Ash buildup in Seton w130

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maddscot

New Member
Hearth Supporter
Nov 10, 2008
20
Chester Vermont
I have a Seton w130 boiler with a 40 gallon water storage. I bought it last fall from Fred and this is my second winter with it. I have a huge build up of ash. Approx every 2 weeks I have to let it go out to remove the ashes because they are higher than the air intake. And that's with me pulling the ashes away from the inlets every time I load wood. I have a metal insert in a brick chimney but its not insulated. I also do not have a draft inducer. I was told by Fred last year that it was probably because I was using split wood since I had already cut my wood for my old wood furnace. This year tho I have unsplit logs and I'm still having the same problem. I hope someone can help as its a pain to have to keep letting the water temp drop so I can get in there to move the ashes.
 
Hello, I have a seton 90 and i have to clean my ashes about one a week, or the intake holes will be completly blocked. It's not that bad to do with a steel bucket a pair of welding gloves and a long skinny shovel. I push the hot coals to one side to get the ashes below.
Fred said i would ONLY HAVE CLEAN THE ASHES ONCE A SEASON!!!! (he got his money from me) :bug:
Anything to make a SALE.
 
gundog24 said:
Hello, I have a seton 90 and i have to clean my ashes about one a week, or the intake holes will be completly blocked. It's not that bad to do with a steel bucket a pair of welding gloves and a long skinny shovel. I push the hot coals to one side to get the ashes below.
Fred said i would ONLY HAVE CLEAN THE ASHES ONCE A SEASON!!!! (he got his money from me) :bug:
Anything to make a SALE.
does your boiler come on and run hard for any length of time? my father inlaw cleans his out twice a year. altough he burns pine mostly.
 
Not sure of the cycling times, I know when it's real cold outside and the house is calling for heat the seton will run its best. I burn mainly oak, maple, burtch.
The ashes that i remove from the boiler is like a fine powder.
 
The first year with my GreenWood I had similar problems. Here are some thoughts which may help:

1)Do NOT let the fire go out to remove ash. When the refractory cools you introduce more thermal shock.

2)Do not OVERLOAD the unit, especially with WET wood. Overloading (trying to get a 12 hour burn) will cause a deep coal bed. If you then add more wood, this will cause build up. Let the coal bed burn down, even if the water drops to say 140.

3) When removing ash. let the coals burn down as far as you can, move the few remaining coals to one spot - I like to carefully rake them to the front of the box -then dig out any ash that remains under the air inlet holes. I use a long handled snow shovel (the handle only last one season or less). Then carefully push the coals back under the air inlets. Next remove any remaining ash from the front of the box.

4)Do not remove 'red' ash. if the ash glows when you rake it, it will still produce heat and will burn down further.

5)If you burn wet wood or garbage, the ash will tend to be in clumps.
 
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