Classic bay 1200i question on baffles

[heitzman]

Actually 2 questions.

1. The firepot. Ive been cleaning it out 2 times a day, morning and bedtime. Im getting some ash/clinker maybe 1 inch deep. The manual says every 3 bags OR dailey. Does the stove run better with some ash in the pot? Is cleaning it (scraping and dumping in ashpan) hurting the efficiancy and burn?

2. I do a weekly cleaning but I dont REMOVE the heat/baffle tubes, just take the cover off and vacuum and exercise the slider. Is this wrong? Should I actually remove each one and clean above it?

This is my first year with it and so far Im pleased. Im still playing with the feeder rate to get that white 6 inch flame and its pretty close. Burning BAREFOOT hardwood pellets. When I set the flame feed to the proper 6inch flame heigth it occasionally dams up at the base of the auger. Prolly cause the pellets have some "longer" pellets.

I think I need a new door seal as when I open it you can see some areas around the door where it appears to be sucking air in due to the appearance of soot and lack thereof in some areas.

I did buy it used and have fought with it to get the proper settings and such. My feed is set almost 2 inches SHORTER then what the previous owner had it set at, had to replace a snap disk, vacuum like was plugged within first week of running it, but over all Its doing well.

Any suggestions or recommendations for other things to look at? I really think the vacuum needs addressed as Im not getting the "fireworks" show that much compared to youtube videos when the pellets drop into the pot.

Thanks

 

[kappel15]

Hello and welcome to the forum. There is nothing wrong dumping into ashpan. That is what it is for. As far as running better with a little ash in pot, only if the stove is cold. When the weather is fairly warm, you can get a cold stove startup, which means it doesn't get to temp soon enough to satisfy thermocouple, and goes into shutdown mode. If pot is empty, throw a handful of pellets in pot. Once there is ash from one fire, it is usually good to go. When it is middle of winter and stove is running every 20 minutes, an empty pot works fine as things are fairly warm yet when it calls for heat again.
As to second question, no you do not remove the tubes. They are pressure fitted only into place. Just using the cleaning rod and maybe a paint brush pushed up on top and around them, usually does a good job of cleaning. I would try for another brand of pellets if these are longer then most. And if they are bridging at the bottom of the auger, they could also be doing it at the top of the auger, above the drop chute. May need to use a flashlight and a mirror and look up there occasionally too. Both will cause issues with flame heighth and running of the stove. As far as the door seal, you can try the dollar bill test to see if it is still tight. As long as flame is the right heighth, and is active, it is a good flame. Tall and lazy is when you have issues. If there was no vacuum in firebox, stove would not run. Stay warm. kap