Firepot design efficiency question

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Avalon

Member
Mar 9, 2011
33
Northeast US
I've noticed that most pellet stoves have a firepot that follows one of two designs: They either have rectangular shape and have air vented from below for a straight-up flame (such as in an avalon astoria), or they have a circular shape and have air vented in to create a vortex flame (such as in a mt vernon).

Is this just a matter of style, or does one design have a substantial efficiency advantage over the other?

I would appreciate if anyone can enlighten me on this subject.
 

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The design may play into the burn characteristicsa little. But has to do with a couple other things also. My Quad has a round burn pot, but it is a better self cleaner than my Englander (Which is a bottom feeder/kinda). A lot of it has to do with the # of holes and there placement. Having 100 holes in a pot wont help much. Especially when most are above the level of the burning pellets. If there are a much fewer amount of holes, then the Pot/Pellets will get more air. All of his can be affected by the Combustion blower, # of holes, location of holes, airwash (leak/air not coming through pot) , Vent set-up (restrictions), etc..

As long as your stove is not burning "Black Sooty" stuff and it getting the window dirty quick and your viynl siding all stained. If its a good grey to light grey/white, then the stove is burning fine and doing the best it can. Keeping a stove clean helps this along also. A dirty/plugged stove, will not breathe as well as a clean/open passages stove....

Jsut my .02.
 
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