Ash behind fire box- see pictures

[rickcact]

I have been getting smoke in the house for the last few seasons. Not bad enough to set of the Co2 alarm, but it accumulated over the last few years (3 to be exact). I did replace the door seal, thinking that was the problem.
I have finally decided to pull the top and side panels to se what is wrong. Well, as you can see from the pictures, there is alot of ash built up INSIDE of the back, where all the fans, and motors are. This cant be normal, can it? I am thinking about stripping it down and replacing all the seals where the fan goes into the firebox, and the auger. Is that a good idea? Any and all input is greatly appreciated.

See pictures below:
looking down on inner workings with firebox on right-lint looking "fuzz" is from the insulation mat I removed

This one is of the exhaust/draft fan. to the right of the fan, there is a pile of ash(hard to see in picture) which is 3 inches deep.

 

[rickcact]

On a side note, my ash pot does not have a seal on it. Should I add one? I bought this stove 2nd hand, but this is the way it came from the factory.

Thanks,
Rick

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

whats the make and model?

 

[wetpellet]

You are right, this is NOT normal. Replacing the seal on the exhaust fan looks like a must. Also, make sure your venting is clean so there is no blockage for the exhaust. The weird thing is, where did the ash that is sitting on the auger motor come from??
What kind of stove is that?

 

[rickcact]

The weird thing is, where did the ash that is sitting on the auger motor come from??
What kind of stove is that?

Exactly what I was thinking

Oh by the way, its a American Harvest stove model 6037. Sorry I left that out in my original post.

Rick

 

[imacman]

Well, that is definitely NOT supposed to be like that! Since you said the ash is about 3" deep right next to the exhaust blower, I'd suspect that one of the gaskets is either leaking VERY badly, or is missing completely.

Clean the stove completely, including removing both blowers and auger motor and cleaning them. When you remove the exhaust blower, there should be a gasket between it and the plenum.

Since you said you bought it used, did you get an owners manual with it? If so, it shows a parts list.

If not, here's the pdf file for the manual:

www.usstove.com/Downloads/Owners Manuals/6039 Manual.pdf


The gaskets are shown on the parts page (P. 22) numbers 29 & 33

 

[kinsmanstoves]

WOW! Do not run that stove.

Clean the heck out of it and find the leak or crack. What is the venting consist of, list every part and length.

Eric

 

[imacman]

WOW! Do not run that stove.............

I agree with Eric....don't run that stove again until you find the source of all that ash!

When you finally find out where it came from, I imagine you'll have found the source of the smoke.....can't believe that didn't set CO2 alarms off......how old are they? Their supposed to be replaced, every 4-5 years I think.

 

[rickcact]

WOW! Do not run that stove.............

I agree with Eric....don't run that stove again until you find the source of all that ash!

When you finally find out where it came from, I imagine you'll have found the source of the smoke.....can't believe that didn't set CO2 alarms off......how old are they? Their supposed to be replaced, every 4-5 years I think.

Dont worry, I wont be running it until its fixed. I have cleaned it up, and will be pulling the exhaust motor off to see if the gasket is even there.

The CO2 alarm is 1 yr old.

WOW! Do not run that stove.

Clean the heck out of it and find the leak or crack. What is the venting consist of, list every part and length.

Eric

6inches out back(with cleanout at bottom), 46 inches verticle to a 90 deg. out through wall at a lenght of 26 with a vent hood. all 3 inch stove pipe. All joints sealed with high heat sealant.

 

[kinsmanstoves]

WOW! Do not run that stove.............

I agree with Eric....don't run that stove again until you find the source of all that ash!

When you finally find out where it came from, I imagine you'll have found the source of the smoke.....can't believe that didn't set CO2 alarms off......how old are they? Their supposed to be replaced, every 4-5 years I think.

Dont worry, I wont be running it until its fixed. I have cleaned it up, and will be pulling the exhaust motor off to see if the gasket is even there.

The CO2 alarm is 1 yr old.

WOW! Do not run that stove.

Clean the heck out of it and find the leak or crack. What is the venting consist of, list every part and length.

Eric

6inches out back(with cleanout at bottom), 46 inches verticle to a 90 deg. out through wall at a lenght of 26 with a vent hood. all 3 inch stove pipe. All joints sealed with high heat sealant.

Are you using an appliance adapter connected to the stove or did you force on the pipe? Dura Vent requires an appliance adapter no matter what anyone says about how it will fit.

eric

 

[rickcact]

Eric[/quote]



Are you using an appliance adapter connected to the stove or did you force on the pipe? Dura Vent requires an appliance adapter no matter what anyone says about how it will fit.

eric[/quote]

I didnt know what you meant by appliance adapter til I thought about it. Yes I have one installed.

 

[rickcact]

Ok, I just pulled the exhaust fan, and lo and behold... no gasket. I know I can order it through the manufacturer, but is there a place to buy bulk gasket material?

 

[imacman]

Ok, I just pulled the exhaust fan, and lo and behold... no gasket. I know I can order it through the manufacturer, but is there a place to buy bulk gasket material?

There was someone on the forum last winter who bought a sheet of gasket material and cut his own....I forget what it was called, but he bought it at a plumbing/heating supply. I'm sure if you explain what it's used for, they can set you up with the right material.
My guess is that the same material used to seal an oil burner unit to the firebox would do nicely.

 

[imacman]

Found the post....."I believe they call it Lynn sheet, that is used to make gaskets for boilers and furnaces. It’s about $2 per square foot."

 

[cncpro]

Ok, I just pulled the exhaust fan, and lo and behold... no gasket. I know I can order it through the manufacturer, but is there a place to buy bulk gasket material?

You can just go to NAPA Auto Parts and buy a sheet of universal Exhaust manifold gasket...

It's a bit of a hassle to cut (I used a Dremel grinder) since it's reinforced with metal strands but seems to work well.

 

[cncpro]

The actual product I bought at NAPA was Fel-Pro, Pro-Ramic, part#2499 (12in x 28.5in x 1/16in) and I think I paid around $12...

Remains to be seen but I am hopeful that I can re-use it for several years since it is a far more durable gasket than Quadrafire used...