Too many clinkers?

[anon_ymous]

New to pellet stoves/this Harman P68 came with our new house.

Surely, this is too many clinkers for 24h? I've cleaned/vacuumed the entire stove, but was unable to find someone to clean the chimney. The chimney is a very long run, so I'm somewhat hesitant to try the SootEater.

Only other thing I've not done was remove the ESP sensor and clean it.

I'm running at room temp, with the igniter set to manual. Though I've not tested the unit at max output, I set the feed limit to just above 4.

The pellets are what was left behind by the previous owners, but they look fairly reasonable.

Thoughts?

 

[jackman]

What I see in the photo is ash. It looks typical and needs to be pulled off the burn pot. I do it every time I add a bag which is about every other day. The clinkers are hard and usually need to be scraped or chiseled off the burn pot. I keep the feed rate set to between 2 and 3 which will keep the fire burning toward the back of the burn pot for a hotter fire and less clinkers.

 

[Ocelot]

I'm new this year to Harman after having an Englander for over 10 years, so I'm no Harman expert. However, I have seen similar in my Harman P43 when it hasn't been as cold and the stove basically ran most of the time in low fire maintain mode. I wouldn't call mine clinkers though since it was just thick heavy ash and not solid chunks which is what I think of with clinkers. When it got into the 20's and the stove ran hotter and higher in Room Temp manual mode, it ran much cleaner, there was much less and it was a lighter fluffier ash in there.

Pellets can make a difference to. Over the years I always had far less and softer ash from the better soft wood pellets. The times I ran top of the line douglas fir pellets, I was amazed at the lack of ash and heat.

Ray

 

[Washed-Up]

Yeah that’s ash like Jackman said…as you experiment with different pellets you’ll notice a difference in ash output. With a big stove like that, running it hotter from time to time will help keep it a bit cleaner inside…I run my P61 on stove temp 4-5 every week for an hour or so…usually before a quick clean

 

[anon_ymous]

Thanks, guys! I'd assumed that the thick ash was clinkers, as it seems there are little/none—a good sign!

As Ray suggested, I'm going to see whether if I turn down the temperature/set the stove to auto-ignition that lessens the amount of ash/unnecessary fuel I may be burning.

 

[Ocelot]

Yeah, what I call clinkers is a hard solid block of ash that was like a hunk of volcanic stone. I used to get that sometimes if I used crappy pellets in my old Englander.

Ray

 

[mtnbiker727]

I'm running at room temp, with the igniter set to manual. Though I've not tested the unit at max output, I set the feed limit to just above 4.

These are the settings I use as well. I have been running it for a few hours morning and evening. I scrape the burnpot every time before I start it.

One thing to pay attention to: the flames should look super sharp and pointy. If they are kinda "lazy" then you need to clean the burnpot, or the exhaust or something to restore the proper amount of airflow.

 

[mtnbiker727]

New to pellet stoves/this Harman P68 came with our new house.

See this thread for my step-by-step instructions of how to clean a P68: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/pellet-stove-cleaning-advice.185764/#post-2493547

 

[anon_ymous]

See this thread for my step-by-step instructions of how to clean a P68: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/pellet-stove-cleaning-advice.185764/#post-2493547

Thanks!! Why do you remove the fire bricks?

 

[mtnbiker727]

Thanks!! Why do you remove the fire bricks?

To clean them and clean behind them. The ash gets piled up behind them. Just remember to put them back in before you light your next fire!

 

[anon_ymous]

To clean them and clean behind them. The ash gets piled up behind them. Just remember to put them back in before you light your next fire!

Boy, mtnbiker, that was a good clean! There was A LOT of ash behind those firebricks

I can't seem to get the vent T cap off. It's a Duravent, and I'm turning counterclockwise. I don't see a set screw, but that doesn't mean there isn't one :/ Any ideas?

 

[Mt Bob]

I have seen, on some clean out caps, the outer tin cover spins,but not the cap itself. Some put a screw in it,I use a strap wrench which kinda compresses it down a bit so both turn.

 

[anon_ymous]

I have seen, on some clean out caps, the outer tin cover spins,but not the cap itself. Some put a screw in it,I use a strap wrench which kinda compresses it down a bit so both turn.

Thanks! I've written the previous owner and will try my strap wrench if he doesn't have a better idea.

Do you know what these grates are for?

 

[Mt Bob]

Nope.

 

[Washed-Up]

I believe those are for the back of the stove

 

[anon_ymous]

I believe those are for the back of the stove

Thanks!! I just checked behind the stove and found some screws that they attach to

 

[Mt Bob]

On the rear of a P68? Never saw such things. Something somebody made?

 

[Washed-Up]

Ve never seen the vented ones before, it was the cutouts on the bottom that pointed me in that direction

 

[mtnbiker727]

Can you share a picture of the cleanout cap? It's possible the previous owner caulked it shut.

 

[tlc1976]

First time I tried to remove my cleanout cap it was stuck really good. Just after a couple months. Think I used an oil filter wrench to get it loose. So now I always put a little extreme temp silicone grease on the cap mating surface, and no more problems removing it.

 

[anon_ymous]

On the rear of a P68? Never saw such things. Something somebody made?

Ve never seen the vented ones before, it was the cutouts on the bottom that pointed me in that direction

I spoke with the previous owner, and indeed they're the covers for the back of the stove. I've tried a few things, but have no idea how to put them on! I plan to clean the ESP sensor next Monday, so will try in earnest again then—expect to hear from me!

 

[Washed-Up]

The best way to see would be to put them in place, the way you’d think they mount and see if there are holes that line up

 

[anon_ymous]

Can you share a picture of the cleanout cap? It's possible the previous owner caulked it shut.

First time I tried to remove my cleanout cap it was stuck really good. Just after a couple months. Think I used an oil filter wrench to get it loose. So now I always put a little extreme temp silicone grease on the cap mating surface, and no more problems removing it.

I spoke with the previous owner, and it seems to be just stuck. I'll try with an oil filter wrench.

That said, I still need to purchase a brush. Am I going to be able to clean the chimney, if my pellet stove pipe is 3", with an adapter that leads to a 6" stack, inside a [maybe?] 30ft masonry chimney? Can I get into the 6" pipe from the bottom?

 

[anon_ymous]

The best way to see would be to put them in place, the way you’d think they mount and see if there are holes that line up

Yea. none of it seems to line up. Rest assured, I'll be back next Monday :/

 

[Washed-Up]

In for pics