We just dump the whole bag of pellets in - saw dust and all

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Well, we have a 25-PDVC/55-SHP10 (not 100% sure exactly why it has two model codes, anyone know?), and aside from it having some problems over the past 24 hours, and all 5 of us getting a rude awakening with almost a full miserable, freezing cold week.... It is a great wood pellet stove. I have never personally used a wood pellet stove before now, but over the last week or so, I have been learning how to use the one in the house I am now staying at. Before today, with everyone here's combined knowledge of wood pellet stoves, and their maintenance wouldn't even tell you about fines, or cleaning the blower fans, etc. I've read a great deal about it.

The POINT ---> This stove has aparently not had a thourough cleaning of any kind in atleast 2 years, with active use between Nov. 1st and April 1st, 5 months. Burning on average 3 tons per winter. No filtering of fines, just straight upside down emptying of the bags into the hopper. This stove deffinately has my blessing, if it can go mistreated for that long and not have any problems until now? Tough! Rest assured now though, it will be in the best of hands now that I know the proper maintenance, and everything else I learned almost solely from this forum today.

Our stove is down until we can get our lower auger motor fixed (is that possible?) or replaced. During this time, me and one other guy are going to be tearing the rest of the system apart and giving it that once over that will make it think it's brand new again! Hopefully we can find some way to get the present motor fixed, since its all about $130+shipping for a new one. Shipping next day makes it just under $200... literally, JUST under. So we hope to find someone local to southern NH, VT, or Northern MA who might be able to help with finding someone able to repair these things... Assuming that the repair of something like this would save a good deal of time and money...
 
Also have a Englander 25-PDVC

Augers are vertical and convey the dust to the hopper without buildup.

Doesn't seem to be a problem in this stove.
 
tyru007 said:
Also have a Englander 25-PDVC

Augers are vertical and convey the dust to the hopper without buildup.

Doesn't seem to be a problem in this stove.

vertical augers? i would like to see the layout/design of that stove
:D

Kevin
 
tyru007 said:
Also have a Englander 25-PDVC

Augers are vertical and convey the dust to the hopper without buildup.

Doesn't seem to be a problem in this stove.

What year is that stove? Never heard of a vertical auger in a PDVC.
 
My Lopi Yankee has an auger that isn't completely vertical, but it angles up from the bottom of the hopper at at least a 45deg angle.
I never sift, and I've hit it with some "fluffers" that got damp. No matter. Now that I took that feed gate off per Travis Ind., no jams, no problems.

Jim
 
I sift my pellets & everyonce in a while , i have an auger jam. Had one last night at 10, poked it like usual up the poon shoot, set my oil at 64* , glad i did cause the stove never went back on till i f@#$%^ with it this morning. Kinda like a computer, it does what it does, i end up scratching my head . Muss
 
I have never had an issue with a moderate amount of fines in the bags, and have usually just dumped them in.

Recently, I have been dealing with pellets with an extreme amount of fines. My auger has stopped working twice because it was bound with fines (approx 2 cups in the bottom of the hopper). I have been sifting those pellets and mixing them in with another brand.
 
Well, while my stove may not have a problem eating fines, I'd rather do a little pre-emptive removal and not have to worry about it possibly jamming some night when it's 10 degrees (or lower) outside. So I built one of those $22 vacuum systems with PVC pipe and a shop vac.

Yeah, it takes about 5 minutes to run them through the vacuum system, but last night when I let my stove run dry so I could check it and clean it, it had about a 1/2 teaspoon of fines in the auger flight.....that's it.....and that was after about 10 bags of pellets.

I guess I'd rather be safe, than sorry.
 
Did you post photos of the vacuum system? I thought someone did, but I can't find them.
 
macman said:
Well, while my stove may not have a problem eating fines, I'd rather do a little pre-emptive removal and not have to worry about it possibly jamming some night when it's 10 degrees (or lower) outside. So I built one of those $22 vacuum systems with PVC pipe and a shop vac.

Yeah, it takes about 5 minutes to run them through the vacuum system, but last night when I let my stove run dry so I could check it and clean it, it had about a 1/2 teaspoon of fines in the auger flight.....that's it.....and that was after about 10 bags of pellets.

I guess I'd rather be safe, than sorry.

Well i think your paranoid!!! just burn the dam things and be done with it. (PS you been taliking with slickplant??) :lol:
 
wilbilt said:
macman said:
Here's the link to that thread. watch the initial video, and then the diagram is farther down the thread w/ a parts list.....works great!

www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/23999

Thank You! :)

No problem.

Oh, BTW, if you DO decide to make one, only put 1 piece of the gutter guard in, not 2....the holes are too small, and it gets clogged w/ small pellet bits, splinters, etc too quickly. When I hear the vacuum start to speed-up, I know the screen is plugged. I simply put my hand under the outlet tube at the bottom, switch the vacuum off, catch the "crap" and throw it in the trash can.
 
I dump mine into a lined wicker bin next to the stove it holds 4-5 bags and i just remove and fill stove with a grain scoop. If there are any fines they will find there way to the bottom on the bin where i will vac them out once or twice a month as the bin gets lower. works just too well.
 
woodsman23 said:
macman said:
Well, while my stove may not have a problem eating fines, I'd rather do a little pre-emptive removal and not have to worry about it possibly jamming some night when it's 10 degrees (or lower) outside. So I built one of those $22 vacuum systems with PVC pipe and a shop vac.

Yeah, it takes about 5 minutes to run them through the vacuum system, but last night when I let my stove run dry so I could check it and clean it, it had about a 1/2 teaspoon of fines in the auger flight.....that's it.....and that was after about 10 bags of pellets.

I guess I'd rather be safe, than sorry.

Well i think your paranoid!!! just burn the dam things and be done with it. (PS you been taliking with slickplant??) :lol:

Where is slickplant?
 
sydney1963 said:
woodsman23 said:
Well i think your paranoid!!! just burn the dam things and be done with it. (PS you been taliking with slickplant??) :lol:

Where is slickplant?

Well, I was brought up by a father who worked on Navy airplane engines during WWII, and they learned to not "hope it keeps running right". I try to stay one step ahead of problems.

As for slickplant, did you see that she was on a few nights ago? I told her how we missed her, and she made a sarcastic comment about me....LOL. Haven't seen her since.

Here's the thread....read the last 3 posts on page 1......LOL...I don't think she loves me anymore :-/

www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/29072/#320383
 
Didn't get the thread.
 
I know....dummy me....I added it back in to the post...try again.
 
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