Clinkers in my Firepot?

[krooser]

No... it's not the tell-all sex expose book by Rosie O'Donnell....

With the exception of my first year with my stove ('07) burning some lower grade pellets and finding I need to push the ash pan dump rod in all the way, I have never seen a clinker in my stove... but after two days of a slightly lazy flame and less heat output, I shut it down and did some investigating.

I pulled the firepot and couldn't believe my eyes... it was 40% plugged with clinkers... and I had a small amount of unburned pellets in the ashpan... another thing I never see. I scraped the firepot, did a real quick vac job (only two days since the last cleaning) and i pushed the ashpan back in when I noticed a problem... the pan didn't want to fit "flush" with the stove... it sorta rocked back and forth in the middle.

I pulled it out, reached in the stove and found a handful of ash pushed up against the back wall of the stove... the ash wasn't allowing the pan to set properly... must have been an air leak! I fixed that with a quick vac job, fired up the stove and voila!... a nice healthy flame again

It's amazing that a little problem like that will create a poorly burning stove and a dis-satisfied owner.

 

[jtakeman]

No... it's not the tell-all sex expose book by Rosie O'Donnell....

Well we never know with you! I did expect funnies from you.

So do you think the air leak caused a "hotter fire"to cause them there clinkers?

 

[jamesdjs]

Krooser thats a heck of a build up you have there.
I get a little on the edges but never had that much.
I've been trying different things with mine and let it run for two weeks without cleaning the stove.
I did empty the ashpan twice but never shut it down to see what would happen.
When I took it offline Friday I had clinkers in the burn pot but they were loose and not clumped like yours.
I did notice the fire wasn't as hot as it usually is but that I'm sure is from not cleanng it.
After the cleaning and the leaf blower were back to new. :cheese:

 

[krooser]

Well I had a lazier than normal flame... that's a two day accumulation... kinda plugged up the holes. The flame is really good now... I think the air leak caused too much carbon build-up... the window got sooty right away.

 

[jtakeman]

Well I had a lazier than normal flame... that's two day accumulation... kinda plugged up the holes. The flame is really good now... I think the air leak caused too much carbon build-up... the window got sooty right away.

Well at least you know it wasn't the pellets. Most of us would have told you to try a different brand I would assume. Good thing you know your stove inside out.

 

[krooser]

Well I had a lazier than normal flame... that's two day accumulation... kinda plugged up the holes. The flame is really good now... I think the air leak caused too much carbon build-up... the window got sooty right away.

Well at least you know it wasn't the pellets. Most of us would have told you to try a different brand I would assume. Good thing you know your stove inside out.

Having those clinkers was just kinda weird... with maybe a 20 bag exception at the end of last season, I've only burned UJ's or Eureka's since 11/07. I was actually thinking that MAYBE the UJ's had a different batch of pellets... something different than I was used to. I'm just glad it seems to be fine right now... and temps are a little warmer today than the sub-zeros we've been having.

 

[schoondog]

Last week I cleaned my stove I experienced more pan build up than normal. Not really clinkers, but twice as much of the carbon that I normally get after a week of 24/7 running. I remembered that I had come home one day during the week and noticed more fuel in the pan and sorta lazy flame. Found one of the clean out doors were open 1/2 way causing the problem. Perhaps stove had run that way all day. This must have caused the dirty pan cause I cleaned today and all was normal. Interesting that an incomplete combustion will cause this type of problem.

Schoondog

 

[krooser]

Last week I cleaned my stove I experienced more pan build up than normal. Not really clinkers, but twice as much of the carbon that I normally get after a week of 24/7 running. I remembered that I had come home one day during the week and noticed more fuel in the pan and sorta lazy flame. Found one of the clean out doors were open 1/2 way causing the problem. Perhaps stove had run that way all day. This must have caused the dirty pan cause I cleaned today and all was normal. Interesting that an incomplete combustion will cause this type of problem.

Schoondog

Just about the same deal huh...

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

To stop such issues from occurring again you could attach that fan of yours to the air intake of the stove.
That should keep the entire system free of clinkers, etc .... ;-) .

 

[krooser]

To stop such issues from occurring again you could attach that fan of yours to the air intake of the stove.
That should keep the entire system free of clinkers, etc .... ;-) .

I'm afraid the fan will blow the stove outta my house...

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

To stop such issues from occurring again you could attach that fan of yours to the air intake of the stove.
That should keep the entire system free of clinkers, etc .... ;-) .

I'm afraid the fan will blow the stove outta my house...

That should take care of the whole situation., ya can't have clinkers if you ain't got the stove ;-).

 

[schoondog]

Last week I cleaned my stove I experienced more pan build up than normal. Not really clinkers, but twice as much of the carbon that I normally get after a week of 24/7 running. I remembered that I had come home one day during the week and noticed more fuel in the pan and sorta lazy flame. Found one of the clean out doors were open 1/2 way causing the problem. Perhaps stove had run that way all day. This must have caused the dirty pan cause I cleaned today and all was normal. Interesting that an incomplete combustion will cause this type of problem.

Schoondog

Just about the same deal huh...

Yup. Not enough air going through the pan for what ever reason, crappy burn = clinkers/carbon or the generic term ....crap.

Schoondog

 

[krooser]

Last week I cleaned my stove I experienced more pan build up than normal. Not really clinkers, but twice as much of the carbon that I normally get after a week of 24/7 running. I remembered that I had come home one day during the week and noticed more fuel in the pan and sorta lazy flame. Found one of the clean out doors were open 1/2 way causing the problem. Perhaps stove had run that way all day. This must have caused the dirty pan cause I cleaned today and all was normal. Interesting that an incomplete combustion will cause this type of problem.

Schoondog

Just about the same deal huh...

Yup. Not enough air going through the pan for what ever reason, crappy burn = clinkers/carbon or the generic term ....crap.

Schoondog

Ash prevented the ashpan from seating properly... tonite it's a little warmer outside...we're at a comfy 75F with the stove set on #2 and the flame is nice and lively...

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Last week I cleaned my stove I experienced more pan build up than normal. Not really clinkers, but twice as much of the carbon that I normally get after a week of 24/7 running. I remembered that I had come home one day during the week and noticed more fuel in the pan and sorta lazy flame. Found one of the clean out doors were open 1/2 way causing the problem. Perhaps stove had run that way all day. This must have caused the dirty pan cause I cleaned today and all was normal. Interesting that an incomplete combustion will cause this type of problem.

Schoondog

Just about the same deal huh...

Yup. Not enough air going through the pan for what ever reason, crappy burn = clinkers/carbon or the generic term ....crap.

Schoondog

Ash prevented the ashpan from seating properly... tonite it's a little warmer outside...we're at a comfy 75F with the stove set on #2 and the flame is nice and lively...

Evidently you didn't get the memo on not emptying your pipe by taping it on the burn pot receptacle. Your burn pot isn't an ash tray.