Observations from a full cleaning

[Drivr]

I've been through about a ton and a half of pellets and the stove was sounding a little louder than normal so I figured today would be a good a day as any for a full cleaning. So here are some things I noticed today:

1. All that ash from the ash pan works great providing traction on ice. there was a large icy spot in the driveway and I coated it with the ash and now the car can navigate the curve without sliding. we dont walk in that area so it wont get tracked in the house.
2. A new parts washing brush (round with stiff bristles) works great for cleaning inside the stove, the baffles, the fans etc.
3. a good full cleaning can be done in under an hour.

 

[ResOps]

Drvr,
yup on a good day to clean the stove -although it was -15 here
I bought one of the bottle brushes as well for cleaning around the heat exchangers. Good deals at the local buck shop

 

[breklaw]

I did my cleaning about a month ago, after I noticed a lack of heat when it started to get colder, and the thing that took the longest was the room air blower, as you have to pull the stove to get at it, and remove the fan for cleaning it. I'll bet mine took closer to 3 hours, but it was the first time it has been pulled in 4 years of running almost non- stop during the winter. I heat an 1,800 square foot, 2 story house, 3 bedrooms and a huge master bath and a half bath up, upstairs by convection only. So, I have to plan a bit when it is really cold, and crank her up a bit early. It is very hard for her to GET the house to 70's, downstairs, and 60's upstairs, but when we are warm, she keeps up. Her 38,000 BTU has to be planned a bit. The only time my oil burner fires is when I have told it too, to check it out, or when the hot water tank calls for heat.