Excess black residue

[Clay H]

My stove this year is getting really black inside and its never done this. Not only the glass but also the fake brick on the back. The glass was so black after only 2 bags of Greenway pellets that I could not even see the flame AT ALL. It would seem the pellets are the cause of this but I was under the impression Greenway was a good quality pellet? What else might cause this? My intake air opened all the way makes no difference.

 

[kinsmanstoves]

you have an air leak somewhere in the stove. Start with the door gasket and go from there. It can also be an obstructed vent, clean your stove and venting.

Eric

 

[CT Pellet]

The glass was so black after only 2 bags of Greenway pellets that I could not even see the flame AT ALL

Not a pellet issue. Greenways are great. Its definately an airflow issue. Possible a leaking gasket somewhere or a clogged pipe. Check all gaskets (door, hopper, burn pot, combustion blower) and check the pipe. Don't go calling your pellet guy...Not yet anyways.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

It likely has a good case of a plugged snozzola.

Clean your stove, and venting just for giggles, and for desert check the gaskets, then reset your damper back to where it used to be.

 

[imacman]

you have an air leak somewhere in the stove. Start with the door gasket and go from there. It can also be an obstructed vent, clean your stove and venting.

Eric

I agree

 

[tsmith]

Yup, dirty stove venting most likely.

 

[Bioburner]

Check the intake. I've evicted more than little furry critter. Oh and the stash of carmels someone had put away and I sucked through with my new leaf blower.

 

[DexterDay]

Member since 09?? A dirty stove?

Hope not...... I would definitely do the dollar bill test on the gaskets.

Got a leafblower handy??

 

[Bioburner]

Maybe Clay smoking some BBQ and got his stoves mixed up. Wish it was warm enough to smoke a couple of turkey breasts and maybe a pork roast.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Likely it is that hard to clean area, it takes a lot of poking and vacuuming or pounding and vacuuming , or ......

Clay, take the combustion blower out (have a new gasket handy) and ream out the area between the cavity and the fire box, do a lot of thumping, etc ...

 

[Clay H]

Thanks for your replies. I used a leaf blower and sucked it out good at the end of last season and again about a month ago when I was having issues with the stove turning itself off. I sucked a bird nest out of the exhaust pipe...lol.
I'll pull it out and clean it good and see what happens. The door and ash pan gaskets are original so that makes them 8 years old, should I replace them or just check them with the "dollar bill test" I hear about? Not sure how that test is done.

 

[Clay H]

Clay, take the combustion blower out (have a new gasket handy

IIRC that gasket is a paper or some kind of thin material gasket. Why would that need replaced?

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

IIRC that gasket is a paper or some kind of thin material gasket. Why would that need replaced?

It is lytherm you can order a 6" round gasket on the Internet or get it from a pellet stove dealer.

You can also buy the sheet material and make your own.

 

[Clay H]

I also have a terrible clinker problem, does that reinforce your thougths on this "hard to clean spot"?

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Clay,

It is likely you have a mess in the stove, if you haven't or someone hasn't taken the combustion blower off the odds of that being that case went through the roof.

 

[imacman]

Combustion blower should be removed from the stove AT LEAST once a year and scraped/wirebrushed of all baked-on ash and carbon. While it's out, it also gives another opening into the exhaust system of the stove that can be brushed/scraped/vacuumed too. Make sure to have that spare gasket handy....most of them fall apart when the blower is removed.

The dollar bill test is just using a dollar that gets placed inbetween the open door of the stove, then the door gets closed & latched....if the dollar can be pulled out of the door, the gasket is compressed and may not be keeping a tight seal ( air being sucked in that replaces burn air). Repeat the test all around the door in 6-8 different places.

But in your case, 8 years is WAY more than most people wait to change them.....just do it.

BTW, does the stove have an OAK? If so, have you checked it for any blockage?

 

[Clay H]

Thanks for the replys, I will pull that fan.

 

[Clay H]

Combustion blower should be removed from the stove AT LEAST once a year and scraped/wirebrushed of all baked-on ash and carbon. While it's out, it also gives another opening into the exhaust system of the stove that can be brushed/scraped/vacuumed too. Make sure to have that spare gasket handy....most of them fall apart when the blower is removed.
By saying once a year, this obviously is dependent on how much the stove is used right? I burn 2 tons each season unlike many up north who burn twice that or even 3 times that. Am I correct? I had the fan off 3 years ago (stove is 8 years old) and remember all the crud that I cleaned out then. That was 5 years of crud - or 10 tons of burning - but it was still performing normal.?
The dollar bill test is just using a dollar that gets placed inbetween the open door of the stove, then the door gets closed & latched....if the dollar can be pulled out of the door, the gasket is compressed and may not be keeping a tight seal ( air being sucked in that replaces burn air). Repeat the test all around the door in 6-8 different places.

But in your case, 8 years is WAY more than most people wait to change them.....just do it.

BTW, does the stove have an OAK? If so, have you checked it for any blockage?

My stove failed the dollar bill test. I replace the gasket this weekend I hope and while I am buying the gasket and sealant, I'll pick up a combustion fan gasket.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Here is a news flash ....... ash levels drive all cleaning ..... end news flash.

The manuals say one year or two tons whichever comes first.

I've seen burning a half ton plug things up.

Your stove, your pellets, your mess.

 

[Clay H]

Here is a news flash ....... ash levels drive all cleaning ..... end news flash.

The manuals say one year or two tons whichever comes first.

I've seen burning a half ton plug things up.

Your stove, your pellets, your mess.

That sounded rather snipy. Did you intent to put a rude twist on that?

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

That sounded rather snipy. Did you intent to put a rude twist on that?

Nope just getting the word out that it is all in the ash levels.

 

[Clay H]

Ok, so I got the door gasket changed and letting the adhesive set up today. I'm going to test it now before cleaning out the combustion fan cavity just for kicks. Good thing our weather has been mild (highs in the 60* range and lows in the 45-50)

 

[joescho]

Ok, so I got the door gasket changed and letting the adhesive set up today. I'm going to test it now before cleaning out the combustion fan cavity just for kicks. Good thing our weather has been mild (highs in the 60* range and lows in the 45-50)

Clay I'm curious on how you made out and wonder how often you cleaned your convection blower because I had my dealer come out and clean my stove last year, he told me I could usually get away with every other year for cleaning the convection blower. My plan is to clean and inspect it after this year (year two) and if its really bad I'm going to switch to every year.

 

[Clay H]

Clay I'm curious on how you made out and wonder how often you cleaned your convection blower because I had my dealer come out and clean my stove last year, he told me I could usually get away with every other year for cleaning the convection blower. My plan is to clean and inspect it after this year (year two) and if its really bad I'm going to switch to every year.

I finally got it cleaned and new gaskets put on. It really wasnt that dirty but the gasket was in bad shape and I believe that was the whole issue. My stove is an insert so its a major ordeal to pull the stove out so I can access the back side. I ran it all night and this morning there is hardly any soot on the glass! YEAH! I last had the blower off 3 years ago and I dont think I replaces the gasket that time. It was in one piece but it was flat as a piece of paper and brittle as heck. I will pull it again in 3 years or if problem occurs again before that.

 

[imacman]

I finally got it cleaned and new gaskets put on...... I believe that was the whole issue. ......ran it all night and this morning there is hardly any soot on the glass! YEAH! I last had the blower off 3 years ago and I dont think I replaces the gasket that time. .......I will pull it again in 3 years or if problem occurs again before that.

If you don't want the problem to happen AT ALL, don't wait 3 years to pull the comb. blower again....the fan blades should be scraped/wirebrushed at least once a year, and a new gasket installed.