Santa Fe Ash Dump Problem

[biglar]

I've had my Quadra Fire Santa Fe for about 6 months and used it for 3 of those months last spring. I had a problem with the dump lever then and it's starting again in the new heating season. Tried Windex as the dealer suggested, but that's a very short term solution. It's just a heavy steel rod sticking out with a bend at the end. It's so hard to pull I nearly need to get the come-along to dump the ashes. Not sure what to try lubricating the linkage with due to heat. Right now, I have a short rope with a T handle tied to it to make it a little easier to pull - then hafta mash the durned thing back in and nearly need a sledgehammer to do that.

Any thoughts ?? Experience ?? Solutions ?? Thanks

Lar.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

You could try some graphite, the dry kind not the wet based stuff.

Also if the mechanism is rusting and it is this that is causing the sticking you'll need to remove the rust before using anything else.

Sometimes these kinds of issues can also be solved by removal of a very small layer of the metal or even burrs where the binding happens using a polishing tool.

 

[Czech]

A couple places you need to address. First make sure that bottom of the pot, the door, is scraped as clean as possible. If there is build up here it will hang up on the pot edge as it swings open. Second, the linkage may be binding, I honestly use penetrating oil or WD40 occasionally, I suppose graphite would work too. It does get hot in this area, but it is not within the firebox so not that hot. Lastly, it is possible to adjust how tight the door itself fits on the bottom of the pot, but I'm guessing this is not the issue as it has operated ok before. Luck!

 

[slls]

After a days burn I have to scrape the dump door to get it to move. I made a special tool to scrape the door, that cheap putty knife that came with mine was not doing the job for me.
After setting all summer I have to hit the pull knob with my palm in then it will move, in fact I just did it to free it up.

 

[smalltown]

biglar I've got the Quadrafire Castile so I think our burn pots are the same. Most likely you have carbon buildup on the bottom of the burn-pot which is also the small door that opens up when you pull the clean-out rod. I'll bet that the rod is hard to pull and then does not want to go back on its own and needs to be really pushed in.

My suggestion is to go buy yourself an inexpensive chisel 5/8" wide. The scraper that is supplied with stoves is almost worthless. Use the chisel to scrape the bottom real good don't bang down just scrape. It you can stick your head inside the movable area it looks like a half moon. When you get it good and clean the door will start snapping shut like it did when it was new. It might take a little bit at this point to clean, but once clean you will only need to scrape a little when you do your normal cleaning (if only to verify it's still clean). Seems to me it happened if I ran the stove on low. Normally I run on medium.

Later after you cure this minor issue I would also buy another. but smaller chisel 1/4" wide to clean up and down the sides. The larger chisel won't work here because the burn-pot is round and only scrapes at the chisel edges while the smaller 1/4" lays almost flat.

Hope that helps.

 

[thz123]

Besides the other suggestions, You need to clean the plate since you have carbon build up on the plate. I use a wire brush attached to my electric drill, this works well. They make the brushes for your drill, get them at the hardware store for $3.00. The chisel does the same thing. I actually use both. I think you also have a stuck linkage. open your ash pan door and remove the pan. Follow the rod back to where it connects, and spray some penetrating oil on that connection. Use penetrating oil, it works better than WD40.

 

[tjnamtiw]

Smalltown is right on about the chisel. I went to Harbor Freight and got a cheap set. I find it works best to go straight down with the chisel, dig it in and then twist it. It pops the carbon loose. I also disconnected the doors on both of mine and lubed the bolt and mating surfaces with Anti-Sieze compound, which is meant for high heat. The design of the doors really stinks (Chinese) because you can tighten the bolt, which is the hinge pin, tight enough to make it impossible to open the door at all. It's really a compromise of how tight to make it. When adjusted correctly, you should JUST be able to slip a dime into the gap on the side opposite the bolt (the right side). The bolt should really be a shoulder bolt of the correct length to tighten securely at just the right gap of the plate to the burn pot. That's another one of my 'round to its' that I never got around to this summer.................

 

[Vinelife]

Dont really have that problem with mine. Opens and closes quite easily, but very good suggestions if I ever have an issue.

 

[tjnamtiw]

yea but you have a brand new stove! (Lucky bugger!) Maybe the Chinese got smarter or you just haven't had enough buildup yet.

 

[Vinelife]

I was last winter in the habit of opening and closing it once a day to clean out the firepot. I guess if you let it sit there for a week or longer things could get built up.

 

[stoveguy13]

Try backing the bolt out that holds the floor to the pull rod and the bolt may be ain wrong and put it back also as others have said make sure that floor is clean that will bind it up as well

 

[humpin iron]

Burn pots are made in USA. Loosen the pivot bolt 1/2 turn. Spritz with wd-40 or anti-sieze

 

[geek]

I was last winter in the habit of opening and closing it once a day to clean out the firepot. I guess if you let it sit there for a week or longer things could get built up.

That's a good practice and what i tried last season. Carbon will build up if the cleaning is not done regularly.

 

[biglar]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll try them and let you know how it works out. I do dump ashes once a day and vacuum it out once a week........or I did during the heating season last year. That'll be starting again soon and I've already used it a couple of times to take morning chill off. Thanks again.

Lar.

 

[tjnamtiw]

I was last winter in the habit of opening and closing it once a day to clean out the firepot. I guess if you let it sit there for a week or longer things could get built up.

That's a good practice and what i tried last season. Carbon will build up if the cleaning is not done regularly.

Yea, a daily carbon cleaning is a must with these stoves' firepot. Backing off the pivot nut 1/2 turn does help but, because it's not a nylok (too much heat), it will back off more so keep an eye on it.

 

[biglar]

OK, the pivot bolt was the answer. Just ¼ turn looser and it's a one finger chance now. Took the rope and T handle off. It was so tight the plate was almost shiny and there is NO carbon build-up. Many Thanks ! ! ! The dealer (useless and I've given up on him) looked at me like I'd grown antlers when I told him it was hard to pull. Shook his head and said, "gee, that's too bad."

While I was at it, I cleaned and vacuumed the heat exchanger tubes, pulled the shield out and vacuumed all that, but I'm confuzzled a bit about comments I've read eslewhere about the exhaust. Do you-all pull the flex pipe off the back of the stove and clean it ?? Mine is held on with 3 sheet metal screws and wrapped with aluminum duct tape. Seems like taking that loose would make quite a mess in the house, even sitting on the brick.

The installers just ran a one piece 3" SS flex in an S curve from the stove and up thru the original 8" double wall left from the old wood stove. I don't really see a way to clean that. Has anyone tried the "creosote cleaners" that I see for sale ?? S'posed to burn the creosote right out of there. I'm skeptical.

Thanks again

Lar.

 

[tjnamtiw]

I'm glad everything worked on with the dump valve. Just keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn't back off anymore and let the door droop down too much. You'll lose vacuum and also drop some burning embers into the ash pan. Ask me how I know. ) Two nuts on there backed against each other would hold it in place if the bolt is long enough.

I have the exact same chimney setup as you do. You only have to clean your chimney once a year. This is what I use http://www.northlineexpress.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=5RU-17419

Rather than disconnect the flex from the exhaust manifold, there are two snaps that hold the two halves of the manifold together. Unsnap those buggers (not easy) and then run the brush up there. More frequently, like once a month with the heavy cleaning chores, you can go into the combustion blower housing once that right hand cast piece is removed. I found this set of small vacuum tools at Home Depot that has a little brush and various other tools that adapt to the end of a regular vacuum hose. I got a short length of vinyl tubing and put it over the reducer piece and I snake that tubing all around in the blower area. You can see the ash flowing through the clear tubing. Got the tubing at HD too.

this is the vacuum set http://www.homedepot.com/Appliances...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

Have fun and stay warm.

Oh, and I used to use the Rutland Creosote remover when I had the wood burning inserts and it worked great. Never saw any for pellet stoves. Not sure you really need it, actually.