After a year and two months, I had the dealer come in to clean the stove and check out a vibration, which I believe is caused by the combustion/exhaust motor. It was gratifying to see that the things he did from the front of the stove is exactly what I have been doing since purchasing the stove. Some observations:
1. When I clean under the burn pot after removing the clean out cover, I give it some good raps from the top and it dislodges ash and gets it off the igniter. He wrapped the burn pot from the side and I noticed a lot more ash coming out the way he did it versus the way I did it. Lesson learned.
2. Watched carefully how he slid the stove out and apologized for looking over his shoulder a bit to see everything he did behind the stove. He used a 2x4 dead-center and perpendicular to the stove and heaved it out onto the 2x4 (level hearth). I am going to build one of the homemade contraptions I have seen posted on this forum and make it easier to do.
3. He didn't use a drill-driven soot eater but simply wrapped on the 4" flue pipe (15' up and interior chimney) several times until nothing more fell out. Looked like about a gallon milk jug worth of ash came out but could have been more that went straight in the vacuum hose. I did burn some dusty/dirty pellets last year and part of this year. Burning the good stuff now. I can now hear the blower noise coming from the top of the flue when I'm outside so ash must have been dampening the sound a bit.
4. He got into the fines box and not much was in it. I watched his "technique" as there is not a lot of space to work with getting into it, especially with the big paws I have.
5. He took care to carefully clean the ESP. After restarting the stove, the stove mode is now offering a lot more room temperature range than it did before, telling me it must have been covered with ash and not as sensitive to exhaust temperature as it was designed to be. I'll make sure to check and clean the ESP more often to make sure it is sensing as it should.
6. He agreed that the noise from the combustion blower was unusual but asked that I run it this week now that everything is clean and see if there is any improvement. If not, I am to call next week and they'll put in a new motor under warranty with no service call charge as it will be considered and extension of the cleaning visit.
All and all a good and educational experience.
1. When I clean under the burn pot after removing the clean out cover, I give it some good raps from the top and it dislodges ash and gets it off the igniter. He wrapped the burn pot from the side and I noticed a lot more ash coming out the way he did it versus the way I did it. Lesson learned.
2. Watched carefully how he slid the stove out and apologized for looking over his shoulder a bit to see everything he did behind the stove. He used a 2x4 dead-center and perpendicular to the stove and heaved it out onto the 2x4 (level hearth). I am going to build one of the homemade contraptions I have seen posted on this forum and make it easier to do.
3. He didn't use a drill-driven soot eater but simply wrapped on the 4" flue pipe (15' up and interior chimney) several times until nothing more fell out. Looked like about a gallon milk jug worth of ash came out but could have been more that went straight in the vacuum hose. I did burn some dusty/dirty pellets last year and part of this year. Burning the good stuff now. I can now hear the blower noise coming from the top of the flue when I'm outside so ash must have been dampening the sound a bit.
4. He got into the fines box and not much was in it. I watched his "technique" as there is not a lot of space to work with getting into it, especially with the big paws I have.
5. He took care to carefully clean the ESP. After restarting the stove, the stove mode is now offering a lot more room temperature range than it did before, telling me it must have been covered with ash and not as sensitive to exhaust temperature as it was designed to be. I'll make sure to check and clean the ESP more often to make sure it is sensing as it should.
6. He agreed that the noise from the combustion blower was unusual but asked that I run it this week now that everything is clean and see if there is any improvement. If not, I am to call next week and they'll put in a new motor under warranty with no service call charge as it will be considered and extension of the cleaning visit.
All and all a good and educational experience.
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