Stove chow and freedom fuel for kozi 120 and other Questions?

[chrisasst]

So I went to home depot today and picked up a few bags of freedom fuel and stove chow. My results are the freedom fuel are not that good in this stove. About the same as the Cubex as for the heat out put. The Stove Chow is WOW in my stove, so far these are the best pellets I think I have ever used. I believe these are burning hotter than the lignetics that my stove likes.

Questions below ????

Using an IR thermometer, The top of my pellet stove is reaching about 135 degrees, the side of the stove is reaching from 170 -180 degrees, the door is about 700 degrees, but I am only getting 210 or so blowing out. Does this sound right, or is there something wrong?

 

[jtakeman]

If the house is warmer than the other pellet brands you have been burning. I would just go with it. Did you check the temps on the other pellets?

 

[chrisasst]

Let me clarify, the top and side, and door has also been hot with no matter what pellets I use. I guess my question should be if those areas are that warm / hot, then why can't I get a better temp out of the blowers.

 

[mikenmichele]

I have the same stove. Do you pull down the top steel plate/ baffle and brush the heat tubes off at all? I do that every cleaning with a stiff brush. They seem to build up soot bad if I dont. My door gets to around 675 or so just halfway above the glass when burning hammer hot ones on a # 3 setting.

 

[chrisasst]

yes, I use a stiff bristle brush when I do it. I have to run my stove on #5 24/7 to get any good heat out of it. I cleaned the heck out of it yesterday and put some Stove chow pellets in it and I got about 220 degrees from the blowers on setting #5, with the damper pulled out 1".

What pellets do you burn and where do you set the damper at?

I got my stove used from a dealer. I knew nothing about a pellet stove so I think he saw me coming I guess.

 

[mikenmichele]

Hi, I started out using new england but could not get good heat from them. Ive tried presto log, greenway and hammer hot ones and get great heat from them. My damper is pulled out quite a bit, i played with different settings and found it likes it best around 2 inches measured from the back of the spring handle to the side of the stove. I will get you an exact measurement tonight when I get home from work. Your exhaust pipe size and length plays a role in that setting as well.

 

[chrisasst]

Hi, I started out using new england but could not get good heat from them. Ive tried presto log, greenway and hammer hot ones and get great heat from them. My damper is pulled out quite a bit, i played with different settings and found it likes it best around 2 inches measured from the back of the spring handle to the side of the stove. I will get you an exact measurement tonight when I get home from work. Your exhaust pipe size and length plays a role in that setting as well.

back of the spring handle meaning the very end of the rod, or where the spring and the solid bar joins...
this pic shows where I can set it with good pellets and not have them build up. I assume you have 4" pipe..

 

[pauly2110]

I went to HD to see what they had today as i think my days of getting green team at lowes is over as i cant find them anymore and only have 1 ton left so i was suprised to see stove chow at hd for a whopping 3.74 a bag so i picked up 10 bags to try them out after hearing everyone ranting about them.

After giving my stove a cleaning that included even cleaning the hopper and vacuming the dust so i could try the stove chow, so far I'm not disapointed 2 hours in, seems to be burning very well thus far, and there was not much ash in bags (just slighty more than green teams), and they seem to be burning pretty good so far, i will let you know what i find in the ash at my next cleaning, but i might pick up a ton of chows if they hold thier own vs the green teams....for that price you cant possibly go wrong..

 

[mikenmichele]

Hi, where the spring and solid bar join. Looks to be an inch in your pic? Right now im actualy 1 1/4 and am trying 1 1/2 just to see if it helps with the clinkers or crusty ash buildup in the burn pot. I honestly thought It was out more though. I have to empty the burn pot every two-three days with these pellets. The new englands burns down to nothing but just not enough heat. I am using 3" pipe though as I dont have a long run nor a lot of elbows or turns. How are you measuring the heat output or blower air? Are you pointing into a heat tube next to the pull rod ? I point to that area with my ir and am getting over 500 with a fresh cleaning done tonight. What Ive been finding (my stove is set to hi/low setting and on a thermostat) is when I get a good burn on 3, when it kicks down to 1 there is barely a flame, just a glow to a little flame when pellets drop. I cant seem to get a happy medium. I would love more control of the exhaust air or the air that blows through the burn pot. All in all im pleased with the stove and its simplicity. Im heating a 1500 sqft ranch and its in the basement so the heat just rises through the basement door and keeps my upstairs around 68-70 ish. My oil furnace never runs except when I want it a little warmer upstairs.

 

[chrisasst]

I have a meat thermometer stuck into one of the tubes for the temp. Yes this is a real simple stove, but I regret from getting a "used" one. ( saved $300) These is just something wrong with my stove and I just don't know what. I changed the door gasket, ash pan gasket multiple times. Like I said, I have to run it on #5 24/7.
Do you have an OAK hooked up? I have been trying both ways, and see no real difference.
thanks for the info..

 

[mikenmichele]

By oak does that mean outside air? I do not have that hooked up and pull air from in the house. I did call kozi once and talked to the tech line and the guy was very helpful. Heres the contact info if you might want to call them yourself. It was worth the call for me.
APR Industries Ltd.
1354 Waverley Street
Winnipeg, MB R3T 0P5
CANADA
PH: (204) 452-9907
Fax: (204) 453-2747
E-mail: [email protected]