Problem With Ash build up??? Or is this okay?

[Fred Wood]

I will try to make this short---if you want/need the rest of the story on my burnpot/grate replacement, its at: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/44174/
......but basically I replace and old burnpot out for the 'new' style burn grate.... I did this following instructions from Two Flint's examples and instructions that came with his, along with the people I got the parts from.... It seems to work great, except for all of the ash/? and it isn't the black sooty stuff from incorrect burning---see pics.....

This is from my last post in my other thread which got no replies:
"New question/problem. The burngrate set-up works awesome, or seems to anyway.
But can anyone tell me why the ash builds up like in the attached pics? The glass was even covered the other morning, though not today for some reason. The ash has no where to go, or it seems. No sooty black crap on the glass, just dry even textured fine ash, Is it burning completely? I am burning ‘Clean Burn’ pellets, if that means anything." Supposedly they dont float the logs in salt water any more......or so they claim.

Didn't get any replies from that and I ran the stove again all night last night and it did great, except the ash(and a lot less on the glass).

What do you think, any ideas---is this to be expected?? I dont think I ever had any ash up on the table when I ran it with the burn pot and old burn-grate.....

Fred

 

[krooser]

Looks pretty normal to me Fred since ot looks like your stove doesn't have an ashpan... am I right?

 

[Fred Wood]

Thanks krooser!! Yes, it does have an ash pan---under that plate that I installed, and now the only way I imagine the ash making it to there is through the burngrate...... The old burn-grate sat in the burn pot and the pan was exposed all around that for the ash......
But this still seems fine, other than I am going to need to vaccuum it out more often and I bet the baffles, etc., get plugged more often..?? This make sense----that the new deal they sold me covers the hole except the burn-grate? Did you see all the pics in the other post??

Thanks for your input!

fred

 

[hearthtools]

if you are getting BLACK soot on the glass you made need to adjust the air open more to compensate for the new ultra grate

 

[mandkj]

I have a newer Advantage II with the Ultragrate and this is exactly what I get. They say you don't have to empty the ash pan that often and its true because the ash never gets down to it. It all builds up on top. What I do is when its building up a lot, I drag the ashes to the front of the stove a few times until it starts to build up and then I scoop them out. I found the tool that came with the stove to move the ashes didn't really work in the tight corners so I picked up a $2 metal spatula that works perfectly.

 

[Fred Wood]

Thanks a lot you guys! yeah, I think it must be 'normal' as we just had another flawless over-night run. I haven't had to adjust anything as far as air/damper-pellet feed ratio and get none of the black soot at all. In fact I think I was getting more of the 'black' before I installed this new grate.....

Thanks a lot again for all of your help.
Fred

 

[Xena]

I have no input on the subject but wanted to give
you props for running a 21 yo stove! If that were
mine I'd be taking my dremel to that black bottom
plate and cutting a few slats in it on either side
of the pot so ash could be raked down into the ash pan.

 

[hearthtools]

I have no input on the subject but wanted to give
you props for running a 21 yo stove! If that were
mine I'd be taking my dremel to that black bottom
plate and cutting a few slats in it on either side
of the pot so ash could be raked down into the ash pan.

Sounds like a good idea but you can not do that.

with the ultra grate kit the burn pot sits in that plated off area and air is sucked in from the ash pan.
if you cut hole for ash to dump you will need a way to seal it off 100% when in use.
if not you would not be getting the combustion air sucked into the burn pot and onto the fuel.

The old burn pot system had a tube connected to the air inlet
with the new system it removes this.
and helps with air loss from leaking ash pan door

 

[Xena]

I see. Seems like a sucky design then.
No point in having an ash pan if no ash
can get in it. Oh well. I still give mad
props to the dude for running a 21+ yo stove! (broken image removed)

 

[hearthtools]

I see. Seems like a sucky design then.
No point in having an ash pan if no ash
can get in it. Oh well. I still give mad
props to the dude for running a 21+ yo stove! (broken image removed)

Remember he retrofited a new burn pot system into the old. the old way let the ash fall down.
the Advantage stoves that came with this burn pot from the factory had holes but they were sealed off with some slide plates you could pull out when the dor is open to let the ash fall down into the ashpan