Austroflamm Integra II-diminishing return

[Frank Nuhfer]

Earlier this season, I completely cleaned my pellet stove from the chimney down. When I fired it off, the thermometer showed 400 degrees at 5%, which was great. Over a period of about 2 months, the temperature has slowly dropped and dropped. Today it is reading just 290 which is a drop of over 110 degrees. Does it need cleaned again or could it be it's colder now or could it be the pellets? Just curious.

 

[Flammam]

Clean your stove thoroughly. My stove does the same thing once it starts getting ashey in the internal parts.

 

[pinetop12]

Frank,
Where and how do you take your readings ? I use a Infrared Temperature Gun Thermometer w Laser Sight and point the laser at the same spot ( the middle hex bolt on the bottom plate ) from about 4 feet away. I try to have the stove set at consistent percentage settings 20,30 40 and 50 . then jot down the readings for different pellets types. Nothing to serious, Just a reference book to compare how pellets performed on the stove. The information allows me to have an opinion of what pellets I will buy next season ... Lacretes

 

[Frank Nuhfer]

Frank,
Where and how do you take your readings ? I use a Infrared Temperature Gun Thermometer w Laser Sight and point the laser at the same spot ( the middle hex bolt on the bottom plate ) from about 4 feet away. I try to have the stove set at consistent percentage settings 20,30 40 and 50 . then jot down the readings for different pellets types. Nothing to serious, Just a reference book to compare how pellets performed on the stove. The information allows me to have an opinion of what pellets I will buy next season ... Lacretes

Unfortunately, I am not nearly as 21st century as you. I use a mechanical True Value round magnetic gauge that attaches to the exhaust grill. I can set my stove from 5% to 100%, although I have only turned it up above 20% once or twice. I usually leave it on 5% as I guess I am too cheap to burn too many pellets. But last year, the auger motor quit, and I finally got a new one installed and during the time I had it apart, I throughly cleaned it. What was interesting was when I started it for the first time after the cleaning, it read 400 ° F on my round cheap gauge. About a month later it was close to 300° F and yesterday when I glanced at it, it was reading about 290°F and so something changed. I am using the same pellets but from different lots. The weather is colder and my stove chimney may be not as free flowing as right after the cleaning. I just thought it strange that it would lose that much efficiency in say 2 months. I'm not about to climb up on my roof to clean the chimney, so it will have to wait until spring.

 

[Mt Bob]

If you are burning it that low,without turning it up once or twice a day,you are slowly plugging up stove.Clean cycle can only do so much.Your manual says to remove inner plates once a month.

 

[pinetop12]

Bob,
What percentage do you feel the stove should be turned up to several times each day? Burning at 30 - 40 percent is enough for our house most days. When the temps go below 0 Fahrenheit // 50 % may be required. Should we run the stove at or near 100 % each day and how long do you recommend ?

I have the stove on a thermostat as the temps warm up I am planning on experimenting and leave the stove at 40 % and letting it reach temperature and shutting down and turning back on. I've set the temp high on the stat to keep the stove running . Have been leery as to how efficient it is to shut the stove off and on a lot during a day Any opinion ?

Thanks

 

[Mt Bob]

If I burn anything less than 50%,I turn stove up 2 times a day 3/4 0r full,for 1/2 hr to 1 hr.Have to clean stove and pipe much less.Running these older designs at low settings can make them dirty fast,but I have run mine all the way on low for 8 hrs,then ran on high for 1 hr,was ok but did reduce overall heat,so now I never run on low more than 4 hrs,works much better.Even thought you have a computor system,the inside of stove is old style.

 

[pinetop12]

Bob,
Thanks for the reply. I'll likely use the stove the same manner, 20 -40 % settings but may crank it it once or twice a day from now on. I've never really done that.

Frank,
I held off responding because I have a similar mechanical magnetic gage . I dug it out and placed it on the grill above the door which is sending warm air from the convection fan. I believe this is the same place you have your gage ? Anyway, this is what I am getting for a reading.. with the gage .. 345 F with the stove set on 40% Inside the heat chamber , the reading with inferred laser is 390 F /// The reading ( inside the stove ) is consistent with the pellet ( Crabbe ) I am using now . I' ;ve gotten higher readings with different pellets notably Lacretes ( <<< Best pellet), Pres To Logs and Fire Side Ultras, with Maine Wood Pellet softies getting an honorable mention for burning clean with decent heat.
I'll have to try to notice if the readings with mechanical gage change after weekly cleaning behind the plates and inside the burning chamber. I clean the pot and try daily.

 

[Mt Bob]

I guess I have had it too long,I can look at flame,feel air coming out and tell.Also,as these use tangential blowers for convection,they are very sensitive to dust,dirt.Cleaning blower can raise room temp. quite a bit.

 

[pinetop12]

Bob
You telling me i have a dirty convection blower ? . Do you feel the convection fan should be taken out and cleaned several times each heating season? Possibly more ? I did a deep clean at 1.5 tons, but admit the convection fan stumped me . I did not take it out after realizing how difficult that would be due to wiring. setup . I saw a post here recommending splicing the wires with quick disconnect pairs. . After the heating season I will make this change so the fan can be removed easier.

Thanks

 

[Mt Bob]

Just offering suggestions.Blower should be cleaned min. once a year,more often in dirty conditions.These are slow speed compared to some types,so dirt greatly affects them,which affects removing heat from exchanger.

 

[Frank Nuhfer]

If I burn anything less than 50%,I turn stove up 2 times a day 3/4 0r full,for 1/2 hr to 1 hr.Have to clean stove and pipe much less.Running these older designs at low settings can make them dirty fast,but I have run mine all the way on low for 8 hrs,then ran on high for 1 hr,was ok but did reduce overall heat,so now I never run on low more than 4 hrs,works much better.Even thought you have a computor system,the inside of stove is old style.

Bob, thanks for the insight, and since I am basically a 5% guy 24/7, where might my problem most likely be? I am now reluctant to turn it up for fear of a chimney fire. Should I worry about soot in the chimney liner, or concentrate on the combustion blower motor southward, meaning from the blower behind the stove, the tubes behind the cast iron plates etc. I can't get to the clean out plate on the right side of the stove as I look at it, nor can I access the combustion motor on the left side as I look at it, on my insert w/o pulling it out of the firebox. I definitely don't want to walk on the snow covered roof to clean out the chimney liner. Another way of asking is do you think if I turned up my stove to say 20-30%, will it clean itself somewhat, or will it just overload it with more stuff?

 

[Mt Bob]

Welcome to why I do not like the older inserts,hard to service.Pull firebox plates,vacuum really well,check holes behind heat exchanger tubes.Blow compressed air into the holes while combustion fan is on(should be able to turn stove on then off and blower will run for 10 minutes) this may get you buy for a while.If no compressed air,tape a small hose on pressure side of vacuum.Yes will make mess,but short of pulling unit about all you can try.If you see nothing wet or runny behind plates,after done run on high.

 

[pinetop12]

Did my weekly cleaning today. Which involves taking the plates off , vacuum and brushing everywhere I can .. Plus brushing between the heat exchange tubes including making sure I poke through the 4 rectangle primary air passage cutouts into the exhaust chamber/manifold .
I kept the magnetic gage on the grill above the door and have taken readings with the inferred laser.. With the stove clean and set at 30 % I am getting higher readings from the magnetic gage 420 F . Inside the burning chamber using the laser , readings are about the same. 370 F . Earlier I ran the stove at 70% for about an hour and got high 500's F for both readings..
The stove is cleaned once a week . Plus vacuum the trey and pot everyday. I'll have to notice if I lose a little efficiency each day as the ash coats the heat exchange area. Interesting. Glad you guys brought up suggestions.