Starting fine . Avalon 900 PI, then going down hill

[reags8]

I have been burning all season starting Nov 1st and just recently (last 20 days) have an issue. I came home from work and the burn pot was loaded with pellets and a super lazy flame. I have no idea what I did that would have caused this ??? I did go to a different brand of pellets but all season I have bought from the big box stores and the stove has handled that fine.

Here is what I have done :
- Complete cleaning
- Pulled fly trap vents and cleaned
- Pulled heat blower motor and checked intake for obstruction
- Pulled exhaust 'T' and cleaned out

Now after everyone of these checks/cleanings I re-assemble clean the glass and get about 4-6 hrs of decent burning then it all goes down hill and the pot starts clogging, glass gets real dirty and the flame gets lazy.

I did a search and couldn't if anyone has encountered this - Starts fine and then goes down hill.

Thanks for the help in advance.

O and I have a Avalon 900 PI - Its an older model but when I installed it in the fall it worked great

 

[Bioburner]

Still have the rest of the venting and venting termination to clean? Seems you have missed something in the cleaning and its now biting you.

 

[reags8]

You think I need to pull the 20+' of stove pipe? I have 20' of flex off a T that terminates to a cap - Pull the flex?

 

[Bioburner]

You think I need to pull the 20+' of stove pipe? I have 20' of flex off a T that terminates to a cap - Pull the flex?

Need to get a brush and flexable rod and get it all cleaned. the farther it goes the cooler it becomes and the more it may collect ash etc. Your probably at max vent length if its 3 inch. Most venting systems need a good cleaning starting at 1 ton.

 

[kofkorn]

Look into something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GA9D9I/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00

With extra extensions:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CAOHBAQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00

You definitely need to clean out the 20' flex pipe. For my piping, after about 2 tons, I can expect between 1/4" and 3/8" of ash buildup in the straight pipe sections. You'll be amazed at what you get out of it.

Good luck!

 

[reags8]

Per the manual I am allowed 33' of vertical with less than 10' of horizontal - I am going to pull (again) tonight and clean it ... Will post the results.

 

[Bioburner]

Next line of the manual of page 6, Pellet Vent Diameter. If more than 15 foot needs to be 4 inch diameter. So with the cleanout tee and over 20 foot of 3 inch venting the stove is choking

 

[reags8]

Great catch .... I didn't realize this, I actually have closer to 18' of vertical but I will def make the change when the burning season is behind us. Right now I just want to get it back to the burn I had in Nov. to get me to April.

 

[reags8]

Big thanks for Bioburner - Pulled the T last night and went at the pipe with a brush, collected about 2-3lbs of ash out of the pipe (prolly a lot less just looked and felt like that). Put the exhaust back together and fired it up and its running like a champ

 

[Bioburner]

Good to hear. Long ways to spring yet. Predicted to get to -14 tonight here and the wind is blowing over 20 and only 2 this morning.

 

[reags8]

OK ... I am at wits end here ..... As you can read from the above posts everthing that I have done to the stove to get it to burn like it did at the begining of the burn season - HOWEVER - I just can't
I cleaned the exhaust/termination piping and the stove worked great, just like it did when I first installed it in the fall but after a full day and a 1/2 of burning its back to a loaded burn pot and lazy flame UG !

I have no idea what the issue is, like I have said all along it starts fine and I get 6 hrs of good burn then it goes down hill .....

Any/all advive ideas are welcome

 

[Bioburner]

About the only thing left in the burning issue left is the pellets and you have said that you are getting them from a big box store. Grab a bag or two of some other brands and give a try. Others have found that sometimes its the pellets giving them grief with a high ash content.

 

[reags8]

Does "high ash" translate to a small cake of clinkers built up in the burn pot ? There is barely any ash in the inside of the stove BUT as stated the burn pot is clogged ..... Pellets?

 

[Bioburner]

Does "high ash" translate to a small cake of clinkers built up in the burn pot ? There is barely any ash in the inside of the stove BUT as stated the burn pot is clogged ..... Pellets?

Yes, some manufactures can include large amounts of bark and that can include a more than a fair sum of sand-silica that can make for a clinker.

 

[reags8]

Latest update ........
- Burning only 'premium' pellets
- Door gasket
- New Comb/Exhaust motor

Stove starts great and by the third hour the glass is completely black, flame getting lazy and pot starting to fill, I have to keep reducing the auger feed until it can't keep up and shut down and reclean.

This is now becoming a mission to fix whatever is causing the stove after 3-4 hrs of good operation to go down hill ????

Does anyone have any ideas ??