Black sooty glass and lazy flame P68a

[jonw440]

This is out 2nd P series stove. The first was a 2004 P61a. We updated to the P68a in 2014.
We have never had the soot problem until this season. The only to things we changed is the door gaskets and the auger motor.

Before first burn of this season, we removed the stove outside. I cleaned the vent pipe,chimney thimble (were stove pipe passes through wall into out mason chimney). Cleaned the stove completely,esp probe,pellet fines sawdust door!! We also installed a new auger motor and replaced BOTH door gaskets with 3/8 rope.
The problem we have is excessive black soot.
Both doors are very tight I am wondering if I need to turn the air flow voltage screw a little bit.
I dont have the required test equipment but am wondering if I can just turn the adjusting screw clockwise until the stove runs without the lazy flames and black soot.

 

[Whitenuckler]

This is out 2nd P series stove. The first was a 2004 P61a. We updated to the P68a in 2014.
We have never had the soot problem until this season. The only to things we changed is the door gaskets and the auger motor.

Before first burn of this season, we removed the stove outside. I cleaned the vent pipe,chimney thimble (were stove pipe passes through wall into out mason chimney). Cleaned the stove completely,esp probe,pellet fines sawdust door!! We also installed a new auger motor and replaced BOTH door gaskets with 3/8 rope.
The problem we have is excessive black soot.
Both doors are very tight I am wondering if I need to turn the air flow voltage screw a little bit.
I dont have the required test equipment but am wondering if I can just turn the adjusting screw clockwise until the stove runs without the lazy flames and black soot.

The tighter the better for both door seals...it could be that they are not tight? That was the only major change. You can measure the vacuum with a clear hose, or you can turn the adjustment pot up and watch the flame. If you have outside air check it all and the flapper valve regardless

 

[ARC]

Recheck the fines dust door

 

[jonw440]

I cleaned the exhaust probe and cleaned out the fines compartment. I am not 100 % sure the fines door was properly installed after the first cleaning, it is now though. I am checking a few more things before I try it again. I will leave the air flow adjustment as it is and has been to see if the fines door was the problem. If that didn't fix the lazy burn then I will adjust it.
We have only burned two bags of New England hardwood pellets so far and the black sooty almost oily residue in the stove was insane!
We have always burned this brand of pellets in the past and never had any issues.
Will check back.

 

[jonw440]

Update:
There was still a bunch of black soot on the glass after an hour. I called our dealer and they recommended cleaning out the "air wash tube". You have to remove the three screws that hold the "flapper intake" and vacuum out the tube that runs from the flapper intake to the air wash for the glass. (If you look inside of the stove on a P-series 61 or 68 at least its the tube running on the left side between the burn pot and the front of the stove.)
Just a thought it collects dust and dog hair....... We have owned German shepherds since 2009.
As for the lazy flame, I think its better after re installing the fines door.

 

[Whitenuckler]

Update:
There was still a bunch of black soot on the glass after an hour. I called our dealer and they recommended cleaning out the "air wash tube". You have to remove the three screws that hold the "flapper intake" and vacuum out the tube that runs from the flapper intake to the air wash for the glass. (If you look inside of the stove on a P-series 61 or 68 at least its the tube running on the left side between the burn pot and the front of the stove.)
Just a thought it collects dust and dog hair....... We have owned German shepherds since 2009.
As for the lazy flame, I think its better after re installing the fines door.

Thanks for the update. To be honest, that it the first I've heard of this air wash tube. I am pretty new to these stoves, but I had read many posts ect. I try to vacuum a bit where the door bottom sits, but that's it. I have not been in back where my OAK inch hooks up.Hopefully sucking in the front slots helps. I have no pets and it's all VP flooring down there so I just have your standard dust. With my OAK also I don't suck the combustion air from inside, it's all fresh air from outside.
re lazy flame - yes that is a sign of not enough air - the flame should be quite active

 

[mtnbiker727]

Did you use the dollar bill test on the door?

 

[Washed-Up]

When I’ve cleaned my air wash tube, I’ve used frog tape and taped it all except an area about the size of the shop vac slotted nozzle and that worked. Another thing to check with a lazy flame is how clean and free your combustion motor is turning, it doesn’t take much crud build up to slow them down, check the impeller blade in the fire box to make sure it spins freely

 

[bogieb]

Another thing to check is the hopper lid. Lift it up, check to make sure no small pieces are in there, then close it tightly. Although when that happened to me, it just left a heavy brown across the top 1/2 of the glass (pet sitter forgot to push the lid until it latched - looked closed, but wasn't).