Hastings burn pot ash clumping

[ylomnstr]

I have an older St. Croix Hastings stove that over the years has been super reliable. Over the past few years, I've found that the stove glass gets dirty much quicker than it used to. I've done a deep clean, leave blower trick etc,. I started messing with the air intake damper and that seems to help with the glass staying cleaner a bit longer, but not much. I've noticed it stays cleaner and doesn't ash up as black with the damper closed more (less than a pencil width). The downside with that is that I've noticed the burn pot fills with clumped ash, thus the stove doesn't light after too much is in there. This is a new symptom since I've been messing with the air damper. I'm not sure what else to do at this point. Does less air mean the ash will clump more?

 

[rickwai]

With burn pot bottom slide pulled out look on the back wall where the pot bottom meets there are 4 rectangular openings. Are they packed with ash? You have to lay down and look in from the ash pan area to see them. Also slide bottom rod in and out quickly several times in and out with a short stroke while looking down in the pot from the top. I have seen where the approx. 3/8" space in the bottom of the pot builds up with ash and restricts air flow thru the pot. sliding in and out rapidly will shake the ash out of the space and into the pan. I do this regularly to keep that space clean. Are you using pellets that have been laying around that may have collected some moisture? Maybe try getting a couple bags of different pellets to rule out a fuel issue if the other stuff is all ok

 

[Mt Bob]

Sounds like your versa grate is not working.

 

[rickwai]

Sounds like your versa grate is not working.

Thats right.... The Greenfield has the multifuel pot I am referring to and the Hastings is pellet with the versa grate.

 

[ylomnstr]

Yep. Versa grate motor disconnected. I had to tighten it with an allen wrench. Let's see if that does it.