Smoldering pellets in the burn pot

[Gregg Woods]

Hello I have a question for the group. This has happened to me a few times last year and once this year. My stove a US Stove 6041I I started it up 3 weeks ago and it has been running great. When I went to bed last night it was on a heat setting 2 of 5.

I woke up in the morning and there is no fire in the burn pot and all the pellets are just a glowing mess in the burn pot. Auger is still dropping them down the shoot. My burn pot has an Agitator and it is running properly but it just moves the mess around. It still is putting good heat into the living room (170 – 180 deg) but no flames. If I open the door it has massive smoke cloud in the chamber but no smoke makes it into my living room. As soon as I hit the off button and the draft fan kicks into high the fly ash and sparks starts going everywhere in the chamber until it is completely shut down. Last year the glowing pellets made it out of the burn pot.

I believe I am not getting enough air to the burn pot and that is what is causing the problem. But the damper is at the same position for the last two weeks without a problem. I clean my stove every other day and do an extensive cleaning every week. I am burning the same pellets for the last two weeks and had different pellets last year when it happened.

What you think

 

[Snowy Rivers]

This sounds like your draft fan is not functioning, or you have something plugged.

Makes sure the draft fan is running properly and all the stoves passages internally are clean.

My guess is the draft fan is having issues.

Be careful when accessing the internal parts with the stove running, as there is 120V current (Standard operating procedure)

Snowy

 

[skibladerj]

To me it sounds like a draft issue too. I would check and see if you have a vacuum problem.

 

[Harvey Schneider]

To me it sounds like a draft issue too. I would check and see if you have a vacuum problem.

Yes, a draft problem, but let's break it down to the three possible areas. (not in any order)

1. Plugged vent
2. combustion blower/motor not running (bad motor bearings or blower full of ash) or running slow (could be the result of a bad control board or bad motor)
3. massive air leak (into the fire box)

 

[Rastallama]

You said it happened a few times last year? What sorted it out then? Is there an oak?