setting feed rate for Santa Fe

[Courtney]

Hi I have 2 Santa Fe's and burn Cleanfire Pacifics. Question for the forum is what is the most efficient setting for feed rate? This year the pellets are pretty large so I set my feed rate on stove #1 in the basement wide open. It is burning great but do have some black ash residue. Flame is usually 4" above pot or lower. Upstairs, #2, I did not change the rate (its at approx. 75% open) and the flame is rarely above the firepot, but seems to achieve temp just fine and as quickly as #1. It is burning cleaner, less black ash. However, there were times it seemed to struggle with keeping the fire rolling, guess it was hitting some of the super big pellets. What would you recommend for the best efficiency? Thanks for the feedback!

 

[Former Farmer]

What is your switch set to? Lo/Med/Hi? Flame height should be 4" to 6" above pot when burning on high. It will be lower when running on a lower setting.

Black ash would indicate that it is running too rich. I would say to lower your rate on stove #1 to be more like stove #2.

 

[DMKNLD]

Agree with FF, and make sure the bottom of your auger in stove #2 isn't partially filled with sawdust fines, which could keep the longer pellets from getting picked up by the auger screw, and thus cause a lower flame.

Have you burned close to a ton of pellets this winter, which would say your vent and / or the exhaust plenum might be getting ash obstructed, causing too-rich of a burn in stove #1 ? DK

 

[Courtney]

What is your switch set to? Lo/Med/Hi? Flame height should be 4" to 6" above pot when burning on high. It will be lower when running on a lower setting.

Black ash would indicate that it is running too rich. I would say to lower your rate on stove #1 to be more like stove #2.

 

[Courtney]

We run them all on med. thank you for the advice!

 

[Courtney]

Agree with FF, and make sure the bottom of your auger in stove #2 isn't partially filled with sawdust fines, which could keep the longer pellets from getting picked up by the auger screw, and thus cause a lower flame.

Have you burned close to a ton of pellets this winter, which would say your vent and / or the exhaust plenum might be getting ash obstructed, causing too-rich of a burn in stove #1 ? DK

 

[Courtney]

No it has been crazy warm here, so we're just getting started now. Exhaust is all clean so perhaps I will cut back the feed on the #1 basement stove a bit. Many thanks for your advice!

 

[kappel15]

One thing to watch for if you have extra long pellets, and get issues with stove function, is they can bridge at the bottom of the auger, and stop feed. kap

 

[the3dprinterman]

Hi I have 2 Santa Fe's and burn Cleanfire Pacifics. Question for the forum is what is the most efficient setting for feed rate? This year the pellets are pretty large so I set my feed rate on stove #1 in the basement wide open. It is burning great but do have some black ash residue. Flame is usually 4" above pot or lower. Upstairs, #2, I did not change the rate (its at approx. 75% open) and the flame is rarely above the firepot, but seems to achieve temp just fine and as quickly as #1. It is burning cleaner, less black ash. However, there were times it seemed to struggle with keeping the fire rolling, guess it was hitting some of the super big pellets. What would you recommend for the best efficiency? Thanks for the feedback!

Turn your stove to HIGH and adjust the feed gate until you get a flame 4 to 6" high. Then you can cut the speed down. If it is burning black then, yes, it is probably burning rich but not because of the amount of pellets being too much but because the air supply is too low. There are 8 small holes at the bottom of the burn pot - 4 in front and 4 at the base of the angle. Use a rifle brush to clean them out. Also, be sure that the dump gate is not sagging down. Pull out the ash drawer and look at it opposite the pivot. It should not have a gap more than a dime thickness.
Also, when you cleaned out the flue, did you also pull the combustion blower and check that area for buildup?
The pellets, being very long, can also bridge at the top of the pellet chute so take a flashlight and small mirror and look up there too.
Cutting back on the pellets to mask the black soot burning situation is not solving the problem, but only masking the problem.

 

[STANG302]

With my sante fe I found it always fed to much. Ended up making an extension to the feed plate to cut it back a bit more.

 

[Wooden Head]

Hi I have 2 Santa Fe's and burn Cleanfire Pacifics. Question for the forum is what is the most efficient setting for feed rate? This year the pellets are pretty large so I set my feed rate on stove #1 in the basement wide open. It is burning great but do have some black ash residue. Flame is usually 4" above pot or lower. Upstairs, #2, I did not change the rate (its at approx. 75% open) and the flame is rarely above the firepot, but seems to achieve temp just fine and as quickly as #1. It is burning cleaner, less black ash. However, there were times it seemed to struggle with keeping the fire rolling, guess it was hitting some of the super big pellets. What would you recommend for the best efficiency? Thanks for the feedback!

Do both stove have the same configuration of exhaust pipe?
My Santa Fe burns 3 inches above the pot on low setting with the pellet gate closed as far as it will go. My exhaust pipe runs 5 inches to a 90 then up 5 feet to a 90 then 1 foot to the wall and another 2 feet outside the house.