Summers Heat 55-SHP22L

[clifftax]

Well hello people. I’m a totally noob pellet stove owner. Installed and fired up my first ever wood pellet stove yesterday afternoon. After 14 hours of my first burn I shut the stove down to give a quick cleaning and to take some pictures for the board here. I do have a few concerns that maybe some of you can address.

I went through an entire 40 lb bag of hardwood pellets in 14 hours. Is that normal? The overnight setting was at 2 with the last hour set to 4-4. Not sure if this is normal but when I adjust the temp control up or down, the blower speed stays at 1, I must manually adjust the blower speed.

At start up the stove stunk to high heaven and smoked, but it wasn’t wood smoke. I think it was some type of coating within the stove that burned off because within 4 hours, it pretty much dissipated.

Is it normal to have the glass look so dirty after a 40lb burn? I mean really dirty. Pretty much black ash/soot.

Factory settings are 6-4-1 and I have a 2†steel flexible pipe for the air intake since the 2†flexible aluminum pipe was missing from the OAK along with the DVD. Within 4 hours of my email to Englanders support, I got a reply that the pipe and DVD where on their way. Now is that service or what?

The first bag of pellets was bought from TSC (Tractor Supply Company) and they are called Instant Heat 100% Hardwood.

I just finished up cleaning the unit and I’m going to put in a bag of New England Wood Pellets I got from Ace Hardware to see how they work.

Another thing I noticed this morning after a night of running is a vibration of some sorts. It’s sporadic and I feel it may only occur when the top auger is in play. You can feel the floor vibrate when it happens and the noise can kind of freak you out. Not sure what to make of it.

All in all I think I’m going to really like this stove and hope I don’t have half the problems I see others having with the same stove. Hope to learn a few tips and tricks here as well.

 

[stoveguy2esw]

i just sent you a PM

 

[smoke show]

i just sent you a PM

Well then no need for my advice. :lol:

Please update when you get it dialed in, may help out others in the future.

 

[clifftax]

Please update when you get it dialed in, may help out others in the future.

Well I just talked to Mike on the phone. Apparently we may have a problem with the unit burning "too rich". This could have been attributed to the bag of "Instant Heat" pellets being stored outside. Stove has been cleaned and a new bag of NEWP's has begun it's cycle. Will see if we get the same result in ash build up with NEWPs as we did with the "Instant Heat Pellets.

I will tell you this right now. If Mike is any indication of how Englanders Pellet Stoves operates, then I think I'm going to like this company a lot.

 

[DexterDay]

New stoves stink. Every time you go up another heat level. You may smell it again (maybe, maybe not), 14 hrs isnt bad? Where you warm?

Mike probably answered all your questions (and then some).

Welcome to the Forums.

 

[kofkorn]

First thought looking at that burn pot is that you will need to scrape that once or twice during the burn. The ash build up is blocking your air, and causing a bit of a dirty burn and lower heat output. I can usually go about 2 weeks before getting any film on the window, and if it gets as bad as what you see, I've got to look into what is causing the issue. What is the length of your exhaust pipe, and how many elbows do you have? I'm sure that Mike H. will help you out. He's the best there is at service.

Good Luck!

 

[smoke show]

I can usually go about 2 weeks before getting any film on the window...
Good Luck!

Thats impressive!

 

[kofkorn]

Well, I should qualify that. In two weeks I may have a slight haze, but no points on the window that have any significant soot. Usually when I start getting soot on the window then something needs to be cleaned. I like a good bright active flame in my stove.

Now at the In-laws who are running a PVDC, it's a different story. My FIL feels that he should run his pellet stove like a wood stove, so he chokes the intake. Then he wonders why he can't go more than 3 hrs with a clear window...

 

[smoke show]

my pdvc goes about a day then needs wiping if I care to see the fire.

 

[clifftax]

What is the length of your exhaust pipe, and how many elbows do you have?

I bought the vent kit that they sell at Lowe's so only one elbow and only the pipe that came with the kit.

I will post pictures tomorrow morning to show a 24 hour burn (post clean-out) using New England pellets. It looks to me these pellets may be burning better then the 100% hardwood I used earlier.

 

[imacman]

......Will see if we get the same result in ash build up with NEWPs as we did with the "Instant Heat Pellets.

I will tell you this right now. If Mike is any indication of how Englanders Pellet Stoves operates, then I think I'm going to like this company a lot.

Englander cust. service, and the extra support we get on this forum by having Mike available is one of the main reasons I bought an Englander.

And as for those Instant Heat pellets....we normally refer to them as "instant Heat-less". Poor pellet, at best.

 

[clifftax]

OK I just went through a 12 hour burn by switching to New England pellets. Before I went to bed last night I just scraped off the ash plate. I dont think I could go 24 hours straight without scraping ashes. Before I went to bed I noticed a green flame within the fire box, not sure if thats normal. I ran the stove all night on 2-2 and jumped it up to 3-3 when I got up. One thing I noticed off the bat was that my pellet use was down from the night before on the same setting. I also could see the flame as the glass door only had a haze to it. On a 3-3 heat setting the air temp being blown out was well above 120 degrees since that is as high my temp gauge would go. The right side of the stove was slightly warm to the touch and the left side of stove was hot to the touch and probably would burn your hand if left on too long.

During my morning clean-out I could easily feel a cold air draft coming in from the intake tube below the burn pot.

Here are some new pics. Not sure if she is still burning too rich. again this is the ash build up of 12 hours using NEWP's

And here is a pic of my venting set up

 

[kofkorn]

Your ash color looks about right, but you're getting a lot of build up of ash afterward. I think you're getting a clean burn, but you will want to continue scraping that burn pot regularly. I tend to do it about 3 times a day if necessary. Once when I get up, once when I get home and once before going to bed. In the future you are probably going to want to keep an eye out for pellets that tend to leave less ash (Softwoods are great for this) to reduce the amount of effort you have to put it.

If your glass is staying fairly clean, you should have a reasonably good burn going.

Good luck!

 

[clifftax]

If your glass is staying fairly clean, you should have a reasonably good burn going.

Yes! There was a big difference with the second night of burning then the first night of burning. Literately the difference between day and night. Like I stated earlier I am very new to this and will have to find a pellet that leaves less ash. I need to get this figured out since I want to start stocking pellets ASAP for next heating season since I have roof covered storage available.

 

[Subtle]

I have the same stove as you and so far I’ve found that Oakanagan, Vermont and Cubex produce the least amount of ash.

 

[clifftax]

I just had the stove running on 8-9 for about a 1/2 hour when I noticed the smell of wood smoke. Smoke detectors didn't go off but the odor was clearly there. So I hit off, and scraped the pot. Im not sure if it was because of the steady rain outside or the stiff south breeze, since my vent is on the south side of the house. No smoke smell on the start up though and we are back up and running. While on start up I took a peak at the vent pipe outside and didn't realize just how much smoke spills out because it is the first time I have seen any kind of smoke coming from the vent while the stove is running. makes sense though since the pellets smolder while starting up.

 

[DexterDay]

I just had the stove running on 8-9 for about a 1/2 hour when I noticed the smell of wood smoke. Smoke detectors didn't go off but the odor was clearly there. So I hit off, and scraped the pot. Im not sure if it was because of the steady rain outside or the stiff south breeze, since my vent is on the south side of the house. No smoke smell on the start up though and we are back up and running. While on start up I took a peak at the vent pipe outside and didn't realize just how much smoke spills out because it is the first time I have seen any kind of smoke coming from the vent while the stove is running. makes sense though since the pellets smolder while starting up.

That smell is probably the "burn in" smell again.

Every time you hit a new plateau of heat. That smell will be back. Especially within the first few days. If hit 9-9 for an hour, the smell is very likely to occur again.

Steel smells funny when it gets hot. Add some oils and paints when new and its slightly amplified. IMO

 

[smoke show]

My pdvc don't build up that much ash, and I have to set the bottom three at 9-1-1 to get a decent flame on 1 and 2.

Maybe thats considered ok, but I'd be tempted to up the air some and try to evacuate some of that ash.

 

[imacman]

...... I have to set the bottom three at 9-1-1 to get a decent flame on 1 and 2.....

That doesn't seem right at all...all those extra pellets and hardly any air.......hmmmmmmmmm. Sounds like a recipe for a very rich/dirty burn, IMO.

 

[titanracer]

...... I have to set the bottom three at 9-1-1 to get a decent flame on 1 and 2.....

That doesn't seem right at all...all those extra pellets and hardly any air.......hmmmmmmmmm. Sounds like a recipe for a very rich/dirty burn, IMO.

I agree, all fuel & no air.

 

[smoke show]

...... I have to set the bottom three at 9-1-1 to get a decent flame on 1 and 2.....

That doesn't seem right at all...all those extra pellets and hardly any air.......hmmmmmmmmm. Sounds like a recipe for a very rich/dirty burn, IMO.

Anything lower and all I get is a bed of embers and no flame.

At 9-1-1 the flame is bright and active.

Maybe this old pdvc doesn't like 4" vent?

 

[imacman]

...... I have to set the bottom three at 9-1-1 to get a decent flame on 1 and 2.....

That doesn't seem right at all...all those extra pellets and hardly any air.......hmmmmmmmmm. Sounds like a recipe for a very rich/dirty burn, IMO.

Anything lower and all I get is a bed of embers and no flame.

At 9-1-1 the flame is bright and active.

Maybe this old pdvc doesn't like 4" vent?

Sounds like a call to the Englander tech line is in order......something's not right.

 

[clifftax]

So it sounds like I should leave mine at 6-4-1 ? I read somewhere on these forums about running it on "C" from "D". I dont have a clue what mine is set at or how to change any of these numbers. I'll try to get a video up of my flame so you guys can take a peak.

 

[clifftax]

Take a look at the video and tell what you guys think about my flame.

 

[MCPO]

looking at that video the flames in my stove at that setting would be licking the top of the stove.
That stove looks like it`s starving for air.