Ravelli RV100 Classic airflow issue

[JosephRav]

I'm at my wits end with my stove, I've had it for about 6 years and it's ran great, at the start of this year it started having troubles, turning off 12-24 hours into running due to the fire pot needing cleaning. My vermiculite back plate was cracked and the gasket hadn't been changed, so I did both of those, but the problem still persists, I've been experimenting with changing flow and pellet %. All I have concluded from that is that my flow % needs to be high or it turns off in <6 hours. Attached are pictures of the burn pot and under the burn pot after it turns off for reference, you'll notice the black in front of the pot (which also exists on the glass).

 

[Manly]

I have a Ravelli Francesca running six seasons. The original cast iron burn pot would require cleaning about every 12 hours or I would get an air flow alarm. Note I use only high grade softwood pellets. After a couple seasons the iron pot was getting cracks and clogging more often. Replaced with another cast iron pot which looked worse than the original after one season. Last year I tried a stainless steel pot purchased from parts 4 less. The Francesca performed like a different stove. I can run 24 hours or longer with no clogging or air flow issues. The ash and buildup in the pot is minimal after extended runs. I attribute this improved performance to the pot maintaining higher temperatures and burn efficiency. Just my guess. Well into the second season with the SS pot and it shows no signs of deterioration and the stove still performs wonderfully. Interestingly before I upgraded the burn pot I had to replace the ash pan due to deterioration after a few seasons. A local fab shop made me a stainless steel pan of heavier gauge than the original. I perceived better stove performance I again attribute to the heavier SS pan holding more heat inside the stove. I have a new replacement stainless steel flame trap that will go in when the current one (second replacement) is shot. These are just my observations and experiences. I did learn early on only use quality softwood pellets in the Francesca. Your mileage may vary.

 

[JosephRav]

I have a Ravelli Francesca running six seasons. The original cast iron burn pot would require cleaning about every 12 hours or I would get an air flow alarm. Note I use only high grade softwood pellets. After a couple seasons the iron pot was getting cracks and clogging more often. Replaced with another cast iron pot which looked worse than the original after one season. Last year I tried a stainless steel pot purchased from parts 4 less. The Francesca performed like a different stove. I can run 24 hours or longer with no clogging or air flow issues. The ash and buildup in the pot is minimal after extended runs. I attribute this improved performance to the pot maintaining higher temperatures and burn efficiency. Just my guess. Well into the second season with the SS pot and it shows no signs of deterioration and the stove still performs wonderfully. Interestingly before I upgraded the burn pot I had to replace the ash pan due to deterioration after a few seasons. A local fab shop made me a stainless steel pan of heavier gauge than the original. I perceived better stove performance I again attribute to the heavier SS pan holding more heat inside the stove. I have a new replacement stainless steel flame trap that will go in when the current one (second replacement) is shot. These are just my observations and experiences. I did learn early on only use quality softwood pellets in the Francesca. Your mileage may vary.

Crazy how similar your experience is, right down to the ash pan deterioration, new fire pot is definitely worth a shot, it doesn't look terrible but maybe the couple of tiny cracks is messing with the functionality of the stove. I'll report back when I get one.

 

[JosephRav]

Crazy how similar your experience is, right down to the ash pan deterioration, new fire pot is definitely worth a shot, it doesn't look terrible but maybe the couple of tiny cracks is messing with the functionality of the stove. I'll report back when I get one.

Alright well I got the new firepot, the issue remains, I tried to run a new RDS setup twice, both times the flame was way too high and out of control, and ended up failing ~18 minutes into the 20 minute set up. The single youtube video from Ravelli I found said to not go above 2300 RPM.

 

[Manly]

What pellets do you use?

 

[JosephRav]

What pellets do you use?

I've been using cubex hardwood pellets since the second season I've had the stove.

 

[Manly]

I've been using cubex hardwood pellets since the second season I've had the stove.

I’ve only used high quality softwood pellets. I tried hardwood once and they didn’t burn well in my Francesca. Klinkers and plugged the burn plot quickly. I would suggest trying a premium softwood pellet.

 

[jjam]

I'm at my wits end with my stove, I've had it for about 6 years and it's ran great, at the start of this year it started having troubles, turning off 12-24 hours into running due to the fire pot needing cleaning. My vermiculite back plate was cracked and the gasket hadn't been changed, so I did both of those, but the problem still persists, I've been experimenting with changing flow and pellet %. All I have concluded from that is that my flow % needs to be high or it turns off in <6 hours. Attached are pictures of the burn pot and under the burn pot after it turns off for reference, you'll notice the black in front of the pot (which also exists on the glass).

View attachment 324323 View attachment 324324

did you get this fixed yet?

 

[jjam]

did you get this fixed yet?

no took the hole thing apart

 

[jjam]

I'm at my wits end with my stove, I've had it for about 6 years and it's ran great, at the start of this year it started having troubles, turning off 12-24 hours into running due to the fire pot needing cleaning. My vermiculite back plate was cracked and the gasket hadn't been changed, so I did both of those, but the problem still persists, I've been experimenting with changing flow and pellet %. All I have concluded from that is that my flow % needs to be high or it turns off in <6 hours. Attached are pictures of the burn pot and under the burn pot after it turns off for reference, you'll notice the black in front of the pot (which also exists on the glass).

View attachment 324323 View attachment 324324

Did you get it fixed I have same problem