Drolet ECO 65 - so much black soot!!

[Cliffski]

I have a brad new Drolet pellet stove and it has been giving me nothing but problems, black soot in the house and blocked furnace filters. I am trying to work with their support team but no solutions yet.

Last year i ran it for a bit and it absolutely covered the side of the house with soot, according to support this was due to the venting ( tee, 5’ rise, 3’ horizontal with a 45 degree termination) changed to tee 5’ rise, 3’ horizontal, tee, 3’ rise 45 degree termination (all sealed with tape)

The vent change seems to have helped the exterior sooting but it could also be because I haven’t had to run the stove as high as last year yet. Flame doesn’t seem lazy at all, but I can see black edges around some flames.

Is it normal for there to be a lot and I mean A lot of black soot inside the unit (traps and venting pipe) not ash but black super fine but thick soot in side the unit?

Now I know it’s not normal to have soot inside the house and it points to a leak, on startup there is smoke coming from the “air wash”, and smoke coming from behind exhaust blower , problem is Drolet says this is normal and means the venting is dirty or clogged. I’ve cleaned it so many times and I just can’t agree this is normal, seems like something is seriously wrong with the unit and they are failing to fix it. When the unit is running I can’t seem to smell or see any smoke or soot but my furnace filter disagrees and gets grey to black I’n less than 24 hours…

Anybody else have this problem with Drolet? Is having black soot normal? Even in the unit? Actual chunks get formed on the venting in less then 500 lbs. burned, a bang on the vent causes chunks to fall down, normal?

 

[johneh]

Does your stove have an OAK (outside air Kit)?

 

[Cliffski]

Does your stove have an OAK (outside air Kit)?

Yes, actually tried using it with and without, no difference in flame or in the soot found in the filter

 

[gfreek]

Welcome....Maybe post a short video or picture of your flame. And venting or schematic.. Black soot is not normal.. smoke from air wash and exhaust blower, in house, not good.. My guess is it is not getting enough air..or restricted exhaust vent..If you shorten the venting does it make a difference ?.

 

[Cliffski]

Welcome....Maybe post a short video or picture of your flame. And venting or schematic.. Black soot is not normal.. smoke from air wash and exhaust blower, in house, not good.. My guess is it is not getting enough air..or restricted exhaust vent..If you shorten the venting does it make a difference ?.

I had the venting shorter but had to add the exterior vertical rise per Drolet, I think the added rise did help a bit but not enough….wondering if I have a faulty blower.

Here is a video, this is on setting 4 (of 6)

 

[Cliffski]

level 3 video attached

 

[gfreek]

I re- read original post about the venting, before and after., seems OK to me....It is all 4 inch correct ? The flame in the videos look pretty good, but you are getting soot, not enough air, maybe could be a bit more "lively." Looked at the air wash system in the door glass..the stove works on negative pressure, no smoke should be coming from there... Check for leaks at startup, besides the door glass, in dark with flashlight... Is there a way to manually increase the exhaust combustion blower or air intake ?

 

[bbone]

Have Eco 65, flame looks good, can you post vent pic, I have adapter, 5 ft rise, 90, 3 ft horizontal and 45 cone,

 

[bbone]

Also what pellets and what is your exhaust temp on setting 3?

 

[Cliffski]

Have Eco 65, flame looks good, can you post vent pic, I have adapter, 5 ft rise, 90, 3 ft horizontal and 45 cone,

So pretty much identical except I added another 3’ vertical after the horizontal, after recommendation from Drolet. All joints taped, 4”


Smoke smell inside from the “back” of the unit on startup, and from the “screws” that hold the exhaust trap. was told that can only happen if dirty, you would think it should never happen but either way happens when clean too, and when I clean I really clean….I also ruled out the cleaning causing the soot in home as it happens when I don’t clean

.I think it could be a crack in heat exchanger pipes or at the very least a bad connection, gasket near the back of the unit and the convection blower is just shooting it around the house.

How much black soot do you get on the top plate that covers the heat exchanger? Mine builds up an inch in no time.


Just to show how bad it is, this air filter in the picture is blocking a cold air return, about 4 hours of burning and it’s already black and it was brand new. The fact Drolet is helpless here is beyond infuriating….hopefully once we rule out everything but the unit they can come pick this one up or something.

 

[Cliffski]

I re- read original post about the venting, before and after., seems OK to me....It is all 4 inch correct ? The flame in the videos look pretty good, but you are getting soot, not enough air, maybe could be a bit more "lively." Looked at the air wash system in the door glass..the stove works on negative pressure, no smoke should be coming from there... Check for leaks at startup, besides the door glass, in dark with flashlight... Is there a way to manually increase the exhaust combustion blower or air intake ?

Also what pellets and what is your exhaust temp on setting 3?

I can boost the exhaust blower voltage, tried that but then the unit gave very little heat, I could try to find the right setting there.

Exhaust temp on level 3 is under 200, I run the blower on max

 

[gfreek]

So pretty much identical except I added another 3’ vertical after the horizontal, after recommendation from Drolet. All joints taped, 4”


Smoke smell inside from the “back” of the unit on startup, and from the “screws” that hold the exhaust trap. was told that can only happen if dirty, you would think it should never happen but either way happens when clean too, and when I clean I really clean….I also ruled out the cleaning causing the soot in home as it happens when I don’t clean

.I think it could be a crack in heat exchanger pipes or at the very least a bad connection, gasket near the back of the unit and the convection blower is just shooting it around the house.

How much black soot do you get on the top plate that covers the heat exchanger? Mine builds up an inch in no time.


Just to show how bad it is, this air filter in the picture is blocking a cold air return, about 4 hours of burning and it’s already black and it was brand new. The fact Drolet is helpless here is beyond infuriating….hopefully once we rule out everything but the unit they can come pick this one up or something.

View attachment 304436

That does not look good. I'd would be frustrated also..

 

[bbone]

I have duct attachment set up on mine, run my stove on 2 / 6 most of the time, if I use 3, I go to fan 7, running max (9) seems way too much and doing that and have 200 degree exhaust temp seems to lead to fan problem. 500 CFM fan should blow you out of room and is probably only there for setting 6 and duct kit

 

[Cliffski]

I have duct attachment set up on mine, run my stove on 2 / 6 most of the time, if I use 3, I go to fan 7, running max (9) seems way too much and doing that and have 200 degree exhaust temp seems to lead to fan problem. 500 CFM fan should blow you out of room and is probably only there for setting 6 and duct kit

View attachment 304494

I have the duct kit but haven’t installed it yet, so far the heat has been able to rise to the main floor pretty efficiently. 2/6 is what I can run when the sun is out but need to go to 3 and I presume 4 or 5 in Jan/Feb.

Tried to seal up more joints on the venting just in case it’s not helping the problem, no change….

Big update today: still testing with a new furnace filter but so far it looks promising, I put a folded piece of aluminum foil in the air wash gap and the flame looks amazing, no orange lazy flame, still need to run it through its paces but it appears to also be running hotter hitting 215 in the flue temp on level 3/6 with the blower on max. The glass is getting a little dirty but I would rather it be efficient then clean! Once this has confirmed fix the soot issue I will then maybe tweak the gap by flattening the metal tabs that make a gap….

My only concern now is the silent killer…monoxide …as the leak is still not fixed. I am getting a new gasket for my exhaust fan and heat exchanger clean out. Going to order a monoxide monitor to also keep things on the up and up.