eviro M55 cast carbon build up in burn pot

[annjo]

We have had our M55 cast for about a month or so. We are experiencing a few things and don't know how to resolve them.
1. The glass seems to always have soot build up from the middle arching over to the right side only. Never on the left. Once it is cleaned it will be dirty within a day or less. not sure how to fix that. We have adjusted the combustion and the trim feed and nothing seems to change it.
2. The auger started to make noise and we found out that once we opened it up and cleaned out the ashes that the burn pot had this hard black carbon build up so that after 4 days the auger would start to bind up on it and make a noise from the friction. This carbon does not come out easily. We use a wheel on a dremel to grind it off. Most of the carbon build up is on the burn pot long side which is by the door and you can see the arrows pointing to the ridge of build up. Then across the whole bottom and large chunks on each end. This is a bit ridiculous to have to do this every 4 days. What are we doing wrong? We burn about 1 1/2 bags a day of pellets.
I have attached some pictures showing the dirty burn pot with the build up and after it is cleaned off.
3. The ash pan is overflowing on the sides within the four days as well. Overall the pot is not super full. It tends to build up more on the sides and over flow there.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[skrypj]

I find mine will get carbon buildups and dirties the glass much quicker when it is on low burn(ie 1.5 bags a day), if i turn it up and get it nice and hot it tends not to do this. Maybe try running it hot for a little while each day to try and burn everything off?

I've never actually found the carbon build up to effect the performance of the stove. The holes in the burn pot typically stay unimpeded on mine and the carbon forms around the holes.

 

[annjo]

I find mine will get carbon buildups and dirties the glass much quicker when it is on low burn(ie 1.5 bags a day), if i turn it up and get it nice and hot it tends not to do this. Maybe try running it hot for a little while each day to try and burn everything off?

I've never actually found the carbon build up to effect the performance of the stove. The holes in the burn pot typically stay unimpeded on mine and the carbon forms around the holes.

Thank you but we run it on 2 at night when sleeping but 3 and mostly 4 when we are there and it doesn't make a difference. There is so much carbon the auger makes noise as it is scraping to move by it in the burn pot. It just seems to be a bit much and we have to clean it out.

 

[pell it]

What pellets are you burning?

 

[bostonfan49]

Hi Annjo! I have the same stove (insert) 3rd season running and I think I can address all your concerns...
1. The glass on almost every brand of pellet stove will over time, in as little as 12-24 hours on will start to haze over in our case as you described. Softwood pellets tend to leave a blacker haze, while hardwood leaves a more distinct brown haze. This is part of the package of having a pellet stove...some people clean daily, some weekly. I usually clean every 2-3 days when I empty the ash tray. It is true however the lower the fan speed..1,2 produces the most glass stain, while 4 and 5 tend to produce less because the stove is running at a much more efficient combustion mode. 3 is the most common convection blower speed.
2. The carbon build up almost anywhere on the bottom and sides of the burn pot are also normal, and your using a grinding wheel....or any scraping tool is again normal. Again, lower heat settings will produce more carbon build up. My weekly cleaning consists of emptying the ash tray, cleaning the glass and a complete vacuuming of the insides of the stove ( separate) education! The other part of the equation is your choice of pellets, hard-soft-mixed, brands and quality all influence carbon build-up to a small degree...ash-build up to a large degree. Pellet choice to people on this board is simply a never ending experience. * one thing that you can do is to make sure that you have your self cleaning auger on the premium setting....it turn less=more quiet! a bit more carbon build-up but less pellets being pushed out on either end of the pot.
3. Your description of how the ash build up in the tray is how it is designed and is normal. As long as your using a premium pellet, most M55 owners only empty the ash tray...weekly!

My 2 cents on 3 years of burning pellets is this.
1. There is work involved....a couple of minutes every 2-3 days to clean the glass
15-20+ minutes every 7 days to clean the inside of the stove
30 min to an hour 1/2 way through the season or after 1-1 and 1/2 tons to vac the "back stuff" blower fans, exhaust connections.
A yearly clean of the chimney/liner/stove by a professional or your self...( insurance companies prefer the annual professional cleaning)
........so what you have gotten yourself into is a fun somewhat technical, sometimes slightly dirty hobby.
........I have cut my oil usage by about 65% ( other people 80% and higher )
Bottom line...
With oil my T-stat was set at 68
My fully programmed pellet stove T-stat is set at 72-73 when super cold otherwise it's set at 70-71...if you are going to burn pellets......enjoy the heat'
Sorry for the long post, after 3 years of being a Newbie, I think I have graduated to at least an advanced novice and It's fun to be able to help the new folks......enjoy, Bill

 

[Don2222]

Hello

The bottom feed stoves get carbon build up too, but the ash just gets pushed around it and still works fine. The ash pan only needs to be emptied after each ton burned. The M55 is a great well built stove but still is a top feeder. Just my 2 cents.

 

[vinny11950]

I agree with what Bostonfan said.

I would not use a Dremel tool on the burn pot though. It might over do it and wear the metal faster than needed.

I use a scraping tool like this:

and a wire brush. for the tough stuff, just set the edge against it and give it a few taps with a small hammer, or the opposite side of the wire brush. it knocks the carbon build up right off.

 

[jgrz0610]

Every M55 has the swale of soot buildup on the right side of the glass (see avatar picture <---- ) and this is completely normal. Annoying, but normal. When I burn crap pellets I get a lot of buildup and sometimes the agitator will grind or pop as it breaks through it or scratches past it. If the air setting is incorrect it gets MUCH worse. If you have a bad seal on the door gasket (You can check by closing a dollar bill in the gasket and it should be difficult to pull it out all around) you will get clinkers and carbon buildup that is out of this world. If it is affecting operation of the stove you need to address it. If it just annoys you...wait until something really goes wrong! The ash is generally pushed out of the side of the burnpot liner and thus forms mountains in this area when burning $4.50 or less pellets. If you buy the super premiums it will go in excess of a week without needing to be emptied but the box store stuff usually gets you 4-5 days. On an M55 the three best pieces of advice I can give you are
1. Set the draft with a magnahelic guage
2. Set the draft with a magnahelic guage
3. Set the draft with a magnahelic guage

Burn what you can afford or what you like or both. Makes no difference to me honestly. But if you're burning Green Supremes you're going to be emptying that ash pan at day four. The better the pellet the less the ash and the more the heat but I kept my house warm with the cold snap using Prestologs from HD so it can be done. I also emptied the pan every three days so you just have to make your choices.

Hope you get it all figured out and keep the house at 72-74 like the rest of us. Nothing worse than a heat miser!

 

[jgrz0610]

the ash pan stats I gave are for the insert with the anemic ash pan. If it is freestanding you should be able to go forever...

Just thought I'd clarify.

 

[mikestod]

Ditto!

On my M55 Cast Insert I have also found the soot on the glass in the pattern you describe to be normal, as well as carbon buildup in the burn pot, mostly along the front edge two, with two small areas on the back side towards the ends. The stirrer keeps the rest of it clean. I occasionally hear the sound of the stirrer scraping against the carbon buildup too. All in all I would say this is normal for this stove and better than some other stoves from what I have learned here. I would echo everyone else's comments as I have found that the amount of soot on the glass and the amount of carbon can vary depending on the combustion air settings, type of pellets and heat level you are running your stove at.

Cleaning the carbon out of the burn pot for me is part of my weekly routine. I don't use a grinding wheel, just a cheap flat screwdriver. On the stubborn spots I sometimes have to use the point of the blade and even chisel it with some raps on the handle. But it all comes off in a couple minutes without too much effort. I still use the factory supplied scraper tool, but its not as effective as the narrower screwdriver on the built-up carbon. For the glass I tried dipping a wet paper towel in the ashes, which worked, but I could feel some grit and didn't want to scratch the glass. I have since switched to the Rutland Stove Glass Cleaner, which works really well and cuts through the soot with ease. I would recommend trying some of that on your dirty glass.

 

[annjo]

What pellets are you burning?

Stove Chow from Home Depot

 

[annjo]

Every M55 has the swale of soot buildup on the right side of the glass (see avatar picture <---- ) and this is completely normal. Annoying, but normal. When I burn crap pellets I get a lot of buildup and sometimes the agitator will grind or pop as it breaks through it or scratches past it. If the air setting is incorrect it gets MUCH worse. If you have a bad seal on the door gasket (You can check by closing a dollar bill in the gasket and it should be difficult to pull it out all around) you will get clinkers and carbon buildup that is out of this world. If it is affecting operation of the stove you need to address it. If it just annoys you...wait until something really goes wrong! The ash is generally pushed out of the side of the burnpot liner and thus forms mountains in this area when burning $4.50 or less pellets. If you buy the super premiums it will go in excess of a week without needing to be emptied but the box store stuff usually gets you 4-5 days. On an M55 the three best pieces of advice I can give you are
1. Set the draft with a magnahelic guage
2. Set the draft with a magnahelic guage
3. Set the draft with a magnahelic guage

Burn what you can afford or what you like or both. Makes no difference to me honestly. But if you're burning Green Supremes you're going to be emptying that ash pan at day four. The better the pellet the less the ash and the more the heat but I kept my house warm with the cold snap using Prestologs from HD so it can be done. I also emptied the pan every three days so you just have to make your choices.

Hope you get it all figured out and keep the house at 72-74 like the rest of us. Nothing worse than a heat miser!

Thank you for the suggestions I will try it.

 

[annjo]

Ditto!

On my M55 Cast Insert I have also found the soot on the glass in the pattern you describe to be normal, as well as carbon buildup in the burn pot, mostly along the front edge two, with two small areas on the back side towards the ends. The stirrer keeps the rest of it clean. I occasionally hear the sound of the stirrer scraping against the carbon buildup too. All in all I would say this is normal for this stove and better than some other stoves from what I have learned here. I would echo everyone else's comments as I have found that the amount of soot on the glass and the amount of carbon can vary depending on the combustion air settings, type of pellets and heat level you are running your stove at.

Cleaning the carbon out of the burn pot for me is part of my weekly routine. I don't use a grinding wheel, just a cheap flat screwdriver. On the stubborn spots I sometimes have to use the point of the blade and even chisel it with some raps on the handle. But it all comes off in a couple minutes without too much effort. I still use the factory supplied scraper tool, but its not as effective as the narrower screwdriver on the built-up carbon. For the glass I tried dipping a wet paper towel in the ashes, which worked, but I could feel some grit and didn't want to scratch the glass. I have since switched to the Rutland Stove Glass Cleaner, which works really well and cuts through the soot with ease. I would recommend trying some of that on your dirty glass.

Cleaning the glass is not a problem. I too tried to scrap it with a tool but it is very difficult. I will try some more expensive pellets for 4-5 days and see if that changes the amount of carbon.

Thank you!

 

[annjo]

Hi Annjo! I have the same stove (insert) 3rd season running and I think I can address all your concerns...
1. The glass on almost every brand of pellet stove will over time, in as little as 12-24 hours on will start to haze over in our case as you described. Softwood pellets tend to leave a blacker haze, while hardwood leaves a more distinct brown haze. This is part of the package of having a pellet stove...some people clean daily, some weekly. I usually clean every 2-3 days when I empty the ash tray. It is true however the lower the fan speed..1,2 produces the most glass stain, while 4 and 5 tend to produce less because the stove is running at a much more efficient combustion mode. 3 is the most common convection blower speed.
2. The carbon build up almost anywhere on the bottom and sides of the burn pot are also normal, and your using a grinding wheel....or any scraping tool is again normal. Again, lower heat settings will produce more carbon build up. My weekly cleaning consists of emptying the ash tray, cleaning the glass and a complete vacuuming of the insides of the stove ( separate) education! The other part of the equation is your choice of pellets, hard-soft-mixed, brands and quality all influence carbon build-up to a small degree...ash-build up to a large degree. Pellet choice to people on this board is simply a never ending experience. * one thing that you can do is to make sure that you have your self cleaning auger on the premium setting....it turn less=more quiet! a bit more carbon build-up but less pellets being pushed out on either end of the pot.
3. Your description of how the ash build up in the tray is how it is designed and is normal. As long as your using a premium pellet, most M55 owners only empty the ash tray...weekly!

My 2 cents on 3 years of burning pellets is this.
1. There is work involved....a couple of minutes every 2-3 days to clean the glass
15-20+ minutes every 7 days to clean the inside of the stove
30 min to an hour 1/2 way through the season or after 1-1 and 1/2 tons to vac the "back stuff" blower fans, exhaust connections.
A yearly clean of the chimney/liner/stove by a professional or your self...( insurance companies prefer the annual professional cleaning)
........so what you have gotten yourself into is a fun somewhat technical, sometimes slightly dirty hobby.
........I have cut my oil usage by about 65% ( other people 80% and higher )
Bottom line...
With oil my T-stat was set at 68
My fully programmed pellet stove T-stat is set at 72-73 when super cold otherwise it's set at 70-71...if you are going to burn pellets......enjoy the heat'
Sorry for the long post, after 3 years of being a Newbie, I think I have graduated to at least an advanced novice and It's fun to be able to help the new folks......enjoy, Bill

Thank you for all the information I appreciate it. I guess my cleaning time is pretty much as you stated above so I guess I am a little better than a beginner...lol I will try a few things.

Thank you again!

 

[annjo]

I agree with what Bostonfan said.

I would not use a Dremel tool on the burn pot though. It might over do it and wear the metal faster than needed.

I use a scraping tool like this:

and a wire brush. for the tough stuff, just set the edge against it and give it a few taps with a small hammer, or the opposite side of the wire brush. it knocks the carbon build up right off.

Ok thanks....I know right where to find this tool in the paint aisle at Lowes.

 

[nailed_nailer]

I use a painters 5-in-1 tool like Vinny gave a picture of.
The blade is stiffer than a putty knife and has a handy sharp point on one side.
I shut down and clean/vac the stove about once a week in season.

To remove the clinker/carbon from the burn pot I scrape from the top edge down on both the front and rear walls.
For the inside bottom I really chip at it with the bottom of the burn pot curve as a guide.
You will be surprised at how much the built up carbon looks like steel.
Use the point of the 5-in-1 tool to crack through the carbon and expose steel then use the wide part of the blade to clean down to the steel.

Ensure you clean out all the air holes.
Also get the point of the tool into the igniter area of the burn pot. Carbon builds up here too. Scrape it clean.

Scraping clean takes all of about 5 minutes.

For the glass I use a green/yellow scrubby sponge with water and ash to clean it.
Once clean, I use the Rutland "White-Off" glass cleaner to seal it.
The White-Off seems to make it easier to clean next time.

Dont forget to remove/clean the heat exchanger baffle and the heat exchanger tubes above the burnpot.
Also once the fire pot assembly is removed be sure to pull the rear angled plate under the feed chute.
It comes out by pulling it straight up out of the groves/slits then pull it forward without tilting it.
It allows you to vacuum the combustion exhaust path right up to the damper.

To minimize the agitator rod squeaking you sometimes get try using Loctite C5-A Anti-seize Grease
on the non-driven end of the Agitator rod.
It is what Enviro shipped with my Stove. Available ant any good auto parts store or Amazon

Good Luck,
---Nailer---

 

[Hampstead M55 User]

We have had our M55 cast for about a month or so. We are experiencing a few things and don't know how to resolve them.
1. The glass seems to always have soot build up from the middle arching over to the right side only. Never on the left. Once it is cleaned it will be dirty within a day or less. not sure how to fix that. We have adjusted the combustion and the trim feed and nothing seems to change it.
2. The auger started to make noise and we found out that once we opened it up and cleaned out the ashes that the burn pot had this hard black carbon build up so that after 4 days the auger would start to bind up on it and make a noise from the friction. This carbon does not come out easily. We use a wheel on a dremel to grind it off. Most of the carbon build up is on the burn pot long side which is by the door and you can see the arrows pointing to the ridge of build up. Then across the whole bottom and large chunks on each end. This is a bit ridiculous to have to do this every 4 days. What are we doing wrong? We burn about 1 1/2 bags a day of pellets.
I have attached some pictures showing the dirty burn pot with the build up and after it is cleaned off.
3. The ash pan is overflowing on the sides within the four days as well. Overall the pot is not super full. It tends to build up more on the sides and over flow there.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated

I am also a pretty new user of the Enviro M55 Insert and through foour months of use have experienced all the above. I don't really have an issue with soot on the glass as when I do clean the tove (about every three days) all I have to do is brush off the loose powdery soot and at times use plain water and about once a month I use a commercial glass cleaner designed for stoves. But all in all the glass stays pretty clean.
I don't like the carbon build up, but I am now used to it--- I have a little stove cleaning kit I put together which includes a cheap flathead screwdriver, a one inch wide chisel, and a wire brush, and a sandpaper strip from my belt sander--- which , by the way, I have found to work very well. The course grit of the sandpaper with moderate hand brushing removes most all the carbon. Occasionally I have to use the chisel or screwdriver for stubborn chunks. I was actually thinking of buying a separate burn pot so when I clean, I put in a clean one and take my time scrubbing out the used one-- but the $116 part cost was a bit much.
We have a 2400 sq. ft. two story house. When temps outside are above say 30 deg, I set the stove on the two setting and we keep the house at 68 on the first floor and 65 on the second floor--- oil burner thermostat set at 62. On days in the teens and below, even the M55 has a tough time and we set it at 4 ( maybe 5 for short periods) and we can keep the house at 66 --- 64 upstairs. We have a very well insulated 15 year old house with 2 x 6 construction.
We have friends all around us in the neighborhood who have various types of pellet stoves-- Harmans, etc and other good quality stoves and I would say the M55 is a good performed in comparison.