Pellet types

[scotthershall]

Yes, the stove will allow it but the prevailing opinion among 25-PDV users on this here forum is to not run the blower on a lower number than the feed setting/heat range. The thought is doing this reduces over all efficiency by sending more heat out of the vent pipe rather than into your home. The faster the blower blows the more heat is removed from the stove and blown into your home. For what it's worth, I keep my blower on 9 at all times, regardless of the heat range. Running the blower on a lower setting will certainly make the air blowing out warmer but the over all quantity of heat will be lower. I haven't actually tested it with thermometers and stuff, but it seems to make sense.

I also used to have problems with the pot filling up with pellets. After much searching I found users around here are blocking the holes found below the wear plate temporarily with steel wool or in more permanent ways. Here's what I did to solve that issue: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/englander-pdv-25-steel-wool-mod.151866/page-4#post-2047220 From another post of mine from last year: "From my research around here I found out that those holes (and the corresponding ones above the wear plate) allow additional air to move around the fire. This lowers the stoves overall emissions by allowing clean air to move around the fire and go out the vent. Essentially, this leaves more soot in the stove as opposed to exiting the stove via the vent pipe. This design allows the stove to pass EPA testing. Plugging those holes forces all the air through the wear plate allowing the pellets to burn completely. So give that a try if you'd like. You'll probably see a night and day difference just like I did. With this modifications, even the Green Supremes burned pretty well."

As an update, my quarters and stove cement are holding up fine.

So, if you haven't already, I'd give that a try.

@Pellet rick - After going through those old posts just now, I noticed you also were involved, so I'm sure you know all about the stuff I was talking about. So never mind! I'll leave the info here in the hopes that others looking for solutions can find it and use it.

Scott

 

[Pellet rick]

Yes, the stove will allow it but the prevailing opinion among 25-PDV users on this here forum is to not run the blower on a lower number than the feed setting/heat range. The thought is doing this reduces over all efficiency by sending more heat out of the vent pipe rather than into your home. The faster the blower blows the more heat is removed from the stove and blown into your home. For what it's worth, I keep my blower on 9 at all times, regardless of the heat range. Running the blower on a lower setting will certainly make the air blowing out warmer but the over all quantity of heat will be lower. I haven't actually tested it with thermometers and stuff, but it seems to make sense.

I also used to have problems with the pot filling up with pellets. After much searching I found users around here are blocking the holes found below the wear plate temporarily with steel wool or in more permanent ways. Here's what I did to solve that issue: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/englander-pdv-25-steel-wool-mod.151866/page-4#post-2047220 From another post of mine from last year: "From my research around here I found out that those holes (and the corresponding ones above the wear plate) allow additional air to move around the fire. This lowers the stoves overall emissions by allowing clean air to move around the fire and go out the vent. Essentially, this leaves more soot in the stove as opposed to exiting the stove via the vent pipe. This design allows the stove to pass EPA testing. Plugging those holes forces all the air through the wear plate allowing the pellets to burn completely. So give that a try if you'd like. You'll probably see a night and day difference just like I did. With this modifications, even the Green Supremes burned pretty well."

As an update, my quarters and stove cement are holding up fine.

So, if you haven't already, I'd give that a try.

I agree to an extent but how can decreasing the speed of the convection blower make more heat go up the chimney? It's 2 separate systems, convection and exhaust? As far as the mods , I have done them and they have helped greatly and recommend them to all. I have taken it one step farther and increased the size of the holes in the burn plate slightly and that even helped more.

 

[scotthershall]

I agree to an extent but how can decreasing the speed of the convection blower make more heat go up the chimney? It's 2 separate systems, convection and exhaust? As far as the mods , I have done them and they have helped greatly and recommend them to all. I have taken it one step farther and increased the size of the holes in the burn plate slightly and that even helped more.

Might be flawed but my basic thinking is if the stove can't get "rid" of the heat through the convection blower blowing on the heat exchanger, the heat will build up and have no where to go out the exhaust.

Thinking about it a bit more, the heat "lost" through the exhaust is probably pretty minimal. It would probably just end up overheating the stove and tripping the high limit switch.

A test would be to measure the exhaust gas temperature at the same heat range but different convection blower speeds. Probably take an average over 30 minutes or so for each change in blower speed. I don't have the necessary equipment to do this... that thermocouple probe thermometer with an average function would be a good tool to use for this...

I'll have to research mods to the wear plate. I always though enlarging some holes in the center and blocking some of the outer ones would help...

 

[Pellet rick]

Might be flawed but my basic thinking is if the stove can't get "rid" of the heat through the convection blower blowing on the heat exchanger, the heat will build up and have no where to go out the exhaust.

Thinking about it a bit more, the heat "lost" through the exhaust is probably pretty minimal. It would probably just end up overheating the stove and tripping the high limit switch.

A test would be to measure the exhaust gas temperature at the same heat range but different convection blower speeds. Probably take an average over 30 minutes or so for each change in blower speed. I don't have the necessary equipment to do this... that thermocouple probe thermometer with an average function would be a good tool to use for this...

I'll have to research mods to the wear plate. I always though enlarging some holes in the center and blocking some of the outer ones would help...

I increased about 1/3 of the holes all over the plate not just in the middle. The pellets actually dance alittle now and burns much better

 

[doghouse]

For whatever reason mine does

Has your stove always been like this? Is there some mod that can change it? Fill me in.

 

[Pellet rick]

Has your stove always been like this? Is there some mod that can change it? Fill me in.

No mod that I'm aware of . It just does, sorry

 

[doghouse]

No mod that I'm aware of . It just does, sorry

Sorry Indeed! That's something I would like to be able to experiment with.

 

[Pellet rick]

Sorry Indeed! That's something I would like to be able to experiment with.

Are you sure you can't? What year is your stove? Do you have the bigger of the two pdv's ? Mine is a 2013 and I have the bigger one

 

[Pete Zahria]

I increased about 1/3 of the holes all over the plate not just in the middle. The pellets actually dance alittle now and burns much better

Did you also block off the two big holes under the plate?

 

[Pellet rick]

Did you also block off the two big holes under the plate?

Yes the lower holes are plugged

 

[Pete Zahria]

I noticed quite a difference after doing that, and adjusting the stove....

Dan

 

[NYBurner]

A thermocouple probe sounds a lot more accurate than an IR thermometer for this task (which is what I use... I usually run it along the top of the stove - where the air comes out - and take the highest reading). If I may, what thermocouple probe setup did you go with, and where did you position the thermocouple? I see some seemingly inexpensive ones on Amazon (thermometer and probe for around $25 together). Would they work?

Thanks!

Yes, I use the controller purchased from Amazon but opted to buy 2 higher temp probes (750C I believe) just to be safe. Seeing as Max temps I have seen out are ~450F you should be fine with the ones included ( I believe they are rated for 450C?) I did a write up on the setup with links if you want to search on my username. Tips of probes are held in place via wire at 2 different tube air outputs.

 

[NYBurner]

I agree to an extent but how can decreasing the speed of the convection blower make more heat go up the chimney? It's 2 separate systems, convection and exhaust? As far as the mods , I have done them and they have helped greatly and recommend them to all. I have taken it one step farther and increased the size of the holes in the burn plate slightly and that even helped more.

The less heat you extract off of the exchanger will equate to more heat going up the exhaust. The greater the temp delta from burn pot to the exchanger the faster heat transfer will occur. This simply equates to more efficiency of output per weight of fuel burned.

 

[jjones139]

Thanks Wilbur, I thought it was maybe me with not being able to find good pellets. I have tried hamers and they were good but I only found them one time at the stove shop in Chester county and not again. I thought this year I would pick up a ton of sifts from Bucks to see if they burn hotter with less ash. I have one of the englander 25 pdv ( the bigger of the two 25's ) and even with burn pot mod's it produces a lot of unburnt ash in the pot which chokes the flame and kills the heat. So figured I see if soft would be any better. Any thoughts anyone? Becides buying a better stove, lol?

Take a magnet and plug the 2 lower holes under the burn plate on each side. This will make a tremendous difference in your burn, heat output, ash content and clean glass! You will not have unburned pellets on the burn plate..... Just a thought to help you out!

 

[doghouse]

Are you sure you can't? What year is your stove? Do you have the bigger of the two pdv's ? Mine is a 2013 and I have the bigger one

'05 PDVE. Yes, "E." Don't even know what the E stands for. My owners manual and the current manual from the web site says that the blower rate will automatically adjust to the feed rate. Some have all the luck.