Black walls and Glass Everyday Enviro Evolution.

[mbella1026]

I have an Enviro Evolution (EF5) and I think I take good care of it. I am getting black walls and glass after about a day. It still blows very hot but i feel like it needs to be cleaned everyday. I take out the brick liner and clean behind it every month or so. I have the damper all the way open. I changed the ash door gasket a few days ago and the front door gasket is only about 2 years old. I cleaned the vent about 3 weeks ago and I just replaced the convection blower this fall. I am going to take out the combustion blower and give that a good cleaning this weekend. What am I missing?

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Why is the damper wide open?

When was the last time you cleaned all of the stove including the venting in the same cleaning session?

Please list in detail all of the parts, lengths, diameters, and orientation of the items in your vent system.

Where in the house is the stove located (floor)?

Are you using outdoor air?

 

[mbella1026]

Opened the damper to try to increase air flow. Cleaned everything including vent about 3 weeks ago all at once. Stove Is in the kitchen because of central location. Not using outdoor air. Vent goes straight out the wall. About 2 feet in length. I have never cleaned the exhaust blower and I don't know if the previous owner ever did.

 

[Lake Girl]

How long have you had the stove?

Will let Smokey grumble some more...

Edit: In case you don't have the manual ...
http://enviro.com/custom_content/do...tion Evolution EF5 Domestic Owners Manual.pdf

 

[SidecarFlip]

How long have you had the stove?

Will let Smokey grumble some more...

 

[mbella1026]

How long have you had the stove?

Will let Smokey grumble some more...

Its about 7 years old. My in-laws put it in and I inherited it.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

I'm not going to grumble, way too cold for that, I'm apt to do a bit of preaching in a rather low growl however.

That stove needs at the very least a set of gaskets, the application of a high airflow device, one he double l of a load of elbow grease followed by more high airflow device use.

That poor combustion blower is going to be one place that you will need a gasket for and you are going to clean the blower, the cavity it is in and from there all the way out past the vent termination, and back all the way to the back end of the firebox, and then after removing the ash clean outs you are going to clean behind that firebox wall using a brush, maybe a hose attached to a shop vac, and thumping on the firebox wall, then some more vacuum, and more thumping repeat, then you need to locate a brass bore brush or other such stiff brush and get that heat exchanger all cleaned out (the exhaust flows around and through it so it piles up there a lot) and to the left and right sides up top (we are following the exhaust air flow ) which if that stove is like most goes down the back of the fire box wall and at the bottom of what passes for ash traps, combines and exits to the combustion blower cavity) . You are going to get crud down back of things doing that so the use of a high air flow device will be used a bit later.

Now cleaning the blower means the fan that moves the air (needs sharp edges so brush work (a small brass brush or putty knife helps)) is called for (be careful because that fan is apt to be a bit brittle). After the blades are done the area between the fan and the motor mount plate needs to be scarped out do this holding the unit fan down to avoid ashing up the motor shaft. There is also a cooling fan that needs the dust bunnies and the tiger that is hiding in the motor case blown or vacuumed out.

The convection blower needs the same treatment using a soft brush.

Once you have done that locate the vacuum switch remove the tubing from it and blow towards the stove to make certain the path is clear.

Now you can put the blowers back on. and while putting the combustion blower back on (this where you'll need the gasket) odds of getting the existing one off without tearing it a very low. You need to check the damper to make certain that ash is not interfering with it, that it is in whatever channel it is supposed to be in and that any device that allows you to set it is still properly attached.

You should never need the damper fully open it is a dead giveaway that the stove is dirty.

Now you need that wonderful high air flow device because you are going to connect it to the end of the vent and apply a lot of suction. This will get the left over ash that you loosened up but didn't get with the puny shop vacuum or the ash that you might have pushed into an already vacuumed area,. And yes folks that high air flow device is a leaf blower (suction end) or other such device.

Clean the poor burn pot and where it sits, check the air intake and remove the kids match box cars.

Once you have done that you can reconnect that vacuum.line, close up the stove.

Then following the damper setting procedure in the manual you may set the draft.

If that vent terminates into the prevailing wind for your location you should think about a jet cap for the end and the installation of an OAK on the same side.

Now what do you have in the house for air movers that pump air out of the building?

I am not a fan of burning without an OAK or as SidecarFlip likes to call them a Fresh Air Kit. If you have high powered air movers or a strong chimney effect in the area where the stove is you are standing the chance of having smoke spillage and a poor burn.

Lake Girl understands how much I love to make people tow the line on stove cleaning and proper installation, not really and to be blunt about it this years crop of dirty stoves has started early.

Hopefully I somewhat got the basics down for that stove, I don't own one and I'm not in the reading mood right now, in short you follow the air flows and every place it goes you clean no ifs ands or buts, every place the air flow goes you clean.

End of growl.

 

[mbella1026]

Thank you so much. This is going to be my weekend project and end of winter project. Can I use a liquid gasket to replace the old one. I am probably going to replace the fan at the end of the season anyway.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Thank you so much. This is going to be my weekend project and end of winter project. Can I use a liquid gasket to replace the old one. I am probably going to replace the fan at the end of the season anyway.

What is the temperature rating of the liquid gasket the oem stuff is rated above 2000 IIRC.

 

[mbella1026]

I don't have any. I was going to go buy some rated for high temps.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

I would get some thin flat self adhesive stove window gasket and and shape it around the edge of the mounting plate and poke out the holes. That should serve as a temporary and carries the same rating or close enough. Some folks have gotten away with 600 rtv but I tend to shy away from that in favor of the 800stuff, I never use rtv for the combustion blower. Just the way I work. I don't need an abnormal operation corner case burning off the seals. Color me (broken link removed to http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130606165306/animalcrossing/images/4/41/Chicken.jpg) .

 

[mbella1026]

I would get some thin flat self adhesive stove window gasket and and shape it around the edge of the mounting plate and poke out the holes. That should serve as a temporary and carries the same rating or close enough. Some folks have gotten away with 600 rtv but I tend to shy away from that in favor of the 800stuff, I never use rtv for the combustion blower. Just the way I work. I don't need an abnormal operation corner case burning off the seals. Color me (broken link removed to http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130606165306/animalcrossing/images/4/41/Chicken.jpg) .

Hello

Thanks for the help. I have not done the leaf blower yet but the Vent and stove cleanout, gaskets, and combustion blower cleanout has helped. Less ash more heat. A fraction of the "cake" in the burn pot. I used some self adhesive stove gasket for the Blower. It was a little thicker but worked fine. The fan will need to be replaced in the spring anyway. I was going to order the fan only on-line from Pelletstovepro.com. I wanted to know if you have ever heard of that site and if they are reputable. The guy who runs it has a bunch of stove videos on You Tube. Thanks again.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Is that James Munson's site?

Reviews on here run hot and cold on him.

The only thing I can say is I bought a combustion blower from him, it was the one I ordered, it crossed the country and arrived here promptly in excellent shape and is currently running just fine and will be starting its fourth year in a couple of days.

 

[mbella1026]

Is that James Munson's site?

Reviews on here run hot and cold on him.

The only thing I can say is I bought a combustion blower from him, it was the one I ordered, it crossed the country and arrived here promptly in excellent shape and is currently running just fine and will be starting its fourth year in a couple of days.

Yes ... That's him. I was thinking of buying from him due to the support he gives along with the product. Really wanted to buy the fan instead of replacing the entire housing.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Its your call.

I always do a search every time I need something and pick one at a reasonable price that can be ordered through amazon.

Amazon will get involved if things go bad and the sellers do not want to lose that outlet for selling so they tend to hop to it smartly.

I started a Prime Membership last January to get better shipping and to have access to the other benefits in the streaming world as we dumped cable and went OTA on the TV. There are more channels of unreal reality tv and other dreck that isn't needed or wanted that you get charged for to get a couple of things to watch a week.

 

[mbella1026]

Its your call.

I always do a search every time I need something and pick one at a reasonable price that can be ordered through amazon.

Amazon will get involved if things go bad and the sellers do not want to lose that outlet for selling so they tend to hop to it smartly.

I started a Prime Membership last January to get better shipping and to have access to the other benefits in the streaming world as we dumped cable and went OTA on the TV. There are more channels of unreal reality tv and other dreck that isn't needed or wanted that you get charged for to get a couple of things to watch a week.

Now I am getting vibration. I am pretty sure from the Combustion Fan. I may switch out the gasket I used and go with the rtv and see what happens. I recently changed the convection blower and got vibration. I checked it and it was tight. I opened up the side panel when the stove was shutting down and the convection blower was blowing with no vibration. Don't know if anyone else has any other material I can use for a gasket.

 

[mbella1026]

Just got a call from my wife. I think the combustion blower just went. Bad noise when she turned on the stove then fire started very low and then went out completely. Convection fan never even turned on.