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[renrubtellep]

I am new to pellet burning. I have a Pleasant Hearth 35k btu stove. I bought some Crabbe softwood pellets that started out burning ok, Brown soot, and a little clinker, but not too bad. Now after burning 600 or so pounds I can’t get them to burn well even with the air cranked wide open. Quite a bit of soot, orange flame, basically hell. Don’t know what to do. Venting is up and out Selkirk L vent w/OAK

Is
It
The stove, the pellets, or the operator.

 

[DneprDave]

The stove probably needs cleaning bad. Try the leaf blower trick as a quick, easy way to clean the stove out.

Search "leaf blower trick" on YouTube for a demonstration.

 

[johneh]

Clean your stove ! From your description it is very dirty
plugged with ash

 

[Ssyko]

The stove, the pellets, or the operator.

Yep

 

[MButkus]

Orange fire means it's not getting air. There should be panels you can remove to get to the back baffles. If they are clogged, the exhaust fan can't pull in air under the fire and burn right.

 

[renrubtellep]

I have an ash vac and I know how to use it. Pulled the exhaust blower and found not a lot. Pulled the cap off of the bottom of the vent and found not much there either. I have contacted ghp ghp started a dialogue with them.

 

[DneprDave]

The leaf blower trick is way more thorough than an ash vac, I've had my stove for six years, I open the stove's door and suck all the ash up through the exhaust vent, after every ton of pellets burned. It cleans the inside of the stove like new.

 

[Mt Bob]

might want to check your oak doesn't have something in it

 

[Ssyko]

might want to check your oak doesn't have something in it

like bee's nest. rodent, bird. maybe even in the chimney

 

[renrubtellep]

Success!

I figured that there was no way the flue needed cleaning after 700 lbs of pellets, but I bought a brush anyway and went to clean it. The termination is about 8 feet above ground level, when I climbed the step ladder and looked at the end of the termination I saw a mat of creosote, soot, and ash almost entirely plugging the end. I somehow ‘lost’ the screen after removing it. My stove can breathe again!

Thanks for the thoughtful replies!

 

[renrubtellep]

Success!

I figured that there was no way the flue needed cleaning after 700 lbs of pellets, but I bought a brush anyway and went to clean it. The termination is about 8 feet above ground level, when I climbed the step ladder and looked at the end of the termination I saw a mat of creosote, soot, and ash almost entirely plugging the end. I somehow ‘lost’ the screen after removing it. My stove can breathe again!

Thanks for the thoughtful replies!

 

[renrubtellep]

might want to check your oak doesn't have something in it

Success!

I figured that there was no way the flue needed cleaning after 700 lbs of pellets, but I bought a brush anyway and went to clean it. The termination is about 8 feet above ground level, when I climbed the step ladder and looked at the end of the termination I saw a mat of creosote, soot, and ash almost entirely plugging the end. I somehow ‘lost’ the screen after removing it. My stove can breathe again!

Thanks for the thoughtful replies!

 

[renrubtellep]

The leaf blower trick is way more thorough than an ash vac, I've had my stove for six years, I open the stove's door and suck all the ash up through the exhaust vent, after every ton of pellets burned. It cleans the inside of the stove like new.

Success!

I figured that there was no way the flue needed cleaning after 700 lbs of pellets, but I bought a brush anyway and went to clean it. The termination is about 8 feet above ground level, when I climbed the step ladder and looked at the end of the termination I saw a mat of creosote, soot, and ash almost entirely plugging the end. I somehow ‘lost’ the screen after removing it. My stove can breathe again!

Thanks for the thoughtful replies!

 

[Ssyko]

 

[Tonyray]

so exited you posted it 4x's...
glad u got it fixed......