season ending cleaning

Tonyray said:

'll go with $5 box of damprid like I did last year plus spraying the burnpot and all the walls with Pam cooking spray..
worked last year to combat rust so it will work this year..

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Did the same with our P43 last season, worked great. Right now just running it at night the few times a week when it has been chilly enough. Last year I had it shut down for the season April 10th and used the electric baseboard heat for chilly nights. But with what electric rates jumped to this year, it's cheaper to run the P43 for a few hrs. $1200 for 4 tons of pellets and keeping the house at 70 all winter vs the $3000-$4000 using the electric heat and the house at 65 would have cost us this past winter, wife is soooo glad we made the buy on the P43 in 2013.

Sam

by comparison, rice sucks.

i've been chided by people here for saying glass cleaner is a waste of money since water works great.
the rationale being that the cost of glass cleaner is only a few dollars. and yes, if you like it and it works for you, spend a few bucks.
well, same for damp rid.
except, the difference being that water really does work for glass cleaning.

someone mentioned being surprised at emptying out 1/4 inch of water at the end of summer from their damp rid container.
i emptied mine several times over the summer and had to use another refill before heating season came around again.

that worked out fine since i used the remainder of the second pack in the car over the winter and did away with frost on the inside of the glass.

St_Earl said:

by comparison, rice sucks.

i've been chided by people here for saying glass cleaner is a waste of money since water works great.
the rationale being that the cost of glass cleaner is only a few dollars. and yes, if you like it and it works for you, spend a few bucks.
well, same for damp rid.
except, the difference being that water really does work for glass cleaning.

someone mentioned being surprised at emptying out 1/4 inch of water at the end of summer from their damp rid container.
i emptied mine several times over the summer and had to use another refill before heating season came around again.

that worked out fine since i used the remainder of the second pack in the car over the winter and did away with frost on the inside of the glass.

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I had the 1/4 inch water in the damp rid box last year and was surprised at that...
Don;t know why some here Mock glass cleaner...liquid or cream...
I have had same bottle now for 2 yrs using it on the stove.. not like it's an Expensive way to clean it.

yeah. i don't mock the few dollars spent on class cleaner any more. though i've never needed it.
my point is, saving money by using rice instead of damp rid is not the same equation as water and glass cleaner. both of which actually work.
the de icer being the same as damp rid is another topic though. once my refills are gone, i'd be willing to explore that option.
i do maintain that the damp rid container with the spout for emptying fits really well in both my stove and then later in my car.
so i'll always be glad i have that regardless of if i fill it with damp rid or de icer.

St_Earl said:

yeah. i don't mock the few dollars spent on class cleaner any more. though i've never needed it.
my point is, saving money by using rice instead of damp rid is not the same equation as water and glass cleaner. both of which actually work.
the de icer being the same as damp rid is another topic though. once my refills are gone, i'd be willing to explore that option.
i do maintain that the damp rid container with the spout for emptying fits really well in both my stove and then later in my car.
so i'll always be glad i have that regardless of if i fill it with damp rid or de icer.

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Hey, we put rice in the bottom of salt shakers here...no foolin! Old Yankee way of doing things!

yep. in direct contact with the item and in a small, enclosed space, it has it's uses.

plus, if you put damp rid in the salt shakers, there will be "issues".

glad i didn't clean , furnace has been running this morning, time maybe to fire up the stove

St_Earl said:

yeah. i don't mock the few dollars spent on class cleaner any more. though i've never needed it.
my point is, saving money by using rice instead of damp rid is not the same equation as water and glass cleaner. both of which actually work.
the de icer being the same as damp rid is another topic though. once my refills are gone, i'd be willing to explore that option.
i do maintain that the damp rid container with the spout for emptying fits really well in both my stove and then later in my car.
so i'll always be glad i have that regardless of if i fill it with damp rid or de icer.

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damp rid container with a spout? have to check it out..

sgt2x said:

That time of year. So what's the best way to do a final cleaning .any tips or ways to put her to bed. End of first year. Very happy with performance cut oil consumption in at least half down to 425 gallons and the house was warmer than ever before .wife was skeptical. Now she is a believer great site got me thru my first season thanks for all the help !

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Yep, call the dealer and schedule an end of year service.

Tonyray said:

damp rid container with a spout? have to check it out..

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it's internal with a pop up flap. but you pour out what's in the bottom without opening the top area where the packet is.

You don't need damp-rid when your still burning. I swear, this is my last bag.

Woke up to snow on the ground. Going in today to get a ton of pellets for 195.

velvetfoot said:

Calcium chloride doesn't encourage rust, like sodium chloride?

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Chemically speaking calcium chloride is a salt (CaCl2) and if it comes in contact with metal it will promote rusties.

Ran stove last night and it will be on again tonight. Cool rainy week here and cooler nights. No snow like Bio.

Kodiakll and Velvelfoot, Both promote rust and corrosion. Both are salts. Metal rusting is sped up with water. Best thing to do is fog the steel with some type of oil which works as a barrier to keep water and oxygen from interacting with the bare steel.

Both Cacl2 and Nacl absorb moisture. So will sugar. Epson salt Mgsfo4. Calcium Chloride will absorb better. All are a desiccants.

A good cleaning and a fogging oil then sealing and closing the unit up is likely best. With the stove closed up and pipes capped there shouldn't be much if any that gets in there. Granted this is possible with humidity and some areas are prone to humid air more so than others. A controlled desiccant could not hurt either. Same as like those little packets thrown into electronics boxes or Damp Rid as mentioned. IF any moisture does get it then it is nice to have something that will soak it up. Many also run their AC in the summer which dehumidifies also.

I would clean well and take simple precautions but no need to fret nor go over board with the summer moth ball. Unplugging it and getting the ash clean out are probably the two most important things to do. Followed by securing the venting and OAK if you have one.

Everything else is sprinkles on the ice cream cone.

Still burning in very small spurts...have heated all the way into the second week in May as I am surrounded by woods and dampness. Will stop burning when it warms up and don't give a crap about the calendar.
Will do full clean and run the lint vent brush up the stove pipe and into the chimney, about a four foot run. Spray inside with a Pam knock off and stuff the clean out box with a plastic bag full of old cloth. Done until the end of September. I need three more tons as I always have a two year supply on hand...the ultimate pellet pig... and am now on the hunt for more Somersets..... Just finished the 9th year of burning pellets and it is a year round "endeavor"...

indeed. different areas get different results with humidity.
if you do go with just oil, just keep an eye on the stove over the summer. my first year i just used pam and no desiccant, and i just ignored it all summer.
the condensation drops (flue and OAK completely sealed) built up and kind of washed away some of the coating. so i did get light surface rust in places. admittedly, pam is not as robust as petroleum based products, but if it's your first summer and you don't use desiccant, just peek in the stove every once in a while to see if all is well.
i painted a couple seasons ago with non spray stove paint. i used a sponge brush so i could get places like the inner facing surface of the firebox where i had to paint by feel. with a brush that's just a messy prospect and it's nearly impossible to tell if you are getting good coverage.
the paint has held up remarkably well, and if i can get away with it this year, i will just go with desiccant and spraying the combustion fan blades and firepot with graphite.
i kept the baffles in the firebox with the damp rid last summer. their backs are completely unpainted and i didn't spray them at all, and had zero rust by fall.
but i was emptying water from the damp rid container at regular intervals.

St_Earl said:

i kept the baffles in the firebox with the damp rid last summer. their backs are completely unpainted and i didn't spray them at all, and had zero rust by fall.
but i was emptying water from the damp rid container at regular intervals.

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Just curious, what size 'damp rid' is generally used successfully?

this is the container with the spout for emptying the collection chamber.

i bought a box of four 10.5 oz refill bags.
i like that container because it has a slender footprint and i can position it in the firebox right by the opening to the exhaust channel.
even if i try the deicer thing (i am definitely curious), i will still use this container

St_Earl said:

this is the container with the spout for emptying the collection chamber.

i bought a box of four 10.5 oz refill bags.
i like that container because it has a slender footprint and i can position it in the firebox right by the opening to the exhaust channel.
even if i try the deicer thing (i am definitely curious), i will still use this container

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Thanks a bunch! Appreciate the tips and info!