25-ep stove Ash build-up

[Gentcpa]

Hi:

Looking for some help with an ep refurbished stove. It seemed to run fine initially almost no Ash, etc. Then the burn pot started filling quickly with a hard mass and heavy Ash. Following other threads I cleaned out behind the clean out areas and ceramic board. I made certain the control board was in mode 2 and used settings 1 4 1, I had to boost the middle setting to 6 in order keep the fire box clear of Ash. It still doesn't seem right the Ash is very thick and builds up around the firebox and on the window very quickly.

What else should I be looking at?



Using the oak that came with it. 3" vent 45 degrees to outside 90 degree to about 6 feet of vertical. I am chiefly burning Somersets along with Greene Supreme and a variety of cheap pellets.

Thanks for help

Julian

 

[fmsm]

Pretty normal if you ask me. Great stove just needs the burn pot cleaned every day.

 

[Gentcpa]

Ok thanks

Something seems different to me though. The Ash is very black and thick and the Ash pan needs to be emptied everyday along with a general clean of the fire box and around it. When I initially ran it the Ash was light Grey very fine and there was hardly any to speak of.

 

[slvrblkk]

Are you still using the same pellets? How many bags have you put through the stove since the last FULL cleaning? You really shouldn't need to clean the pot everyday. Also, do you mean ash around the top of burnpot or inside of it?

 

[Gentcpa]

The stove is a refurbished install from about September. I probably have about 15 bags through it so far. The clean I did was to take off all the ceramic and clean out ports. I didn't dig into blowers. The Ash build up has been around and in the burn pot. Something just doesn't seem right the first couple of bags the Ash was Grey and almost nothing now it is black and there is a lot.

 

[slvrblkk]

Not to be capt. obvious but it's more than likely an air flow issue (unless you maybe changed pellet brands). Do you have an OAK installed? Does the burnpot "teeter" in the cradle or does it sit flush? Can you fully describe your vent setup? All pieces vertical and horizontal lengths. Based off what you posted earlier, I think you probably should have gone with 4". You are over an EVL of 15, I believe.

 

[slvrblkk]

Oh...was this a refurb from AMFM or someone else?

 

[stoveguy2esw]

pull the top plate and the two bottom plates and see how much buildup you have there. 15 bags is a bit quick for a "plates off cleaning, should have been able to get about 10 more bags. you mentioned the ash building around the burn pot, does it look like a little "volcano" around the pot? if so this is a good thing, if the cradle was staying clean i'd think your burn pot was not sitting properly in the cradle. check the door and ash pan seals as well, the ash pan can be "finicky" if its not aligned just so it may not seal in the corners. ditto with the door seal, don't try to reef in the door handle too hard or the door will "rise up" on the handle side and break the seals on the stove face.

 

[slvrblkk]

damn Mike....do you ever rest? lol

 

[Gentcpa]

Hi.

Yes the stove is from AMFM.

The stock oak is installed.

Looks like my lv is too high. Corner installation at 300feet above sea level 3" vent 45 degree to the wall, 2 feet horizontal, 90 degree tee out, six feet vertical, 90 degree exit. So I think that comes out to 18. I should have checked the lv but assumed the standard kit with a 45 degree angle would be ok.

 

[slvrblkk]

Well, you did say it was burning good for you initially. Double check everything Mike posted and let us know how you make out. What does your flame look like, active or tall and lazy? Also....pellets....did you change things up? Definitely double check the ashpan seat as Mike said. I'm always careful with that as it needs to be lined up to seat correctly.

 

[stoveguy2esw]

damn Mike....do you ever rest? lol

all summer long my friend

 

[Gentcpa]

Hi:

Yes, volcanoes of Ash around the top of the burn pot, window ledges and on the logs. When I pulled the covers and ceramic there wasn't much Ash. Burn pot sits flat in the cradle no rocking.

I am not getting the same hard masses inside the burn pot since adjusting the air.

Thanks

Julian

 

[stoveguy2esw]

the extra combustion air will for the most part compensate for the higher EVL, but if the Op needs to run in the higher ranges it may come back to the loading in the pot. lower to mid ranges with the added air will run pretty well i suspect as long as the stove stays clean and seals are good

 

[Gentcpa]

The flame initially was tall and lazy it was up around the top of the glass. Since changing the air settings it hardly ever goes above the logs and is very tight. I was running it off on via a thermostat but switched to Hi lo in last week or so. I wish I had made note of the air settings but it was no where near 141.

Now that the burn pot isn't filling up should I bother with the volcanoes every day and just empty the Ash pan?

Thanks for the help

New to stoves in general.

Julian

 

[stoveguy2esw]

The flame initially was tall and lazy it was up around the top of the glass. Since changing the air settings it hardly ever goes above the logs and is very tight. I was running it off on via a thermostat but switched to Hi lo in last week or so. I wish I had made note of the air settings but it was no where near 141.

Now that the burn pot isn't filling up should I bother with the volcanoes every day and just empty the Ash pan?

Thanks for the help

New to stoves in general.

Julian

hi julian,

the "volcano" effect simply means the burn pot is sealing relatively well to the cradle , if its not present or if one side is constantly blown clean this means combustion air is escaping out around the pot and we would want to find the cause and deal with it. cleaning it off during routine cleanings is fine, you don't have to leave it there it will just rebuild each time

early in the fire the abundance of fuel needed to get through the start sequence produces a taller larger flame but this should settle out soon after start up if it isnt you are running too high a LFF or too low a LBA or both, or you are losing air somewhere like a door or window or ash pan leak (or you have a high EVL, describe the run of your pipe how far out then how far up then out again if applicable as well as the elbows and bends, i can do the EVL in my head and advise

 

[Gentcpa]

Ok. Thanks makes sense with regards to the air. So far we have seen temps in the low teens. Stove is keeping the main chunk of the house in high 60's on level 3. It actually was a bit warm today as the stove was idling all day but still drove the main part of the house above 72, outside temp was around freezing, thermostat is set at 68 with a 4 degree swing. House is about 2500 square feet.

I will probably just stick with the three inch pipe for the time being. I am thinking about getting another stove for the other end of the house where I can do a simple exit, I could use the 3" for that and switch to 4" for the main stove.

 

[Gentcpa]

Hi.

Thanks everyone again.

The exhaust is the stove adapter, 45 degree bend horizontal, 2 feet straight horizontal, clean out T (which gets me to vertical), six feet of vertical, and a 90 bend to horizontal with an exit vent.

I calculated that to be 18 which is too high. I am at 300feet above sea level. Money is tight for things like this right now, November has not been very kind with some expensive things required on the cars etc. So it will have wait a few weeks. Not certain how switching to 4" will effect all of the clearances either.

Thanks
Julian

 

[slvrblkk]

Can you take out any of that 6" vertical? That'll get you where you need to go but I'm guessing you have 6' there for a reason.

 

[Gentcpa]

Here is a picture of the stove after a bag of pellets, the ash pan was pretty much full as well. Seems like I will have to mail order the 4" pipe this week, as it doesn't seem to available around here. I have to run the six feet vertical for clearance reasons.

 

[slvrblkk]

Have you tried running the stove without that faux logset in there? Your ash color looks good. Get rid of that logset and give it a try.

 

[stoveguy2esw]

gawd! thats one bag? its clean ash so its burning well as far as complete combustion is concerned, check your hopper seals make sure you aren't pulling air down the feed chute which could direct the flow more towards the glass. try a burn as suggested without the log set , see if you have a "hole in your fire' right in front of the drop chute, if so the hopper may not be sealing as well as it should.

let me know what you find

 

[Gentcpa]

That is a good suggestion I just took the log out. Log seems kind of silly considering the flame is hardly ever above it.

 

[slvrblkk]

That is crazy ash....what brand did you burn?

 

[Gentcpa]

I honestly don't notice much difference between brands. I have burned mostly Cubex, some Greene Supremes and whatever I pick up from Home Depot and Lowes when I go. I haven't settled on anything in particular yet as I am not noticing much difference other than my wife didn't like the smell from one batch. The ash above is from Maines Choice but Cubex does the same thing.

The heat is good no complaints there. The flame does split around the chute, the top cover is also high on one side. I just adjusted it so it clamps down a bit tighter.