Smokey Englander PDV 25

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boss7t

New Member
Dec 10, 2007
4
UP Michigan
I've got an Englander PDV 25 that I am getting ready to light off for the 3rd season of heating. It used to vent straight out of a 4 foot horizontal pipe, no problems. Last year I moved it to the basement where it vents through an 8 foot vertical with a couple elbows and a 2 foot horizontal run - it also uses outside air for combustion. The problem is since moving it to the basement, it tends to smoke excessively outside compared to the prior year using a variety of pellets. Its stained my siding despite adequate clearance between the vent and wall and there appears to be some excessive soot when cleaning the pipe. I say excessive soot compared to when it was vented straight out. - barely any notice of soot outside or inside the vent. In addition smoke started leaking from the internal elbow joints (not where they connect but at the rivets, etc.) profusely when I lit the stove off almost as if the pipe was clogged but it wasn't. I cleaned the pipe which seemed to help but this thing still smokes a little more than it should. My question is, is there some adjustment that can be made or configuration change in the venting or combustion intake that will help this burn as clean as it did when it was upstairs?
 
Have you replaced the gaskets in your stove? If not, you might try that first.
 
You might also try adjusting your air intake (more or less). I got soot build-up on my siding last year as my stove was not getting enough air for a few weeks last year. I'm not sure what changed, but one day I looked out and noticed there was a fair amount of dark smoke coming out of the pipe. Unfortuantely it had been going on for a couple weeks I think (hence the staining). I opening the outside air damper a bit more and the problem almost immediately corrected. Ever since that last tweak it is back to just looking like the exhaust that your get out of your clothes dryer (no visible smoke).
Since that time I make a point of taking a good look at the exhaust at least a couple times per week.
 
Also check to see that outside air intake is clear and clean. I had a similar problem and it was due to intake clogged causing inefficient combustion.
 
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