Cleaning burn-pot holes

[exoilburner]

Has anyone come up with a tool that will clean out burn-pot holes fast? The narrow clearance above the bottom rows of holes makes it difficult to get a straight shot with a tool into the holes. Not that it can't be done but just asking if anyone has come up with something that is fast and easy.

The access to the burn pot in my pellet furnace is from one side instead of the front. Also the top of burn pot sits even with top of the fire box door so I can't see down into the burn-pot unless I use an inspection mirror and book light. Makes it really awkward to clean the holes!

 

[tjnamtiw]

I use gun bore brushes mounted to the cleaning rod. I bend the rod to an angle that lets me easily slip the brush into the holes. Since I don't have your stove, I don't know what calibers you need. Mine are .32 and .40 caliber.

 

[exoilburner]

I use gun bore brushes mounted to the cleaning rod. I bend the rod to an angle that lets me easily slip the brush into the holes. Since I don't have your stove, I don't know what calibers you need. Mine are .32 and .40 caliber.

I believe the hole dia. is 1/8in. Sounds like a good idea; the wire that holds the bristles probably make it easier to start the brush into the pot hole.

 

[forya]

I keep a bent paperclip right under my stove, and just push the plugged up ash in to the holes.

 

[Delta-T]

paper clip is brilliant...allen wrench works pretty well too

 

[Xena]

Since day one mine have never been plugged so never
had to use any of the things mentioned. Maybe the
design of the St Croix I dunno. Tip of an awl would prolly
work well too for you folks who need to do this.

 

[Fsappo]

Nothing gets in any of our stoves that a good bang or two wont shake loose.

 

[woodsman23]

never had this issue just a couple taps and its clear..

 

[Vinelife]

Alan Wrench..

 

[UncleAnthony]

I use an small awl, seems to work good.

 

[skinanbones]

On our enviros i took a 1/16 larger drill bit and drilled all the burnpot hole to allow some build up without affecting draft. It turned out with a good quality pellet i can go all year with out having to clean the holes out

 

[goathead]

I use an allen wrench, two twist and it rounds out the hole good. All set.

 

[tjnamtiw]

I use gun bore brushes mounted to the cleaning rod. I bend the rod to an angle that lets me easily slip the brush into the holes. Since I don't have your stove, I don't know what calibers you need. Mine are .32 and .40 caliber.

I believe the hole dia. is 1/8in. Sounds like a good idea; the wire that holds the bristles probably make it easier to start the brush into the pot hole.

Yea, it does help but, just like in a pistol, it's a little tough to get it back out unless you go all the way in past the bristles, but it's certainly do-able.

 

[arnash]

On our enviros i took a 1/16 larger drill bit and drilled all the burnpot hole to allow some build up without affecting draft. It turned out with a good quality pellet i can go all year with out having to clean the holes out

Duh! Why didn't I think of that? My 1st generation burn pot (before Whitfield switched to grates) has quite small holes compared to later models. I laboriously dulled a drill bit or two drilling just 3 new holes. I wondered how to efficiently get another row of holes into it (4 instead of its original 3) but heck, I'll just enlarge the holes I've hot a little. That could give me maybe 20 % better air flow.

My contribution to the tool question is to use the tapered end of an old file, or use one of those cheap little screw drivers. They have tapered tips that slip in easily and can ream the hole good with a little twisting action. But I'm a bit amazed and perplexed that it sounds like your burn pot isn't removable. Is that something fairly common in the pellet stove world?

 

[johnnycomelately]

I use a screwdriver when they get really bad. Anything that you have yhat is small and hard and that you can fit into that little hole should work ok. Maybe a nail or even an awl. Or whatever.

 

[exoilburner]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I should have included this picture to help explain my situation.

The fire box door (that's as open as it will go), the side access to the burn pot, and the high position of the burn-pot in the door opening makes it difficult to hold a tool, hold a flashlight and hold a mirror and get a tool down into all the holes to check them for blockage. The flame guide/brick cover over a lot of the top of the burn pot which makes it kind of tight to squeeze my hand down in to the lower holes and see down there. Don't want to be a whiner about this but it's a struggle to find all the holes and poke them.

I only burn softwood pellets. Maybe that's why I get some build-up in the burn-pot holes. More natural resins than binders.


http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo18/eewing_01/AccessBP.jpg

 

[imacman]

....I laboriously dulled a drill bit or two drilling just 3 new holes. I wondered how to efficiently get another row of holes into it (4 instead of its original 3) but heck, I'll just enlarge the holes I've hot a little. That could give me maybe 20 % better air flow......

If you do drill them out, and /or want to drill some extra holes, invest in a 1/8" cobalt bit, and also a cobalt bit the size you want the holes to be in the end.....ESPECIALLY if the burnpot is stainless steel. Lowes sells them individually. A little more $$ than standard high speed bits, but will drill most anything and last MUCH longer.

www.lowes.com:80/pl_Cobalt_4294857551+4294868345_4294937087_?Ns=p_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr|0||p_product_quantity_sold|1

 

[arnash]

....I laboriously dulled a drill bit or two drilling just 3 new holes. I wondered how to efficiently get another row of holes into it (4 instead of its original 3) but heck, I'll just enlarge the holes I've hot a little. That could give me maybe 20 % better air flow......

If you do drill them out, and /or want to drill some extra holes, invest in a 1/8" cobalt bit, and also a cobalt bit the size you want the holes to be in the end.....ESPECIALLY if the burnpot is stainless steel. Lowes sells them individually. A little more $$ than standard high speed bits, but will drill most anything and last MUCH longer.

www.lowes.com:80/pl_Cobalt_4294857551+4294868345_4294937087_?Ns=p_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr|0||p_product_quantity_sold|1

I enlarged 4 holes near the center of the pot using a drill bit that is probably a Chinese counterfeit cobalt bit,-it looks like it's dipped in gold paint. Fortunately I inherited a drill bit sharpener. Now I'll have to take the time to figure out how to use it to resharpen by burn pot dulled bits. The result was a high temp. flame that was noticeably different than before. I think I have enough combustion air now though it's less than the next generation grate, but it only makes a difference when the pellet feed rate is at maximum (which I'm not comfortable using for any extended period. It really generates a lot of heat and the temp here isn't very cold. )

 

[TLHinCanada]

The gold color is titanium which is harder then cobalt (Hint, drill slower and use a bit of oil makes drill bits last longer).

 

[imacman]

The gold color is titanium which is harder then cobalt ....

Somewhat incorrect. Titanium is a greyish color. We use MANY Ti parts in our sprint car and NONE of them are gold. The gold is actually Titanium nitride, a thin coating that makes the bit surface harder than cobalt UNTIL you sharpen it....then the coating is gone. You then essentially have a standard steel High Speed drill bit.

Over the long run, cobalt is the superior and less expensive drill bit, as it retains the hardness even after sharpening.

Here is a pic of Titanium rod stock.

 

[Skippydo]

exoilburner:
Done for the season. Turned off the PF100 two days ago, got the propane on, in case I need it.
House stays warm enough that I have not had to use yet. Sun warms my place up fast and it stays
warm.
Got my pellets stocked for next heating season.
Am thinking of going to Florida for next winter (Jan-Feb-Mar) with wife if she wants to come along,
and also my sister and her husband. Tampa and south.
Had to replace my top baffle, my new one is burning in the high middle like the one I just replaced.
Still no cracks/holes in my burn pot. Knock on wood!!
Have a great summer, talk next fall.

 

[Tony K]

Has anyone come up with a tool that will clean out burn-pot holes fast? The narrow clearance above the bottom rows of holes makes it difficult to get a straight shot with a tool into the holes. Not that it can't be done but just asking if anyone has come up with something that is fast and easy.

The access to the burn pot in my pellet furnace is from one side instead of the front. Also the top of burn pot sits even with top of the fire box door so I can't see down into the burn-pot unless I use an inspection mirror and book light. Makes it really awkward to clean the holes!

I have a Big E and I have found that a sheetrock/deck screw works great for all holes in burnpot, mine is removalable but sounds like yours isn't? For the most part holes don't get clogged up just build up along the edges on the bottom holes. Also have used a screwdriver as others have mentioned.

 

[Snowy Rivers]

Our Whitfield Advantage 2 T has a grate but as we burn shells I added a stainless plate in the bottom that lays on the grate to keep the shells from falling through.

The plate has 1/8th inch holes drilled in rows and rows and rows .

I just take the plate out when cleaning and tap it with a hammer and all the crud falls right out.

The little Whitfield has a tray with holes and I remove the tray and tap it as well as scrape it with a large putty knife to clear the crud.

One needs to get inventive and use whatever is handy in the tool box.

Yesss the titanium oxide coated bits are great, until you sharpen them.

Most of the coated ones are crap under the coating. The cobalt bits are the real deal.

Good high speed steel bits are fine but will give up quickly when asked to drill stainless steel.

COBALT yesssssssssss or Carbide.

 

[emmelch1]

I sneak mine to the Mech. Shop at work and put it in the Glass Beader ( sand blaster ) . the pot looks brand new when it comes out.

 

[slls]

Here,s what I use when needed.

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f98/gonogo/IMG_1057_1.jpg