How often do you adjust your draft vent?

[Andy H]

and what % would you say it's usually open? I ask because I've been having some issues with my new pellet stove not lighting about 20% or so of the time and have made a couple calls to the company

The last person told me that I need to pull the side cover off and open the draft vent all the way every time I start it and then when it's running adjust it from there. I'm not an expert but that does not sound right at all?

I rigged up a piece of wire coat hanger to the slide and it goes through the side of the stove so i don't have to pull the cover off every time so it's a lot easier but still...... that seems like something you should not have to adjust that often. Besides, when i play with it as it's igniting it seems to take off better if the vent is closed a bit

anyways, do you adjust your vent differently when it's starting and then readjust it after its running?

one more thing, would an outside air kit help at all with this issue? i'd still have to make the adjustments right?

 

[mnkywrnch]

I set my damper once and havent touched it again,I would say mine is about 80%closed.Having to adjust it every time seems crazy to me.

 

[Andy H]

also, if it's too open then the pellets jump right out of the burn pot. Once it's started I probably close it about 80% like you but then the issue is that it doesn't want to start when it's that closed

I don't even think this stove has anything broken/out of adjustment..... i just think it's a very poorly made stove with a really bad design.

Kinda regretting I ever bought it. The problem is that it's super small and it was the only option... well that or not getting a pellet stove at all.

 

[mnkywrnch]

Thats definetly a stange setup, so what happens if you want to run on a thermostat every time it shuts down someone needs to be there when it reignites.

 

[jtakeman]

On the economy stove lines. You seem to have to play with the damper more than the upper level stoves. The upper level stoves use variable speeds for the combustion motor. So you don't need to tinker with the draft. hard to explain, But your stove the blower is one speed(high). So that requires you to adjust damper to the different speeds of the stove.

Hope I explained it right.
jay

 

[Andy H]

this is a stupid question but the vent pipes are not in the same spot on all pipes right? I mean I'm sure they are not, they can't be.

so since i vented this right out the side of my house and then up that even if i did find a different stove i'd be screwed when i went to install the thing.

right now the stove is in pretty much the only place it can be and i can't move it much either way

a couple pics might help explain what i'm talking about

see what i'm saying? if i did find a different stove that would fit in that spot i'd still have to figure out how to vent it, and i really wouldn't want to cut out more siding


and here is how i did the outside venting, not that it really matters

 

[jtakeman]

Andy,

I didn't quit get the question. Do you want to know if the exhaust exit is in the same place on every stove?

That answer is no, You would have to check yours and then check the measurements of the others. You might get one close to what you have. I don't believe there is a standard for the vent location on stoves.

jay

 

[pastera]

I only adust mine when changing between high/medium/low feed rate or drastically different pellets.

Traditions II stove vented directly out the side wall.

I experienced my first no start few days ago when I ran the stove on high but did not readjust the air. The burn pot was left with a lot of ash that choked the stove on the next startup cycle

aaron

 

[jtakeman]

Thats why I like the enviro's with the variable control for the combustion blower. You really don't need to adjust the draft. The control does it for you. A must for a stove that you want to run Hi/Low on a stat. I can't run home to lower the draft when the stat tells the stove to go to low heat. Or vise a versa.

I only tweak the draft for pellet changes on brand to another.

jay

 

[krooser]

Mine is open the diameter of a pencil and it never gets adjusted. Third year without even thinking about it.

 

[imacman]

also, if it's too open then the pellets jump right out of the burn pot....

Andy, maybe I missed something, but what brand/model is that stove? Does the owners manual have any sort of troubleshooting section?

As for where to set the air control damper, Travis Ind (Avalon & Lopi) say to get the stove burning, and after initial start-up, open the air control so that the burning pellets are just "dancing" on the bottom of the burn pot. If burning pellets get ejected out of the pot, you have too much air...not dancing at all, too little air.

Once I got mine set, I very seldom changed it. If I had to open it any significant amount, I knew it was time for a complete stove & flue pipe cleaning.

If your sure the stove & pipe is "squeaky clean", then try what I mentioned here. If not, clean it & then try this.

Oh, and BTW, you might get lucky with the outlet for the exhaust on a different stove. I did...my Astoria & the new Englander had the exhaust outlet was on the same side of the stove, and at the exact same height off the floor.....maybe just luck, but you never know.

 

[jtakeman]

also, if it's too open then the pellets jump right out of the burn pot....

As for where to set the air control damper, Travis Ind (Avalon & Lopi) say to get the stove burning, and after initial start-up, open the air control so that the burning pellets are just "dancing" on the bottom of the burn pot. If burning pellets get ejected out of the pot, you have too much air...not dancing at all, too little air.

Very good tip on setting the draft macman!

Should be good as long as you don't change to different pellets. Changing to a less dense pellet will require less air. More dense is more air. Once set just make sure there are no black tips on the flame. Black tips means just a tad more air to clean up the burn.

jay

 

[jamesdjs]

I set mine as the above post says to and I haven't touched it since.
Lazy flames then it time to do a good cleaning.

 

[Fsappo]

I set mine for a nice bright yellow flame that doesnt burn the pellets faster than they can feed. I only adjust if I switch fuels

 

[ChandlerR]

I set mine up once and it's stayed the same ever since. I adjusted it to get the "dancing flame". I saw posts where people talked about blue flame (never saw that) and also saw where someone opened the draft all the way once a day to "blow out" the stove. I used to do that with my wood stove but I don't know what it would do in a pellet stove other than maybe carrying some dust up and out.

Chandler

 

[chrisasst]

also, if it's too open then the pellets jump right out of the burn pot....

As for where to set the air control damper, Travis Ind (Avalon & Lopi) say to get the stove burning, and after initial start-up, open the air control so that the burning pellets are just "dancing" on the bottom of the burn pot. If burning pellets get ejected out of the pot, you have too much air...not dancing at all, too little air.

What if your exhaust is clean, and you open the damper pretty much all the way and the pellets don't move at all? No dancing just laying there...what is that a sign off..

 

[imacman]

What if your exhaust is clean, and you open the damper pretty much all the way and the pellets don't move at all? No dancing just laying there...what is that a sign off..

Dirty stove
dirty comb. blower

Like I said in a previous post, when the pellets stopped "dancing", and I had to pull the damper open more (although I never had to pull it all the way out), I knew it was time for a complete cleaning.....burn pot area, ash traps, remove & complete clean of comb. blower, exhaust pipe, etc etc.

Once I was done with that, I had to close the damper again, or the pellets would burn too fast & jump out of the firepot.

 

[littlesmokey]

What stove. That's make model and vintage. That's the stuff on the name plate usually on the back of the stove. You know, let us know what you got. It's sort of like, "I got this old car with a carburator and I set the idle at one turn is that good? What car? What carb? Help Help! We need more information.

My stove is owner sensitive. I look at the flame and listen to the blowers. When it's right, it's right. My neighbor says, I never see and smoke from your stack, aren't you freezing not burning?" I look at the stack from his water heater and it's blowing more than my stove. I check it whenever I walk by.....

 

[Xena]

What stove. That's make model and vintage. That's the stuff on
the name plate usually on the back of the stove. You know, let us know what you got. ........We need more information.

forester 5824 shown in first post here:
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/42574/#464729