Osburn 7000

[Ambient]

Well for better or worse, the decision was made and I got the puppy installed yesterday. I started a new thread as I couldn't find any specifically for the Osburn 7000. So for efficiency's sake I'll post my discoveries here for the sake of others.

As I fired it up it bellowed white smoke for the first few minutes. I assumed it was the finishing oils from the interior of the vent and the initial smoking of the pellets from the ignitor. It subsided quickly and with NO burn off smell within the house. I've now run it for 20 hours and have ZERO ppm CO checked redundantly during this time frame. It has maintained the temperature level in the most consistent manner. Why didn't I install one of these years ago?


Anyways these are the pellets I have:


This is the quality of the fire...

Note: the whisp of white and two black soot lines towards the handle??

 

[LuvMyPellets]

Nice stove pretty much identical to the Enerzone Eurostar. Both made by the parent company SBI. Love the monster 125lb hopper and the bottom feed. Keep warm!

 

[Ambient]

Please keep in mind that this pellet thing is completely new to me. I have adjusted the combustion fan and feed rate to try and get the flame the manual calls for. It was burning real well all night but had "fire fly's", spitting glowing embers. I got those cut down to a dull roar this morning. Right now I'm on a 3% fan and a 2% feed rate above default, blower fan on the lowest. Temp in the room is 75 and the rest of the house is 66 (ambient movement of air no additional fans), on the lowest setting. This AM the outside temp was 4 degrees.

 

[Bkins]

No pad under the stove? What does your manual call for? Welcome to the world of burning pellets.

 

[Bob512]

Nice stove ! Enjoy ! They are warm temps for 4 degrees outside

 

[Ambient]

No pad under the stove? What does your manual call for? Welcome to the world of burning pellets.

I should've said something about that. Our floors are wide plank Ash; cut, aged and machined here. We went into our local box store to get the red brick tile we put under our wood stove, they had this aged ash ceramic floor tile 4 foot long, the wifey saw it and that was that. She wasn't getting the stove she wanted so I installed a generous apron with floor tile.

 

[bogieb]

I should've said something about that. Our floors are wide plank Ash; cut, aged and machined here. We went into our local box store to get the red brick tile we put under our wood stove, they had this aged ash ceramic floor tile 4 foot long, the wifey saw it and that was that. She wasn't getting the stove she wanted so I installed a generous apron with floor tile.

Pretty cool that you could find tile to match your wood floor!

 

[Ambient]

A whole night's sleep

I am amazed at the consistent temperatures throughout the house. The unit is set on the lowest manual output, the room temp 76 and the rest of the house is 67. I had incrementally run it at 3/4 yesterday for 1/2 an hour, the room sprang to 87 and the house jumped up to 70. When returning to the minimum settings the temp's returned to what may be normal. It seems to use about a bag a day, which means about 72 hours total run time w/ 125# hopper (the potential in the brochure was 92 hours). Now to set up and balance the distribution.

This mornings news stated we have had record lows for the last month. The average temp being 6.1 degrees, ok bring on the sub zero weather again

 

[CleanFire]

Congrats on your new stove! 125 lbs. ? - that's a monster hopper, vs. the 35 pound capacity of the Francesca here.

Running the same pellets as I type: the LG Granules (Black Spruce & Grey Pine) and Cleanfire Pacific blend (Western Spruce) pellets both put out a lot of heat, can run either in the stove, with no changes in air or fuel needed. Running about a bag a day here also.

Enjoy!

 

[Ambient]

Congrats on your new stove! 125 lbs. ? - that's a monster hopper, vs. the 35 pound capacity of the Francesca here.

Running the same pellets as I type: the LG Granules (Black Spruce & Grey Pine) and Cleanfire Pacific blend (Western Spruce) pellets both put out a lot of heat, can run either in the stove, with no changes in air or fuel needed. Running about a bag a day here also.

Enjoy!

Thanks, Overall we're happy with the stove.

However something happened today. For several days running on the lowest setting the temps in the house have been very steady. The outside temps were about 24 today. This afternoon the room temp and the rest of the house fell off the mark by about four degrees? As I look at the stove the glass is getting dirty, the back plate above the burn pot is crusty black. The burn pot has spent fuel on both outside aprons. The horizontal area above the burn pot has a pile of spent pellet ash. I'm now wondering if it's the pellets not burning as clean as they should or as they could. I've only burned two full bags of pellets. Tonight we're set for below zero temps, so I'm thinking of a shutdown tomorrow, then a thorough cleaning and inspection. Maybe a reset to the default settings and start over?

The other obvious question is the quality of the pellets.

The wide back plate above the burn pot, where the flames hit...is a crusty creosote look to it. It's really rough, for two bags of pellets.

Is this my settings, should I have more air or less auger for the combustion ratio? The pile of pellet ash can be seen below, and the plate is yesterdays picture, today it's much more noticeable.





As for heat from the pellets I cranked it up to full for about five minutes. Wow heat galore, but then I also noticed pellet ash flying all over, too much cow bell

 

[CleanFire]

The LG Granules do produce heat, but do produce some ash and need more air (same as the Cleanfire Pacifics) - recommend bumping up combustion air by 5% to start on low setting, it should be carrying ash off the burn plate.

You have the ability to adjust depending on stove mode, Pilot (auto) and Combustion (manual) modes separately..

If you are still getting a lot of buildup after bumping up air, then I'd try cutting fuel down.

* Lowest setting (power level 1) was the most difficult to tune on the stove here - I wouldn't be discouraged, you'll get it dialed in..

re: temp drop, if the pellets are not burning clean, then my guess is ash buildup in the stove - a good cleaning of the baffle / exchange chamber will help.

--

The Ecotech Francesca here is a different stove design: it has a deep burn pot (vs. burn plate), so the flame profile helps carry ash out of the burn pot. If you continue to run into issues w/ ash buildup, possibly a different brand of pellet may be better suited for your stove - lots of choices out there.

I guess what I'm trying to say is the LG Granules burn well here & we like them, and hopefully you will also, but unless you have tons sitting there, don't be afraid to try different brands to see what is best for -your- stove. Just write down the settings for each brand you try, so you don't have to re-invent the wheel if you decide to switch back,

(I would not recommend trying Pennington pellets from Walmart when starting out though: took me a full day of cleaning to recover from that experiment, it was ugly.)

 

[Ambient]

The LG Granules do produce heat, but do produce some ash and need more air (same as the Cleanfire Pacifics) - recommend bumping up combustion air by 5% to start on low setting, it should be carrying ash off the burn plate.

You have the ability to adjust depending on stove mode, Pilot (auto) and Combustion (manual) modes separately..

If you are still getting a lot of buildup after bumping up air, then I'd try cutting fuel down.

* Lowest setting (power level 1) was the most difficult to tune on the stove here - I wouldn't be discouraged, you'll get it dialed in..

re: temp drop, if the pellets are not burning clean, then my guess is ash buildup in the stove - a good cleaning of the baffle / exchange chamber will help.

--

The Ecotech Francesca here is a different stove design: it has a deep burn pot (vs. burn plate), so the flame profile helps carry ash out of the burn pot. If you continue to run into issues w/ ash buildup, possibly a different brand of pellet may be better suited for your stove - lots of choices out there.

I guess what I'm trying to say is the LG Granules burn well here & we like them, and hopefully you will also, but unless you have tons sitting there, don't be afraid to try different brands to see what is best for -your- stove. Just write down the settings for each brand you try, so you don't have to re-invent the wheel if you decide to switch back,

(I would not recommend trying Pennington pellets from Walmart when starting out though: took me a full day of cleaning to recover from that experiment, it was ugly.)

I just finished the first clean after three bags. I needed to get intimate with this whole process so I jumped in there after only three bags. When I start this back up in a bit, I'm going back to default and I'll try the combustion air first.


THANKS!

 

[Ambient]

I let the stove run out of pellets this morning, I just wanted to see that process. I threw in a bag of the other variety of pellets Empire 100% hardwood. Noticed right off that they were dusty. I defaulted the settings and waited to see them burn, after making the initial setting changes I sat down for the second cup of Java. The puppy flashed an error about recognizing the temp was low indicating there was no fire in the pan...but there was? Not strong enough so I made some further adjustments and away it went. Strong flame.

The soft pellets seemed to fly out from the fan pressure after being spent. The hardwood pellets seem to roll off the end of the pan.

* the Empires was one of the six "open bags" resealed (bought at a nice discount...may become bedding for the horses) and may have had sweepings??? I'll use a virgin bag next.

 

[Ambient]

Hmmm, Still no heat compared to the LG's, but a strong flame an hour later, so I cranked it up to full speed. Yesterday the LG's put out 750 degrees as noted on a stack thermometer on the front panel of the stove where the baffle is, and sustained that for 30 minutes. I thought that was pretty good! Today I was quite annoyed with the hardwood pellets having trouble sustaining a decent flame while on the lowest setting. Well I turned up the stove to full speed and the stack thermometer exceeded 850 degrees. It seemed it was still rising when I decided that was enough.

It almost seems that I should use the LG's for normal operating tempretures, say above 10-15 degrees, as they burn easier. Then on days where the temps are south of 10 use the hardwood pellets. Is this common?

 

[CleanFire]

With a burn plate, which is well suited to hardwood pellet use, and a monster hopper, I think if you can find a dependable hardwood pellet that works well in your stove, that would work well for you.

With the stove here, choices are limited, softwood pellets work best.

I can "blend" a 50/50 mix of hardwood & softwood to help w/ ash carry-out from the burn pot, but pushing hardwood pellet ash out of pot is a challenge, I would have to 'over-rev' the stove, which is not desirable for the stove, or my love life.

* We have a good routine here, my wife is fully invested in the operation & maintenance of the stove: any changes here will be minor / require prior approval before being implemented..

 

[Ambient]

With a burn plate, which is well suited to hardwood pellet use, and a monster hopper, I think if you can find a dependable hardwood pellet that works well in your stove, that would work well for you.

With the stove here, choices are limited, softwood pellets work best.

I can "blend" a 50/50 mix of hardwood & softwood to help w/ ash carry-out from the burn pot, but pushing hardwood pellet ash out of pot is a challenge, I would have to 'over-rev' the stove, which is not desirable for the stove, or my love life.

* We have a good routine here, my wife is fully invested in the operation & maintenance of the stove: any changes here will be minor / require prior approval before being implemented..

As usual patience paid off as I got the combustion ratio sorted out. The hardwood pellets are burning fine all night on low, and this AM they jumped right up to a higher output. They actually look like they are burning a bit cleaner, and many of them are rolling off the front of the shelf after being spent.

 

[Ambient]

Nice stove pretty much identical to the Enerzone Eurostar. Both made by the parent company SBI. Love the monster 125lb hopper and the bottom feed. Keep warm!

I had first stumbled into the Enerzone EuroMAX however their website said my closest dealer was in Delaware. The real difference is the colors, I can paint this some fun colors anyways First, I'll have to show the wife who's the boss!

 

[Ambient]

As usual patience paid off as I got the combustion ratio sorted out. The hardwood pellets are burning fine all night on low, and this AM they jumped right up to a higher output. They actually look like they are burning a bit cleaner, and many of them are rolling off the front of the shelf after being spent.

OK just when I thought I had it figured out. Yesterday I used 2 1/2 bags of pellets, 1 1/4 more than the softwood pellets. I'm going to run it dry and do a thorough cleaning again. The combustion ratio was 4 air to 2 feed, if I back it off from there it doesn't make enough stack heat and it shuts down while on the lowest heat setting. I'm suspecting these hardwood pellets may burn hot but also may be burning dirty???? Heat exchange tubes and sensors may be caked over, as I would expect more heat when on lower heat settings, anyone have some input for a newbie?

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Every different pellet needs to have the fuel/air trim set for it, a lot of folks forget that and in some cases actually over fire their stoves.

When you change between batches of the same brand and type of pellets they also may need re-trimming.of the stove.

There are stoves that constantly adjust the fire.

 

[Ambient]

Every different pellet needs to have the fuel/air trim set for it, a lot of folks forget that and in some cases actually over fire their stoves.

When you change between batches of the same brand and type of pellets they also may need re-trimming.of the stove.

There are stoves that constantly adjust the fire.

Well reading comprehension is an important trimming tool also!

After cleaning* the stove first, I went back to what I was happy with: the LG's. I then reset to the default rate and started the whole process over. After reading the manual again for the fifth time, it popped, duh, there are more options than just positive numbers available. I didn't catch that the first four times through this. Dumb!! Tunnel vision ?

I've spent the last few hours going through each adjustment and am now very happy with the combustion rate. The softwood pellets aren't flying off the burn shelf, the flame is very consistent in size during each step of the burn rate. Now the highest burn rate has flames that reach 3/4 of the way to the top of the back wall of the burn chamber. Is there such a thing as flames that are too high?

I think we'll stay on these pellets for this week and next weekend try the hardwood pellets again, after another cleaning.




*Actually the wifey did, from start to finish. She did a nice job, two tasks are a bit tough for her. The brushing of the heat transfer tubes and the setting of the burn tray back onto the indexes.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

On the flames too high, yes there is such a thing. Usually flames that are high are apt to be darker in color and rolling and loopy and exhibiting black soot and even smoke at their tips. Despite the size that is a lazy flame (air starved) and you need to do at least one of two things or maybe a combination to produce a proper flame.

Please note the weasel words since it is also possible that that flame is just fine. Without further description and a video (properly shot) I can't tell. The manual should give a description of a proper flame and maybe even some pictures.

Yes tunnel vision does enter into the reading and application of what was read.

When it comes to making adjustments nothing beats being there in person to judge the flame because it is all disclosed in the color and activity of that flame.

At least you keep going back to a cleaned stove as a starting point because after an improperly setup burn there may be more in the way of crud in the system that makes finding the sweet spot a moving target.

Clean clear bright tips, no smoke, bright towards bright yellow/white, active none blowtorch pattern, and you have it. Adjustments need to be in small amounts and a delay between each one so the feed system can catch up.

There is usually an adjustment procedure in the manual to follow.

 

[Ambient]

At least you keep going back to a cleaned stove as a starting point because after an improperly setup burn there may be more in the way of crud in the system that makes finding the sweet spot a moving target.

Clean clear bright tips, no smoke, bright towards bright yellow/white, active none blowtorch pattern, and you have it. Adjustments need to be in small amounts and a delay between each one so the feed system can catch up.

There is usually an adjustment procedure in the manual to follow.

I'm good to go on this pellet. Ran it for hours on 6 of 7, then cut it back to 2. Settled right down and has a even sustainable flame, as if I had never changed it.

As for the adjustment procedure, just two lines about each adjustment: Augur, combustion fan, and exhaust fan. I now look forward to next weekends change to the hardwood pellet.

Thanks... as usual!

 

[hyfire]

Looks like the same burnpot as the eco-65 and mine piles ash on the top as well. I'm going to make a point on the top of metal so the ash can fall off the sides..

 

[Bob512]

Good idea hyfre !

 

[Ambient]

I'm good to go on this pellet. Ran it for hours on 6 of 7, then cut it back to 2. Settled right down and has a even sustainable flame, as if I had never changed it.

As for the adjustment procedure, just two lines about each adjustment: Augur, combustion fan, and exhaust fan. I now look forward to next weekends change to the hardwood pellet.

Thanks... as usual!

Well I was away for the week, the wifey had to apply her new knowledge and monitor the stove. Everything was running smoothly, burning only a bag a day until early Friday AM, the alarm sounded. No fuel, low temp measured. She checked and cleaned the burn shelf. She reset, and restarted. It was up and running for a few hours at least. When we got home from the airport that night the stove had been out again. Upon inspection I found that the smaller holes on the burn tray were carboned up. Once cleaned it fired up, stayed fire up and got heat back into the house. We can get 72 hours +/- from the hopper with the LG pellet. The stove developed the carbon in the ignitor holes after six days of persistent running. It also persistently had a streak of black on the glass. New or not I did the "dollar bill" test and found the front burn door could be tightened one turn.

Today I cleaned everything, loaded with the hardwood pellets. I'm now working on the settings for this pellet.

*posting this for future reference should anyone else buy into an Osburn 7000