m55 cast insert - stirrer grinding 2 days after GOOD cleaning

[Benjie6x]

Stirrrer is grinding only days after a good cleaning. I used a grinder to remove all the buildup from burnpot. Everything seems to be installed properly (theres little room for error the way the pieces fit together)
Could I be overlooking something?

 

[Wachusett]

Grinding on what and where? Is it the motor, chain, agititor? I suspect it is porbably carbon builup in the
burn pot, particularly right in the center in front of the ignitor.

 

[Benjie6x]

Yes, it seems to be the stirrer hitting the burnpot that is grinding, but 2 days after i took a grinder to that area? wonder if the stirrer is to close to the burnpot

 

[nailed_nailer]

I know this is obvious....

Is the burn pot liner in correctly?
The igniter hole goes toward the rear.
I think it will fit in either way.

I'd take the burn pot out completely.
Start from ground zero.
Burn Pot installed over air tubes/igniter and sitting down into rests in front.
Then the Burn Pot liner, hole to back. Ensure it is correct left to right.
Then the agitator rod Left side first with a bit of anti-sieze then right side. Spin it top toward you to lock it onto the drive.
Then the top flange. It goes in then down. The locking lever should close to right easily.

Also check if something somehow got warped.

Are you sure the pot liner is clean. Sometimes the clinker looks like steel. I sharp pick will crack it loose.

Good Luck,
---Nailer---

 

[Benjie6x]

Yes, I did all that. I will have to try again this weekend.
thanks for the reply

 

[stoveguy13]

does it happen all the time? or just sometimes? what fuel setting are you on?

 

[flynfrfun]

Stirrrer is grinding only days after a good cleaning. I used a grinder to remove all the buildup from burnpot. Everything seems to be installed properly (theres little room for error the way the pieces fit together)
Could I be overlooking something?

You need to check the tips of the agitator tines. They can get buildup on them. I use sandpaper to get it off. Also, are you lubing the left side of the agitator with anti-seize when you put it all back together?

 

[Eatonpcat]

Stirrrer is grinding only days after a good cleaning. I used a grinder to remove all the buildup from burnpot. Everything seems to be installed properly (theres little room for error the way the pieces fit together)
Could I be overlooking something?

You need to check the tips of the agitator tines. They can get buildup on them. I use sandpaper to get it off. Also, are you lubing the left side of the agitator with anti-seize when you put it all back together?

I like the sandpaper idea (Maybe hit it with a dremel)....Also, should I be using anti-seize on the dummy end of the agitator?? I'm not even sure what anti-seize is, Do you have a brand name I that I can look for?? Thanks

 

[nailed_nailer]

With my M55C,

Enviro included the anti-sieze tube in the documents package that came with the stove.
The supplied tube was
Loctite C5-A
Available at any autoparts place or Amazon for around $7.00 a can.
http://www.amazon.com/Loctite-C5-Anti-Seize-compound-brush/dp/B000LDDOXG

It did the job for me.

Coat the left end of the rod. The non-drive end.
It takes care of the squeak but not any grinding.

Good Luck,
---Nailer---

 

[Benjie6x]

I cleaned everything again, grinded the burn pot, lubed the stirrer, so far so good, nice and quiet.
I hope i wont have to do this every three days.
Could poor quality pellets have something to do with this?

 

[Benjie6x]

does it happen all the time? or just sometimes? what fuel setting are you on?

I'm on regular pellets, setting 2, rarely 3..adjusting the feed trim setting more than anything

 

[Benjie6x]

does it happen all the time? or just sometimes? what fuel setting are you on?

It always happens eventually. This time it happened only 3 days after cleaning. maybe poor quality pellets?

 

[Eatonpcat]

With my M55C,

Enviro included the anti-sieze tube in the documents package that came with the stove.
The supplied tube was
Loctite C5-A
Available at any autoparts place or Amazon for around $7.00 a can.
http://www.amazon.com/Loctite-C5-Anti-Seize-compound-brush/dp/B000LDDOXG

It did the job for me.

Coat the left end of the rod. The non-drive end.
It takes care of the squeak but not any grinding.

Good Luck,
---Nailer---

Thanks for the Loctite info...I will get a can this weekend.

 

[Wachusett]

I have run my stove for almost 2 heating seasons. Pellets quality matters to some degree.
Regardless of all the various factors that come into play. I have found that carbon generally
builds up in the burn pot in two places: at the tab in front of the ignitor and the side of the
burn pot towards the front of the stove. Both of these spots have very little air flow.
I believe the ignitor only feeds air to the fire during the ignition process, then nothing after that.

The buildup towards the front of the stove rarely comes in contact with the agitator, because
its higher up on the sidewall of the pot. The spot at the ignitor is lower in the pot so it comes into
contact more often. I have seen a post by Benski (I think) showing the center prong worn down
considerably. I inspected mine and sure enough it is probably 3/16 shorter than the others.
The agitator is not intended to be a carbon scrapper but more to clean ash out of the pot.

I have resolved this problem and was going to post after I was certain it worked.
Well here it goes. This isssue drove me a little crazy, so after much thinking I modified the burn pot
with a single 1/8 hole drilled right through the tab in front of the ignitor. Going on two weeks now,
burning a variety of pellets on high/lo and auto/off. Not a single scrape of the agitator on the this spot.
The additional air prevents pellets from sitting and smoldering in this spot.

Sorry to be long winded. I will post pictures when I get home from work, may be a new thread for
the burn pot mod. Believe me it has worked better than I expected.

 

[stoveguy13]

does it happen all the time? or just sometimes? what fuel setting are you on?

It always happens eventually. This time it happened only 3 days after cleaning. maybe poor quality pellets?

it could be the pellets it could also just be a fluke mine tends to do it the more it runs on a lower setting if i run the stove on 5 i can go two weeks with out a problem if i am running on 3 it only takes a week to start less air more carbon is what i find

 

[Wachusett]

Here the pictures of the burn pot.

 

[jtakeman]

Are you burning on hi/lo? I have noticed mine will collect more carbon on hi/lo than auto/off. Also what pellet choice you burn does effect how fast the carbon collects. Some brands don't build up at all. Some are really bad.

Stove chow on hi/lo is my worst so far.

 

[Benjie6x]

I don't have outside air conected....yet. I assume that this will help this issue.

 

[1Dtml]

Are you burning on hi/lo? I have noticed mine will collect more carbon on hi/lo than auto/off. Also what pellet choice you burn does effect how fast the carbon collects. Some brands don't build up at all. Some are really bad.

Stove chow on hi/lo is my worst so far.

Hi Jay,
I noticed the hi/lo build up as well, but haven't found out which brands "don't build up at all," so can you give me a hint on which brands don't? ;-)

Let me guess...softies???

1D

 

[1Dtml]

Here the pictures of the burn pot.

I'm considering making this mod, so any drawbacks yet, or is this still working better than you expected?

Thank you for your contributions,

1D

 

[Wachusett]

Here the pictures of the burn pot.

I'm considering making this mod, so any drawbacks yet, or is this still working better than you expected?

Thank you for your contributions,

1D

No drawbacks, none. To date since the mod I have burned 22 bags of assorted pellet brands including:
2 bags lignetics (blue label), 2 bags Maine Woods, 2 bags NEWP, 10 bags Clean Energy (Lowes pellet),
4 bags Greene Team, 2 bags Barefoots. No in between cleaning, this was not pellet testing.

I have seen no negative effects during ignition (auto/off), or constant burning (hi/lo). I used to have to remove the pot and scrape it mid-week,
now I only do my weekly cleaning. Could probably go longer than a week now.

I drilled from the outside of the pot to inside, set a pilot/dimple with a punch so the bit doesn't wander.
The hole I drilled probably ended slightly over 1/8 inch, bit had a little wobble in it.

Also the way I looked at it if I screwed things up I could buy a new pot for $60+/-. I have pissed away that kind of
money on crazier projects.

 

[1Dtml]

Here the pictures of the burn pot.

I'm considering making this mod, so any drawbacks yet, or is this still working better than you expected?

Thank you for your contributions,

1D

No drawbacks, none. To date since the mod I have burned 22 bags of assorted pellet brands including:
2 bags lignetics (blue label), 2 bags Maine Woods, 2 bags NEWP, 10 bags Clean Energy (Lowes pellet),
4 bags Greene Team, 2 bags Barefoots. No in between cleaning, this was not pellet testing.

I have seen no negative effects during ignition (auto/off), or constant burning (hi/lo). I used to have to remove the pot and scrape it mid-week,
now I only do my weekly cleaning. Could probably go longer than a week now.

I drilled from the outside of the pot to inside, set a pilot/dimple with a punch so the bit doesn't wander.
The hole I drilled probably ended slightly over 1/8 inch, bit had a little wobble in it.

Also the way I looked at it if I screwed things up I could buy a new pot for $60+/-. I have pissed away that kind of
money on crazier projects.

Thank you very much for all the extra information.

I'm new to pellets and this stove, so I'm still learning to dial in the settings.
Have you been able to establish any pellet favorites yet as far as keeping cleaning down to a minimum, and getting a good clean burn?

My stove seems to burn North American pellets well as far as a shoulder pellet.

I've had some pot build up, and dirty glass with Somersets, but the ash level is low and the heat is good.

On low/high settings things tend to get gunked up pretty fast, so I've resorted to the automatic setting even though I know I'm shortening the igniter life.

I have yet to try any of my Spruce Pointe, or Okanagans for it's been too warn.

Thanks again,

1D

 

[jtakeman]

Are you burning on hi/lo? I have noticed mine will collect more carbon on hi/lo than auto/off. Also what pellet choice you burn does effect how fast the carbon collects. Some brands don't build up at all. Some are really bad.

Stove chow on hi/lo is my worst so far.

Hi Jay,
I noticed the hi/lo build up as well, but haven't found out which brands "don't build up at all," so can you give me a hint on which brands don't? ;-)

Let me guess...softies???

1D

The pellets that produced absolutely no carbon at all were the grass pellets imacman,schoondog and I tried out. Softwood(SPF) and all oak pellets were about the least carbon build up I have seen. The hardwood mix and blends seem to produce the most.

To me its something in the mix/blend fiber that has more carbon content. But there's no way to single what it is. If they made straight maple-ash-hickory(many more can be added)! We might be able to figure out what has the high carbon content.

 

[jtakeman]

I have run my stove for almost 2 heating seasons. Pellets quality matters to some degree.
Regardless of all the various factors that come into play. I have found that carbon generally
builds up in the burn pot in two places: at the tab in front of the ignitor and the side of the
burn pot towards the front of the stove. Both of these spots have very little air flow.
I believe the ignitor only feeds air to the fire during the ignition process, then nothing after that.

The buildup towards the front of the stove rarely comes in contact with the agitator, because
its higher up on the sidewall of the pot. The spot at the ignitor is lower in the pot so it comes into
contact more often. I have seen a post by Benski (I think) showing the center prong worn down
considerably. I inspected mine and sure enough it is probably 3/16 shorter than the others.
The agitator is not intended to be a carbon scrapper but more to clean ash out of the pot.

I have resolved this problem and was going to post after I was certain it worked.
Well here it goes. This isssue drove me a little crazy, so after much thinking I modified the burn pot
with a single 1/8 hole drilled right through the tab in front of the ignitor. Going on two weeks now,
burning a variety of pellets on high/lo and auto/off. Not a single scrape of the agitator on the this spot.
The additional air prevents pellets from sitting and smoldering in this spot.

Sorry to be long winded. I will post pictures when I get home from work, may be a new thread for
the burn pot mod. Believe me it has worked better than I expected.

Yes please do start a new thread. Then will sticky it. Call it "Enviro multifuel burnpot liner mods" or something like that. I'll even forward a link to Enviro's techs.

After seeing yours, I'm in on the mod. I hate the sound the agitator makes once the carbon is built up! Sounds like a sick whale. Now that my stove is ducted, I hear it upstairs even and its very annoying! I'll take some pictures of mine before and after. I might do the hole you did and add a slit like the rest of the burnpot has just to the shield for the igniter hole. Should be able to takle that with a dremel/die grinder. If not, I got access to a mill and can do the machine work. Also my pot liner is a little different than the M55's. Seems they made an upgrade to the liners since "2008"?

 

[1Dtml]

I did the mod yesterday, and the stove is working great, but I'll let you know about the build up after the next cleaning.
FWIW, the tine on the stirrer at that point was shorter than the rest (worn down as reported by others), and my stove has only been running since December.

Thanks again for the contributions,

1D