absolutely do. When I clean the stove there is a pretty strong intake flow (as in, I feel the 10 degree air outside blowing on my hand when its in the burn cradle) I checked the intake pipe, clear sailing all the way.
 
ok...just to verify.....you have:.....stove adapter....1" horizontal section.....90 degree......cleanout "T"......4" of vertical.......90 degree.....1" horizontal.....cap

Is this correct and is this 3" vent?
 
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