looking for ideas

[mtalea]

Stove: Breckwell P28 FS

Issue or concern: Flame leans toward pellet chute.

Thinking: It may be a leak but where.

Looking: For ways to test and places to look for the issue(s).



thx
matt

 

[UncleAnthony]

My stove does that too, but not all the time, just randomly.
Been doing it for two years with no problem. Would worry if it is
always leaning toward pellet chute. Have found if I increased air flow a little bit
by opening the damper it helped.
Happy new year !
Stay warm !

 

[save$]

Mine is also dancing around and toward the chute. Doesn't seem to mean anythning.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Check your auger flight, it is possible that there is a path for air to exit through that near the top of it.

This is not usually a cause for concern.

It can become one if you burn with the hopper lid open or allow the pellet level to drop very low and there are other air suckers at work in the house.

 

[mtalea]

Smokey what exactly do you mean by the auger flight? Info, inside my hopper there is the auger,lets says it is 8" long. from top down about 4-5" the auger bit is covered by a 1/2 round metal cover, but there is a gap on each side and top of that cover where dust and small pellets collect,should that be caulked?

 

[UncleAnthony]

Smokey what exactly do you mean by the auger flight? Info, inside my hopper there is the auger,lets says it is 8" long. from top down about 4-5" the auger bit is covered by a 1/2 round metal cover, but there is a gap on each side and top of that cover where dust and small pellets collect,should that be caulked?

hi,
if you mean the auger cover where dust and small pellets collects, can caulk the top and sides of cover with
clear hi-temp silicone caulk ($3 home depot) . I would shut down, use vacuum to get dust and pellets away from top and side of auger cover, then caulk. Wait a while till cured, usually pkg says 24 hr, I waited about four hours.
Hope that helps.

 

[mtalea]

Ya,I was thinking about doing that,dont know if it would do anything or not,but at very least wouldnt collect fines and small chunks anymore.

 

[Wi Thundercat]

Had problems with pellets hanging up on the beads of silicon in hopper. I put foil stove tape over the silicon and the spot welds. Also used dry graphite spray and problem solved ! When i forget to fill it, :red: every pellet is gone !

 

[mtalea]

awesome idea

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

A lot of stoves have auger flight covers or sometimes the end of the auger flight (that's where the auger turns) itself that have gaps. These gaps can effectively act as combustion or exhaust air paths.

If by chance the gaps are too large and the direction of air flow is into the stove the amount of air drawn through the burn pot can be affected to the point of causing a bad burn.

If the direction of the airflow gets reversed then this air path becomes an exhaust and if the air flow is large enough smoke, other combustion by products, and even the flame can enter the drop chute.

You'll note that no matter which way the air flow is it isn't a good thing to have too much of.

This is why some stoves use silicone sealant between the auger flight cover and the hopper and some even have a gasket where the cover hits the auger flight.

 

[mtalea]

very well said,I understand about 1/2 of that but well said.So silly coning that cover is a good thing it if all else will / could stop an air flow from the chute/hopper in-which could lower the combustion air into the burn pot. correct?

 

[Doublea88]

Meaning that the air pulling up from the heat exchanger is causing this?? Because it is spot welded and can incorporate outside air, do you think this could cause the flame to bounce back towards chute???

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Meaning that the air pulling up from the heat exchanger is causing this?? Because it is spot welded and can incorporate outside air, do you think this could cause the flame to bounce back towards chute???

No, this has nothing to do with the heat exchanger.

I'm talking strictly about where the auger is , and the drop chute into the stove.

The auger is in what is known as a flight, this has a bottom portion usually part of the hopper and a cover (usually removable). The auger turns inside the flight.

The cover sometimes is sealed to the bottom portion and sometimes the top is sealed against an end cap. Note the word sometimes, it is also common for there to be no sealing in which case there is frequently a bit of play and a gap at the top of the flight.

This gap allows air to ether enter the drop chute or exit the drop chute depending upon pressure differences.

A little bit of air entering the drop chute will not cause any problems.

A lot of air entering the drop chute can lead to a bad burn.

If the reverse happens then the chute becomes an exhaust and smoke, etc ... can then exit the stove via the chute and hopper. It is even possible for the flame to enter the chute.

Your heat exchanger must have a complete seal where it interacts between the convection air and the combustion air otherwise you will have extreme burn issues and a permanent smoke smell in your house and you will be exposed to large amounts of CO.

 

[mtalea]

I know this might sound condescending but I dont mean it that way,I am very impressed with your knowledge,someday I will be more skilled at this.I will install metal faced tape over the gaps.and see what happens.