Hopper HangUp - What is this weird stuff?

[smwilliamson]

 

[will711]

I need a beer to wash down the popcorn!

I'm having more than 1 no popcorn, chips and salsa

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

heck, I already KNOW I am crazy!

+1

 

[Don2222]

Just finished my fourth service call... Going back to the shop to pay down a floor!

This web site is not about your Biz Scott!

 

[jtakeman]

This web site is not about your Biz Scott!

Sickem don!

pete, Pass the popcorn!

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

This web site is not about your Biz Scott!

Nor your's Don.

 

[Don2222]

Nor your's Don.

Exactly why I did not say what I did today. This is not the place for that.

 

[IHATEPROPANE]

I mailed it in at work today.....

 

[will711]

I mailed it in at work today.....

And you still got paid.

 

[smwilliamson]

I mailed it in at work today.....

With a 22 cent stamp

 

[DexterDay]

Waiting for shutdown...



Don, you advertise as well.

Dont throw stones..

 

[imacman]

Sickem don!

pete, Pass the popcorn!

OK....here, take this bowl....I'm almost out.

This is almost as good as Slickplant and me going at it.

 

[TheMightyMoe]

Scott,

I love hearing about you working on your building, and seeing pictures. Please post more.

Don,
I love hearing about your shed and garage please make a different thread showing more of your tools / shop.

Thanks!

 

[stoveguy2esw]

Hello

This Hudson River West Point pellet stove would not start. Only 2 pellets dropped into the burn pot during start-up so the stove went into shut down with the second heat level light blinking. I checked, and all the components were working fine. Then, I combed my fingers through the pellets in the hopper and found a big air pocket! A little more combing and I found the dark hard substance on the edge of the hopper in the pic below. At this point, I emptied the hopper and found more of this substance that created a bridge so the pellets would not drop into the auger chute at the bottom of the hopper. After removing this stuff, I put the same pellets back in and the stove fired and ran fine! We did catch it before any of this stuff got into the auger flight chute.

All the pieces came out of one bag of Home Depot pellets called Nation's Choice - Premium Hardwood Pellets! ! !
So has anyone seen this dark, hard stuff that may have gone into the bag of pellets during processing? What is it?

note in the first picture the front of the hopper , you has smouldering fuel in the hopper , the dark streak is the indicator (dont always smell)

check VERY closely for an air leak at the base of the hopper, would have also had to have had the exhaust pathway blocked with ash forcing heat up the feed chute , only way to have a burnback back pressure and available o2

 

[Don2222]

note in the first picture the front of the hopper , you has smouldering fuel in the hopper , the dark streak is the indicator (dont always smell)

check VERY closely for an air leak at the base of the hopper, would have also had to have had the exhaust pathway blocked with ash forcing heat up the feed chute , only way to have a burnback back pressure and available o2

Thanks Mike, I will check that.

I have a question for you. I worked on a 3 year old 25-EP with a very rusty firebox. The rust appeared this summer and as we have had record humidity this summer here in the NE! ! ! Are you seeing anything like that this summer and if so what do you do about it?

 

[stoveguy2esw]

ok peeps, settle down FWIW im friendly with both these guys so i'll step in and "call for a clean break"

oh , and i reworked 4 stoves today

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

note in the first picture the front of the hopper , you has smouldering fuel in the hopper , the dark streak is the indicator (dont always smell)

check VERY closely for an air leak at the base of the hopper, would have also had to have had the exhaust pathway blocked with ash forcing heat up the feed chute , only way to have a burnback back pressure and available o2

Those stoves come with built in air leaks, the joint between the drop tube and the hooper is one spot that usually needs help with the RTV and the other place is at the top of the auger flight where the flight cover fits over the end plate of the auger flight. The last one comes into play when the pellet level in the hopper gets below a certain point. RTV on the joint and flat gasket on the end plate where flight cover sits.

Then depending upon the particular version of burn pot there may be a need for a high density rope gasket fitted under the burn pot where it rests on its receptacle.

ETA: The flashing #2 is a vacuum fault, check all your gaskets and the door latch, listen to the combustion blower to make sure it revs up.

 

[stoveguy2esw]

Thanks Mike, I will check that.

I have a question for you. I worked on a 25-EP with a very rusty firebox. The rust appeared this summer and as we have had record humidity this summer here in the NE! ! ! Are you seeing anything like that this summer and if so what do you do about it?

pot is carbon steel, it will rust if enough moisture is present as there are absolutely no oils still present, wire wheel it out scrape off any carbon buildup , and advise the customer to plug their flue in the spring if possible if not add a desiccant when done for the year , (box of baking sodas will work) , or desiccant packs if they want to really knock it back.

another thing that can be done but its really the "nuclear option" after the stove is done for the season , do a big cleaning , scrape or wire wheel everything , then coat it all with pam or generic equivalent, not heavy , just adding a light coating of oil will protect the steel and when the stove is relit in the fall it will quickly burn the residue away in the first fire (might smell like a french fryer for a few minutes but that would be it) BTW when you advise a customer to do this ALWAYS have them post a note on or in the stove reminding them of the additive (especially if they plug the flue)

 

[stoveguy2esw]

Those stoves come with built in air leaks, the joint between the drop tube and the hooper is one spot that usually needs help with the RTV and the other place is at the top of the auger flight where the flight cover fits over the end plate of the auger flight. The last one comes into play when the pellet level in the hopper gets below a certain point. RTV on the joint and flat gasket on the end plate where flight cover sits.

Then depending upon the particular version of burn pot there may be a need for a high density rope gasket fitted under the burn pot where it rests on its receptacle.

there ya go, i don't know that stove but i know the dynamics pretty well. smoky's post would be telling me to look where i suspected

 

[Don2222]

pot is carbon steel, it will rust if enough moisture is present as there are absolutely no oils still present, wire wheel it out scrape off any carbon buildup , and advise the customer to plug their flue in the spring if possible if not add a desiccant when done for the year , (box of baking sodas will work) , or desiccant packs if they want to really knock it back.

another thing that can be done but its really the "nuclear option" after the stove is done for the season , do a big cleaning , scrape or wire wheel everything , then coat it all with pam or generic equivalent, not heavy , just adding a light coating of oil will protect the steel and when the stove is relit in the fall it will quickly burn the residue away in the first fire (might smell like a french fryer for a few minutes but that would be it) BTW when you advise a customer to do this ALWAYS have them post a note on or in the stove reminding them of the additive (especially if they plug the flue)

Hi Mike
Thanks, we did wire wheel the burnpot, top baffle(That was real bad too) and fire box back plate and ash trap covers, then sprayed all with the Dry Moly. Looks great and should help protect and burning later in the fall will be no problems. That is our pro touch!

 

[stoveguy2esw]

Hi Mike
Thanks, we did wire wheel the burnpot, top baffle(That was real bad too) and fire box back plate and ash trap covers, then sprayed all with the Dry Moly. Looks great and should help protect and burning later in the fall will be no problems. That is our pro touch!

dry moly will work, but a little pam will do just as good though not as "pretty" with moly being black/gray ish. biggest thing is to remember what you have in the hull, in a humid environment "burnt" steel has no protection, add some and you will be ok, in less humid environments , a box of arm and hammer will prevent most surface rust