Possible cure for PDVC vaccilating flame............

[MCPO]

.............not really postive about this yet but so far (past two days ) burning out in the rear garage the flame is significantly more consistant.
I pulled both top and bottom augers and filed the mold seams on the shafts and flights perfectly smooth. ( Easy job since the casting is reasonably soft.) It took me about 20 minutes to smooth out both augers.
My theory is the pellets are possibly getting log jammed on these highly irregular seams and the fire gets starved for a minute and when they overflow the jam they come barreling into the burn pot like Grant took Richmond. My apologies to any rebel rednecks for that expression.
My casting seams were nearly 1/4 " high.
If nothing else it theoretically might help make for a smoother pellet delivery and since trouble shooting is a process of elimination it at least eliminates this possibility.
Constructive comments appreciated but be advised I`m old , cranky, and I tend to be argumentative.

 

[Dr.Faustus]

i did that the first year i got my pdvc. i had daily auger jams, esp with the top one. took it apart multiple times and nothing wrong.

then, bent on fixing this problem once and for all, i took out both augers and dremeled them smooth. all the seams and burrs on them. also the tubes in which they sit. also sharpened the edges of the augers a bit hoping that instead of a pellet getting wedged in between the chute and the auger, it would just get cut.
at the same time, i pumped some high temp grease into those grease fittings on the augers and put it all back together. that was 1996.


excellent results, i havent had a jam since, and i burn 5-6 tons a year, fines and all.

 

[jtakeman]

........... Constructive comments appreciated but be advised I`m old , cranky, and I tend to be argumentative..............

Thanks for the warning!

Just keep us posted on how it flies there cranky! :cheese: