How often to clean?

[briggsy13]

I searched cleaning and got lots of threads on the big cleaning. My question is more directed at how often to do the emptying of the ash pan, vacuum it out and scrape out the burn pot? We have a 120# hopper and a pretty large ash drawer. We could probably go 3 days before having to put pellets in, depending on how cold it is and how much we are running it and how high etc.

So do I shut it down every day and clean it out, or let it run a few days then do it? Wondering how long I need to let it cool before things won't be hot enough to burn me when I try to clean it out. Since this will be our primary heat source I don't want too much down time.

Thanks

 

[GrahamInVa]

I'm in the same boat... First year.. I think it is different for everybody though. I plan on running my own test and see how she does. Run 3 bags...clean.... run 5 bags... clean... run 7 bags.. clean.. and so on.

See how that goes and keep an eye on how she is burning and make my own determination of how often i should clean.

Of course it will make a difference what brand pellets your burning too.

Again, shut your stove down and you make the determination on how long it takes to cool off. I feel comfortable with a 1 hr cool down on mine before I use my shop vac to clean out.

 

[joescho]

Same boat here. The dealer told me its best to get yourself into a routine in which you spend an hour or so once a week doing a good cleaning, and doing small things like scraping the pot or emptying the ash drawer every day or every other day or so. I think once I'm burning daily (and that may start this week) I'm going to try that.

J

 

[lecomte38]

once a week - 15 minutes to empty the ash pan, thoroughly scrape the burn pot ( I also scrape it daily while running) sweep and clean the heat exchanger and all plates, clean the glass.

Major clean once a year - 4 tons burned

 

[Brianm58]

Once a week for me. Every Sat morning about 2 hours(1 hour to cool down, 1 to clean) & I burn 24/7.

 

[gbreda]

This will vary from person to person , stove to stove, and pellet to pellet.

My first year, I was anal and cleaned the firebox once a week, complete cleaning after 1-1.5 ton.

Second year burning, the down time for a once a week cleaning during the cold months was unnecessary (no ash vac=longer down time for safety), especially with cleaner/hotter burning pellets and the stove running all the time, therefore keeping itself cleaner than the shoulder months. I can get away with no problems waiting 2-2.5 weeks on the firebox and still a complete clean including vent pipe after 1-1.5 ton.


Trial and error, your stove will let you know when you have gone too far :cheese:

 

[Rokal]

Last year was my first year with the stove.

Every 2-3 days, I would clean the glass (5 minutes).

Once a week, I would shut the stove down and give it a good vacuuming, empty the ash pan, scrap the burn pot (1/2 hour).

Once every 3-4 weeks, I would supplement the weekly cleaning. I would run the stove out of pellets, clean the hopper, fans, esp probe, vacuum fines, and clean the venting (1 hour).

This routine worked well for me last year and I plan on repeating this regimen this year.

 

[save$]

As gbreda said, "This will vary from person to person , stove to stove, and pellet to pellet." Any little thing will have an impact. draft etc. I have settle into every 3ed day. I take the time to clean the ash off my bay window at that time, so while in there, take the paint brush and vac to the inside. I lift out the grates and the burn pot with pliers (just to make sure I don't get burned.) I set them on top of the stove, then do my cleaning, all back together and running. One hour for cool down, 5 min for cleaning, reload the hopper and a few pellets in the burn pot, hit ignition and good to go again. I'm mostly retired so I kind of like keeping up with the stove cleaning.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Clean what do you mean clean? You just put the pellets in the hopper and press the button.

What's this clean fetish you people have.

Didn't you hear the sales droid or pay attention to the brush wielding installation person who told you that you had to brush the fake bricks off in addition to what the you heard back at the dealership?

 

[imacman]

I give the stove a firebox cleaning once a week (ash, glass, ashpan, ash traps), and a major cleaning every ton.

 

[jtakeman]

Once a week- whether it needs it or not(mostly not). Dump the ash, scrape the burnpot liner, clean the glass,and vac the insides.

Once a month(above plus)-Pull the baffle plate, vac the hopper, clean the vac line and check the Mag reading

Once a ton to 1 1/2 ton(above plus)- Brush the vent, Pull the blowers and clean them. Check the door seals

End of season(above plus)-Clean the chassis, Coat the insides with a rust inhibiter, Disconnect OAK, Do the leaf blower(vac line diconnected), and Plug the vent.

Edit: Don't miss the once a day pot scrape/stir either! ;-)

 

[Vinelife]

I usually scrap the fire pot once a day.. every few days do the glass .. twice a week I will brush the ash down into the ash pan. I dont empty it till its nice and full. After every 12 bags I do a deeper cleaning and pull off the back baffles and the top one and get the shop vac out. Once a month I do the leaf blower thing.. runs like new all the time....

 

[krooser]

My ex-girlfriend had a 120# hopper...

 

[PJPellet]

My ex-girlfriend had a 120# hopper...

We may have dated the same girl.

 

[Katie8103]

I usually clean mine once a week, I don't like to let extra ash and debri get in there, so I like to keep it as clean as possible. Seems the more buildup I get, the dustier it makes the house, so another reason I try to clean it about once a week!

 

[bigruckus]

2 days...

 

[smalltown]

I agree with several others that it does depend on the pellets you are using and how ash builds up in your particular stove.
When I burnt Maine Choice I really needed to clean every three days, now with the Okies I clean once a week.

With my Quad Castile I have a visual method. I never dump the small ash drawer sliders that lead to the ash pan. I let all the ash build up "up top" and at a certain level I shut down and clean.
My burn pot I dump frequently especially each night when my thermostat shuts down the stove for night time temps.

I think you will find a routine that suits you as you burn.

 

[aburress1223]

I'm on my third year, have come to a realization that I was cleaning too much. Through the help of some great guys on this forum I got the stove cleaned out (leaf blower) adjusted and burning great. I have found out that once every 7-10 days seems to be sufficient. A lot less dust in the den not opening stove every day. I like to give a thorough cleaning (leaf blower) at least once in the middle of the burning season and a thorough cleaning at the end of the burning season.

 

[bigruckus]

The pellets make a big differeance with me...I've been buring MWP mixed and they has a lot ash then my Genva hardwood pellets...but the MWP have less heat..The MWP have a lighter finer ash also!!

 

[kinsmanstoves]

Mt. Vernon at the house gets cleaned every two weeks if not three. The Cab-5o Heatilator at the store maybe on a month. Harman or Quad that I burn at the store three to four weeks.

I make them work.

Eric

 

[hooter04]

I clean my 2 MT Vernons every 3 weeks or so. Ashpan is a daily thing.

 

[silverfox103]

Clean what do you mean clean? You just put the pellets in the hopper and press the button.

What's this clean fetish you people have.

Didn't you hear the sales droid or pay attention to the brush wielding installation person who told you that you had to brush the fake bricks off in addition to what the you heard back at the dealership?

Where's this ash pan that your supposed to empty? I haven't figured that out yet.

Tom C.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Clean what do you mean clean? You just put the pellets in the hopper and press the button.

What's this clean fetish you people have.

Didn't you hear the sales droid or pay attention to the brush wielding installation person who told you that you had to brush the fake bricks off in addition to what the you heard back at the dealership?

Where's this ash pan that your supposed to empty? I haven't figured that out yet.

Tom C.

I don't know about on your stoves , on mine, it is below the burn pot and a lot of that ash that gets ejected from the burn pot just loves to go down there, my stove even has a latching system so I can remove the ash pan for emptying. Maybe your stove uses them new fangled no ash wood pellets or something.

 

[silverfox103]

Clean what do you mean clean? You just put the pellets in the hopper and press the button.

What's this clean fetish you people have.

Didn't you hear the sales droid or pay attention to the brush wielding installation person who told you that you had to brush the fake bricks off in addition to what the you heard back at the dealership?

Where's this ash pan that your supposed to empty? I haven't figured that out yet.

Tom C.

I don't know about on your stoves , on mine, it is below the burn pot and a lot of that ash that gets ejected from the burn pot just loves to go down there, my stove even has a latching system so I can remove the ash pan for emptying. Maybe your stove uses them new fangled no ash wood pellets or something.

The guy that sold me the pellets at HD, said nothing about emptying a pan. He just showed me where to dump em in. Real easy he said.