How many bags?

pelletkid · Dec 17, 2011

I have found that most folks with a harman clean them every week and then every ton they clean the entire stove and vent pipe. I do not run my stove 24 7 and so would like to know how many bags you burn before cleaning. Like every 5 bags do you scrap the burn pot good, clean the glass, and vac it out? This every week does not seem like a good way to measure when it needs cleaning. Can you help me out? :-S

subsailor · Dec 17, 2011

I do mine every weekend, regardless of the number of bags. Another indicator, at least with my stove, is the amount of ash on the glass. Most of the ash buildup seems to come on startup, so that wouldn't work too good for you if you're not running 24/7.

DonD · Dec 17, 2011

Sorry but it's once a week for me too. The weekend is when I have the time available to clean it so that's when it gets done. Sometimes there's more ash and sometimes there is less. I haven't burned more that 5 bags a week yet if that helps. I figure once the cold weather gets here and I'm burning more I can stick the ash vac in it for a little bit mid-week if the ash is building up. Depends on the pellets you are burning. High ash pellets will need more cleaning.

pelletkid · Dec 17, 2011

subsailor said:
I do mine every weekend, regardless of the number of bags. Another indicator, at least with my stove, is the amount of ash on the glass. Most of the ash buildup seems to come on startup, so that wouldn't work too good for you if you're not running 24/7.

How many bags do you burn per week?

subsailor · Dec 17, 2011

This time of year, typically 1 a day. Having said all that, I didn't clean my stove last week and I can tell tonight by the way it's burning.

76brian · Dec 17, 2011

Once a month or when burn pot is near full, I do a full cleaning of the stove. Brush, scrape, vacuum, remove fines, clear igniter area, clear combustion holes, clean combustion fan and behind it.

Mid season and end of season I'll sweep the vent, maybe do the leaf blower trick if I get one.

Once a week I should scrape the burn pot really well... but I haven't done it yet this month. I did a full cleaning at the beginning of December and I haven't even opened the door of the stove since. I want to see how many bags I can run through before it quits lighting

ironpony · Dec 17, 2011

clean it every sunday
shoulder season 5 bags a week
winter 12-14 bags a week
much more than ten
flame gets lazy

pelletkid · Dec 17, 2011

76brian said:
Once a month or when burn pot is near full, I do a full cleaning of the stove. Brush, scrape, vacuum, remove fines, clear igniter area, clear combustion holes, clean combustion fan and behind it.

Mid season and end of season I'll sweep the vent, maybe do the leaf blower trick if I get one.

Once a week I should scrape the burn pot really well... but I haven't done it yet this month. I did a full cleaning at the beginning of December and I haven't even opened the door of the stove since. I want to see how many bags I can run through before it quits lighting

After 2 bags stove will not light very good. It will go through a second full fill cycle before it lights which takes about 15 - 20 min.

76brian · Dec 17, 2011

pelletkid said:
After 2 bags stove will not light very good. It will go through a second full fill cycle before it lights which takes about 15 - 20 min.

Well that ain't right. Here's what my burnpot looks like right now... 12-14 bags, can't remember what I'm at now, haven't updated my sig.... but will count the empties shortly. Took this pic 2 minutes ago. Stove has been on room temp, starts every time... its just shutting down at this point... Excuse the filthy glass

pelletkid · Dec 17, 2011

I thought that you were supposed to scarp anything off the burn pot I never let mine get that bad. Am i just cleaning when i dont need to?

subsailor · Dec 17, 2011

Make sure you take the plate off and vacuum out under the burn pot. Also, try cleaning all the ash out of the burn pot before you start the stove. It also could be you have a weak igniter. My stove will be 3 years old in March and I'm on my 4th ignoter.

Indiana · Dec 17, 2011

I clean every Sunday Morning. I find that the glass sooting up along with extra ash is due to a lower heat setting. By the third day for me right now the glass is pretty dirty. That's at one bag per day and half. I've gone through a ton already. I could have saved 6-8 bags if I remember to hook up the thermostat again.

pelletkid · Dec 17, 2011

Thanks for the info. I will try giving it a good clean and also check the igniter chamber.

jdege · Dec 17, 2011

I also clean (scrape burn pot, vacum, clean glass) once a week. I am burning about a bag a day right now so the ash bin can hold a lot more but I want to keep up with the small maintenance. No different then my truck, change oil every 3k and do regular maintenance and 11 yrs 115k miles and still runs like new. Hoping the same attention to the stove will have similar results.

Bank · Dec 17, 2011

I clean mine every Sunday in the AM, clean burnpot, under burnpot where igniter is, clean glass, remove cast iron plates and vacuum entire fire box it spit clean. I burn about 1.5 bags per day on feed setting 4 in stove temp. It's probably a little overkill, but I enjoy doing it.

Once every two months, I'll remove the bottom plate to clean the fan blades and blow out the OAK and stove pipe

PJPellet · Dec 17, 2011

pelletkid said:
I have found that most folks with a harman clean them every week and then every ton they clean the entire stove and vent pipe. I do not run my stove 24 7 and so would like to know how many bags you burn before cleaning. Like every 5 bags do you scrap the burn pot good, clean the glass, and vac it out? This every week does not seem like a good way to measure when it needs cleaning. Can you help me out? :-S

Last season I cleaned my stove after every ton. This year I started cleaning it every Saturday morning. My stove runs the same whether I clean it at one ton or each week but the difference is not having to clean such a large mess at the one ton point. By cleaning it each week I find it's a quick brush and vacuum. I empty the ash pan about every two weeks. I scrape the burnpot every day but once again that's my personal preference.

I really like the weekly cleanings better than the ton cleanings. So much less mess IMHO.

IHATEPROPANE · Dec 17, 2011

Depends on what I am burning....with mwp I cleaned after five, six bags. Burning blazers now....12 bags in and looks like i can go another 12.

briansol · Dec 18, 2011

if your burn pot is crapped up after 2 bags, you need more air. make sure your draft adjuster is opened up.

I clean out when the ash is overflowing... usually about 5-10 days depending on how cold it is/how much i've bruned. I use about a bag to a bag and a half a day. so, between 7 and 10 bags i clean out the ash and burn pot. Every ton i do the flue/blowers

Thewoodsman · Dec 18, 2011

With our Harman Accentra insert burning a bag to a bag and half a day running 24/7 with house temp 70-72 I clean stove once a week.The only time the stove gets lit is on restart after cleaning. I am new to pellet stoves having bought our three year old stove this fall we have only burned 20 bags and are still learning.

imacman · Dec 18, 2011

I'm at 43 bags as of today. Did a major cleaning last weekend at 40 bags. Finished using the awful Northern Pellets, and am burning Pro Pellets now until the real cold sets in....then it's Lignetics.

mainegeek · Dec 18, 2011

I clean the ash pan every two to three days. I clean the stove every two to three weeks; depending on how much ash is in the burn pot. I do a complete cleaning - stove, pull fans and vacuum, sweep chimney vents every 30 to 40 days. I do a complete cleaning and run leaf blower once a year during shutdown

jtakeman · Dec 18, 2011

Bag 27 is in the hopper. Stove still untouched and still see plenty of fire through the glass. How long will it go?

How many bags?

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