Super high flame on p35i

[Harman newbie]

i have only used about 15 bags this year and have noticed the flame is super high., black soot covering glass on top. This stove was professionally cleaned at end of season and I'm using blazer df pellets this year . Anybody have any ideas for me why ? Thanks for all replies

 

[alternativeheat]

Has it been that way since the first bag this year or now it's started doing that 15 bags in ?

 

[Harman newbie]

Has it been that way since the first bag this year or now it's started doing that 15 bags in ?

Since first bag this year . I even did leaf blower trick to see if anything is clogged in pipe and not much came out. Don't know if it's just the blazer pellets?

 

[alternativeheat]

Since first bag this year . I even did leaf blower trick to see if anything is clogged in pipe and not much came out. Don't know if it's just the blazer pellets?

Unlikely it's the blazers unless they are wet/damaged, they are very good and clean burning pellets generally. How old is this stove ?

 

[LGTWhit]

I would assume it's not getting enough air from your description. Too much fuel in my Quadrafire equals more black soot and more air leaves a nice white color (preferred) and a cleaner burn.

 

[JRA]

Unlikely it's the blazers unless they are wet/damaged, they are a very good and clean burning pellets generally. How old is this stove ?

I second that, deinately not the blazers unless damaged or unlucky batch. Is there a lot of ash buildup or just soot on glass and high flame? With the blazers they burn hot and quick making a low/med height flame. could be a blockage somewhere? is it a lazy or crisp flame?

 

[Harman newbie]

I second that, deinately not the blazers unless damaged or unlucky batch. Is there a lot of ash buildup or just soot on glass and high flame? With the blazers they burn hot and quick making a low/med height flame. could be a blockage somewhere? is it a lazy or crisp flame?

Crisp flame . Burns super high on start up . My harman is only 4 years old and this is first year of this problem

 

[alternativeheat]

The stove sat all summer, I assume closed up. Sometimes an animal or bird can build a nest in the intake or exhaust pathways which should be checked. Other than those problems it coud have an air leak but that tends towards a lazy flame and often the stove goes out or won't light. Also, when they cleaned the stove and knowing it was being readied for next season and not to be re-lit right away, it might be good to check that they didn't block off something for the summer ( intake or exhaust termination for instance).

Edit since this went out as your last post came in: A super high crisp flame on start up might indicate a late start up. most often a late start up is because there is ash in the pathway the igniter sits in under the burn pot. Sometimes a weak igniter ( less likely). Also some pellets don't ignite as quickly as others. But does the high flame continue or is it just on start up ?

 

[Harman newbie]

Crisp flame . Burns super high on start up . My harman is only 4 years old and this is first year of this problem

This year has been bad for not lighting pellets. I thought it was igniter so now I will have to pull stove out to see if there is a blockage . Thanks all

 

[alternativeheat]

This year has been bad for not lighting pellets. I thought it was igniter so now I will have to pull stove out to see if there is a blockage . Thanks all

I would check under that burn pot first, remove the hatch there and just use your finger to sweep out any ash you can reach. it may be all it is . When my stove gets late lighting that is the first place I look. You should be on a regular cleaning interval for that anyway, I do mine every couple of weeks automatically. And hey just because they were professionals who cleaned it last doesn't mean they didn't miss that spot !

Also bang on the burn pot with a tool to shake ash off the igniter.

 

[bogieb]

I had a problem with late starts a couple of weeks ago, along with rapidly sooting up glass in the P61. I checked the igniter area, and it was fine (I clean it every time I clean - 2-3 week average). Decided the igniter had gone bad, ordered a new one and went to put it in. While messing with the wires at the back of the stove, I knocked against the OAK and decided to disconnect it so I had more room. Somehow a piece of plastic wrap had gotten sucked in and was partially blocking the intake . Took that out and decided to try it without changing the igniter.

Let's suffice to say that my glass is staying a lot cleaner and I now have a brand new spare igniter .

 

[alternativeheat]

We have some chipmunks around here and of course we get some field mice now and again. But my Oak is inside my chimney, still in my wild imagination I visualize one of those two species getting into that oak pipe and building a nest or else bees. Every fall I check it before start up. So far so good. But dang, plastic wrap, never thought of that ! How did that get in there, some animal drag it in ?

We have a bird house out back and various species of birds live in there through the year, some of their nests will have plastic in it fwiw. Actually I think I have to put a new entry on it again, I try to keep it at 1-1/4" max because sparrows can't negotiate 1-1/4" entrances. Well we have sparrow in there right now, so they must have gotten it opened up. I'll have to use metal this time, they won't chew that out.

 

[bogieb]

We have some chipmunks around here and of course we get some field mice now and again. But my Oak is inside my chimney, still in my wild imagination I visualize one of those two species getting into that oak pipe and building a nest or else bees. Every fall I check it before start up. So far so good. But dang, plastic wrap, never thought of that ! How did that get in there, some animal drag it in ?
.

Not sure how the plastic got in there. I just installed a larger (3" versus 2") OAK this fall, right before burning. I have a fairly long OAK and used 5 feet of rigid flex pipe by the stove, then changed to flexible dryer vent ducting to go out the sill. Burned great until just before the really cold snap (naturally).

My best guess is a piece of the duct wrapping fell in unnoticed and lay at the low spot; at floor level - hopefully keeps condensation from running into stove. Then either an LBT treatment, or something else disturbed it enough to move it along. until it lodged against the air intake. Most likely my fault for not being diligent enough during the install and just took a couple of months to cause an issue.