Scrapping the burn pot while the stove is operating

[arnash]

Yesterday, after about 8 hours of run time, my burn pot pellets looked like they were too deep, filling the pot to too high a level, which reduced the amount of air the pellets were getting and causing them to blacken (charcoalize) instead of just igniting. So I figured I needed to let the high pellet level decrease. I turned off the auger, and after a minute or two, the level was about half as high as before, just really hot glowing coals. Then I opened the door a crack, stuck in a tire iron, and scrapped the bottom of the burn pot with its chisel end, back and forth, then banged on the pot edge about 5 times to loosen any ash in the pot holes, then closed the door. After re-starting the auger, I saw that it had worked, and the flame was stronger and the pellets were no longer turning black because they had more air. Then the stove was again producing heat like the pot had recently been cleaned. So get out your tire irons folks, keep one nearby.
Actually though, just letting the pellet level burn down to a lower level might have been what made most of the difference.

 

[Northeaster2010]

Hello Arnash, I have an advantage also and although this does a temporary fix, the stove probably requires a good cleaning and also check your draft setting. When this happen to me it was because the stove was dirty.

 

[Xena]

Scraping the pot is outlined is most stove manuals
actually so it's not a new concept. Many brands come with
a tool to do the deed, such as the one that came
with my St Croix. (scraper to the right of the paint brush).
If ya have to scrape it after only 8 hours I'd say the pellets
probably aren't the greatest.
Welcome to the forum and enjoy!

 

[Czech]

Be careful if you do a 'hot' scrape, often times it will stir up ash/sparks that can be blown out of the firebox and into the room when you have the door open.

 

[DexterDay]

Be careful if you do a 'hot' scrape, often times it will stir up ash/sparks that can be blown out of the firebox and into the room when you have the door open.

Vacuum to the burnpot is lost when door is opened. Open the door on the Quad and get nothing but a lazy flame, no sparks. But it is always good to air on the side of caution. Whenever I do this, I always out the stove on Low to reduce any chance of this happening.

 

[Salty]

Second this. Did this once myself. Scary.

Be careful if you do a 'hot' scrape, often times it will stir up ash/sparks that can be blown out of the firebox and into the room when you have the door open.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Even stoves that call for doing a hot scrape don't always tell you that in the process you will trap ash in the area directly below the grate.

That may or may not lead to the same situation occurring again (depends upon the stoves air flow system), and sooner than it did the time before.

 

[Taperbill]

Standing operating procedure with My stove.
The soft brush dust down the window..

The hammer I want to throw at the gas stations owners.

 

[Czech]

Be careful if you do a 'hot' scrape, often times it will stir up ash/sparks that can be blown out of the firebox and into the room when you have the door open.

Vacuum to the burnpot is lost when door is opened. Open the door on the Quad and get nothing but a lazy flame, no sparks. But it is always good to air on the side of caution. Whenever I do this, I always out the stove on Low to reduce any chance of this happening.

I know vacuum is lost, but stir the embers up and some take flight. Once flying, on my stove they like to go up and outside the firebox directly into the convection air flow. Don't ask me how I know, almost burned the clothes line down!

 

[arnash]

With stoves that have variable control of the combustion blower, they should be set to minimum power. But the safely issue is minimized by, as I said, opening the door only a crack and using a scrapper that is long enough to reach the burn pot -hence the use of the tire iron, it's plenty long.

 

[krooser]

Never knew one had to scrape a St Croix pot...