Confused

[Tim Linden]

Hey Guys

This past week when cleaning the stove I noticed the stove was much dirtier than normal. That black stuff stuck on real good all around the inside. I've been reading so much that I'm confused now LOL

Is this from bad air flow, bad pellets, or because I put it to auto and it turns on/off more often now?

I don't have an OAK, however where my house sites the side gets constant wind and I can hear it going up the chimney (when I open to clean you can tell there is a draft going up). Same with my oil furnace, I work downstairs and all day can hear the wind flapping the exaust flapper thing.

I've been using the same pellets and they actually have had less dust in these bags so it would seem odd that they would all of a sudden start making the bad sut (creosote?)

So that leads me to the auto mode? Which I suppose I could leave it on manual maintenence burn all the time.. But I thought that would make more soot by being at a low burn all the time.

Thoughts?

 

[TheMightyMoe]

Pictures of flame / the dirt.

 

[Mr. Spock]

Good start. I burn my XXV in room temp auto mode. A lot of cycling in this warmer winter but no sote. Curious to see how looks inside the burn box.

 

[fmsm]

I have that problem with my p35i when i burn crappy pellets. NEWP and Fireside Ultra's have been the worst. It will be worse for me when the temperature is warmer out. I run my stove in Auto/Room Temp, Running it in Manual/Room Temp makes it worse. What pellets are you using?

 

[mepellet]

I have that problem with my p35i when i burn crappy pellets. NEWP and Fireside Ultra's have been the worst. It will be worse for me when the temperature is warmer out. I run my stove in Auto/Room Temp, Running it in Manual/Room Temp makes it worse. What pellets are you using?

Why do you say running in room temp manual makes it worse?

 

[P38X2]

Don't know your location, but if it's in the northeast, it's possibly because of the warmer temps we've been having. Your stove may not be getting hot enough to keep that crud from forming.

 

[sinnian]

Possible air leak, that happened with my pellet boiler. How old/new is the stove?

 

[kinsmanstoves]

I would try another brand of pellets, at least a few bags. Creosote in a pellet stove will generally come from the gases cooling to fast. If you see it in the stove I would hate to see what the top of the liner looks like. Have you removed the fine clean out cover? I would first check that to insure it is in place.

Eric

 

[Tim Linden]

I have that problem with my p35i when i burn crappy pellets. NEWP and Fireside Ultra's have been the worst. It will be worse for me when the temperature is warmer out. I run my stove in Auto/Room Temp, Running it in Manual/Room Temp makes it worse. What pellets are you using?

lol I'm using Fireside Ultra's in a p35i.. But like I said, it was just this past week previous weeks it's been fine.

 

[Tim Linden]

Rather than quote individually:

1) I'll get pics if/when it happens again
2) I'm in Rhode Island, where it has been warmer than normal
3) Stove is a month old

Except for today it's been running with a very small flame. I cleaned it out yesturday so I'm not sure if that's why it's burning higher now
yet (my wife did mess with the thermostat)

 

[Mr. Spock]

Just a few questions on your maintenance schedule. How often do you clean and what do you clean? Details would help in this case.

 

[Tim Linden]

The fire is back to how it was all week, it's almost always a small flame and when it loads pellets there is a quick flame up and then back to small flame. It sounds like a helicopter is flying overhead (not as lowed but that fluttering noise) which sounds to me like it's blowing too hard on the flame.

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Maintenance so far: every day I scrape the burn pot out (sometimes more not out of necessity out of boredom)
every week I empty the ash tray, vacuum all around inside with a brush attachment, take the cleanout pieces off,
vacuum up the exhaust passage (so far 3 weeks running, maybe 1/3 or less ton burned), vacum in the air intake of the burn pot

There hasn't been any creosote build up behind the ash tray or near the exhaust, but it is building up a bit above the fire
and I cleaned it out yesturday.

Thanks for any help guys!

 

[kinsmanstoves]

I would still try four or five bags of a different brand of pellets.

 

[CT Pellet]

Tim. I seriously think your avatar kicks ass!

 

[fmsm]

Why do you say running in room temp manual makes it worse?

The low burn during the warm weather is extended. My stove burns best when it burns hot, throw in some crappy pellets and it's high ash, low heat, deeper clean needed

 

[Mr. Spock]

Is the flame always that low even on a call for heat? Air flow looks good but I would expect to see those glowing embers about 1" from the burn pot edge getting the house up to temp.

 

[TheMightyMoe]

What stove settings for that video? Pictures of the creosote / blackness?

Set your stove to stove temperature mode maybe 70-75* and feed rate 4 or 6. This should give you a decent size flame to help judge your draft/air. It may just be your pellets, so you can always try another bag. If the flame burns fine in this mode, chances are air is not the problem.

I get a thin chunk of solid ash in the burnpot right before the air holes that I scrape daily, if I scrape it right after burning hot, it breaks into pieces.

Auto/Manual is solely a preference. IMO. Do what you prefer once you got a healthy flame. I like auto because it roars when it needs it, and cycles off when it doesn't. I am also not a fan of how the idle mode works in manual for Harmans.

 

[Mr. Spock]

That is what exactly what I was leading to. Try stove temp mode adjusting feed rate and let's also consider the position of your temp probe.

 

[fmsm]

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[Tim Linden]

Tim. I seriously think your avatar kicks ass!

Thanks, my debit card has the same photo but with the burst going across the whole card. The second I saw my bank let me upload custom images I did it LOL you should see the looks I get.

(gonna post photo + vid of flame at big burn)

 

[mepellet]

The low burn during the warm weather is extended. My stove burns best when it burns hot, throw in some crappy pellets and it's high ash, low heat, deeper clean needed

So do you think the cycling on/off in auto cause less creosote/soot buildup than the small flame when in maintenance burn in manual setting?

 

[fmsm]

When

So do you think the cycling on/off in auto cause less creosote/soot buildup than the small flame when in maintenance burn in manual setting?

it is warm out it stays in maintenance for a very long time causing at least in my stove build up. When it is colder out manual works better for me. Of course it is much worse when I use lower quality pellets.

 

[Mr. Spock]

I would be interested in pictures of the sote. My XXV heats a small house and therefore cycles in room temp auto. Also ran room temp manual for several days once,it spent a lot of time burning with a small flame. I have never had sote in the burn box. Some carbon buildup (also black) in the pot yes, dirtier stove yes but not "black stuff" stuck on all around.

 

[mikesj]

It is a cool avatar - reminds me of 'Groove is in the Heart'.

See how things go with the colder weather and hotter burns. I bet you'll see a lot less creosote. The times I've noticed creosote have been when my stove was excessively dirty and when I've been running at a low burn.