Summers heat pellet doing a weird vibrating which effects the flame.

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wentreefgirl

Member
Hearth Supporter
Nov 14, 2009
46
connecticut
It started this at end of season last year. I runs smooth then like ever 5 minutes does 30 seconds of vibrating that vibrates the whole machine, and the flame flickers wildly while its doing this. The it stops and flame goes back to normal. Which i knew what causes this.Anyone?
 
Harmans seem to get this this problem on a high feed too.
 
Scrape the carbon buildup out of the end of the bottom auger tube where it enters the burn pot.
 
What is the best tool to clean inside the tube. What does everyone use for this?
 
I like to use a 1/4 " flat blade screwdriver with about a 8 " shaft. Nice handle allows a good grip and the small blade really gives a good force to scrape and chip off the offending materials.
 
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Definitely get in there and scrape the carbon off the auger tube. Mine gets a vibration and/or a moaning noise if it gets bad. Quick scrape with a screwdriver cures it every time.
 
K guys , its "wuffing" (I dunno who came up with the term)

here's what you do to make it go away, usually works except in extreme conditions

disconnect the OAK, have the stove running and rumbling

take a piece of that silver insulation tape and loosely cover about 1/4 of the intake tube at the back of the stove and let it burn a bit longer, if the rumbling is still there adjust the tape to cover just a bit more and check again , keep covering it more and more gradually until the rumble is gone and the stove is still burning clean, usually it will be between 1/4 and 1/3 covered to find the "sweet spot" where there is no rumble and its not starving for air. once you find the sweet spot, simply wrap the excess tape around the outside of the intake pipe and reconnect the OAK right over it leaving the tape in the tube as a sort of "speed bump" for the intake air.

the case is some sort of pressure variance In the stove and flue system. I don't know what exactly causes it , its more often seen in longer pipe setups or chimney connections, but occasionally occurs in standard hookups as well. usually the higher the unit is turned up the more it does it. my "tape fix" generally solves it and does no harm to the unit at all, actually the "wuffing" doesn't seem to harm the unit even if not corrected as I've had customers mention it in passing stating its "done it for years" they just got used to it.
 
its more often seen in longer pipe setups or chimney connections

Ah ha. So maybe that 35 feet of 5.5" liner might be in play here. Mine is kinda a rumble.

The carbon makes more of a moan but figured that out because of the auger timing.
 
I have a Englander and it does this too.. I noticed it does it when the burn pot fills up with ash.. I think its inherent with englanders.. If minds does it I just ignore it lol
 
Ah ha. So maybe that 35 feet of 5.5" liner might be in play here. Mine is kinda a rumble.

The carbon makes more of a moan but figured that out because of the auger timing.


yeah if you have that little P-10 into that liner and the liner heats up and starts pulling this is one of the things that sets off the rumble. the flue starts pulling air that the blower is trying t push the same way , causes a pressure fluctuation in the exhaust (kind of like "cavitation " with a ship's propeller high pressure in front of the blade and a vacuum behind it is normal), but when the high pressure isn't quite so high the "carried" vacuum behind the blade collapses and reforms constantly this is why I looked at the intake restriction to help stabilize the negative pressure before the blower. added resistance helps hold that vacuum behind the blade stable and reduces the "shuddering" effect on the negative pressure side of the blade.

EDIT Dee says HI

think "rotor chop" when flying downwind in a helo in strong windy conditions. the "feel" of the bird is different than flying in a crosswind or into the wind. not to mention needing more collective as the negative pressure under the blade is reduced.remember the blades are "fixed" in the exhaust blower so it cant "pull more pitch" to compensate
 
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Roger that. Just as long as my stove doesn't go into vortex ring state and settle under power. !!!
 
Like I used to say in bars "I didn't fly helicopters Darlin, I MADE helicopters fly.".
 
K guys , its "wuffing" (I dunno who came up with the term)

here's what you do to make it go away, usually works except in extreme conditions

disconnect the OAK, have the stove running and rumbling

take a piece of that silver insulation tape and loosely cover about 1/4 of the intake tube at the back of the stove and let it burn a bit longer, if the rumbling is still there adjust the tape to cover just a bit more and check again , keep covering it more and more gradually until the rumble is gone and the stove is still burning clean, usually it will be between 1/4 and 1/3 covered to find the "sweet spot" where there is no rumble and its not starving for air. once you find the sweet spot, simply wrap the excess tape around the outside of the intake pipe and reconnect the OAK right over it leaving the tape in the tube as a sort of "speed bump" for the intake air.

the case is some sort of pressure variance In the stove and flue system. I don't know what exactly causes it , its more often seen in longer pipe setups or chimney connections, but occasionally occurs in standard hookups as well. usually the higher the unit is turned up the more it does it. my "tape fix" generally solves it and does no harm to the unit at all, actually the "wuffing" doesn't seem to harm the unit even if not corrected as I've had customers mention it in passing stating its "done it for years" they just got used to it.


Well im trying the covering the pipe now. Im about half covered and its still shaking slightly. It doesnt bother the machine but it vibrates to the point it opens a crack in the high temp cement around the out tube. Then i get smoke smell on start up. I have to scrape daily but dont think its that. Do you think I need a new exhaust blower????
 
Scrape the carbon buildup out of the end of the bottom auger tube where it enters the burn pot.

I use a screw driver as well but was in an AutoZone the other day and they sell some nifftie curved end tools for about $6 that look like they'd be the perfect tool.
 
Roger that. Just as long as my stove doesn't go into vortex ring state and settle under power. !!!
Reduce power, forward cyclic fly out of it...
 
My 25 PDVC used to do that occasionally. I found it somewhat relaxing. Odd, right. My wife called it "buffeting". She saw too many commercials for the dyson air "multiplier".
 
Just off the Englander on CL and get another stove.... Problem solved.
 
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