Is this Normal?

[DMZX]

I purchased a New Lopi Pioneer last year and it has burned like a champ all winter, zero problems. But, I notice that there is a very thin layer of ash that gets deposited in the room the stove is in. I noticed it when I wiped down a coffee table that looked dusty. Is this common with pellet stoves or is mine in need of a new door gasket after only one season?

 

[Delta-T]

most likely you have a slight leak in the exhaust pipe somewheres leading to the soot entering the room.

 

[ChrisWNY]

What do you use to vac out your pellet stove? Make sure you're using a fine-particle HEPA filter in that vac, preferably combined with a filter bag. Most Shop Vacs accept HEPA cartridge filters as well as those small-particle yellow filter bags which virtually eliminate ash/soot before it can even get near the filter.

The burn chamber itself is under negative pressure, so any ash should be going into the exhaust pipe and out. It's relatively easy to check for leaks in your exhaust pipe - use a flashlight on the pipe when you first ignite your pellets, if you can see smoke or smell exhaust odors, you may have some small leaks in your exhaust pipe which can allow some ash to escape inside your home, but chances are it's the vac you are using.

 

[Delta-T]

+1 for Chris...I didn't even think of the vacuum thing....good one.

 

[DMZX]

What do you use to vac out your pellet stove? Make sure you're using a fine-particle HEPA filter in that vac, preferably combined with a filter bag. Most Shop Vacs accept HEPA cartridge filters as well as those small-particle filter bags which virtually eliminate ash/soot before it can even get near the filter.

The burn chamber itself is under negative pressure, so any ash should be going into the exhaust pipe and out. It's relatively easy to check for leaks in your exhaust pipe - use a flashlight on the pipe when you first ignite your pellets, if you can see smoke or smell exhaust odors, you may have some small leaks in your exhaust pipe which can allow some ash to escape inside your home, but chances are it's the vac you are using.

When I first noticed it, I quit using my shop vac to do the weekly clean-out, last year. I just use a brush now. That helped, but there is still some ash getting out. I will see if I can detect smoke from the exhaust with a flashlight, but I have never smelled any odors (or has my wife, who has a keen nose). BTW, I had the stove professionally installed and inspected by the State.

 

[ChrisWNY]

It's possible that the brush is kicking up some ash which is floating into your living space and settling on furniture, etc. If you had your wife shine a flashlight into the stove while you're brushing it, you'd be amazed at how much fine fly ash is floating around during the brushing routine. I highly recommend throwing a cartridge filter and a filter bag into your Shop Vac and resuming your weekly vacuum routine, fire up the Shop Vac while you're brushing so that it draws that fine ash into the filter bag. I vac my pellet furnace out almost daily, even though it's in a basement, I have a white washer/dryer within 5 or 6 feet of the furnace, never noticed even a spec of ash on the white appliances, so it would be real obvious if ash was making its way into the air. I'm amazed at how well the cartridge filter and filter bag work for trapping ash inside my Shop Vac, I have no trace of ash on anything in my basement.

If you find any leaks in your PL vent, seal them up with high-temp RTV silicone. Since there's no smoke odor coming from your stove, it's unlikely that your exhaust pipe is leaking inside your home.

 

[DMZX]

Thanks Chris for the sound advice.

I am off to Home Depot for a HEPA filter and some RTV sealant (would hurt to have some on hand).

 

[ChrisWNY]

No problem, glad to help - I think you'll be happy with the results of using a cartridge filter/filter bag combo inside your Shop Vac, it should dramatically reduce the ash problems.

Home Depot sells Rigid vac parts/filters, so you may not have luck finding Shop Vac brand stuff there, Lowes however sells Shop Vac filters and parts, as well as Walmart. The cartridge filters will run you about $11, you can buy the filter bags in packages of 3, depending on the size of your Shop Vac, the bags generally cost between $7-$14. In a 6 gallon or larger Shop Vac, a filter bag should last you at least a month, and the cartridge filters should be changed out when they start becoming caked with ash (usually every 2 months).

 

[nailed_nailer]

Another place you can get some room dust from is out of the bag when you dump the pellets in.

Even good pellets have some dust (fines) in the bag.

If you do as I do and just pour them into the hopper it will kick up some dust.

I don't worry about a bit of dust on the coffee table as the Dog don't seem to mind .

Of course in my house the pellet dust has to compete with sanding dust from the woodshop.

---Nailer---

 

[Fsappo]

Another place you can get some room dust from is out of the bag when you dump the pellets in.

Even good pellets have some dust (fines) in the bag.

If you do as I do and just pour them into the hopper it will kick up some dust.

I don't worry about a bit of dust on the coffee table as the Dog don't seem to mind .

Of course in my house the pellet dust has to compete with sanding dust from the woodshop.

---Nailer---

Yup, if I dump the pellets in my showroom without care, I need to dust it once a week. Lots of dust sometimes depending on the pellets.

 

[heat seeker]

Running the combustion blower while you're cleaning will suck the fine dust outside, it works for me.