Yesterday I started my Big-E and today it had a LOT of build up in the bottom of the burn pot. I stir it twice a day and am wondering what might cause this to happen. Am burning Lignetic pellets.
Big-E question
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Could be poor pellets, poor air flow (damper setting, dirty exhuast fan, partial restrcition in exhaust pipe, plugged burn pot holes).
I get build up all the time , I think its a combo of me not stiring the burn pot and other things. Some times I get no build up some time I do . I have only burnt 2 kind of pellets Hammers, and some other kind that I can't remember the name. And got the same results. I have heard that the build up is from constant heating and reheating the ash , but I'm no expert. But I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. So I got that going for me.
Seems to me that right now, burning on low, or pilot, or idle, gonna build a lot of crap. Be cold soon, you'll be crankin', she'll clean herself up.
I've burnt only the one brand of pellets but I'm getting what you are. Sometimes I have hardly anything in the bottom of the burn pot and sometimes I get a bunch of buildup. Sounds like it's SOP. And it's a new install that has only been burnt a couple of weeks. I'll just keep cleaning the burn pot.buildingmaint said:
Question along the same line here on a Big E. I'm the fool that bought the Maine pellets and if I run it unstirred I end up having to just dump the burn pot and basically start the fire all over again. How much should I be stirring the pot and how often to try and cut down on getting it backed up??
One thing I am looking forward to is since the maine pellets create so much ash I"ll probably crank up the leaf blower a couple times this winter. I'll try and get some pics when I do (especially of the no longer nice white snow)
Thanks for the help - including the really unique ones.
One thing I am looking forward to is since the maine pellets create so much ash I"ll probably crank up the leaf blower a couple times this winter. I'll try and get some pics when I do (especially of the no longer nice white snow)
Thanks for the help - including the really unique ones.
STallau said:
Two seasons ago I was getting a back-up in my firepot (God that hurts).... anyway I found I didn't have the "shaker" rod pushed in all the way...had a really lazy flame and lots of soot. After I figured out that the rod should be in all the way the flame picked up and I no longer had that back-up...
STallau said:
I clean my stove once a week , dump ash , wet dry vac out the burn chamber. Once a month I clean the fans , exhaust pipe, and blow out the burn chamber with compressed air, then vac out the mess. My stove works wayyyyyy better now that I'm on that schedule. OHHHH and by the way , remember to clean out behind the two little doors in the burn chamber.
I have only burned to types of pellets in mine since i got it at the end of last season. Fireside ultras would fill the pot and choke out the fire with in hours , this year I have spruce pointes snd have been burning for two weeks now, I haven't had any build up in the pot at all, nothing, zilch, nada.. have been burning it in the same manner heat setting 2 or 3 with damper pulled about 3/4" out. I disliked the firesides in both stoves due to high ash but they were worse in the big E. conversly the spruce points are much ashier in the englander????? I would have said its the pellets but due to the drastic differance in ash between my two stoves I would think its probably and air flow issue. I haven't tinkered with the englander's settings to much yet to adjust it but I'm sure I could improve the burn if I took the time.
Also do you have an OAK hooked up? that is the one differance in my big e between this year and last, I hooked one up this year, I always had one on the englander...
Also do you have an OAK hooked up? that is the one differance in my big e between this year and last, I hooked one up this year, I always had one on the englander...
Thanks for the help. I found cleaning behind those little doors made quite a difference last year - by the time I found them the ash was about 2" deep so that helped quite a bit.
Master of Fire - By the shaker bar do you mean the bar to clean off the heater tubes? Other than that I'm not sure what else to check
I've found it to be the happiest right now by having the damper pulled out as far as where the threads for the knob end on setting 2. It hasn't been cold enough to try three yet but I imagine I'll try open the damper more and with these pellets I'll probably empty it in the AM and the PM
For now I'm just starting a list of those not recommended and those recommended for when I go hunting in the spring.
Master of Fire - By the shaker bar do you mean the bar to clean off the heater tubes? Other than that I'm not sure what else to check
I've found it to be the happiest right now by having the damper pulled out as far as where the threads for the knob end on setting 2. It hasn't been cold enough to try three yet but I imagine I'll try open the damper more and with these pellets I'll probably empty it in the AM and the PM
For now I'm just starting a list of those not recommended and those recommended for when I go hunting in the spring.
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