Pellet stove newbie

[fleurgrl]

My husband and I installed our new Dell Point Europa pellet stove this weekend. I grew up using wood stoves to heat our home and my last house had a wood furnace that I was able to manage ok, but this pellet stove stuff is throwing me for a loop. Unfortunately, we don't know anyone with a pellet stove and have been completely ignored by the two separate pellet stove "professionals" we had contacted to install the stove for us. To top it all off, the Dell-Point instruction is pretty inadequate, as far as I can tell so far.
Despite the fact that the stove seemed to be doing what we needed it to (maybe too well- our 1500 sf house was bloody hot the first day)- the manual that came with the Europa states that we need to have a fuel-ember level of a certain height within the fuel pot (3"). The only directions given to accomplish this is to decrease the combustion air and decrease the ash removal rate (both from factory-set level 10) to level 8. I did that, and the ember level did not change over the course of many hours. I have continued to decrease the ash removal rate until the stove is on the lowest level (1), but I stopped decreasing the combustion air since the fire became so anemic (by the way, we have the overall heat level at only 2 out of a possible 10- which is 1.5-2 lbs pellets/hr). After 3 days, the level of the embers has still only barely entered into the fuel pot. The fire seems healthy enough, but I have no idea how what a pellet stove fire is supposed to look like. The glass has gotten pretty dirty in what seems like a short period of time, but again, I don't know at what point the accumulation becomes excessive.
I am not sure what to do now. Should I care that the fuel level on a pellet stove gets to a certain level as long as the stove is sending out the appropriate level of heat? While I understand the general idea of burn efficiency, I can't really seem to relate it to the buttons on the side of my new pellet stove. There's also a pressure gauge on the side of the pellet stove I have no idea what to do with. It has been on 0.5 inches w.c. since we fired the stove up and hasn't budged since.

I would appreciate any help that anyone could offer. I wish I was one of those folks this stuff came naturally to (and my husband is from Miami- that's his excuse). Thank you in advance,

Deb

 

[restorer]

My husband and I installed our new Dell Point Europa pellet stove this weekend. I grew up using wood stoves to heat our home and my last house had a wood furnace that I was able to manage ok, but this pellet stove stuff is throwing me for a loop. Unfortunately, we don't know anyone with a pellet stove and have been completely ignored by the two separate pellet stove "professionals" we had contacted to install the stove for us. To top it all off, the Dell-Point instruction is pretty inadequate, as far as I can tell so far.
Despite the fact that the stove seemed to be doing what we needed it to (maybe too well- our 1500 sf house was bloody hot the first day)- the manual that came with the Europa states that we need to have a fuel-ember level of a certain height within the fuel pot (3"). The only directions given to accomplish this is to decrease the combustion air and decrease the ash removal rate (both from factory-set level 10) to level 8. I did that, and the ember level did not change over the course of many hours. I have continued to decrease the ash removal rate until the stove is on the lowest level (1), but I stopped decreasing the combustion air since the fire became so anemic (by the way, we have the overall heat level at only 2 out of a possible 10- which is 1.5-2 lbs pellets/hr). After 3 days, the level of the embers has still only barely entered into the fuel pot. The fire seems healthy enough, but I have no idea how what a pellet stove fire is supposed to look like. The glass has gotten pretty dirty in what seems like a short period of time, but again, I don't know at what point the accumulation becomes excessive.
I am not sure what to do now. Should I care that the fuel level on a pellet stove gets to a certain level as long as the stove is sending out the appropriate level of heat? While I understand the general idea of burn efficiency, I can't really seem to relate it to the buttons on the side of my new pellet stove. There's also a pressure gauge on the side of the pellet stove I have no idea what to do with. It has been on 0.5 inches w.c. since we fired the stove up and hasn't budged since.

I would appreciate any help that anyone could offer. I wish I was one of those folks this stuff came naturally to (and my husband is from Miami- that's his excuse). Thank you in advance,

Deb

ould this relate to the posting I made: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/5434/

 

[fleurgrl]

Uncle Rich-
Thanks for your reply. I haven't even approached trying to hit any spots, sweet or otherwise, other than this three inch level of embers the manual instructs me to maintain. At the low pellet feed rate I am maintaining now, I am keeping my house at 70 degrees- I imagine if I increase the feed rate, I can increase the ember level, but will need to keep all the doors and windows open- not too efficient Does your pellet stove have a particular level you must maintain in the burn pot? Our burn pot is about 8" high, and my current ember level barely covers the bottom.

Deb

 

[webbie]

The level is the burn pot seems a poor indicator of pellet efficiency. It can vary greatly depending on the exact design of a stove - and more importantly, the exact pellets one is burning. Most of the advice you will get here is general in nature, but with that in mind the main reason for any level of pellets in a burn pot is twofold:
1. To make certain the new pellets are easily ignited
2. To make sure a momentary interruption, such as some pellets being late to feed, does not allow the fire to go out.

So the idea is really a critical mass. Other than that, I don't see the point in worrying about 1" or 3" in a burn pot. You do want to make certain it does not get too high and start spilling over or going up the feed tube. This is usually done by simply stirring or raking the burn pot.

In order to get a feel for BTU's, consider that each pound of pellets puts out approx. 6500 BTU into the house. So a burn rate of 1 1/2 pounds per hour would be about 10,000 BTU output, about the lowest that many stoves can function and still stay lit.

The glass will get dirty in most pellets stoves...at least to some degree. It should usually be a lighter coating of brown ash as opposed to black creosote, and should clean off easily....usually without cleaning agents.

I'm not certain of the function of the draft gauge built-in, but the manual should give a setting. The setting you mention is in the range of some other stoves and indicates a reasonable draft up the chimney. Too strong of a draft would mean lost heat up the flue - too weak and there is danger of leakage of exhaust into the home.

In my limited experience, a bright and relatively "exciting" flame is the idea as such a flame is more efficient - more air and turbulence. But again, too much air and heat is lost up the chimney.

Sounds like they need to rewrite the manual!

 

[Tin_courier]

I believe the ember level on that particular stove is important because the burnpot contains three ash-extraction augers in the bottom, and the ember/ash bed is required to provide insulation for these augers. Another peculiarity on that stove, being EPA cetified, is a very low air/fuel ratio (8:1), versus 35+:1 on conventional EPA-exempt stoves. As such, the flame will look much different than a typical pellet stove; burning right (on wood, corn or wheat), it will look pale and a little lazy, almost like a woodstove dampered down.

If you can't maintain an ember bed burning on level 2 and the extraction down to 1, try reducing combustion air until your gauge reads between .12 and .17. Otherwise, if it's installed in high elevation (3000ft+), you might try installing the 1 5/8 vent restrictor.

-Jeff

 

[hearthtools]

Why dont you ask the place you Purchaced the stove from for help?
Or did you buy it from Online?

 

[fleurgrl]

Thank you everyone for your replies. As much as I like what this stove is doing so far, I am kind of regretting the purchase. I was looking seriously at a Harman, which is sold locally and seemed to be well-respected, but really wanted the wood/wheat/corn feature, so I went with the Europa with crossed fingers (I bought it locally from a landscaping/hardware store whose stove-expert seemed to know less about pellet stoves than even I did). Turns out the manual stinks too and there is no "hot-line" of any sort for the company. And, I've mentioned that I can't convince anyone to come to my house and let me throw money at them for answering my questions about the pellet stove (except for the guy from the store I bought it from and I am convinced that he answers my questions based on one of those little magic 8-ball thingys).
I have learned more in two days from you guys than from the entire manual and the salesman. I am going to try the suggestions you mentioned, Jeff.
The stove is still working like a champ as far as putting the heat out- I'm hoping that by spring, I may have this contraption mastered. I'm sure you'll hear from me again

Deb
Maine

 

[hearthtools]

From what I have seen at the Trade show the Delpoint is one of the stove designs that is diffent that any other Pellet stove and most dealers that sell pellet stoves are affraid to go with something New and differnt. My self included.
I dont thing there are a lot of dealers or service techs that would know a lot about that stove.
The delpoint stove has a lot of Unnessasary components that seems a little over board to me.

Good luck with it and Try to get the Manufactures # to get help with that

 

[Xena]

Good luck with it and Try to get the Manufactures # to get help with that

Ditto that!

I had trouble understanding
some of the unclear wording
in the manual for our stove
so I gave the MFG a call and
they were glad to help make
clear the parts that were cloudy.
Try to get a hold of a number
and you should be good to go.
G'luck!

 

[Tin_courier]

As far as the support # goes, it depends who made the stove. If the serial # is 286001501 or above, it's a Regency-made stove. If it's 1500 or lower, it was made by Dell Point, and your dealer would have to contact Dell Point directly.

If it's a Regency stove, your dealer is required to provide service and support. If the dealer doesn't know the answers to your questions, they can get support from the factory, but factory tech support is a resource for dealers. Tech support is strongly discouraged from dealing with retail customers directly, except under extraordinary situations.

If you can't get your stove dialed in just right, contact your dealer. If they don't know the answer, have them call the Delta, B.C. office.

-Jeff

 

[weetim67]

From what I have seen at the Trade show the Delpoint is one of the stove designs that is diffent that any other Pellet stove and most dealers that sell pellet stoves are affraid to go with something New and differnt. My self included.
I dont thing there are a lot of dealers or service techs that would know a lot about that stove.
The delpoint stove has a lot of Unnessasary components that seems a little over board to me.

Good luck with it and Try to get the Manufactures # to get help with that

Maybe it's that some people don't take the time to understand the technology? I have one and it is a great unit. I may even buy a second one for my basement.

 

[hearthtools]

From what I have seen at the Trade show the Delpoint is one of the stove designs that is diffent that any other Pellet stove and most dealers that sell pellet stoves are affraid to go with something New and differnt. My self included.
I dont thing there are a lot of dealers or service techs that would know a lot about that stove.
The delpoint stove has a lot of Unnessasary components that seems a little over board to me.

Good luck with it and Try to get the Manufactures # to get help with that

Maybe it's that some people don't take the time to understand the technology? I have one and it is a great unit. I may even buy a second one for my basement.

Im not dissing the stove just that most of us Servicing dealer have been burned in the past with Many services call on stoves that have NEW technolagy that has not been proven.

I like the KISS systems
KEEP IT SIMPLE

The first of the NEW lennox Profile and Traditions year 2001 with photo EYE.
they lost a lot of dealers because the photo eye was located in the wrong locaton and stoves kept shutting down and no one at lennox could give us an answer for about 5 months.

And for a fact More tech on something is always more problems.

Im burning the NEW autraflumm stove in my store now with the Advanced control board.
Im pulling my hair out because I keep pushing the wrong button and the stove shuts down on it when I dont whant it to.
or the hopper lid gets left open and stops feeding pellets.

 

[drizler]

There are a few folks have em on the iburncorn.com forum . They have beat up the operating methods of this stove pretty well. Do check out the stove specific forum for Dell Pointe at the very bottom of the forum list. From the readings I get the impression that this is one of the more intricate stoves out there and with it comes a degree of learning involved. I think you will find that many of the books operational ideas aren't necessarily the best in many situatuons so don't dwell on them too much. My countryside states to leave some amount of coals in the burn pot. I don't even remember how much it is so irellivant . Every article says to keep the flame bright and lively yadda yadda. In my case and in many others depending on what I am burning you have to keep it burning with a lazier flame or it burns out. What I am saying is use those book parameters as a starting point and work from there. Take the suggestions of those that have them and you will probably come to love it. The had a few issues a couple years ago but believe they ironed them out with new control boards. You will figure it out, give it time. My one big suggestion is that to choose the fuel of choice and make sure if its corn that its dry enough. Use that fuel till you get to know the stove before burning anything else. then take it from there.