Envirofire FS heat exchanger slide plate stuck

[G.lundie]

Hello everyone, new here, I have an envirofire fs and the heat exchanger tubes are so covered in spot from previous owner neglecting that I can’t get the rod to move AT ALL. I have gone in behind the trapezoid baffle and with a bent butter knife attempted to scrape the tubes, I am able to get the bottom tubes fairly clean where the scraper plate will wiggle but the top row of tubes are much harder to access and the cleaner rod is still stuck. I have tried many different cleaner products to loosen it up but am not having much luck. I first tried csl pellets that you add to the hopper mixed with normal wood. Also tried a granular powder I use in my wood stove. Neither helped very much. I have also taken a chimney sweep log that I was burning in my wood stove and carried a shovel full over to the pellet stove. Was able to get very minimal movement on the cleaner rod but after a day or so it was seized again. Looking at the heat exchanger I can see that the scraper is not bent and it just the high level of creosote on the upper tubes preventing movement. Any tips or suggestions are greatly appreciated

 

[Mt Bob]

I can tell you what works on a Integra, and some other stoves--a good long HOT fire/burn, Then a good cleaning. Intermittenly move scraper during the burn out process.