Happy Pellets! Meat thermometer and exhaust air "cleanliness "

[bostonfan49]

I am happy to report that while I still have had no luck in getting anyone to do a Mag check, I was able to pull out my slider about 1 inch with fantastic results! With the feed setting on 2 and combustion on 3, my glass stays perfectly clear for about 2 hours. At about 4 hours I am starting to get a VERY faint translucent film. The only weird thing is that while I have a very active large flame, most of the flame is on the left side of the burn pot??? I tried the meat thermometer thing, sticking the probe into the exhaust tubes, but it shot above 190 so fast, it scared me...(really) so I ended up holding the thermometer sideways with the probe 2 inches from the end exhaust tube on the far right ( so that I wouldn't bake my hand) and the temp still went up above 190, so I guess I am getting some good heat. On the more serious side, I have a exhaust clean air question. Am I correct in assuming that a overly rich, less air mixture that produces a thick sooty black glass, emits more particular matter than a perfectly tuned stove with a glass that appears very clean after many hours? Curious...Bill

 

[rickwai]

sounds like you have to much air now. There is a happy medium. Now all your heat is going outside instead of into your house.

 

[bostonfan49]

Hi there Rickwai...confused? Why do you say my heat is going outside of the house? The heat coming out of the stove is strong and HOT! Can you explain...thanks, Bill

 

[flynfrfun]

I'm still experimenting, but I think too much combustion air makes the flame "lean" to the left since the exhaust is pulled out from the left side of the firebox. Also, I've found that the stove tends to drop more pellets to the left side of the burnpot than the right which is the major cause of this. I built a deflector to keep pellets from going so far left and it worked! The fire is much more evenly distributed in the burnpot now.

Since you pulled the damper out 1", you might try pushing it back in 1/2" and see what you get. The damper really shouldn't be adjusted more than 1/2" at a time or you'll overshoot.

Here is a pic of my deflector....

 

[flynfrfun]

As far as air temps...I usually get about 215F on heat level 3, feed trim 3 burning my current pellets (Blazers). Do you have the new blower or old?

I use a kitchen meat thermometer mounted centered in one of the heat exchange tubes. Here is a pic of my setup...

 

[bostonfan49]

Hey there flynfrfun...I think I must have the new blower as the stove is just 2 monthe old. I am getting 190F plus (that's as high as my meat thermometer goes) and thats holding the probe sidways in front of the tubes. Because the dial end is so heavy it just fall out when I put it in thye tubes...so I am sure its reading much hotter. Also I am using heat 3, feed 2 and combustion 3. I thinkk you might be right that I need to close the damper a tiny bit. Still trying to get someone with a mag guage to check it out. Bill

 

[flynfrfun]

You don't want to touch any metal part of the stove with the thermometer or it will show too high of readings. You should be measuring only the air temp. The metal is way hotter and will make the thermometer shoot super high really quick.

 

[bostonfan49]

yeah...I realized that when I kept falling out....thats why I was happy with the 190F + by just holdig it in front of the tubes! Thanks, Bill

 

[flynfrfun]

When you do get a mag check, I suggest staying w/in the mfg spec of .15-.17. I run mine on the lower side of .15 which seems to work well with the type of pellets I burn.

 

[Eatonpcat]

When you do get a mag check, I suggest staying w/in the mfg spec of .15-.17. I run mine on the lower side of .15 which seems to work well with the type of pellets I burn.

What pellets are you burning...Mine is set at .18 and seems to have a perfect flame.

 

[bostonfan49]

Hey Flyfrfun, question on the M55 manual for the mag test. (pressure range of 0.15-0.17. The manual says the stove needs to be running on heat level 5 for one hour.......Thoughts, Thanks, Bill