On my last ember of patience

[matthewstitt49259]

I have a Danson StepTop pellet stove that I have had nothing but trouble with.
Currently, it will not give me a healthy flame. The flame is lazy and dirty. I have looked all over for potential leaks but can't find anything. I just replaced the ignitor and a sensor that detects the speed of the fan. I'm wondering if I just need to replace the other sensors. I've taped up the drawer beneath with heat-resistant tape. I even thought about taping up the door but nothing is working. It was suggested I clean out the fan but that wouldn't be giving out the air leak symptoms, right.

We are in the middle of another cold winter and this junk-thing has me on my last nerve.
Thanks

 

[DneprDave]

Have you really cleaned the stove?

 

[SidecarFlip]

Dollar bill test on the door?
Venting clean?
Burn Pot holes open?
Cleanout Tee cleaned?

 

[Peterfield]

Not familiar with your stove but there are posts that will tell you that 70-80% of stove problems are related to inadequate cleaning. Just yesterday, I took advantage of the warmer weather to really take my time and clean my stove. I stuck the vacuum nozzle anywhere it would fit (get your minds out of the gutter) and was extra careful to hit all the nooks and crannies. Today, I am burning Maine's Choice which I have been complaining about as being too ashy. Well, since the cleaning they are no longer producing as much ash and the heat is markedly better. I don't know what aspect of the cleaning made the difference but I'll definitely take more time to clean the stove from now on.

 

[jzm2cc]

Does it burn lazy on all heat settings or just higher ones?

Wonder if damper rod got pushed it and is now restricting air flow.

 

[matthewstitt49259]

Ok, cool.. I did a good cleaning and it's running better but... give it two hours or so an it will again start doing the same thing. You think the damper rod could restrict the air flow?
How do you do the dollar bill test?

 

[boo boo]

Ok, cool.. I did a good cleaning and it's running better but... give it two hours or so an it will again start doing the same thing. You think the damper rod could restrict the air flow?
How do you do the dollar bill test?

You put a dollar bill half in half out of the door close the door and pull the bill out it should pull out with some resistance but not just slide out. This should be done around the whole door to check your gasket seal on the door. If it tears off the most you will lose is 50 cents

Sidecar does this with 20s just for fun

 

[SidecarFlip]

You put a dollar bill half in half out of the door close the door and pull the bill out it should pull out with some resistance but not just slide out. This should be done around the whole door to check your gasket seal on the door. If it tears off the most you will lose is 50 cents

Sidecar does this with 20s just for fun

I'm too cheap for that. I use a half sheet of copy paper.

 

[boo boo]

I'm too cheap for that. I use a half sheet of copy paper.

I use copy paper also. If I lost a dollar in there the first thing I would say is there goes 8 pounds of pellets

 

[SidecarFlip]

I got you beat on hearth pads btw. Mine was free. I was crusing in town one day and they were demolishing an old brick building so I asked if I could have some bricks and they said no problem so I came back with my 1 ton truck and loaded up. Gotta do what you gotta do.

 

[boo boo]

I got you beat on hearth pads btw. Mine was free. I was crusing in town one day and they were demolishing an old brick building so I asked if I could have some bricks and they said no problem so I came back with my 1 ton truck and loaded up. Gotta do what you gotta do.

Yup I had to raise my stove 4.5" to use the same hole the previous owners had in the wall. Not sure what kind of stove they had.

 

[bioman]

sounds like the flue is full of ash.

 

[matthewstitt49259]

I use copy paper also. If I lost a dollar in there the first thing I would say is there goes 8 pounds of pellets

Thank you guys..
There is a long steel rod that seems to clean out the top of the stove. I assume this is the dampner? Anyways, I pulled it all the way out and it's working perfectly.
I actually slept all night..

 

[jzm2cc]

Thank you guys..
There is a long steel rod that seems to clean out the top of the stove. I assume this is the dampner? Anyways, I pulled it all the way out and it's working perfectly.
I actually slept all night..

I've never had the step top version of the stove, only the flat top which has an air damper rod on the lower side of stove. Yes it can restrict air flow if pushed in. The top rod would be the heat exchanger tube cleaner which shouldn't affect air flow. As others have said, exhaust or areas behind the fire brick metal panel could be plugged Manual shows how to clean this.

 

[Polar Bear]

Thank you guys..
There is a long steel rod that seems to clean out the top of the stove. I assume this is the dampner? Anyways, I pulled it all the way out and it's working perfectly.
I actually slept all night..

No. That is your heat exchanger cleaner. It slides up and down and scrapes it. When you pull it, you should notice ash fall from the top. Some stoves don't have a damper... mine included. One draft setting. No need to figure anything out.

 

[Luv2burnPellets]

Matthew, you should really read your operators manual. There is a wealth of information about safely operating your stove and maintaining / cleaning it and proper set up and venting requirements. Your pellet stove is a workhorse and you need to become very familiar with it. This forum is an added bonus for fellowship and troubleshooting and General advice. If you inherited this stove from a previous owner, you should be able to download the manual from the manufactures site. I see that you are a newbie, so welcome to the forum! Remember that a clean stove is a happy stove!

 

[bogieb]

Thank you guys..
There is a long steel rod that seems to clean out the top of the stove. I assume this is the dampner? Anyways, I pulled it all the way out and it's working perfectly.
I actually slept all night..

That is a cleanout rod (as my Hastings has) and should be pulled a couple times a day (or whatever the mfg suggests) to clean out the fly ash that congregates on the heat exchanger - as Polar Bear stated. Perhaps you should go thru your stove's manual and find out what all needs to be cleaned on a daily, regular, monthly and yearly basis. A lazy flame can be caused by air not being able to flow because passageways are blocked up, not just because a damper is closed too much.