Dust and soot around mantel

[gregpiro]

I have a 1200i pellet stove insert by Quadrafire. It was installed in 2003. I have noticed ash collecting on my mantel and on the top lip of the stoves door. This hasn't happened before. Today when cleaning the stove I opened the two small doors at the bottom back of the stove and vacuumed this area which is below the heat exchanger pipes. I usually do this once per season and burn a little more than 2 tons. I'm using O'malley pellets this year and think they produce more ash so maybe I fixed the problem with my more complete cleaning today. I have the original gasket on the door and wonder if it could be allowing the ash to come out of the stove onto the hearth? Thanks for your help

 

[imacman]

In general, since these stoves work on negative pressure, the worst thing to happen from a bad door gasket will be a lazy fire. Soot/ash can't be pushed out this way. Sounds to me that the convection blower is blowing it out the front. Is it a possible leak in the outlet side of the combustion blower that's blowing soot/ash around the room, and also towards the convection blower inlet?

 

[Snowy Rivers]

X2

These stoves run a negative pressure firebox and will shut off if the seal is compromised much.

You may be getting some ash getting loose during routine pot cleaning and or there is a slight leak within the exhaust fan system.

Normally a leak in the exhaust will cause a bad smell in the room.

As with any appliance that burns solid fuels there is always a certain amount of dust and crap that will get loose.

The heat exchanger handles a lot of air and the temperature at which these stoves run can really churn normal room dust into a sooty like material.

Check things over well ro be sure there are no leaks.


Snowy

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

X3

All non filtered hot air systems are prone to redistributing dust and other particles.

Then as Snowy mentioned you disturb ash and soot while cleaning the stove.

I'll also add that the heat exchanger cleaning rod can cause a small amount of soot to be pulled out of the firebox and placed where the convection air flow will blow it around.

 

[gregpiro]

Is there a way a filter can be fitted to my system? I think it's poor design if ash and dust from heat exchanger can mix with the hot air blown from the stove. Maybe this is normal and all pellet stove owners deal with some ash/dust. I do use an ionic filter in front of the stove which helps to catch some of the dust.

 

[imacman]

Is there a way a filter can be fitted to my system? I think it's poor design if ash and dust from heat exchanger can mix with the hot air blown from the stove. Maybe this is normal and all pellet stove owners deal with some ash/dust. I do use an ionic filter in front of the stove which helps to catch some of the dust.

I think that the amount of ash/dust that would come out of that small opening the cleaning rod goes through would be very small. I tend to still think that if the dust/ash build-up you're talking about is excessive, then I think you have a leak somewhere in the exhaust system after the exhaust blower. That is the area of highest pressure, and any opening or leaking gasket in that area will blow ash all over the place (not to mention exhaust gases including Carbon Monoxide).

I would investigate the area near the combustion blower and exhaust piping.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Is there a way a filter can be fitted to my system? I think it's poor design if ash and dust from heat exchanger can mix with the hot air blown from the stove. Maybe this is normal and all pellet stove owners deal with some ash/dust. I do use an ionic filter in front of the stove which helps to catch some of the dust.

Every house has dust and any hot air system will eventually have dust get into it. Even filtered hot air systems still blow dust around.

As for the ash, that only gets into it if you open the doors and don't manage to get the ash into your ash vacuum instead of into the room.

The only design issue I see is that it is left to people to do the house and stove cleaning.

 

[Snowy Rivers]

As I mentioned before, "Buy there very nature, all heating appliances that burn any solid fuel and blow air will churn up dust"

Makes no difference if its wood, pellets or ??? there is going to be some dust.

Only radiant heat that does not use a fan will not stir up dust.


Just be sure you dont have a leak from the fire box.


Snowy

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

As I mentioned before, "Buy there very nature, all heating appliances that burn any solid fuel and blow air will churn up dust"

Makes no difference if its wood, pellets or ??? there is going to be some dust.

Only radiant heat that does not use a fan will not stir up dust.


Just be sure you dont have a leak from the fire box.


Snowy

Even fan less radiant heat can stir up dust, the dust it stirs up just has to be very very fine.

Anytime air gets heated and rises it will stir up dust.

That is the nature of dust and convection.

To the OP, check for those situations pointed by imacman and snowy.

In addition you might want to verify that your hepa filter on your vacuum hasn't got a hole in it or has been bypassed.

Then I'd see about cleaning behind that insert as there is always crud that falls down flues.

 

[Snowy Rivers]

For sure on the dust/radiant heat. Just not so prevalent with a system that does not use a fan.


Around here we dont use the air handler except during summer when we use the AC side of it.

Dust is a way of life. Its amazing how much dust comes from carpet, clothes, Toilet paper is a biggy.

Normal outside air is full of dust during drier days.


My suggestion is that as long as one can't smell smoke and the CO alarm is not screaming, things are probably normal.


Snowy

 

[gregpiro]

Thanks for your help. Yesterday I did a more complete cleaning. I took a straw with a flexible 90 degree bend and used this with the shop vac to clean the top of the heat exchanger where some ash and dust accumulated. The straw fit through the metal slats and I used my fingers cupped around the shop vac nozzle holding the straw. By doing this the straw was able to fit through the slats and suc the ash away. I hope this helps

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Some stoves allow you to remove the grill work that partially blocks the heat exchanger tubes.

I don't have a manual on my system for that stove at the moment so I can't tell you how to do it. Something to think about the next time you do a major cleaning. I make it a point to clean around my convection fan intake every week, that keeps some of it in check.

I don't have an insert and don't have to worry about what might make its way to the intake from the fireplace the insert is in.

Most of my soot issue is caused by it escaping when I open the doors, which is yet another reason to reduce the need for opening the doors.

As for house dust, I don't think the dry wall mud coat dust is completely settled in this house yet and the house was finished the first of 2007, I'm also several hundred feet from the road and still see road grime settling on the windows.