Ashley AP5660L -- Original Burn Pot - Gasket Section Failed

[CladMaster]

Some of you may know that the original burn pot that came with my stove warped after just 3 / 4 weeks of use, I had a replacement sent under warranty from US Stove after informing them of the issue.

I wanted to keep the replacement as a backup and continued to use the one that came with the stove, I straightened the pot up as much as I could to make it usable in the meantime.

Well last week the pot finally took a dive on the outer brim / lip where the gasket sits, it disintegrated around the left and right sides and the rear side that sits close to the brick panel. The brim / lip seemed to flake away after every burn, thin flakes would fall off when the pot cooled down and cleaned.

The rest of the pot was in a serviceable condition, all that it needed was a new brim / lip welded to the pot.
Over the last 4 days I did some tests with different options, here are the results.



(Pictures -- above and below) Here are the two pots, the one on the left is the replacement that I got, the one on the right is the one I had repaired.



Below -- The repaired pot bottom view with new brim / lip.



Below -- Back edge of the burn pot.



Below -- Front of burn pot.



Below -- Gasket installed on the bottom of the pot to stop air leaks when placed in the cradle.





Below is the burn pot cradle.






Burn pot sitting in cradle (above and below).



The repaired pot seems to be holding up well. As for the original pot, it has some flaws and needs to be addressed by US Stove.

I'll report back here with an update over the next week or two with info on how the repaired pot is holding up.

 

[CladMaster]

Fire in the pot....

 

[Gavin641774]

Thanks for the input clad as I am too on my second burnpot that has warped a little over 3 weeks,next I was going out to my favorite fabrication shop and have them make me one for 50.00,might be able to get along yet this year,but don't know.Wonder what Owen on here would have to say about this?

 

[Lake Girl]

Looking forward to hearing your updates on wear & tear of the refurb burnpot. Do you know what metal was used on the original?

 

[CladMaster]

Looking forward to hearing your updates on wear & tear of the refurb burnpot. Do you know what metal was used on the original?

Mild thin steel.

 

[titanracer]

Your first pot must have been a defect or something. I have the same stove, been burning since end of October & my burn pot did not do this.

 

[SidecarFlip]

I'd be soaking that pot in a bucket of warm water for an hour or so and removing the hard carbonj with a putty knife. Thats the largest buildup of hard carbon I've seen in a while...............

In your first post. btw.

 

[LordmetalZ28]

your first pot must have been a defect or something. I have the same stove, been burning since end of October & my burn pot did not do this.

Im on my second ap5660 burn pot also. This new one Is warping as well

 

[titanracer]

Are you guys running on like setting 5 or something, for long periods of time, which is building tons of heat to warp your pots. I have never had to run higher than setting 3. Tons of heat comes from this stove for me, never had a reason to go higher than 3. That's just crazy to be going thru burn pots like that.

 

[LordmetalZ28]

Are you guys running on like setting 5 or something, for long periods of time, which is building tons of heat to warp your pots. I have never had to run higher than setting 3. Tons of heat comes from this stove for me, never had a reason to go higher than 3. That's just crazy to be going thru burn pots like that.

The highest Ive ever run has been 4. Most of this stoves life has been on setting 1

 

[lagger]

Are you guys running on like setting 5 or something, for long periods of time, which is building tons of heat to warp your pots. I have never had to run higher than setting 3. Tons of heat comes from this stove for me, never had a reason to go higher than 3. That's just crazy to be going thru burn pots like that.

I would think the pot should be designed to stay intact throughout the burn settings the stove is designed for. This is a Mauf. defect and should be rectified by same

 

[CladMaster]

Your first pot must have been a defect or something. I have the same stove, been burning since end of October & my burn pot did not do this.

My replacement pot is doing the same thing, and it does not matter what heat setting I have mine on, it does it with all heat settings (warp the pot and metal flaking).

I'd be soaking that pot in a bucket of warm water for an hour or so and removing the hard carbonj with a putty knife. Thats the largest buildup of hard carbon I've seen in a while...............

In your first post. btw.

That's really not that much carbon, it's just a thin film of it, about the thickness of tracing paper.

I would think the pot should be designed to stay intact throughout the burn settings the stove is designed for. This is a Mauf. defect and should be rectified by same

I agree, and hope that US Stove takes note of this post to get it fixed as I am not the only one that has this problem with burn pots failing after just a few weeks / months.

 

[titanracer]

Just curious, those of you with warping burn pots, are you burning hardwoods or softwoods. Just wondering if there is a connection there. Like I said, I've had mine now starting on 5 months of burning & no issues with warping or flaking of any burn pot. Now I have only been burning hardwood pellets, Hamer's and Somerset's. I do know softwood pellets burn hotter, could that be an issue. I do have a ton of Blazer softwoods in garage, that I have not yet started using. If there is a relationship between hardwoods or softwoods, I'm about to find out, because I'm just about done with all my hardwoods. Who now's, maybe some stove's burn pot were made earlier in the production from US steel, ( and I have one of those) and maybe now they are using some cheap China steel or something. Just saying, something is causing this issue that I have not experienced yet and hope not to. If softwoods verses hardwoods is maybe a issue, I would like to know before I start on my softwoods.

 

[LordmetalZ28]

Just curious, those of you with warping burn pots, are you burning hardwoods or softwoods. Just wondering if there is a connection there. Like I said, I've had mine now starting on 5 months of burning & no issues with warping or flaking of any burn pot. Now I have only been burning hardwood pellets, Hamer's and Somerset's. I do know softwood pellets burn hotter, could that be an issue. I do have a ton of Blazer softwoods in garage, that I have not yet started using. If there is a relationship between hardwoods or softwoods, I'm about to find out, because I'm just about done with all my hardwoods. Who now's, maybe some stove's burn pot were made earlier in the production from US steel, ( and I have one of those) and maybe now they are using some cheap China steel or something. Just saying, something is causing this issue that I have not experienced yet and hope not to. If softwoods verses hardwoods is maybe a issue, I would like to know before I start on my softwoods.

Mine was warped before my first ton of green supreme hard soft wood blend was burned up. Second one warped with a mixture of some soft and some hardwoods. I dont think that mattered In my case

 

[CladMaster]

My pot(s) warped using Maine's Choice and MWP, both hardwood pellets.

I've used softwoods too with the same results.

It does not matter which I have burned, the pot warps and flakes in places. The warpage is mostly on the back edge of the pot (the side closest to the brick panel), the flaking is on the metal that holds the gasket that is meant to stop air leaks when the pot is in the cradle.

 

[titanracer]

Well, think I may have been snake bitten and just the beginning to my stove burn pot issues. I'm going to refer back to a question I already previous ask, do you think there warping because of burning softwood pellets. I going to explain here. I been burning since end of October, beginning of November, using nothing but hardwoods and had not have to run above setting 2, except on 1 or 2 times. I have not seen or had any burn pot issues, because I would have seen it with the amount of cleaning I do. Well, last evening I cleaned the stove, which I do about every day, 2 at the latest, and thru in a bag of AWF's white pine softwoods & adjusted stove to setting 3, due to it was in the single digits and very windy. Well I cleaned the stove about 1 hour ago after burning them, and what I always done, after burning a new pellet. There's 2 reasons I do this, 1, I like to start with a clean stove with a new pellet, to get a good idea on how they burn, and clean it after a day to kind of read the stove on how things burnt. 2nd, I'm anal, I believe a clean stove, is a happy stove and will burn it's most efficient and give you the most possible heat, if well cleaned. Anyhow, I lifted the burn pot out and the whole back of it on top of the round lip area, where the ash would lay when falling over back edge of burn pot, down between pot a back brick fire wall panel, the top layer of metal has flaked off and the bare steel underneath was exposed. The metal underneath was a weird aqua bluish color (cheap steel). Well, I think I have now been bitten and expect nothing but problems from here on. My conclusion is EXTREME heat that has cause this. Softwood pellets do indeed burn hotter then hardwood pellets and with me putting these in and cranking her up a notch, has caused this to happen. I see a new pot, in the near future coming.

 

[3650]

It would really help to know exactly what kind of steel they are making their pots out of. Different types behave in different fashion when submitted to heat cool cycles. You could try to "normalize" your pot. Maybe google for instructions. Maybe put it in your oven at 500* for about an hour and slowly bring it down to room temp. That might help relieve the stress that the pot is under. That stress may have been introduced during the weld repair.

 

[titanracer]

Another thought, is this issue also showing up in the model AP5660, this would be the basic same stove with the pedal stool base on it or is this just happening in the model AP5660L with the legs. Anybody out there with the standard AP5660 pedal stool base, having issues.

 

[Gavin641774]

It's the quality of the metal the pot is made of,I'm on my second one and have only had my stove on three at the highest,doesn't do any good to season them as I've already done that too.shouldn't matter what kind of pellets you burn softwoods or hardwoods the pot is just cheap metal.

 

[Gavin641774]

As with everyone else on here the pot warps in the same spot,listen to clad as he has tried to remedy the issue many times.

 

[LordmetalZ28]

I had two pots warp way before I ran my awf white pines

 

[LordmetalZ28]

Where is owen on this? Id be intrested in a remedy

 

[Gavin641774]

Lordmetal I was going to say that but I didn't, just like the last conversation on a 5660 issue can't quite remember what it was now .

 

[LordmetalZ28]

I messaged him hopefully he has some good insight

 

[CladMaster]

US Stove has taken note of my problems, they have requested a tech (under warranty) come and look my stove over to see what's going on for it to burn up two pots since Nov 2014.

I've used hardwoods and softwoods in my stove, both warp the pot(s) and both pot(s) glow red when on heat settings 3 - 5.

I am waiting for some parts to arrive here from US Stove so that the tech can do his job, once I get the parts I'll be calling the tech to arrange for him to visit, I hope late next week if all goes to plan.