worth reading, even if it is a bit long.
this is only for the benifit of my critics, I realize that i am not an expert, yet, because i have no one to teach me, but maybe someday....you need not have to read or scroll further.
1 sentance sumary:
got clinkers?clean your ash trap under fire cup!) there you go. %-P
no body is twisting your arm to read more.
******************************************************************************
For those who appreciate me, or care to learn of the principles of opperation of a pellet stove, read on.
******************************************************************************
I run a pel-pro 50,000btu pellet stove & today it made a huge clinker in the right hand coner of the fire cup. I am burning premium softwood low ash pellets that are dry and I ran 3 bags through the stove previously with no clinkers.
Also, this is not the first time the stove has produced clinkers & I am begining to notice a pattern to clinker formation.
I never get clinkers after a stove clean out, that is, until after I burn 3 to 4 bags of pellets. Somewheres after the third bag and before the fourth bag is half consumed, the stove makes a clinker, either on the far right hand side or the far left hand side of the fire pot.
So, i take the fire pot out, after the stove has cooled down , and clean it in awesome spray cleaner and water. most times i also need to use a flat blade screwdriver as a scraper and a wire brush because the stainless steel fire cup is really filthy.
I also notice, every time that a clinker has formed, that the ash trap under the fire cup is pretty well (1/3 rd or more) filled with ash & requires clean out. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO CLEAN OUT THE FIRE CUP ASH TRAP, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF CLINKER FORMATION.
Reasoning goes as follows:
The outside cold air intake goes into the back of my pellet stove and is drawn through a sheet metal channel that ternimates in the ash trap under the fire pot and combustion air is drawn up by suction of the combustion chamber blower motor, from the ash trap through the holes and
thin rectangular open slices (like grill work) of the fire cup, across the firebox and across the heat exchanger pipes to the end of the sealed combustion box where the combustion blower is located. The blower's squrill cage fan is there, creating a suction and the back side of the squirll cage fan can be seen if one looks through the double wall stainless steel exhaust venting pipe from outside with a flashlight.
*******************************************************************************
This is the path of combustion air through the stove. Anything that impeeds it may cause a clinker or bad combustion.
******************************************************************************
other contributing factors to clinker formation.
Pellets tend to build up either on the far right or left of my fire cup . My primary inlet air control
is a control rod end that I push in & it slides a circular choke plate across my two inch outside cold air intake. The choke plate has a stop so it always leaves the 2 inch pipe 1/8 th open.
Buy pulling the rod out, it opens the 2 inch pipe7/8th of the way. That is my entire adjustment range for air supply.
The pellets probably build up on the sides of the fire cup because there is less air flowing there
and more air through the center of the fire cup, so that the center ait tends to blow the pellets
to the sides where the pellets themselves consitiute an obstruction to the required amount of combustion air.
ALL THIS OCCURS WITH MY COLD AIR CHOKE SET 3/4TH CLOSED.
If I should open the cold air intake choke more, it seems like I am blowing excess hot air out the vent pipe and the stove tends to pop corn 1/2 burnt pellets out of the fire cup into the firebox ash trap where they tend to glow and smolder.
I am thinking ,that if i should open my air intake more, maybe the extra air would allow the pellets to burn better and not make clinkers but i am only guessing at this because i have not tried it yet. But I know that the extra air will blow many 1/2 burnt pellets out of the fire box into the steel floor of the stove ash trap.
I do know that i am ok for 3 bags of pellet burning after i clean out the fire pot ash trap and can expect clinkers after that.
IF ANYONE HAS ANY EXPERIENCE BEYOND THIS, I WOULD BE MOST INTERESTED TO HEAR IT;
because at this point, i have reached the limits of my knowledge and experience on this topic
AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE.
BUT FOR THOSE WHO KNEW LESS, i HAVE JUST NOW, SHARED EVERYTHING WITH YOU.
enjoy. I do the best i can.
most of my knowledge about stoves i have learned here at hearth.com by reading,reading,& yet more reading.
this is only for the benifit of my critics, I realize that i am not an expert, yet, because i have no one to teach me, but maybe someday....you need not have to read or scroll further.
1 sentance sumary:
got clinkers?clean your ash trap under fire cup!) there you go. %-P no body is twisting your arm to read more.
******************************************************************************
For those who appreciate me, or care to learn of the principles of opperation of a pellet stove, read on.
******************************************************************************
I run a pel-pro 50,000btu pellet stove & today it made a huge clinker in the right hand coner of the fire cup. I am burning premium softwood low ash pellets that are dry and I ran 3 bags through the stove previously with no clinkers.
Also, this is not the first time the stove has produced clinkers & I am begining to notice a pattern to clinker formation.
I never get clinkers after a stove clean out, that is, until after I burn 3 to 4 bags of pellets. Somewheres after the third bag and before the fourth bag is half consumed, the stove makes a clinker, either on the far right hand side or the far left hand side of the fire pot.
So, i take the fire pot out, after the stove has cooled down , and clean it in awesome spray cleaner and water. most times i also need to use a flat blade screwdriver as a scraper and a wire brush because the stainless steel fire cup is really filthy.
I also notice, every time that a clinker has formed, that the ash trap under the fire cup is pretty well (1/3 rd or more) filled with ash & requires clean out. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO CLEAN OUT THE FIRE CUP ASH TRAP, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF CLINKER FORMATION.
Reasoning goes as follows:
The outside cold air intake goes into the back of my pellet stove and is drawn through a sheet metal channel that ternimates in the ash trap under the fire pot and combustion air is drawn up by suction of the combustion chamber blower motor, from the ash trap through the holes and
thin rectangular open slices (like grill work) of the fire cup, across the firebox and across the heat exchanger pipes to the end of the sealed combustion box where the combustion blower is located. The blower's squrill cage fan is there, creating a suction and the back side of the squirll cage fan can be seen if one looks through the double wall stainless steel exhaust venting pipe from outside with a flashlight.
*******************************************************************************
This is the path of combustion air through the stove. Anything that impeeds it may cause a clinker or bad combustion.
******************************************************************************
other contributing factors to clinker formation.
Pellets tend to build up either on the far right or left of my fire cup . My primary inlet air control
is a control rod end that I push in & it slides a circular choke plate across my two inch outside cold air intake. The choke plate has a stop so it always leaves the 2 inch pipe 1/8 th open.
Buy pulling the rod out, it opens the 2 inch pipe7/8th of the way. That is my entire adjustment range for air supply.
The pellets probably build up on the sides of the fire cup because there is less air flowing there
and more air through the center of the fire cup, so that the center ait tends to blow the pellets
to the sides where the pellets themselves consitiute an obstruction to the required amount of combustion air.
ALL THIS OCCURS WITH MY COLD AIR CHOKE SET 3/4TH CLOSED.
If I should open the cold air intake choke more, it seems like I am blowing excess hot air out the vent pipe and the stove tends to pop corn 1/2 burnt pellets out of the fire cup into the firebox ash trap where they tend to glow and smolder.
I am thinking ,that if i should open my air intake more, maybe the extra air would allow the pellets to burn better and not make clinkers but i am only guessing at this because i have not tried it yet. But I know that the extra air will blow many 1/2 burnt pellets out of the fire box into the steel floor of the stove ash trap.
I do know that i am ok for 3 bags of pellet burning after i clean out the fire pot ash trap and can expect clinkers after that.
IF ANYONE HAS ANY EXPERIENCE BEYOND THIS, I WOULD BE MOST INTERESTED TO HEAR IT;
because at this point, i have reached the limits of my knowledge and experience on this topic
AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE.
BUT FOR THOSE WHO KNEW LESS, i HAVE JUST NOW, SHARED EVERYTHING WITH YOU.
enjoy. I do the best i can.
most of my knowledge about stoves i have learned here at hearth.com by reading,reading,& yet more reading.
