creosote build-up?

[ivanhoe]

hi,
i cleaned the stove & chimney before heating season and discovered creosote on the door of the stove and the top part of the wood chimney! i have the accentra with pellet stove chimney tied into my selkirk 7" wood stove chimney. i was mostly burning comfort pellets(quebec) and some home depot premium pellets in the end of heating season. do i need to add more fresh air like a OAK or do i have to make some adjustments on the stove? that is the question. the rest of the unit was powdery ashes.
thx,

 

[krooser]

If you have a brown sticky build-up it's due to too much combustion air...

 

[newf lover]

On a Harman where there is no adjustment, how would you decrease the combustion air?

 

[krooser]

On a Harman where there is no adjustment, how would you decrease the combustion air?

Damper setting.... less air into the stove.

 

[Delta-T]

no damper on the Harman, but solid advice for other stove companies units. There is a combustion adjustment (though slight) on the control board. Its a small pot recessed into the board right next to the ignitor light. Clockwise increase fan speed, anti-clockwise decreases fan speed. I wouldn't assume you have too much air though. I think I recall some tech bulletin about stuff on the door and how to fix this, I will research and post what I find. Any chance the stuff in the pipe was there before? I'd say its either too little air, or some pellets that are high in moisture, or combination of the 2 that lead to that.

 

[tjnamtiw]

You said you are getting the creosote build up on the 'top part of the WOOD chimney'. That's the 7" diameter pipe. Since you are probably using 3 or 4" pipe feeding into that big pipe, the smaller pipe stays hot but by the time the exhaust gets to the end of that big pipe, it's cold and prone to depositing creosote. Maybe it would be better to run the smaller pipe all the way up as a liner???

 

[ChandlerR]

You said you are getting the creosote build up on the 'top part of the WOOD chimney'. That's the 7" diameter pipe. Since you are probably using 3 or 4" pipe feeding into that big pipe, the smaller pipe stays hot but by the time the exhaust gets to the end of that big pipe, it's cold and prone to depositing creosote. Maybe it would be better to run the smaller pipe all the way up as a liner???

Some may remember I had a chimney fire late last year. I think it was due to two things. First, because it was the end of the season and the temps were warming, my stove ran on low for extended periods of time. My chimney temps were much cooler than normal so the exhaust condensed and formed creosote. The second reason is my chimney. I have vertical rise inside the house (For a good draft) and it terminates with a 45 degree elbow with a diffuser. The length of the pipe allows the gasses to cool. The diffuser cools the gasses further and that's where the creosote built up. Now that I know this, I will make sure the stove runs hotter and will definately watch my pipe for buildup.

Chan

 

[krooser]

no damper on the Harman, but solid advice for other stove companies units. There is a combustion adjustment (though slight) on the control board. Its a small pot recessed into the board right next to the ignitor light. Clockwise increase fan speed, anti-clockwise decreases fan speed. I wouldn't assume you have too much air though. I think I recall some tech bulletin about stuff on the door and how to fix this, I will research and post what I find. Any chance the stuff in the pipe was there before? I'd say its either too little air, or some pellets that are high in moisture, or combination of the 2 that lead to that.

OK....

 

[ivanhoe]

hi,
thx everyone for taking the time on this issue. build up of creosote was never apparent on the wood chimney when i burned with wood(probably hotter fire). the amount is minimal and at chimney cap area, down about a foot length. just below the glass to the bottom of the door is where the creosote deposits, not very thick but scrapeable. i figured my house was too air tight and not having enough air for complete combustion. the initial first start up calibration wasn't done as the stove was 2yrs young when purchased.