Can't get the pot to burn right - St. Croix Greenfield

[npompei]

Please see below for update!

Ok so its been about 4 solid weeks of burning now and I am having a hard time. I cannot keep the pot burning properly for more than a few hours. On level 2 it burns just pretty good for about 24hrs. On level 3 it does pretty good for about 20ish hours then its overful when I get home from work. Whats worrying me more than anything is when I get back from work there are pellets everywhere and they are a few inches up into the chute.
On level 4 I can only get a few hours before the pot gets near the top and before you know it its overflowing after just a few hours. Haven't had it on level 5 yet but by the way its going its clearly going to overfill the pot.

I have the damper nearly full open. When on level 2 its a short but intense flame, nothing lazy. The pellets drop in, the flame dies down a little and then in a few seconds its a great flame. So it really seems to be perfect where the damper is on level 2 but once the level goes up the pot fills and the flame gets lazy. I have had the damper every which way but Sunday and still nothing. Am I missing something here?!

Any help would be great appreciated. Ive read the manual so before I call my local store I figured I would ask the professionals here! Thanks,

Nick

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

You might wish to close that damper some and really clean the stove.

Before you run off to do that it would be nice to know what pellets you are burning, how your venting is set up, weather you have an OAK installed, what other devices with fans are there in your house, the age and a tightness estimate for your house.

 

[relxn88]

This is from the trouble section of the Greenfield OPS manual:

*My stove runs for approximately 2 –4 hours and then overloads the burnpot. What’s wrong?
Solution: This most likely means the combustion process is taking place on top of the “Coal Rake”. During normal burning the “Coal Rake” must be pulled out of the burnpot. This causes the pot to fill up prematurely and overload. The Coal Rake will be damaged if left in the Burn Pot for long periods of time.

* My stove keeps overloading the burnpot.
First check the Moisture Content of your corn, wheat or rye. It should be 15% or less. Also make sure you are using clean corn, wheat or rye. Otherwise this is mainly caused by improper combustion (See Damper Adjustment section of the Operations Manual). Besides the damper adjustment there are several areas that can have an effect on the combustion process.
Solution: Check all Gaskets, Doors and door Latching Systems for air leaks. Any leaks in these areas will negatively affect the burn process and cause the pot to overload. Also make sure the slide out bottom is closed all the way. If this is left open, combustion air will leak out the bottom of the Burn Pot area instead of being used in the combustion process.

 

[npompei]

Smokey - I feel like I have cleaned the stove really well thus far and I really stay on top of it. I will try and close it some to see what happens.
I am burning AWF pellets. Straight vent outside, 45deg. coming out of stove and direct vent outside with about a total of 2' of vent. And a 45deg. end cap.
I have no idea what OAK means?! Sorry for the newb comment! Only fans I have in the house are in the kitchen, WAY far away from the stove and our master bed. ceiling fan at the top of the steps but it not on anyway. If thats what you mean by fans!
And this house sucks. Close to 70 years old, cinder block walls with NO insulation on downstairs walls. Literally, nothing. Its an extremely inefficient house. So for tightness you can use the term - "LOOSE"

Thanks Relxn. I tried reading through the problem sections before. The "coal rake" issue makes me laugh. Unless I am a complete idiot (which could very well be the case!) the coal rake cant be pushed in because it smothers the fire right away. So there really is no way that can be pushed in. Its easy to pull it out so I cant really see how that can be the problem? Again, I could be really missing something here...

But I am not really sure what they mean by the slide out bottom? Is that the ash pan door? Because if that was left open it wouldnt allow the stove to start with a sensor not being seen.

I really think something is missing somewhere along the line here. I might just have to have someone come out to look at it unless someone can walk me through something?



Thanks again for all of the help everyone,

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

npompei,

I asked those question because if the house was tight, there were a number of operating fans, and there was no OAK (Outside Air Kit) then you might not be getting the proper amount of air to support a good fire.

Now as for having the stove clean this includes the combustion fan blades and the cavity it sits in and the entire combustion air path from the air intake through the burn pot into and through the heat exchanger and out to combustion blower and through the exhaust to the vent cap and that cap itself.

Frequently there are ash traps behind any fake fire brick. these need to be opened and cleaned.

 

[krooser]

You either have an air leak... maybe a loose ash pan... or your stove is plugged with ash.

There should be two ash traps just above the ash pan on the back wall of the stove.... pull those out and use a small hammer and tap on the back wall of the inside of the stove... you will dislodge a lot of ash if the stove is dirty. If you haven't been cleaning back there every week that is your problem.

Check your owners manual for more info...

If you can try using an electric leafblower to suck out all the ash AFTER you have done an through internal cleaning.... you'll be surprised at how well it finishes the job.

 

[npompei]

I just want to say thanks a ton for all the help here. But I will plug the old www.iburncorn.com website and say THANK YOU A TON for all the resources. I was going to make another post but I will just continue with mine.

I found out that many St. Croix stoves have a "secret" compartment behind the burn pot as someone mentioned here. After finding some nice pictures and plenty of sources I found these little holes and plenty of built up ash. I also spoke with my local dealer who told me my exhaust blower was more than likely extremely dirty. Well all of the above!

I had to take the stove out today and take it all apart. Not fun right now, but man am I glad I did this. Since buying the stove used but only a few years old I figured it was good to go. WRONG. So much ash and soot build up it was actually scary. I spent a few hours rooting out the secret holes and taking apart the exhaust blower. It was amazing how much came out.

So those of you who are having any trouble with your St. Croix, find those secret compartments and clean them good! Also, bang the hell out of the back of the stove with a rubber mallet and watch how much crap falls down into the cleanout ports! WOW

Thanks again everyone. Sorry to sound like I am all over the place. Just got back inside, drank a beer and feeling good. Now I just need someone to help me lug this thing back into the house...

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

I just want to say thanks a ton for all the help here. But I will plug the old www.iburncorn.com website and say THANK YOU A TON for all the resources. I was going to make another post but I will just continue with mine.

I found out that many St. Croix stoves have a "secret" compartment behind the burn pot as someone mentioned here. After finding some nice pictures and plenty of sources I found these little holes and plenty of built up ash. I also spoke with my local dealer who told me my exhaust blower was more than likely extremely dirty. Well all of the above!

I had to take the stove out today and take it all apart. Not fun right now, but man am I glad I did this. Since buying the stove used but only a few years old I figured it was good to go. WRONG. So much ash and soot build up it was actually scary. I spent a few hours rooting out the secret holes and taking apart the exhaust blower. It was amazing how much came out.

So those of you who are having any trouble with your St. Croix, find those secret compartments and clean them good! Also, bang the hell out of the back of the stove with a rubber mallet and watch how much crap falls down into the cleanout ports! WOW

Thanks again everyone. Sorry to sound like I am all over the place. Just got back inside, drank a beer and feeling good. Now I just need someone to help me lug this thing back into the house...

Yup about what we figured a dirty stove, and those ash traps aren't really a secret, we discuss them all the time here. The only problem is that people keep telling us their stoves are clean and for us to not tell them to clean it. That is why we ask a ton of questions and put a huge list of all sorts of things that it could be but likely isn't. After eliminating those things it isn't one is usually staring the dirty stove square in its ash traps.

Glad you have a stove that will work a h*ll of a lot better.

Enjoy the heat.

 

[npompei]

Thanks again Smokey. I can clearly see why the need to ask so many questions. Its a shame that these things just dont' burn! Like everything else, its all about maintenance. And I certainly love keeping things clean which is why this was good to do so now I see exactly what has to get done.

Thanks for the good wishes. Now if this thing comes back inside tomorrow and still sucks, you will see a post on where to find the nearest bridge!
!

 

[krooser]

The main problem is many stove dealers never tell their customers that these units DO need some maintenance... good luck!

Since you have a horizontal vent using THIS technique after a through cleaning (after every ton or so) will keep your stove clean and happy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLRfu4WNaR8

 

[npompei]

I would have needed an F-16 fighter jet with its engines on afterburner to get out what I had caked in there! But yeah I am going to do that after a little while. I actually shopvac'd and scraped out what was in my pipe while the stove is out. Figured why not. It was already caked in soot after about 4 weeks of mediocre burning. Clear signs of problems!

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

I would have needed an F-16 fighter jet with its engines on afterburner to get out what I had caked in there! But yeah I am going to do that after a little while. I actually shopvac'd and scraped out what was in my pipe while the stove is out. Figured why not. It was already caked in soot after about 4 weeks of mediocre burning. Clear signs of problems!

Don't forget the cap, any screen can become well caked as well.

You need to understand that krooser does his entire stove cleaning from the outside this includes ash pan and burn pot, and he does use a jet engine ;-).

 

[Taperbill]

I have been operating this stove for 5 years..24/7 6 months a year.

If I burn Corn only..It must be really dry..corn bought from farmers is different ..
I now buy from a guy who sells only to stove burners and watches his storage carefully. I clean and sift each bucket before using..

I used wood pellets for the shoulder season this year and was pleasantly surprised..and now mixing in a 50/50 ratio..

Living in the warm north land I have never run in on its highest setting..it would plug..so it is now on level 3 since it is only 14 /outside.

My dealer came out last fall to repair a blower..and showed me a nice trick..

Every 24 hours /or burn cycle I remove the top plate and use a hard dried paint brush and physically get after the top tubes where the scrapper runs.I then take a hammer and tap the back of the stove where your 2 inner little door are..watch the crap that falls down.
I then take my handy shop vac and really clean the burn area..empty the ash pan and vacuum that out too..wash the window with windex and relight.
Before I relight I also vacuum the fresh air intake ..making a seal with my hand..You can listen and feel the crud being sucked up..My house doesn't need that fresh air tube either

I also vacuum the hopper if it is completely empty but probably only 1 or 2 times a week.

If it is CLEAN it will burn better..
Thats the fact Jack.

 

[krooser]

I would have needed an F-16 fighter jet with its engines on afterburner to get out what I had caked in there! But yeah I am going to do that after a little while. I actually shopvac'd and scraped out what was in my pipe while the stove is out. Figured why not. It was already caked in soot after about 4 weeks of mediocre burning. Clear signs of problems!

Don't forget the cap, any screen can become well caked as well.

You need to understand that krooser does his entire stove cleaning from the outside this includes ash pan and burn pot, and he does use a jet engine ;-).

Here's my new prototype leafblower during a recent test in my garage...

 

[npompei]

haha, seriously. That MIGHT have taken care of my problem!

On the leaf blower note, does that really screw up the internals of the leaf blower? So say I borrow my father in laws electric blower and use it to clean out the stove, will it be toast after that?!

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

haha, seriously. That MIGHT have taken care of my problem!

On the leaf blower note, does that really screw up the internals of the leaf blower? So say I borrow my father in laws electric blower and use it to clean out the stove, will it be toast after that?!

As far as I know only if you run it with burning pellet pieces in the stove.

Mine has survived 2+ seasons and still can chew up or blow leaves just fine.

It will leave a film on the blower (primarily from blow back if it is windy).

 

[krooser]

3 seasons on mine and counting.... I use it after every ton.