Pellet Stove Learning Curve .

[Hiskid]

With my Castle Serenity I finding weather affects burning I'm learning. I have my venting in a secluded S-W corner. I had the air open 1/3 open when I first fired the stove. It seemed to burn very nice the first few windy days. The last days the wind died and I checked it was burning lazy and smoking. I bumped the exhaust voltage up and it perked right up . I since opened it half I have to slow it a bit. Apparently the wind pulls a vacuum in the secluded corner. Does that make sense ? Also I tried three different hw pellets and they all seem to generate about the same ash and coat the bottom half of the glass. Does that make sense ? The stove is on a southern exposed porch so I am able to shut the stove down later morning on Sunny days. I'm retired so I clean the stove each day before a later afternoon start. Do many of you clean everyday ? Also the stove has a whitish coating after the burn with ash around and above the pot. Is that good ? Thanks for any help. GBY

 

[Mt Bob]

Hi,I recommend put your stove type in your signature.But,everything you said sounds very normal.

 

[Hiskid]

I

Hi,I recommend put your stove type in your signature.But,everything you said sounds very normal.

I'm not sure how to do the signature, I'll have to check. I did put the the name in the post.
So adjusting is ok and the white inside ?

 

[Mt Bob]

I


I'm not sure how to do the signature, I'll have to check. I did put the the name in the post.
So adjusting is ok and the white inside ?

Whiter ash usually means good hot burn,and probably softwood.Darker ash from hardwood,and from crappy pellets.

 

[nailed_nailer]

If you want to get into the down and dirty of Pellet stove running, you could get yourself a Magnehelic gauge to monitor your vent pressures. This will tell you what is happening as you burn and when to adjust for optimal burn rates for fuel/air mixtures vs. heat output.

Or you could continue what you are doing and wing it.
As long as you are not burning up your fuel too quickly (and stove goes out) or burning to lazy (oxygen starved) where the insides and glass get black.
Then you are ding fine.

Cleaning is up to you but most folks do a weekly clean to quickly vacuum most of the ash out and clean the glass.
And a full deep clean about every ton of burned pellets. This removes the blowers and vent pipe for cleaning.
---Nailer---

 

[Mt Bob]

If you want to get into the down and dirty of Pellet stove running, you could get yourself a Magnehelic gauge to monitor your vent pressures. This will tell you what is happening as you burn and when to adjust for optimal burn rates for fuel/air mixtures vs. heat output.

Or you could continue what you are doing and wing it.
As long as you are not burning up your fuel too quickly (and stove goes out) or burning to lazy (oxygen starved) where the insides and glass get black.
Then you are ding fine.

Cleaning is up to you but most folks do a weekly clean to quickly vacuum most of the ash out and clean the glass.
And a full deep clean about every ton of burned pellets. This removes the blowers and vent pipe for cleaning.
---Nailer---

He has a serenity,I think they perform much better being kept cleaner.Quite a good reputation for the serenity.

 

[Hiskid]

Whiter ash usually means good hot burn,and probably softwood.Darker ash from hardwood,and from crappy pellets.

They are box store hardwood pellets and a bag called "energetics" hardwood pelletsfrom a local stove shop. I have like a blowtorch flame, is that ok. I get a lot of darker ash on the sides and around the pot. The white coating is all over the inside and and the dark ash clings to some of it.

 

[Mt Bob]

They are box store hardwood pellets and a bag called "energetics" hardwood pelletsfrom a local stove shop. I have like a blowtorch flame, is that ok.

A real blowtorch flame does wast a bit of heat "up the flue"but some like it,less cleaning and problems.Orangish is usually better for more heat.You can find lots of flame pictures/videos, here and on youtube.Some stoves are so out of wack most heat goes up the stack,I do not think you could ever get a serenity to burn that bad,great units for the money

 

[Hiskid]

If you want to get into the down and dirty of Pellet stove running, you could get yourself a Magnehelic gauge to monitor your vent pressures. This will tell you what is happening as you burn and when to adjust for optimal burn rates for fuel/air mixtures vs. heat output.

Or you could continue what you are doing and wing it.
As long as you are not burning up your fuel too quickly (and stove goes out) or burning to lazy (oxygen starved) where the insides and glass get black.
Then you are ding fine.

Cleaning is up to you but most folks do a weekly clean to quickly vacuum most of the ash out and clean the glass.
And a full deep clean about every ton of burned pellets. This removes the blowers and vent pipe for cleaning.
---Nailer---

I get about 3/4 inch of residue everyday that breaks when I hit i with the vac nozzle. Is that a normal thing that mush be removed everyday

 

[Mt Bob]

I get about 3/4 inch of residue everyday that breaks when I hit i with the vac nozzle. Is that a normal thing that mush be removed everyday

how much pellets?1/2 bag?

 

[Hiskid]

A real blowtorch flame does wast a bit of heat "up the flue"but some like it,less cleaning and problems.Orangish is usually better for more heat.You can find lots of flame pictures/videos, here and on youtube.Some stoves are so out of wack most heat goes up the stack,I do not think you could ever get a serenity to burn that bad,great units for the money

Thanks, I'll check some you tube videos.

 

[Hiskid]

how much pellets?1/2 bag?

More like a bag. I start it around 3pm with a full hopper and she tops it off with about 4am with 6-8 about qt scoops at 4am. I shut it off mid- late morning and top off whats left after I clean.

 

[Mt Bob]

More like a bag. I start it around 3pm with a full hopper and she tops it off with about 4am with 6-8 about qt scoops at 4am. I shut it off mid- late morning and top off whats left after I clean.

Then ash is normal,all is well

 

[rich2500]

I get about 3/4 inch of residue everyday that breaks when I hit i with the vac nozzle. Is that a normal thing that mush be removed everyday

That's normal mostly with Hardwoods, If the stove is off sure remove the clinker before relighting.Everything thing sounds totally normal otherwise.

 

[alternativeheat]

You get quite a bit of dark ash from hardwood pellets out around the ledges of the fire box and down in the pan area, the Energex hardwoods ( I think that is what you mentioned getting from the stove shop) I believe run around 1% ash, fairly ashy pellets but also pretty hot pellets. Energex softwood or even the blends produce probably half the amount of ash in a given time period.

 

[Tonyray]

Correcto..
burned around 4 tons of energex in the past and lot of ash is what you get
they do burn hot though..

 

[rich2500]

best thing to do is try as many different pellets as you can and then settle on what you like the best. Everyone's stove and application is different so what works for others may not work for you. Honestly the way your currently using your stove I wouldn't get too excited over the amount of ash your getting either way.