P43 Burning Dirty. Tried Everything!

[VTPellets]

3 year old P43 started burning really dirty this winter. No change in fuel from past years. Regular cleaning. Deep clean end of each season. I've tried the following, to no avail:

-cleaned out exhaust/combustion blower
-verified the cold air intake flue is clear and the baffle swings freely.
-replaced rope gasket on firebox door after dollar bill test failed.
-constantly keep ashes out from under the igniter.
-exhaust is properly caulked and sealed.

All I can guess is that the draft remains suboptimal and it's not getting a complete burn. But, the flames are lively with no black tips. The firebox door window ashes up black within a day, and there is a noticeable woodsmoke smell at times.

What else can I check? I'm getting sick of the dirty window and crappy burns!

 

[Jason845845]

Check the cover of the fines box to see if it's empty and properly seated. Is this in constant burn or room temp?

 

[VTPellets]

Burning on room temp mode, consistently on a higher temp. Fines box recently cleaned out and the plate is reseated correctly. Should have noted, sorry!

 

[jzm2cc]

Leaf blower on exhaust trick to remove blockage.

 

[bags]

Any difference yet or the same crappy burn? Seems like you have everything covered that would cause a sloppy burn.

On the rope gasket replacement...... Did you do both doors or include the ash pan door?

I just see you mention the firebox door. I would always replace both rope gaskets at the same time. The ash pan door and dollar bill test don't jive because of the return flange on the door or it would be hard to do.

 

[alternativeheat]

When is the last time the entire vent was cleaned ?

 

[greg13]

It's been a warm winter here so possibly it may not be running hot enough to stay clean. You could try a few different brands of pellets and see if that makes any difference.

 

[Harmanizer]

Have you adjusted the low draft screw?Your stove may not be getting enough air in low draft mode.Here is a picture of the adjustment screw on my P68.

 

[fedtime]

3 year old P43 started burning really dirty this winter. No change in fuel from past years. Regular cleaning. Deep clean end of each season. I've tried the following, to no avail:

-cleaned out exhaust/combustion blower
-verified the cold air intake flue is clear and the baffle swings freely.
-replaced rope gasket on firebox door after dollar bill test failed.
-constantly keep ashes out from under the igniter.
-exhaust is properly caulked and sealed.

All I can guess is that the draft remains suboptimal and it's not getting a complete burn. But, the flames are lively with no black tips. The firebox door window ashes up black within a day, and there is a noticeable woodsmoke smell at times.

What else can I check? I'm getting sick of the dirty window and crappy burns!

I had the same issue not long ago with my Accentra. My problem was (as has been suggested) a partial blockage in the exhaust pipe due to some lower-grade pellets I had been burning. I ran my cleaning brush (a drill attachment) through the pipes, completely cleaning them and the problem was solved.

If that failed, I was guessing my ESP was bad, causing the dirty burn.

 

[alternativeheat]

I burned some FSU early on this year but otherwise TSC pellets all year. They are moderate ash but the warm winter, comparatively speaking, has not caused a lot of super high burns this winter. In early Feb I did my mid winter full vent clean ( 26 ft vertical 4" vent when you include the top extension piece and clean out) . I think I got the most ash ever on that mid winter cleaning. It was far from plugged, but just saying I got more than usual. I also notice more ash pan dumpings than in past years, about every three weeks. I could see 3" venting getting restricted sooner this winter than on average winters ( around here anyway, maybe it's been colder elsewhere).

Funny, today is cold and windy too, now that we are into March LOL !