US Stove 6041 tp

[syl153]

I just cleaned my stove. I don't think the flame is burning like it should. It is set on PR 3. I have the pellet rate set at 2.40 for the low setting. It is putting out heat, but I think it should be getting warmer in the room (the whole house for that matter 800 sf). I have posted a couple of pics in the gallery (US Stove 6041 Flame 1 & US Stove 6041 Flame 2) of it and any suggestions would be appreciated. This is my first time using a pellet stove and this one was given to me after 1 season of use. My intake is using room air and if I put my hand over it should I feel suction? I am using premium hardwood pellets.

 

[Lake Girl]

US stoves require an outside air kit hooked up. How well was the stove cleaned before hook-up? All exhaust pathways, combustion blower...

http://www.sylvane.com/media/documents/products/usstove-6041-pellet-stove-owners-manual.pdf
Page 20 details that the clean-out plates and confirm ash-dumps are pushed in as this will effect air flow.

 

[FirepotPete]

My intake is using room air and if I put my hand over it should I feel suction?

No you will not feel suction. You might wet the back of your hand, put it by the draft slide and feel draft. Best bet is to take a cigarette and put it by the draft and see if the smoke is getting sucked in.

Outside air kit is only required in mobile homes and in newer construction where the house is tightly insulated. That's such a subjective recommendation that it's almost useless. My house, built in 1955 is drafty, I have the OAK after burning the first year without it. While not absolutely needed to use the stove I would suggest to anyone to install it. Much more automated control of the stove. I don't even use the manual draft except when starting the stove and that's for only about 20 minutes and then it is shut completely, I even have the screw stop removed so that it closes 100%.

You have the low feed set at 2.4. That seems high for the low end, that stove should give plenty of heat with the low setting at 2pph and the high setting at 5pph. At least try with those setting and work from there.

You need to check the DF settings and make sure they aren't out of whack. 230 low, 270 high to begin with. Best bet is to reset everything to the factory defaults and go from there.

You have a 6041 I have the 6039, it is the same stove except the board is a little different and you have an igniter otherwise they are physically the same.

One question, does your board heat range go from 1 thru 9, or 1 thru 5? I saw some of the first 6041's that had both, kind of strange but I guess they use what's available. Not a big deal other than figuring the fuel feed rates between the high and low settings.

These settings I recommended are for running the stove on AUTO, if running in manual that's a different animal and will take some tweaking, best to start in AUTO and learn the stove, every setting can be adjusted to tune that stove in so that it runs in AUTO no problem.

 

[Lake Girl]

Outside air kit is only required in mobile homes and in newer construction where the house is tightly insulated.

Not true. Take a look at the US Stove owner's manual ... reason I know is that I had this discussion with a US Stove tech in relation to a warranty issue. NFPA requires OAK on solid fuel appliances just not everyone is ensuring compliance. Older homes can have issues also ... our home has had fairly extensive renos that have tightened up air infiltration. The OAK made a large improvement on our stove.

 

[FirepotPete]

Not true. Take a look at the US Stove owner's manual ... reason I know is that I had this discussion with a US Stove tech in relation to a warranty issue. NFPA requires OAK on solid fuel appliances just not everyone is ensuring compliance. Older homes can have issues also ... our home has had fairly extensive renos that have tightened up air infiltration. The OAK made a large improvement on our stove.

Page 11 of the USSC manual: Required for Mobile Homes. Highly recommended for new construction and tightly insulated.

I deal with the NFPA daily in my job. Electrician, I&C tech. Unless that requirement was changed in the latest NFPA Codes that is incorrect. No one in the country would be allowed to have a fireplace. What everyone needs to remember about Codes, they are recommendations, guidelines. That's a problem because inspectors can go by the Code or go higher with them. Even exempt someone from Code for unwritten reasons.

Also how many solid fuel appliances are in garages in this country? How many meet the NFPA Code?
Burn your garage down and you'll find out if your insurance company doesn't pay out.

But I'll look the latest up and tell exactly what it says. And remember what it says isn't necessarily what the inspector reads into it.

 

[mustangwagz]

Lets not talk about "up to code" LOL Thats like basically swearing in stove hook-up terms. haha. One think i WILL say, when i hooked mine up i noticed a big difference in heat change in my home. I think mainly cuz i was sucking air through doors and windows (which im getting sealed up as i can..)

 

[FirepotPete]

OK, here is what the latest 2013 NFPA Code says about solid fuel burning appliance air.

211 page 39 chapter 13 subchapter 3. 211-39, 13.3

13.3 Air for Combustion and Ventilation
13.3.1 Solid fuel-burning appliances shall be installed in a location and manner so as to provide ventilation and combustion air supply to allow proper combustion of fuel, chimney draft, and maintenance of safe temperatures.
13.3.2 Where buildings are so tight that normal infiltration does not provided the necessary air, outside air shall be introduced.

That's all it says and there are no updates for the above Code chapters. I know throughout the life of a Code book that things can change before the new book is approved and out so I checked and this is the latest.

Now, Local Codes can go beyond this National Code and be more restrictive but usually cannot reduce the requirement of the National Code.

 

[Lake Girl]

if I put my hand over it should I feel suction?

You can purchase "smoke pens" or use stick incense to determine if air is being drawn into OAK. Confirm ash dumps, clean-out plates are secured.

Took a look at your photos - very small flame you have going there ... is stove set in pellet mode (default is corn)? Have you adjusted Draft Fan at all? Almost looks like you have too much air. Too much air will be sending more heat up the exhaust. If you adjust feed or fans, allow at least 1/2 hour or better between adjustments and record what you have changed so you can track improvements. Any way to measure heat output from the exchanger tubes?

 

[Lake Girl]

OK, here is what the latest 2013 NFPA Code says about solid fuel burning appliance air.

Here's the thread from the OAK requirement from Owen, US Stove tech at the time (not sure if he still is). Take the time to download the definition and other areas he has highlighted in his link.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/help-installed-new-stove-wont-run.140373/

With regards to NFPA, deference is given to manufacturer requirements of installation as they are UL or WH certified based on those considerations. US stoves would not honor warranty until installed as per their requirement. Stoves are engineered to function with certain bare minimum requirements that I am assuming the tech understands. I really don't care what you do in your home or your own philosophy on an OAK as I am trying to help the OP and advise him of a potential pitfall if he has to speak the US Stoves ....

Given that it is the first post from the OP, assumption is that most of the newbie mistakes of cleaning and hook-up may apply so they need to be ruled out first...

 

[FirepotPete]

I really don't care what you do in your home or your own philosophy on an OAK as I am trying to help the OP and advise him of a potential pitfall if he has to speak the US Stoves ....

No need to get nasty. I said I would recommend to anyone to install the OAK, so I don't know what the problem with my philosophy is.
I don't want to get into a p match with you or anyone here. As my intent is also to get newbies up and running in the safest, most affordable manner.

You directed me to the USSC Manual and the install directions. I quoted them. NFPA was mentioned. I quoted them. These are not philosophy, these are the facts.

Then you directed me to the thread with Owen getting involved. Per that thread.

Per Owen: "You can not direct vent a pellet stove (no vertical) without getting 100% of your combustion air from outside. A direct vent system (like Selkirk Direct Temp) is required."

I read the entire thread and the problem was with a 100% horizontal install of the exhaust pipe.

If the assumption is being made that the stove exhaust pipe install in this thread is horizontal only, no vertical, then Owen's statement is relevant to the discussion.

The statement that " NFPA requires OAK on solid fuel appliances just not everyone is ensuring compliance." is NOT correct.

Let's get back to getting this guy up and warm. If the exhaust pipe is by the book for a vertical install then he either has board settings messed up, a bad exhaust motor, or his house is indeed so tight that the stove is starving for air.
To find out if the house is to tight, just crack a window and if the stove burns better it is starving for air and absolutely needs the OAK install. Which I would do anyway.

Having said that let me make one thing clear. If it was up to me the OAK/FAK WOULD be mandatory.

 

[syl153]

Installed outside air and it is burning better, but the flame is not above the burn pot most of the time. Manual damper is closed. HR is PR-2. Pellet feed rate is 2.4 PPH on low. Thank for all the advice.

 

[FirepotPete]

Installed outside air and it is burning better, but the flame is not above the burn pot most of the time. Manual damper is closed. HR is PR-2. Pellet feed rate is 2.4 PPH on low. Thank for all the advice.

It's always hard to tell by a picture but running on HR2 that look good to me.

PPH 2.4 on HR1 is high for that stove. I run 100% corn and mine is set at 1.5pph HR1 and 5pph HR9. It will also depend and the pellets and the exhaust length and 90's or 45's in the run.

I wouldn't worry if the flame is going above the fire pot much on the lower settings. If the stove is running, not going out, producing heat, not smoking up the glass real fast, it will smoke it up sooner or later, then you are probably on the way to tweaking it to get the best burn/heat and pellet usage.

If you could post your HR5 setting or HR9 if your board goes that high and the DF high and low settings then tweaking the stove will be easier. Also post what you have horizontal, vertical lengths and the number and degree of bends in the exhaust to get a better understanding of your setup.

 

[Lake Girl]

Since FirepotPete has the earlier version of the stove he will be able to provide more specifics on settings but he burns corn so a slightly different beast on different fuels.

You mention hardwood pellets ... what brand? They are not all created equal... I know with my stove, I have found I prefer the softwood pellets as they produce less window build-up, ash is finer so internals stay cleaner a bit longer and throw more heat. YMMV

 

[Wehrleyfamilypoultry]

You gus talked about high end and low end. When I burned pellets, I was having problems burning. The service personnel told me to change them and it worked. I'm now burning pellets with corn. I'm having all kinds of problems. What does the low and high end chsnge, and how do I change it?

 

[Lake Girl]

Did you not record the original settings and what you changed them to? Burning a mix of corn and pellets would be different again. Moisture content of the corn is a large factor apparently. Where do you get your corn and what's its moisture content?

FirepotPete is likely your best help as he burns corn...

 

[Wehrleyfamilypoultry]

Thanks. Hope he can give me some good advice.

 

[FirepotPete]

Thanks. Hope he can give me some good advice.

Hi, I tried to reply earlier and my 'puter keyboard froze up for some unknown reason, just got done with multiple restarts

OK, what are your current HR/CR settings on high and low. Push the HR/CR UP button and the AUX UP button at the same time, you will see a number flash and the board, it should read something like 6.0pph or 5.5pph.

Now push the HR/CR Down button and the AUX down button at the same time. I will again flash a number, I'll guess it's around 2.0pph.

Do the same thing with the DF Up button and Aux Up button, the number that comes up will be something like 300, do the same with the DF down and Aux down another number in the hundreds should flash.

Write these numbers down for future reference and post them here so I can get a feeling of what is going on with your stove.

I will say that I never had luck running my stove with corn and running the agitator, others have but I got so much clinker build up and was burning through agitators that I just went with a clinker pot.

Are you having clinker build up on the agitator? If so you can try and mix in some oyster shells, yup the same stuff you toss to your chickens, some people have had a lot of luck doing that.

 

[Wehrleyfamilypoultry]

Df and Aux up- 270
DF and Aux down - 230
I tried HR and Aux at the same time, and nothing comes up. When I press the mode and auger delay at the same time, a number comes up. What does that number control? We burned 100% corn last year with no problems. I tried it this year and have had nothing but problems. I called us stove and they said to add pellets. So I did and still the same problems.

 

[Wehrleyfamilypoultry]

O and we get very little clinckers. I added some oyster shells once. It pluggedup the wholes in our burn pot.

 

[Wehrleyfamilypoultry]

Ok finally got it
HR and Aux up- 3.60
HR and Aux down- 2.05

 

[FirepotPete]

O and we get very little clinckers. I added some oyster shells once. It pluggedup the wholes in our burn pot.

What exactly is happening?

When you push the HR UP and AUX UP it needs to be done exactly at the same time, I know on mine some times I have to push them several times before it flashes the pph #.

 

[Wehrleyfamilypoultry]

Yea I got it and posted the numbers above.

Corn is feeding down to fast for the fire to burn. It eventually fills the pot and puts the fire out.

 

[FirepotPete]

Yea I got it and posted the numbers above.

Corn is feeding down to fast for the fire to burn. It eventually fills the pot and puts the fire out.

Just looked at my stove, I had to adjust it a little for this years corn. DF high is 260, DF low is 240, HR low 1.5pph, HR high is 5.0pph.

When you start the stove are you letting it get burning good? Is the glass getting black fast on the lower heat range?

I'm going to guess that you have to much fuel and not enough air to keep it going. To change those numbers just push them again together and then press the AUX UP or AUX down to adjust to what you want.

I would start with the low pph and drop it to 1.5 and maybe bump the low air up 5 numbers at a time and see how that works. Small adjustments for the air or it might be to much.

I'm sure you have, but, are you sure the OAK for air isn't plugged?

 

[Wehrleyfamilypoultry]

Sorry this may sound dumb

What are all these adjustments for? I mean what do they control? We've had this stove for 3 years. I knew there was some hidden controls but didn't realize there was that many.

 

[Wehrleyfamilypoultry]

For some reason this year's corn is really weird. I work at a grain elevator, and I noticed unloading trucks there was something weird with it.