Ash build up ST Croix hastings

[woodsman23]

Had to replace mine this year, e-bay and was 155 for the entire unit, motor, fans housing just plug and play

 

[burns]

Last night I repalced the combustion fan and I am still not getting a good burn. It appears that the burn is good until the blower turns on. At that point the flame gets lazy and turns a dark orange. In addition, the glass starts to get a brown film which, if I let it continue would turn to black soot. I don't know what else to try at this point. I've lost faith in the stove guy who suggested I replace the combustion fan. Does anyone know of any one good on Long Island who might be able to figure out what is going on?

Help!

Thanks in advance!

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Burnsy is there an OAK on your stove?

I'd try opening a window a little bit and see if the flame picks up.

 

[burns]

Inferno,

What is an "OAK"? Oak like the wood?

I contacted St Croix support this morning to find that there have been similar issues with their stoves getting caked up when burning corn pellets. They believe based on the symptoms that I still have a clog somewhere. They suggested i check to make sure the area behind the inner wall is really cleaned out. What they suggested I do is check to see if I have a hole on either side of the drop chute. If so, remove the plugs and take a steel wire attached to a drill, put it through the hole until it hits the top. If the holes do not exist, I can drill them myself. Push the wire up the holes to the top and the whip the wire around to do a heavy cleaning. I am really hoping this does the trick. I'll let you know.

As a reference, take a look at the attached doc.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

OAK as in Outside Air Kit.

Your description of what happened when the convection fan kicked in is an indication of lack of air.

There are tons of possible causes for lack of air.

Just keep it in mind, your place may be the cause of the burn problem.

 

[ylomnstr]

Any updates on this? I have the same stove. On my 4th year with it. I burn about 3 tons a year. at the end of last year, the burn started getting lazy and I get the same black soot on the glass. I believe I've cleaned it as best as I can. Have not done the leaf blower trick. I've used a furnace brush to get in behind the firewall and I don't think I have anymore ash back there or in the traps. Is there anything else I can take out other than the blower fan to see if there's build up elsewhere? It's really frustrating. I depend on this stove for all of my heat, and if it's not efficient, I won't be able to rely on it. I used to be able to go a full week before really needing to clean the glass, and even then, it was just a light colored film on the glass with maybe a small dark spot in the bottom corner. Now after a few hours of burning I have dark soot, and I can tell the flame is just lazier and not as sharp and yellow as it was when I first got the stove. I have replaced the gasket on the door also and that didn't help.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

No updates from burnsy.

The St. Croix stoves have basically the same air flow paths. Some of the newer ones come with extra ash clean outs, it was very hard to get to some of the spots that collect ash.

I do believe that in addition to properly adding the clean out hole and a corresponding plug a good leaf vacuum is also effective in removing the ash.

 

[ylomnstr]

I've got the combustion fan out right now and don't see any crazy clogs in there. If there's not enough air coming in, couldn't that mean that there's a clog somewhere in the damper intake?

 

[heat seeker]

Later stoves have a cleanout door behind the ash pan. They also have two small holes on either side of the pellet drop opening. You have to remove the fake brick to get to them. Run a flexible wire snake in there and run it with a drill. The snake whipping around in there will clean that area out. Also, make sure the area directly under the burn pot is clean, and the ash shaker is closed. Remove the baffle that's above the burn chamber and make sure that area is clean. You can then look up there and see if the passages in the heat exchanger are clear. The rear of the heat exchanger tube area connects to the exhaust and must be clear. Take a flashlight and look up there. You can try running a snake down behind the wall from there, and it should connect with the ash traps down below. Pulling the tube scraper out will make that much easier, but watch your head on the handle when you come up for air!
This is what I've done on my Afton Bay; yours, I think, is similar.

 

[heat seeker]

I've got the combustion fan out right now and don't see any crazy clogs in there. If there's not enough air coming in, couldn't that mean that there's a clog somewhere in the damper intake?

Yes.The nipple for the vacuum switch (on my Afton) is on the left side, about halfway up, behind everything. So, any restriction on incoming air will hurt your airflow, but the vacuum switch will still be satisfied. Pull the burnpot and look along the large tube where the air comes in - you'll probably need a small mirror. You could try running it without the OAK hose installed to eliminate the OAK. There isn't much to the intake. Maybe some critters built a nest in there. You could try running the exhaust of a vacuum cleaner out the OAK to see if there's airflow. (Assuming you have an OAK, and the damper is open.) You could try running the vacuum's exhaust out the tube behind the burn pot to see if it comes out somewhere. (It should.)

 

[ylomnstr]

I've got the combustion fan out right now and don't see any crazy clogs in there. If there's not enough air coming in, couldn't that mean that there's a clog somewhere in the damper intake?

Yes.The nipple for the vacuum switch (on my Afton) is on the left side, about halfway up, behind everything. So, any restriction on incoming air will hurt your airflow, but the vacuum switch will still be satisfied. Pull the burnpot and look along the large tube where the air comes in - you'll probably need a small mirror. You could try running it without the OAK hose installed to eliminate the OAK. There isn't much to the intake. Maybe some critters built a nest in there. You could try running the exhaust of a vacuum cleaner out the OAK to see if there's airflow. (Assuming you have an OAK, and the damper is open.) You could try running the vacuum's exhaust out the tube behind the burn pot to see if it comes out somewhere. (It should.)

Don't think I have an OAK. I have a complete vertical exhaust. Thanks for the suggestions. I've been frustrated because when this stove was new and burned properly it was great. I hate seeing black on the glass now and having to clean it daily. I know something isn't right.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Please see https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/71282/

The ash is likely in the outgoing portion of the stove, not too far after the heat exchanger, well prior to the combustion blower.

 

[ylomnstr]

Please see https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/71282/

The ash is likely in the outgoing portion of the stove, not too far after the heat exchanger, well prior to the combustion blower.

Thanks for all the advice. I think I'm done for tonight. I found some more ash up on the sides of where the heat tubes are and got rid of that, and hopefully that will help. I don't think it will though. I've stuck stuff in every hole (that's what she said) I could see and vacuumed everything I could get to, and hopefully it will help. If not, I'm at a loss and don't know what to do next.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Please see https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/71282/

The ash is likely in the outgoing portion of the stove, not too far after the heat exchanger, well prior to the combustion blower.

Thanks for all the advice. I think I'm done for tonight. I found some more ash up on the sides of where the heat tubes are and got rid of that, and hopefully that will help. I don't think it will though. I've stuck stuff in every hole (that's what she said) I could see and vacuumed everything I could get to, and hopefully it will help. If not, I'm at a loss and don't know what to do next.

You can't stick anything into a non existent hole depending upon when your stove was made you may not have easy access to where the ash is, have you used a leaf vacuum on the stove?


ETA: https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewreply/596630/

 

[ylomnstr]

Please see https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/71282/

The ash is likely in the outgoing portion of the stove, not too far after the heat exchanger, well prior to the combustion blower.

Thanks for all the advice. I think I'm done for tonight. I found some more ash up on the sides of where the heat tubes are and got rid of that, and hopefully that will help. I don't think it will though. I've stuck stuff in every hole (that's what she said) I could see and vacuumed everything I could get to, and hopefully it will help. If not, I'm at a loss and don't know what to do next.

You can't stick anything into a non existent hole depending upon when your stove was made you may not have easy access to where the ash is, have you used a leaf vacuum on the stove?

Have not done the leaf blower trick yet. I guess that's the next step. I hate to buy a leaf blower just for this, but I guess I may have no choice. Will an electric toro from home depot work for a vertical run about 18 feet tall?

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Yes an electric leaf blower (MUST HAVE SUCTION ability) will work, make certain you get a good seal. If you haven't seen the air flow diagram take a look at the link I posted.

 

[burns]

Sorry for the late reply on this, ylomnstr. I did finally figure out what was causing the bad burns. It was not the combustion fan so I now have an extra one for future use. There was ash build up in an area I was not aware of. Try this... remove the plate behind the ash bin.....there are two screws. This compartment leads to the combustion fan and exhaust chamber. Vacuum this area out. At the top right after the opening there is an area I did not realize was there but I discovered it is where the exhaust comes from. Clean out this area with a brush and vacuum. Hopefully that'll do it.
Good luck. Burnsy

 

[ylomnstr]

Sorry for the late reply on this, ylomnstr. I did finally figure out what was causing the bad burns. It was not the combustion fan so I now have an extra one for future use. There was ash build up in an area I was not aware of. Try this... remove the plate behind the ash bin.....there are two screws. This compartment leads to the combustion fan and exhaust chamber. Vacuum this area out. At the top right after the opening there is an area I did not realize was there but I discovered it is where the exhaust comes from. Clean out this area with a brush and vacuum. Hopefully that'll do it.
Good luck. Burnsy

Thanks burnsy. I think you have a newer model as mine does not have the 3rd ash trap behind the ash bin. I actually bought a leaf blower yesterday at home depot so I'm going to try that trick tomorrow morning. I hope this does it.

 

[krooser]

Make sure the clean out rod that works in the burn pot is always pushed in all the way... and be certain that your ash pan is tight... any of these items will cause a bad burn...

You have a dirt stove... that leafblower should tidythings up and get you going again...