Lazy Flame, soot, shuts down when open damper

[Ska5758]

We have an Enviro Fire III made in 1997. We were having problems with it shutting down after running for about 45 mins especially when the temperature outside dropped under freezing. We cleaned it out really good, taking it apart, sweeping with a brush, etc. Still having the problem. The stove guy came and replaced the Auger Timber Block and said it was working/running properly. I came home and found it was burning with more of a lazy flame then I would like. The damper was pushed way in. My significant other said that the stove guy had set it there. I pulled it out about 1/4 of an inch and the stove shut down by going to a solid green light and stopping the auger. If I push the damper back in - closing it - the stove starts feeding again. The burn pot is also filling up, soot is building like crazy, and I am at a loss. Any ideas?

 

[Ska5758]

What is it they say ... dirty stoves are the cause of 80% of all stove problems - and it must have been mine! After reading about the leaf blower idea and a few other idea's I sat down in front of the stove and got to work. I hooked up the huge shop vac with some duct tape and sucked out a bunch more stuff. Then I took the thing apart and found area's stuffed with gunk that I never even knew existed. The stove guy must not have known either because last year he cleaned it, and this was clearly way more then a years worth of grime. Anyway - I put it all back together and what do you know - it works better then it ever has! This forum is great and I never would have thought I could take it apart like that if it were not for what I learned on this forum. Thank you!