Non electrical pellet stove

[OhioBurner©]

I left pellets just sit outside last year, they were fine other than bags that had holes in them (the forklift guy skewered a couple on the bottom).

Since the stove is basically a wood stove that burns pellets and driven by draft the chimney design also plays an important role in how well the stove performs.

I went with similar but opposite, a wood stove that can also burn the equivalent of pellets, compressed sawdust bricks.


Can hold a lot more than 40 lbs, can go a lot more than a day, and has the benefit of burning regular wood too. Of course this depends on your local sources, I can get bricks for slightly less than pellets per ton skid.

 

[Talegas]

I haven't seen anyone answer this question. The electrical AC power that supplies your house is in the form of a sine wave. Many inverters produce a square wave. Some electronics don't respond well that that. If using a generator, you should also know if it produces a sine wave. Below is what a sign wave looks like (can't seem to resize it);

Got it. I wasn't sure if it referred to electrical current or something else. thanks!

 

[deltadude]

Hi all,
I've just recently bought a home which is all electric and thus joined this group as I was interested in wood burning appliances/fireplaces. Sadly (as repeated a lot) a fireplace is not efficient and is only for "show" and ambiance. I do enjoy sitting in front of it, but it lasts only 4 hrs tops.

So i decided i needed a stove.. and thinking about it a pellet stove is more efficient... so i looked for one that is non-electric but i haven't found many reviews on it.

any thoughts on the wiseway one? does not look like a traditional stove, but it caught my eye that you dont need electricity for it to function.

I've owned a wiseway stove since 2012 and have had nothing but problems. Regulating the heat has been a problem from day 1. It either does not get hot enough then eventually dies out or it's overheating and don't trust leaving it on when I'm gone. Gary the inventor even sent me a smaller burn chamber at one point, then suggested I place a can over the air intake. Save your money don't buy this stove. I want to purchase a different one but the $1000+ is hard to part with.

 

[Talegas]

I've owned a wiseway stove since 2012 and have had nothing but problems. Regulating the heat has been a problem from day 1. It either does not get hot enough then eventually dies out or it's overheating and don't trust leaving it on when I'm gone. Gary the inventor even sent me a smaller burn chamber at one point, then suggested I place a can over the air intake. Save your money don't buy this stove. I want to purchase a different one but the $1000+ is hard to part with.

Thank you for your input DeltaDude. I am leaning more towards a good proven regular pellet stove rather than this wiseway or even regular wood stoves.

 

[Spupilup]

I own a Wiseway and am now into my second year burning pellets with it and all I can say is I am thrilled with the stove. Mine was delivered in May of 2015. It was right before Gary Wisener sold the company.

I live in CT and have a large piece of property that I have harvested wood from for over 20 years. Now that I'm in my mid 50's, I just couldn't justify the time and effort involved in burning about 5-6 cords a winter. Even with buying the cordwood, there was always the stacking. hauling, chopping, ect. The winter of 2014 was it for me. I burned through well over 7 cords that year.

So, I began looking into alternatives. I liked the relative cleanliness of pellets but couldn't get my head around the need for electricity to burn them. That was until I stumbled (actually it was my wife) onto the Wiseway website. I studied the site, talked to dealers and owners and sought out the recommended pellets to insure the best burn. In the end, I bought Okanagan Doug Fir and Platinum pellets which burned like a charm, installed a couple of Ecofans to help spread the heat through the house (without any need for electricity) and have been basking in the warmth.

This year I tried the Okanagan Spruce to see how that would perform. It's done well so far. I think that as long as it's quality softwood pellets, you'll be ok. I know Okie's gone out of business but they've been taken over by someone new so even though I'm at the other end of the country, thankfully, high quality softwood pellets aren't a challenge to find.

In the end, the final version of this stove works. Period. Yes, you really should use quality softwood pellets and yes you'll need to clean it out regularly but I usually go for a week or more before I have to shut the stove down for a cleaning. That may take a hour to really get the stove back to like new condition, ready for another week. Best of all, we're talking about under 15 minutes from 0 degrees to 650 degrees. At that temperature, with the two Ecofans pumping air at a rate of 175 cubic feet a minute, it takes no time at all for the house to get back to 70 degrees.

If you want a set and forget, thermostat controlled, wifi accessed stove, look elsewhere. If you're coming from years of burning cordwood and just want something easier with much less labor, this is a great stove for you. If you have any questions please feel free to ask.

 

[Deezl Smoke]

I own a Wiseway and am now into my second year burning pellets with it and all I can say is I am thrilled with the stove. Mine was delivered in May of 2015. It was right before Gary Wiseman sold the company.

I live in CT and have a large piece of property that I have harvested wood from for over 20 years. Now that I'm in my mid 50's, I just couldn't justify the time and effort involved in burning about 5-6 cords a winter. Even with buying the cordwood, there was always the stacking. hauling, chopping, ect. The winter of 2014 was it for me. I burned through well over 7 cords that year.

So, I began looking into alternatives. I liked the relative cleanliness of pellets but couldn't get my head around the need for electricity to burn them. That was until I stumbled (actually it was my wife) onto the Wiseway website. I studied the site, talked to dealers and owners and sought out the recommended pellets to insure the best burn. In the end, I bought Okanagan Doug Fir and Platinum pellets which burned like a charm, installed a couple of Ecofans to help spread the heat through the house (without any need for electricity) and have been basking in the warmth.

This year I tried the Okanagan Spruce to see how that would perform. It's done well so far. I think that as long as it's quality softwood pellets, you'll be ok. I know Okie's gone out of business but they've been taken over by someone new so even though I'm at the other end of the country, thankfully, high quality softwood pellets aren't a challenge to find.

In the end, the final version of this stove works. Period. Yes, you really should use quality softwood pellets and yes you'll need to clean it out regularly but I usually go for a week or more before I have to shut the stove down for a cleaning. That may take a hour to really get the stove back to like new condition, ready for another week. Best of all, we're talking about under 15 minutes from 0 degrees to 650 degrees. At that temperature, with the two Ecofans pumping air at a rate of 175 cubic feet a minute, it takes no time at all for the house to get back to 70 degrees.

If you want a set and forget, thermostat controlled, wifi accessed stove, look elsewhere. If you're coming from years of burning cordwood and just want something easier with much less labor, this is a great stove for you. If you have any questions please feel free to ask.

I find most people that have years of cord wood burning behind them, tend to be more acceptable of things like cleaning and learning how to set a stove. I'm old school like you are, in my mid 50s now. I like the simplicity of things like the wiseway or a wood stove. I'm not much for trouble shooting digital thermostats or wifi thingies etc. My Serenitys are so low in power consumption and forgiving of pellets, I'll stick with them, but if they ever hickup, I'm going wiseway.

Thanks for the write up review.

 

[Spupilup]

How long will a hopper last (how many lbs. of pellets)? Did they work out the problems they had previously with stove operation? Can't remember if it was combustion air or pellet clinkers but stove would go out often on the early models..

They must have the hot water jacket? Or is it basement installed? Model GW1949? that's the only one showing up on the website...

PS: Hopper loading ... seems pretty high. Any difficulties loading it up?

I can tell you from my experience, in my second year of using a GW1949, when burning the stove at 400-450 I get well over 24 hours out of the hopper. My times for a full hopper at those temperatures are typically aroung 28-30 hours. That's with either Okanagan Platinum or Gold. For some reason, the Okanagan Doug Fir burns a little faster but I also run the stove a little hotter (500-550) when opting for those pellets (the coldest days and nights of the year). I also have two Ecofan 812's that circulate the warmth at a rate of 175 cubic feet per minute so the heat really gets into the furthest corners of our modest home.

The only time I had problems with clinkers was when I experimented with hardwood pellets. For the fun of it, early in the season last year I tried everything from cheapo pellets from TS and HD to Barefoot. Regardless of the brand or the quality, none performed anywhere near the Okanagans. This stove really needs softwood pellets, period.

Most of the people who had problems with these stoves were either using the wrong pellets, had installations that were less than ideal or simply thought they were buying a set and forget stove. I bought and installed mine after tons of research, conversations with other owners, dealers or using the discussion group. I used the highest quality Ventis Pellet Venting system. I made sure that the flue was of an adequate length (but not too long like some chimney installs that have been problematic), kept all bents to 45 degrees and capped the flue with a Vacu Stack chimney cap. I did not need a barometric damper.

In the end, with a ridiculously small amount of dialing in (especially compared to some of the stories I had heard) the stove was up and running. It has given my wife and I nothing but pleasure since the install. I had really minor questions like the glass window would get coated when the stove was burning at lower temperatures. A quick post on the Wiseway google group discussion page and Gary was their with the solution.

As far as the hot water jacket is concerned, I have one on our stove. I plan, eventually to plumb it into our water heater so when the stove is in use we can shut the power off to the heater. I just haven't had a chance to do that install.

Since US Stoves bought the brand, they only offer the GW (glass window) 1949 model.

The hopper is a little on the high side. I'm just under six feet tall so lifting a 40 pound bag of pellets isn't a problem but when my wife adds pellets she uses a scooper.

 

[Spupilup]

Oh and for those Wiseway pellet stoves, I looked into them awhile back and they have issues,or at least they did. Also way over priced. You can buy 2 Serenitys that money with proper warranty and support.

Thanks

The only issues they had seemed to revolve around faulty installs and poor choices in the way of pellets. The use of gaskets around the hopper and feed tube helped to eliminate any oxygen from getting into the stove above the primary burn chamber.

The Wiseway may have been overpriced because of the value of the loonie to the dollar. I paid $1899 for mine 18 months ago and that included free shipping from Oregon to CT. I was replacing an older Hearthstone woodstove. That stove's price went from $1500 to almost $6000 in the roughly 20 years we owned. There was no way in the world it was worth $6000. That stove was overpriced.

The other nice thing I like about the Wiseway is that when people come over to the house, it becomes an immediate point of conversation. Some think it's a beautiful piece of art. Others may think less of the appearance but no one isn't interested in what and how a Wiseway works.

 

[Tails1]

I left pellets just sit outside last year, they were fine other than bags that had holes in them (the forklift guy skewered a couple on the bottom).


I went with similar but opposite, a wood stove that can also burn the equivalent of pellets, compressed sawdust bricks.

View attachment 188808
Can hold a lot more than 40 lbs, can go a lot more than a day, and has the benefit of burning regular wood too. Of course this depends on your local sources, I can get bricks for slightly less than pellets per ton skid.

How do you light that and how long will it burn? I still have a woodstove in the basement and have access to those bricks. I would like to try some.

 

[Spupilup]

Cleaned out the stove awhile ago after it had been burning for about a week straight. That took about 10 minutes. Started it up and within 10 minutes it was up to 550 degrees. I like to get it up to 650 and then I open the damper (it works the opposite of most stoves) to bring it back down to 400-450. It will burn like this for a week straight with little fluctuation. All I have to do is pull out the secondary burn tray a couple of times a day. That clears the ash build up off the tray and forces it down into the ash tray. The ash tray gets dumped once a day. When I clear the burn tray I usually tap the primary burn basket causing more pellets to drop down. All in all, it's less than a minute of work.

My wife and I have left the stove for up to 8 hours without issue. If one of us gets up during the night we may make sure that the pellets are evenly distributed in the hopper and we might clear the burn tray. Again, nothing more than a minutes worth of work to keep the stove cruising at 400-450 degrees for hours on end using SOFTWOOD pellets.

Oh, and you can see how the two Ecofan 812's are mounted in the heat shields.

 

[deltadude]

The only issues they had seemed to revolve around faulty installs and poor choices in the way of pellets. The use of gaskets around the hopper and feed tube helped to eliminate any oxygen from getting into the stove above the primary burn chamber.

The Wiseway may have been overpriced because of the value of the loonie to the dollar. I paid $1899 for mine 18 months ago and that included free shipping from Oregon to CT. I was replacing an older Hearthstone woodstove. That stove's price went from $1500 to almost $6000 in the roughly 20 years we owned. There was no way in the world it was worth $6000. That stove was overpriced.

The other nice thing I like about the Wiseway is that when people come over to the house, it becomes an immediate point of conversation. Some think it's a beautiful piece of art. Others may think less of the appearance but no one isn't interested in what and how a Wiseway works.

 

[Tails1]

Cleaned out the stove awhile ago after it had been burning for about a week straight. That took about 10 minutes. Started it up and within 10 minutes it was up to 550 degrees. I like to get it up to 650 and then I open the damper (it works the opposite of most stoves) to bring it back down to 400-450. It will burn like this for a week straight with little fluctuation. All I have to do is pull out the secondary burn tray a couple of times a day. That clears the ash build up off the tray and forces it down into the ash tray. The ash tray gets dumped once a day. When I clear the burn tray I usually tap the primary burn basket causing more pellets to drop down. All in all, it's less than a minute of work.

My wife and I have left the stove for up to 8 hours without issue. If one of us gets up during the night we may make sure that the pellets are evenly distributed in the hopper and we might clear the burn tray. Again, nothing more than a minutes worth of work to keep the stove cruising at 400-450 degrees for hours on end using SOFTWOOD pellets.

Oh, and you can see how the two Ecofan 812's are mounted in the heat shields.

Judging by the various experiences I have read about those stoves it would seem that correct venting is key to having this stove run reliably. Does the manufacturer clearly document what is required?

 

[Spupilup]

Judging by the various experiences I have read about those stoves it would seem that correct venting is key to having this stove run reliably. Does the manufacturer clearly document what is required?

Between the videos, google group, shops like Smokey's in Grants Pass, OR for info, there's little information that's not available if someone is willing to spend the time. Before I bought our stove, I spent plenty of time watching the videos, calling the dealers like Gravity Feed Stoves in VT (they were better informed about the stoves when Gary owned the company) and asking questions on the google group. In the end, I did the install myself using high quality Ventis Pellet Venting pipe. I know people who do commercial HVAC installations and they helped me get it right the first time.

I think it's unfortunate that people still rag on about a product they "heard" someone have a bad time with three or four years ago. Or when I hear about someone trying to use the stove in a manner that was never intended. A careful install that maximizes draft and uses the proper fuel will result in a satisfied customer. Yes, it's a little more complicated than some other pellet stoves but being a member on this board for eighteen months has already shown me that plenty conventional pellet stoves have their issues too.

 

[deltadude]

About the only good thing I can say regarding the Wiseway is the looks. Yes, Spupilup is right when friends or others come over it does draw attention to it because it looks cool. That along with the gravity fed feature was why I bought it. What's funny is the fact that it seems that every time someone has a problem with a product it always falls back on the consumer being stupid. As I said, I purchased this around the end of 2011 after building my own house. Gee, I was smart enough to do that but not bright enough to operate a pellet stove? After many conversations with Gary (the inventor, who was very kind and helpful) but still without any resolution to the problems that were occurring I've given up and now beginning to look for a more dependable stove. I will say that I bought one of the first models that entered California and no one except Gary knew anything about them so I set it up to his specs. With that said the new models may be different but I'm not willing to get burned for $2,000 after spending $1,500 the first time.

 

[Spupilup]

How was your stove installed?

 

[deltadude]

not sure I understand your question, do you mean who installed it or did I follow the proper installation requirements. 1. I installed it. 2. Yes, I followed all instructions including going over these with Gary. My chimney is a straight 3" Dura Vent pipe 10' tall as per Gary's suggestions. The chimney as I remember is the most important part of the set up everything else is placement of the stove. There are no clean outs on the stove. 1. I remove the primary burn chamber and either brush or scrape it off. 2. Then remove the secondary burn plate and clean it. 3. Dump out the bottom tray. 4. Vacuum out the bottom of the stove and the first and bottom tube of the stove itself. This is the tube that houses the slider that regulates the amount of air into the stove after the primary burn chamber. That's it. If I don't do this with each refill of my 40 lb hopper I have more problems. Also, another side note, both of my burn pots large and small I have had to re-weld the solid stock steel rods because mine broke due to bad welds. I am willing to listen but have had several years of disappointment with the Wiseway product.

 

[Spupilup]

I can't imagine how much build up there is at the upper corners of your stove.

I know that when I do a thorough cleaning I take an assortment of tools, ranging from a long wire brush to an 18" pry bar to scrap every inch around the primary burn chamber and secondary burn tray. I get every built of carbon build up as far up and down the feed tube.

Only then, when I'm sure that every built of carbon has been scrapped from the inner sections do I then get out my shop vac. I put the hose as far up the lower section of the stove as I can. Fortunately, I have the glass window, something that wasn't offered when you bought your stove so I can get even further up the stove. It's amazing how much as builds up in the first couple of bends on the stove. Then I remove the vent from the top of the stove and do the same thing, forcing the hose as far down the stove as I can. The top bends can really get built up too.

A few times a year I do the hillbilly flue cleaning trick. I take an electric leaf blower I bought specifically for this task and I insert it up the flue and blow. That cleans out any remaining buildup in the venting. I usually get a big black puff of smoke out the Vacu Stack that lasts for a few seconds.

Finally, before reassembly I scrape every bit of build up of the primary burn basket and inspect the welds. I have a spare on order from Smokey's just in case the one I use everyday needs to be welded. Cheap insurance for the dead of winter should the welds in the basket weaken.

Total time in on a cleaning like this is about an hour. Afterwards, the stove burns like it did when it was new. Over the course of a winter, I might do the majority of these steps five or six times. Last spring I took the stove outside (it only weighs slightly over 100 lbs. and I bought the optional wheels) and dropped a chain down through it in the effort to remove any other build up I may have missed during the course of the winter, touched it up where it needed and rolled it back into place. I'm following the same routine this year and the results speak for themselves.

So let's see, this is what it takes for me to be pleased with how this stove works:

1) Proper install
2) Proper pellets
3) Clean the secondary burn tray several times during the day, maybe once at night (less than a minute)
4) Empty the ash tray once, sometimes twice a day (less than a minute)
5) Once a week spend 10 minutes cleaning out the primary burn basket and secondary tray to insure there is no carbon build up (five minutes).
6) When weekly checking the burn tray also check and remove any large buildup of carbon on the feed tube (five minutes).
7) Once every three or four weeks do a thorough breakdown of the stove. Use tools and vacuum to insure every speck of carbon and ash are removed (one hour).
8) At the end of the season remove the stove to the yard for complete teardown cleanup including using a chain on the interior walls of the stove.

With all of these steps I'm probably looking at a little over 90 minutes of work every 30 days for this stove. I guess I should add the walk to the shed where I have five tons of pellets stored safe and dry on pallets.

When I think of what it used to take to burn five or six cords of wood in our Hearthstone woodstove, all I can do is smile.

 

[Spupilup]

Specifics on my install are as follows:

Ventis 3"-4" Increaser from the top of the stove.
Ventis 2' vent from the Increaser
Ventis 45 degree Elbow
Ventis 6' vent from Elbow
DuraVent 12" Thimble
Ventis 45 degree Elbow
Ventis 3' Vent from Elbow
Vacu Stack Chimney Cap

There are no 90 degree bends anywhere in the install. The house is located just below the ridge of a large hollow so the Vacu Stack was essential for preventing any negative effects from downdraft. There was no need for a barometric damper.

 

[Deezl Smoke]

About the only good thing I can say regarding the Wiseway is the looks. Yes, Spupilup is right when friends or others come over it does draw attention to it because it looks cool. That along with the gravity fed feature was why I bought it. What's funny is the fact that it seems that every time someone has a problem with a product it always falls back on the consumer being stupid. As I said, I purchased this around the end of 2011 after building my own house. Gee, I was smart enough to do that but not bright enough to operate a pellet stove? After many conversations with Gary (the inventor, who was very kind and helpful) but still without any resolution to the problems that were occurring I've given up and now beginning to look for a more dependable stove. I will say that I bought one of the first models that entered California and no one except Gary knew anything about them so I set it up to his specs. With that said the new models may be different but I'm not willing to get burned for $2,000 after spending $1,500 the first time.

Well no, not every time. But 99 times out of 100 it is. So you are saying that because you built your own house that you can refine uranium, or know how to do a heart transplant? I know people that literally build specialized excavation equipment and logging equipment from scratch that dont know the difference between a 16d nail and a hurricane tie.
Thing is, if you dont know the "why" of your current issues, what makes you so sure any other stove will be the fix? Since you are smart enough to build your own house, I cant believe that you are not smart enough to figure why the wiseway dont work. Other people sure seem to be able to make them work. There's always a reason for something not working for one person when it works for others. It's important to find that reason before investing more money on another stove and end up with the same issue.

I'm smart enough to grow your food, but I made a mistake when putting up a new chimney for the shop stove. I thought the old chimeny was too tall and when I took it down and put up a shorter one that seemed plenty tall, the old men that used the shop before me, laughed and told me I was about to learn a lesson. To which I scoffed and told them to go drink their prune juice. Well, my new chimney worked great.....for the first week. Then a south wind came up and would push the smoke right back down the chimney and into the shop. Man did I have to endure some serious, but well deserved ridicule. If I had just asked "why" the chimney was so tall to begin with.

 

[Lake Girl]

The problem as I see it is deltadude got one of the first stoves from Wiseway... There have been refinements on the system. May not be large changes but enough to allow a better operation. Deltadude likely did not have an option for the window which Spupilup has and uses as another access point for cleaning. That alone could make a huge difference...

 

[deltadude]

Correct, there is no window on mine, but other problems like the hopper shoot (which I just found this year) has 1/8" metal edge on each side which holds back the pellets from dropping into the primary burn chamber, this is hidden by the pellets, another first run mistake maybe? I will be trying to dremel those out first chance I get. Spupilup you mentioned a vent at the top of the stove, what are you meaning by that? I do brush out the chimney with a long brush from the top down to the stove but that's as far as I can get. Gee, Deezl, wish I was as smart as you. All I can say is that following Gary's recommendations there's still problems with regulating the stove.

Spupilup question, my stove is level, do you ever have problems with the pellets not feeding from the hopper to the shoot that drops into the pbc? Yes over the years I have used different pellet manufactures but it still happens every once and awhile. Thanks

 

[Spupilup]

The only physical difference between the original and later models is the glass window. As I said, that helps me to reach further up into the stove for cleaning. But, I also remove the vent at the top in the course of my monthly breakdown so I can approach the buildup from the top down. In other words, even without the glass window, you can still suck the stove clean of any ash that accumulates in the corners. The reality of ownership of one of these stoves is not that different from most of the other stoves people own on this bulletin board. If it's kept clean, it works well. If not, no matter how perfect the installation, there will be problems. I learned that in the first couple of weeks of ownership.

Correct, there is no window on mine, but other problems like the hopper shoot (which I just found this year) has 1/8" metal edge on each side which holds back the pellets from dropping into the primary burn chamber, this is hidden by the pellets, another first run mistake maybe? I will be trying to dremel those out first chance I get. Spupilup you mentioned a vent at the top of the stove, what are you meaning by that? I do brush out the chimney with a long brush from the top down to the stove but that's as far as I can get. Gee, Deezl, wish I was as smart as you. All I can say is that following Gary's recommendations there's still problems with regulating the stove.

Spupilup question, my stove is level, do you ever have problems with the pellets not feeding from the hopper to the shoot that drops into the pbc? Yes over the years I have used different pellet manufactures but it still happens every once and awhile. Thanks

First, went I said vent, I was talking about where the 4" vent pipe fits into the 3"-4" increaser I have on the top of my stove. I remove that pipe from the increase on my stove. That allows me access up the pipe for using the leaf blower and down into the stove so I can vacuum out the upper most bends in stove.

If you can, consider the leaf blower trick. If you can remove the pipe from the top of your stove and blow out you will really clear out the pipe from ash build up. Using the chimney brush is just forcing all the soot down into the stove where it's building up at the top bends.

I don't have or don't understand where the 1/8" metal edge is that prevents the pellets from descending. Were you supplied with the "insert" that fits in the feed tube? I assume it's purpose it to provide as smooth a surface for the pellets to slide down from the chute coming out of the hopper, down through the upper portion of the feed tube. If you don't have one I would recommend you give Smokey's a call and ask about it. The part is pictured in Step 6 on page 7 of the owners manual I got with the stove. It may help.

I don't rely on just brushing the stove out. I use the tools pictured below. I chisel away at the carbon buildup that can impede the flow of pellets. If I don't, no amount of brushing is going to keep the pellets flowing freely.

Finally, as far as your question about the pellets not feeding into the hopper, yes, we have had that happen but I mentioned in one of my earlier posts that my wife and I will check the hopper when we are also checking the secondary burn tray to insure that the pellets aren't getting hung up. I usually push whatever pellets are remaining in the hopper so they are over the chute. I also try not to let the pellets get too low in the hopper. Without doubt the stove is happiest with a full hopper.

That reminds me of one owner, I think I saw on the Wiseway Facebook page. He was a talented stainless steel worker as he completely lined the hopper, chute and feed tube with it. He never again had a problem with pellets getting hung up in the stove. Too bad Gary didn't try offering a premium version of the stove with the stainless steel option.

 

[Deezl Smoke]

Correct, there is no window on mine, but other problems like the hopper shoot (which I just found this year) has 1/8" metal edge on each side which holds back the pellets from dropping into the primary burn chamber, this is hidden by the pellets, another first run mistake maybe? I will be trying to dremel those out first chance I get. Spupilup you mentioned a vent at the top of the stove, what are you meaning by that? I do brush out the chimney with a long brush from the top down to the stove but that's as far as I can get. Gee, Deezl, wish I was as smart as you. All I can say is that following Gary's recommendations there's still problems with regulating the stove.

Spupilup question, my stove is level, do you ever have problems with the pellets not feeding from the hopper to the shoot that drops into the pbc? Yes over the years I have used different pellet manufactures but it still happens every once and awhile. Thanks

Everybody does...............n'yuk.

 

[Lake Girl]

The other difference I am seeing is the venting set-up.

Specifics on my install are as follows:

Ventis 3"-4" Increaser from the top of the stove.
Ventis 2' vent from the Increaser
Ventis 45 degree Elbow
Ventis 6' vent from Elbow
DuraVent 12" Thimble
Ventis 45 degree Elbow
Ventis 3' Vent from Elbow
Vacu Stack Chimney Cap

There are no 90 degree bends anywhere in the install. The house is located just below the ridge of a large hollow so the Vacu Stack was essential for preventing any negative effects from downdraft. There was no need for a barometric damper.

Deltadude has 3" straight up per Gary's original specs. Spupilup has some 45* elbows and increased to 4". Is it the 4" or the combo of 4" and elbows which make it run better? Is it worth the cost of 4" venting to give it a try?

Interesting on the stainless hopper/feed/chute...

 

[Tails1]

The other difference I am seeing is the venting set-up.


Deltadude has 3" straight up per Gary's original specs. Spupilup has some 45* elbows and increased to 4". Is it the 4" or the combo of 4" and elbows which make it run better? Is it worth the cost of 4" venting to give it a try?

Interesting on the stainless hopper/feed/chute...

I also notice that the users who claim success with this indicate they run the stove hot once or twice a day, this will also help with crud building up and blocking up the works. I regularly allow my wood stove to burn hot for awhile after startup and I find this helps allot with issues as well.

Also I stand by what I said earlier about venting, as with all naturally aspirated appliances this is crucial to good performance. The issue I have with this stove is there no visual indication of how the fire is doing unless you have the model with the viewing window. On both my pellet and wood stove I can tell how the fire is burning by looking at it, ie: lazy flame on the pellet stove or smoldering fire on the wood burner. Then I know I need to change something. With this rig it seems the operator has to guess and that is not a good idea.