Frustrated

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Marina1327

Marina1327

Member
Apr 23, 2015
182
New Jersey
I know it's been awhile since I have been on here eventhough I do read through on occasion...been a crazy year, but I am having issues with my serenity and right now am using kerosene heaters because there is no one in my area who will look at the pellet stove. I think it just needs a good cleaning but I am afraid to pull it off the stove pipe...it will light but the glass turns black within a minute or two and the stove shuts itself off with an ignition failure warning...but I am thinking that since it lights and the blower comes on it's just the stove not getting enough oxygen to make the fire hot enough
 
This sounds like what was happening with our drolet eco 45. Turned out the exhaust vent was mostly clogged. Cleaned it and we were back in business.
 
Yep, you gotta clean these things on some kind of routine.
 
Pellet stoves are really meant to be a hands on piece of equipment for the homeowner. Since you are not using it right now what is there to lose? I think once you do it you will get the confidence to keep it up. For you I would really look at a leaf blower for cleanings. There are many threads addressing that here.
I would be surprised if you couldn't find someone to service it even if you have to try Craigslist. Don't look for HVAC companies but call hearth and fireplace stores. Maybe seeing someone else do it once would be helpful. Good luck.
 
Marina1327 said:
I know it's been awhile since I have been on here eventhough I do read through on occasion...been a crazy year, but I am having issues with my serenity and right now am using kerosene heaters because there is no one in my area who will look at the pellet stove. I think it just needs a good cleaning but I am afraid to pull it off the stove pipe...it will light but the glass turns black within a minute or two and the stove shuts itself off with an ignition failure warning...but I am thinking that since it lights and the blower comes on it's just the stove not getting enough oxygen to make the fire hot enough
Click to expand...
Why would you pull it off the stove pipe just to clean it. 90% of the cleaning can be done from the front of the stove. If there is a clean out T then that should give you access to the pipe
 
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corkman said:
Why would you pull it off the stove pipe just to clean it. 90% of the cleaning can be done from the front of the stove. If there is a clean out T then that should give you access to the pipe
Click to expand...

I suspect a critter clogging the stove pipe problem. Personally I would pull the stove and take look see.

At a minimum, if you don't have a leaf blower, borrow one, or use a large size shop vac in reverse to blow out the stove pipe from the stove.
 
You can pull the exhaust fan on a serenity and access about every inch of piping. In fact, they say in the manual that you are supposed to pull the fan monthly for the exhaust system cleaning. I dont do it that often as my exhaust piping is so simple.

If you have an OAK hose connected to the inlet air, it may be clogged with something.
 
Deezl Smoke said:
You can pull the exhaust fan on a serenity and access about every inch of piping. In fact, they say in the manual that you are supposed to pull the fan monthly for the exhaust system cleaning. I dont do it that often as my exhaust piping is so simple.

If you have an OAK hose connected to the inlet air, it may be clogged with something.
Click to expand...

I figured I'd ask here since I have the same stove.

What about those 4 screws holding the pipe adapter to the back of the stove? Can those be removed with the pipe still attached for cleaning? I did not use a clean out T behind the stove and looking for the easiest way to clean out that interior pipe. I have the stove on that black hearth shield that you get at home depot so I can just put cardboard under the stove legs and slide it forward if needed.
 
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If you can get to the end of the vent, buy a leafblower from Walmart and hook the suction side up on the end of you venting. Open the door on the stove and turn blower on. It will suck most ash out of venting, fan and interior path ways of the stove. Leaf blower is approx. $50. That wil probably take care of it. Then do that once per month.
 
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mudeprived said:
I figured I'd ask here since I have the same stove.

What about those 4 screws holding the pipe adapter to the back of the stove? Can those be removed with the pipe still attached for cleaning? I did not use a clean out T behind the stove and looking for the easiest way to clean out that interior pipe. I have the stove on that black hearth shield that you get at home depot so I can just put cardboard under the stove legs and slide it forward if needed.
Click to expand...

Personally, and this is just my own opinion on this, I hate moving the stove once set up and sealed. In my OPINION, it would be best to do what you can to install that tee.

If you buy a new gasket for the fan, then pull the fan itself from the housing, you can get a smaller diameter vacuum hose to slide out the horizontal section and pull up near everything. My exhaust goes straight out thru the wall and the tee is on the outside of the house.

Just remember that each time you take something apart that allows you to move the stove, there is no guaranty that it will go back exactly the same and be sealed. You will always run the risk of a compromised seal.

If you have to move the stove to install the tee, then do so as the piping will have to be reconfigured anyway. Do your best to get it sealed and over with. Then you should not have to move the stove again until you either move or have to replace the stove.
But pulling the fan does not move anything in the system. The fan housing stays in place and sealed. Only the fan is removed. You'd be amazed how much cleaning you can do from the fan housing once the fan is removed.
IMO.
 
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Rick and Deezl both have good points in that if possible install a clean out tee, if not do as Rick suggests and do the lbt a few times during burn season then pull the exhaust blower in the off season and you can run a brush through the vent when you have the blower removed, this is assuming you don't have a real long exhaust run and using a brush attached to a cable so you can feed it from the exhaust blower housing out through the exhaust outlet then do the lbt.
 
The problem I have is that I could not get the clean out T to reach the back exhaust port with the positioning of the stove. I have to have the stove pointed towards the living room entrance and it's an odd direction. The only way I could hook it up was with a 90 elbow. My studs, in-wall wiring, and corner setup made it tricky with the 90 even.

I'll try to fiddle with it again and see if I can get a T back there. Unfortunately no stores around here are carrying any for some reason. I'll have to order one online.
 
The way my stove is installed, I can't use the leaf blower trick. My stove pipe is inside the house...goes up 7 feet and then through my existing masonary chimney and it has the end cap outside 7 feet in the air which also has a screen and the opening is only about 4-5 inches...no way for any critters to get caught. The reason I am hesitant to pull it off the pipe is because I do not know when it was installed if there is any sealant that goes around the exhaust pipe from the stove leading to the stove pipe...I wanted someone to clean it once while I watched and then I would not be uncomfortable doing it myself....luckily enough I finally got ahold of the fireplace people who installed it and they are coming today to look at it at 2 pm...I am hoping it's just needs a good cleaning. I am fanatically about shutting it down and cleaning the burn pot and vacuuming it out...but I haven't done the pipe etc...yet. Thank you for the quick replies I will let you all know how I make out.
 
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Pretty much what you figured. So do you think you can handle it yourself next time before it gets plugged ?.
 
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Marina1327 said:
I could clean it...It wasn't that complicated....Or I could just be lazy and let him do it....Hmmmmm....
Click to expand...
The key is to do it periodically, not after the stove has gone into cardiac arrest over plugged plumbing. Not so much who does it but that it gets done. Not sure why someone would pay someone else to do it if they are capable enough though, but that part is your business.
 
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Well it worked for a couple of days and now it shuts off again and says check the hopper for fuel...I am thinking that maybe the fire/heat sensor might be going. Everything is working but that...Unless something else has to be cleaned.....I am perplexed this morning....
 
I would think if you just paid for a service-cleaning etc and it is having problems a few days afterwards they may come out and diagnose for n/c. First you should imo go over the manual to see what it says with this code. Is the hopper full, is it partly full but is the auger exposed, is it feeding pellets when you start-run it. When this code comes on is the fire burning normally?
 
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pageyjim said:
I would think if you just paid for a service-cleaning etc and it is having problems a few days afterwards they may come out and diagnose for n/c. First you should imo go over the manual to see what it says with this code. Is the hopper full, is it partly full but is the auger exposed, is it feeding pellets when you start-run it. When this code comes on is the fire burning normally?
Click to expand...
I just talked to tech support and she had me change the wires to the back up fire sensor and change the voltage and exhaust settings...So far it's running...I swear it's the pellets...I didn't have any problems until this brand....The auger is turning, pellets are going in etc...But the flame is lazy and I just cleaned it out etc
 
Different pellets may need different settings. If the flame is lazy generally you would need to increase air.
 
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