Question for the masses...

[Maladjusted]

When you guys do your final cleanout for the season... (no more heating days ). Do you empty the hopper? or just leave what is left in there? Probably a dumb question, but figure I should ask just incase there is some negative to leaving it partially full).

TIA,
Mal

 

[Peterfield]

I was wondering whether or not if you left some ash in there, would it absorb moisture during the summer. Haven't done that but curious.

 

[Tonyray]

I scoop what is left out of the hopper if any...then it get's vaccumed for the remaining fines.
as far as the ash absorbing moisture? . would rather have a fully cleaned out stove sitting for 6 months.

I go to HD and buy 2 boxes of damprid...one for upper part of the stove, and one for lower.
by next fall season, both boxes will have an inch or so of water in them collected thruout summer.

also, I spray the burnpot and inside walls with Pam cooking spray....
not one sign of rust in my stove so far....

btw: many people do what I just described while others will just leave the stove in whatever condition
it is in and deal with cleaning in the fall..although I would assume the pellets would absorb moisture eventually.
others will chime in on this....

 

[Deezl Smoke]

Our summers here are dry with low humidity. The pellets left in the hopper are not subject to any real harm because of that. However, I would imagine in climates that have humid summer times and/or summer rains, exposed pellets may be subject to some moisture damage.

So to answer, I leave what little pellets that remain in the hopper over the summer.

 

[Lake Girl]

I have left pellets in the hopper over the summer after doing a "season" clean of the exhaust pathway. We are typically humid here right by the lake but have seen no real negative to the pellets. Pellet damage is more a result of direct contact with water from what I've seen.

It is a good idea to vacuum out the fines from the hopper occasionally.

We have had some cold, rainy summers where the pellet stove will get turned on to take the chill off. YMMV

 

[fmsm]

I scoop what is left out of the hopper if any...then it get's vaccumed for the remaining fines.
as far as the ash absorbing moisture? . would rather have a fully cleaned out stove sitting for 6 months.

I go to HD and buy 2 boxes of damprid...one for upper part of the stove, and one for lower.
by next fall season, both boxes will have an inch or so of water in them collected thruout summer.

also, I spray the burnpot and inside walls with Pam cooking spray....
not one sign of rust in my stove so far....

btw: many people do what I just described while others will just leave the stove in whatever condition
it is in and deal with cleaning in the fall..although I would assume the pellets would absorb moisture eventually.
others will chime in on this....

What he said! Except I don't spray the Pam and use 1 small damp rid in the burn chamber.

Then I spread my ash from the winter on my lawn......greens up beautifully!

 

[Lake Girl]

damp rid in the burn chamber

I also put a damp rid in the burn chamber ... remove as stove is needed. Our spare stove under a tarp outside a couple of years ago had the damp rid in the box ... had fluid instead of damp rid granules by the end of the summer

 

[Cincinnati Kid]

When you guys do your final cleanout for the season... (no more heating days ). Do you empty the hopper? or just leave what is left in there? Probably a dumb question, but figure I should ask just incase there is some negative to leaving it partially full).

TIA,
Mal

I've been burning wood pellets for over 20 years and have never emptied the hopper on any of my stoves.

 

[alternativeheat]

I shut the stove off. When it cools down I crack the main door open and leave it that way for the summer. In the fall I do a full cleaning. The only time I ever got rust in the stove is when I cleaned it all up and shut it up for the summer. I opened the door in the fall and couldn't believe my eyes at the rust I was looking at inside. My old coal stove was not air tight , in 35+ years it never rusted inside because it could breath and evaporate any condensation trying to build up ( the main air conditioning for the down stairs is in the stove room). I try to burn the pellets down enough so as to have enough to not prime the stove up in the fall, never had an issue and it fires right up on the old pellets..

And yes, to me the ash is an insulator if some moisture should be around.

I have 0 evidence that I need to change my stove program for the summer except to crack that door open.

 

[Tonyray]

Interesting replies....
either full clean after burning season or wait until fall season starts then clean..
whatever works as there is no wrong way to end the burning season.

now my cars are different.. have 3.
only go to the car wash AFTER winter and salt season are over...

 

[alternativeheat]

Interesting replies....
either full clean after burning season or wait until fall season starts then clean..
whatever works as there is no wrong way to end the burning season.

now my cars are different.. have 3.
only go to the car wash AFTER winter and salt season are over...

Car Wash, what's that ? Isn't that a rainy day ?

 

[Tonyray]

Car Wash, what's that ? Isn't that a rainy day ?

yeah..
figure they all get a semi-wash when it rains..
actual car wash is to get all the crud from under the cars

 

[m159267]

I clean everything including emptying and vacuuming the hopper.
I pull the stove out a bit and detach it from the vent and OAK.
Baggies and rubber bands over the vent and OAK inlets (and same over the pipes).
1 large desiccant box and wadded newspaper in the hopper and the same in the ash pan.
The first year I had the stove I let it set over the humid summer without cleaning it and got quite a bit of rust.
No rust since.

 

[alternativeheat]

Yeah, I just crack the door open slightly.

 

[Fish On]

When I'm done i unplug stove and that's all.

Fall I clean and go.

Simple

 

[BigJohnfromCT]

When you guys do your final cleanout for the season... (no more heating days ). Do you empty the hopper? or just leave what is left in there? Probably a dumb question, but figure I should ask just incase there is some negative to leaving it partially full).

TIA,
Mal

Unplug stove. Thoroughly vacuum all parts, ports and motors of the stove. Also clean the chimney.
Paint interior of the stove with flat black paint. Pretty much cosmetic but does inhibit some rust.
Put a tray of kitty litter in burn area for moisture absorption.
Disconnect OAK and rubber band a Ziploc bag over end.
I do not empty the hopper.
That's it.
FYI, still burning as I type. 4 tons through the stove to date.

 

[bags]

I turn mine off and unplug it. I have left pellets in the hopper every season so far without any issues.

 

[Tonyray]

very interesting replies to this post..
I am surprised at how many pretty much un-plug and leave the stove sit till fall ash and all.
although many here say leaving the door cracked will help in any rust forming.
Sort of reminds me of doing your Spring cleaning in the fall..but, to each his own...
if it works, it works...

 

[johneh]

In the spring I vac. the inside clean the glass so it looks good
wipe it down add damp rid to fire box unplug close the door and leave
it till September . Spent all winter filling ,cleaning and generally looking
after The Stove . I am tired of The Stove want to do something other than The Stove
Gets a full cleaning in the fall I am ready to play with The Stove again and
can not wait for the first fire
I also leave pellets in The Stove and in15 years never had a problem

 

[DneprDave]

I just unplug it and leave the cleaning until fall also.

 

[alternativeheat]

very interesting replies to this post..
I am surprised at how many pretty much un-plug and leave the stove sit till fall ash and all.
although many here say leaving the door cracked will help in any rust forming.
Sort of reminds me of doing your Spring cleaning in the fall..but, to each his own...
if it works, it works...

Each fall I take a stab at cleaning my basement. I don't work down there all summer is why ( wood working shop down there) but will during the winter. I sometimes turn out lathe projects as Christmas gifts. I was building heirloom wall clocks there for a while but the movements got too expensive these days, unless you use quartz and then it isn't much of an heirloom grade clock if that happens.. So I might turn out candle holders, bud vases and stuff from about late Oct till the week before Christmas.

 

[Pete Zahria]

My friend and I got our stoves at about the same time...
The first year, he did nothing... just turned it off.
I cleaned mine out really good.
To be honest, I did not spray anything on the inside.
Just did a really good cleaning.
In the fall.. he cleaned his and it looked great.
I opened the door on mine, and it was rusty....
I think there is some merit to just leaving all the ash as is
when you turn it off... IF you are not prepared to really clean all the stuff off,
spray it with something, and put in a moisture absorbing product...

Dan

 

[tlc1976]

I just leave it as usual. We can get some cold summer nights (or even days) where the stove is needed. I left the flue and OAK for free airflow.

I was a little concerned in the fall but no issues. No rust, no yucky pellets, no gooey ash. After I burned for awhile in the fall, I cleaned it out and it was just like any other winter day.

I wonder if the pellets in the hopper act like a desiccant during the humid summer days. But they still burned just fine.

 

[Metal]

I vacuum out the ash, clean the glass, and hook up the leaf blower. What's in the hopper stays in the hopper. I've never had any issues with fines or degraded pellets, stove burns it all the same.

 

[Highbeam]

Ash plus water gets you lye. A caustic substance. pH really high. Would accelerate rust. My woodstoves get cleaned and vacuumed for this reason.