M55i insert questions

[miteclipse]

Good evening,

New insert, roughly used last 2 months. Damper, combustion/feed trim (default 3) produce good flame height. Top of the glass starts to get dirty roughly 4hours into a burn, which seems normal. I think I’m chewing up pellets, which I’ve read this stove will do. If I drop the feed trim to 2, will this make the stove reach level 3 heat slower, instead of the default setting feed trim of 3? Therefore using more pellets to achieve temperature.

Also, any recommendations to easily fill the hopper? The opening is small, have to add pellets, push them down, repeat until I can’t add no more. All while I have to do this within 2 minutes, otherwise flashing light 4 occurs to close hopper lid. The pellets I got from dealer don’t seem to slide down the hopper very well (Hallmark premium hardwood). I truly never no if it is full, hesitant to run overnight which I’m sure it will go empty.

Thanks in advance

 

[bostonfan49]

Good evening,

New insert, roughly used last 2 months. Damper, combustion/feed trim (default 3) produce good flame height. Top of the glass starts to get dirty roughly 4hours into a burn, which seems normal. I think I’m chewing up pellets, which I’ve read this stove will do. If I drop the feed trim to 2, will this make the stove reach level 3 heat slower, instead of the default setting feed trim of 3? Therefore using more pellets to achieve temperature.

Also, any recommendations to easily fill the hopper? The opening is small, have to add pellets, push them down, repeat until I can’t add no more. All while I have to do this within 2 minutes, otherwise flashing light 4 occurs to close hopper lid. The pellets I got from dealer don’t seem to slide down the hopper very well (Hallmark premium hardwood). I truly never no if it is full, hesitant to run overnight which I’m sure it will go empty.

Thanks in advance

 

[bostonfan49]

Hi there! I only use Feed setting 1, uses less pellets and the stove runs much longer between auto on and off starts. I don’t run overnight but I read that many folks us the Hi Lo setting. Maybe someone will comment on this…As far as pellets sliding down the hopper, that is a universal pellet stove minor problem. Hoppers with steep sides, no problem, gravity pulls the pellets down! Hoppers like the M55 and most stove, the pellets won’t slide down unless the surface is super slick, slipper. Every fall I take steel wool and brush the hell out of the hopper surface removing essentially fine ground pellet dust. Then I give the hopper a coating of Carnauba wax. This works great for a month, then repeat, then give up…Incidentally, the more you push and shove the pellets in, the more pellet dust your your allowing to build up on the hopper metal surface! I wouldn’t worry about the 2 minute/ hopper lid light…Fill her up, close the lid, light will go off.
Hope this helps, Bill

 

[johneh]

My son has a M55i he runs it 24/7 on the lowest settings
He has a big copper pot by the stove filled with Cubix pellets
and uses a grain scoop to fill the hopper Any time he walks by
he looks and adds a scoop if needed . He gets 24 to 30 hours from a 40 lb. bag

 

[miteclipse]

So try feed setting 1 with a heat level 2 or 3? What about a tablespoon or powder graphite in the hopper?

 

[miteclipse]

I run on manual mode as I don’t have a thermostat connected

 

[bostonfan49]

So try feed setting 1 with a heat level 2 or 3? What about a tablespoon or powder graphite in the hopper?

Give it a shot, but I think the powder is going to stick to the pellets and go down the chute or just stick to the hopper surface but not improve the ability of the pellets to slide down the sides of the pellet bin. The only solution (in my opinion) is to do a thorough cleaning and waxing of the bin surface. There are sticky threads on this subject going back years…..
Bill

 

[kchace]

I made a little push stick with a T at the end of it about 6” wide. I pour the pellets in until they back up, then push them way in, then add some more. One does have to do it before the timeout because the stove will go into shutdown. But if it does, you Can just press the go button a time or two (I forget) and the stove will keep going.

Yeah they do eat the pellets. They’re only about 60% efficient so that’s the difference. I only use mine to augment the St Croix Hastings when it’s either really cold or to help the far end of the house to heat up faster. The Hastings is a workhorse running 24/7 for the entire winter (except for cleaning of course).

Ken