Recently my Whitfield Quest pellet insert is not burning properly I have the damper all the way open and I'm getting a lazy flame along with the pellets backing up and not burning fast even with the auger on low. I checked the cleanout in the exhaust and everything looks good and i also clean the the firebox every week. Is there other place that would accumulate ash that may be clogging good airflow?
Pellets Backing Up, Lazy Flame
- Thread starter Craigbert
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I am at work right now and don't have time to find the post. That said I have a free standing Quest and just last season solved this same problem on two stoves. Each stove was about 15 years old. Do a search for lazy flame and Quest
You need do a couple of things.
1. Clean the stove completely. This includes removing both blowers and cleaning the fan blades as well as the passages. Note you will probably need two gaskets before you replace the blowers.
2. Remove the firebrick from the back of the burn area. Take a rubber mallet and hit the back of the panel in the burn area. This should loosen ash that builds up behind the burn area. This area is very hard to reach. When I called Lennox they recommending cutting a square hole into the back of the burn area to clean this area out.
3. Next disconnect the vacuum switch, open the door slightly and from the outside connect a leaf blower so that the leaf blower is sucking air from the stove. This is known on this site as the leaf blower trick. It does wonders for cleaning hard to reach areas of the stove. On my Quest this vacuum switch was located to the left of my control panel. I don't know if an insert and freestanding models are the same in terms of the location of the vacuum switch.
After performing these three steps my Quest is burning as good as new. I did not cut a hole in the back of the burn area. I just cleaned the stove completely, hit the area behind the firebrick, and used the leaf blower trick.
One key point is the stove needs to be completely clean; burn area, ash pan, blowers, venting, air exchanger, and the exhaust tracks located behind the burn area.
Hope this helps.
Rick.........
You need do a couple of things.
1. Clean the stove completely. This includes removing both blowers and cleaning the fan blades as well as the passages. Note you will probably need two gaskets before you replace the blowers.
2. Remove the firebrick from the back of the burn area. Take a rubber mallet and hit the back of the panel in the burn area. This should loosen ash that builds up behind the burn area. This area is very hard to reach. When I called Lennox they recommending cutting a square hole into the back of the burn area to clean this area out.
3. Next disconnect the vacuum switch, open the door slightly and from the outside connect a leaf blower so that the leaf blower is sucking air from the stove. This is known on this site as the leaf blower trick. It does wonders for cleaning hard to reach areas of the stove. On my Quest this vacuum switch was located to the left of my control panel. I don't know if an insert and freestanding models are the same in terms of the location of the vacuum switch.
After performing these three steps my Quest is burning as good as new. I did not cut a hole in the back of the burn area. I just cleaned the stove completely, hit the area behind the firebrick, and used the leaf blower trick.
One key point is the stove needs to be completely clean; burn area, ash pan, blowers, venting, air exchanger, and the exhaust tracks located behind the burn area.
Hope this helps.
Rick.........
Do as Ricks says, you have crud in the works. Also make certain you get the entire vent clean including the termination cap and test all gaskets.
Question: This is all new to me so bear with me....were do I get the replacement gaskets, also when you say vacuum switch what are you referring too. My insert control panel is on the left facing the stove and is mounted to a hinge panel that covers the opening of my firplace. I definately know that on the left side is the combustion motor and on the right is the exhaust motor
I picked up the replacement gaskets at my local pellet stove dealer. The gaskets were standard 6" round gaskets. I know others have pick up something from Home Depot or Lowe's and made their own gaskets.
The vacuum switch on my free standing Quest was located to the left of the control panel behind the side panel. I had to unscrew the side panel to allow it to swing open on it's hinge. The vacuum switch was an aluminum colored "flying saucer" type thing with a rubber hose attached to it. All you need to do is remove the rubber hose, perform the leaf blower trick, then reattach the rubber hose. You need to remove the rubber hose to prevent damaging the vacuum switch when performing the leaf blower trick.
Given your stove in an insert you will need to perform the leaf blower trick from on top of your roof. I know at least one person has used a shop vac on the exhaust of their insert to preform the same trick. That owners problem with their exhaust was it was two stories up. So using a shop vac in the living room was easier and safer than using the leaf blower on the roof.
Rick.........
The vacuum switch on my free standing Quest was located to the left of the control panel behind the side panel. I had to unscrew the side panel to allow it to swing open on it's hinge. The vacuum switch was an aluminum colored "flying saucer" type thing with a rubber hose attached to it. All you need to do is remove the rubber hose, perform the leaf blower trick, then reattach the rubber hose. You need to remove the rubber hose to prevent damaging the vacuum switch when performing the leaf blower trick.
Given your stove in an insert you will need to perform the leaf blower trick from on top of your roof. I know at least one person has used a shop vac on the exhaust of their insert to preform the same trick. That owners problem with their exhaust was it was two stories up. So using a shop vac in the living room was easier and safer than using the leaf blower on the roof.
Rick.........
Thanks Rick, I know exactly what you're talking about now, I'll have to give it a try tomorrow when i have a full day off work...will let you know how it turned out.
Thanks
Craig
Thanks
Craig
Craig,
To be clear the leaf blower trick is done as follows. Attach the leaf blower suction side of the blower to the exhaust vent and then turn the leaf blower on. The leaf blower will suck air through your pellet stove insert thus cleaning it. If done correctly there is no mess inside your home.
A search about the leaf blower trick on this site will show you several utube movies about how it is done and what it looks like.
Rick...........
To be clear the leaf blower trick is done as follows. Attach the leaf blower suction side of the blower to the exhaust vent and then turn the leaf blower on. The leaf blower will suck air through your pellet stove insert thus cleaning it. If done correctly there is no mess inside your home.
A search about the leaf blower trick on this site will show you several utube movies about how it is done and what it looks like.
Rick...........
Note: Leaf blower should be used AFTER the stove has had a complete, top-to-bottom cleaning of firebox, ash traps, combustion blower and exhaust system. It's really the "icing on the cake" after everything else has been done, and gets most of the hard to reach ash.
Update: I did a top-to-bottom cleaning of firebox, ash traps, combustion blower and exhaust system, I also used a dryer lint brush to get into the chambers real good, cleaned the combustion blower and exhaust blower and oiled them, they were filthy. I had to make my own gaskets from high temp gasket material from Lowes (what a pain...I will think ahead and buy them online next time). I used a shop vac with 10ft of hose and kept the unit outside instead of the leaf blower trick since my stove is an insert and in my family room, (worked great). I fired the stove up and it burns like it's brand new....I have the damper almost completely closed now and the auger on low and flames dance around nicely, and the pellets burn good and really puts out the heat. Also I'm not getting any soot build up on the glass like before which is a good sign. Also checked for carbon monoxide. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!!
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