Pre-2k4 55-SHP10 pile of unburnt pellets

[jp57]

Hi Everybody!

With the temperatures down in the teens and single digits here in Eastern PA I decided to run my pre-2k4 55-SHP10 more. Had been using new bags of Heat'rs from Depot until the other night when I decided to run a bag of North American that the previous home owners had left for us. (The stove came with the house we bought in June).

Ever since running that older bag of NA's I'm getting a large pile of unburnt pellets in the burn pot once the stove runs out of fuel...even with the Heat'rs. Not sure in which order things are happening...is the fire going out first and then the build-up of pellets or vice-versa?

I've been running it at 5-7 mostly, I haven't checked the lower 3 buttons yet, the stove is from 2003. And no, it doesn't have an OAK...Yes I know I should have one...but again...the stove came with the house, I'm new to pellet stoves, didn't know at first that it needs one, and will invest in the OAK before next season. In the meantime I kind of need to roll with what I've got.

Pipe was just cleaned out last week and I regularly vacuum the stove. It does not run 24/7, as I only light it when I get home from work and top off the hopper before bed. Fire has been going out prior to me waking up, so I've come downstairs to no fire and a pile of pellets sitting in the burn pot.

Thoughts on what to check to stop the build-up?

Thanks!!

 

[CladMaster]

Classic case of lack of pellets from the hopper to the burn pot, when the hopper gets low on fuel the weight is not there to help the pellets fall, this leads to a dead spot until through vibration that the pellets that are in the hopper fall down to the auger, by this time it's too late and the burn pot embers are cold but the stove is still hot enough that it's not tripped the shut down sequence for the stove so it continues to feed pellets until the temp of the casing has dropped for the heat sensor (POF) to trip and shut the stove down.

This is why the burn pot will have un-burnt pellets in it - no fire / no heat.

The same thing happens when pellets / wood dust form a 'bridge' in the hopper.

 

[jp57]

Classic case of lack of pellets from the hopper to the burn pot, when the hopper gets low on fuel the weight is not there to help the pellets fall, this leads to a dead spot until through vibration that the pellets that are in the hopper fall down to the auger, by this time it's too late and the burn pot embers are cold but the stove is still hot enough that it's not tripped the shut down sequence for the stove so it continues to feed pellets until the temp of the casing has dropped for the heat sensor (POF) to trip and shut the stove down.

This is why the burn pot will have un-burnt pellets in it - no fire / no heat.

The same thing happens when pellets / wood dust form a 'bridge' in the hopper.

Thank you very much for that answer. It makes a TON of sense.

Pellets (both brands that I've used) are sticking to the sides of the hopper and are creating that dead spot. So...following advice I read here on the forum I grabbed a roll of aluminum tape at Depot last night and will be lining the sides of the hopper this weekend.

Thanks again...much appreciated.

 

[CladMaster]

Pellets (both brands that I've used) are sticking to the sides of the hopper and are creating that dead spot. So...following advice I read here on the forum I grabbed a roll of aluminum tape at Depot last night and will be lining the sides of the hopper this weekend.

50 / 50 chance that this will fix the problem, it's worked for some and not for others.

 

[jp57]

Didn't put the tape in yet (too lazy) and woke up to this:

and this: