A sick Enviro Fire EF3

[Avalancheman]

Gentleman,
I am a long time lurker of the form and this is my first posting. I have an Enviro Fire EF3 that 13 years old. Each year I do a thorough cleaning by brushing the vent pipe then using the leaf blower trick after the flue brush. I also have a clean out tee at the back of the stove that removed and cleaned as well. For the past several years and this year too I have burned Somerset pellets at the rate of two tons per season. I have noticed the pellets this year seem to have more ash than past years.

The problem I am have this year is the heat exchanger tubes are getting coated in creosote. So much so that I have broken off the rod to the heat exchanger scraper. This has been a reoccurring problem this season. This past weekend I cleaned out the flue again using the brush and the leaf blower. I have only burned about a ½ ton so far this season as it’s been rather warm in southwest Missouri. The flue pipe was extremely dirty and the flue cap had a black creosote coating. At the start of this season I replace the door gasket to insure a good seal. The other problem that has developed this season is the stove will go out. I run the stove at the 12 o’clock position and at times it will just go out. Pellets will be unburned in the fire pot. Also to the right side of the fire pot will be a bunch of under burned pellets. The odd thing it you push the igniter switch and the old thing fires right back up.

The only I have ever replaced on this stove is the burn pot and exhaust blower. The blower was getting very loud with age. Replaced the exhaust limit switch because I got it so hot trying to burn off the creosote off the exchanger tubes. And repaired the heat exchanger scraper rod that I broke. This stove has truly been a work horse with minor problems.

I have attached three photos. One is of the tubes, the other is of the inside of the stove and the burn pot. The last time I cleaned the stove was Sunday afternoon.

Thanks in advance for the input.

 

[imacman]

Evidently you're missing something internal. I hope that what you mean by cleaning "each year" doesn't mean that the stove internally and exhaust pipe only get cleaned once a year....every 2 tons is too long, IMO. A complete cleaning after EACH TON is pretty standard. Unburnt pellets in the pot is usually a good indicator of a dirty stove. The creosote is another indicator.

You need to disassemble the stove....ash traps opened, comb. blower removed, etc, etc, and everything cleaned.

Those heat exchanger tubes need to be cleaned too....you HAVE to be able to use the scraper.

If the back "firebrick" wall is removable, take that out as well....if the real back wall is steel, give it a bunch of good hard smacks with a mallet or small hammer to dislodge any hidden ash that can be vacuumed out.

Once the comb. blower is out, you need to (obviously) clean all the vanes with a wirebrush and scraper, and then get into the exhaust chamber behind where the blower was and scrape/brush/vac that as well. Spraying the cleaned vanes and exposed motor surfaces with either spray graphite or dry moly will help the ash from sticking.

AFTER all the above is done, AND after the exhaust pipe has been brushed, THEN use the leaf blower.

 

[Avalancheman]

Thanks for the reply. I have done all of that except pull out the metal brick liner. While I have the motors out I usually put a few drops of 3 in 1 oil on the ends. The convection blower always gets oil on the two oil holes for the bearings. In 13 years of use this years has been the worst year for the creosote. The stoves seems to get dirty fast and I have noticed the difference from one bag or pellets to the next.

 

[imacman]

Creosote only forms in a stove that's not getting enough burn air to get temps high enough. Or maybe you only burn on low? If so, run the stove on high heat for a couple of hours.

 

[chamas]

If the EF3 structure is anything like the EF2, you have to remove the steel firebrick liner, and the three firebox rear/side panels in order to clean out the passageways behind them. To do that you remove the two horizontal rods (upper and lower) holding them in place. You can see the securing screw for the lower one in your photo of the burnpot, there just above the center of the burnpot. There is similar one up top. That whole labyrinth back there (part of the exhaust passageway) can get really socked in with ash and not allow a good flow of air.

Didn't see in your description where you had done this.

 

[wwert]

The screws in the picture hold the phony metal firebrick in place. Behind it should be 3 steel panels that need to be removed to get to the dirt. Dont be afraid to pound on it with a rubber mallet to loosen up the crap. There may also be cleanouts on each end of the firebox if it is like the EF4. They are on the outside behind the metal shroud. A small bottle type brush can be used to clean the passage top and bottom.

 

[Avalancheman]

I think the difference between the EF2 and the EF3 is mine has two cleaning port covers that are on each side of the fire box. The round covers are held in place with a 5/16 hex head screw. I open these and clean them out every other cleaning. After we get past this cold snap this week I will pull the inter liners and clean behind it.

Just out of curiosity how long will one of these stoves last?