Vogelzang VG5790 flame goes out

[CrystalRamos1011]

Hello everyone, I’m very new to the pellet stove life. I’m having an issue with the VG5790. It starts up fine and gets a pretty big flame but not long after startup the flame starts to die down. The flame will Fluctuate for a time and then inevitably it will just go out. I get a lot of soot all over the glass after only running for maybe 2hrs. We did install the outside air intake, hoping that would help but didn’t make a difference! Please help I’m new and have no idea what to do!

 

[tlc1976]

Has this stove run well before, or is it a new installation? If it’s a new install, is the stove new or used? Is the pipe clean and free? I always ask because I’ve had birds get in my pipe on the past. If the stove is only a few days old then it’s clean but if it’s a used stove then it should have a total cleaning including the side chambers and the exhaust blower housing.

I’ve had pellets that clogged the burnpot every day or two and I had to constantly clean it. Hardwood pellets are good with this stove as I’ve heard from others as well. But pellets do vary. I would scrape out the pot and try again.

Have you tried adjusting the air damper in back?

 

[SidecarFlip]

I see a couple things. One, that isn't soot on the view glass, that is burned fly ash and they all do that, pay no attention to the 'air wash' propaganda because that is what it is, BS. Secondly, you need to loose that open end at the top of the venting, no good and inviting trouble from birds getting in. You need a 90 degree vent elbow and a proper termination vent cap. What you have now looks like the tailpipe on my diesel pickup truck.... Furthermore, you have no incline on the vent pipe between the stove and the wall thimble but you are stuck with that as it's already installed in the brick

 

[Ssyko]

That is a proper termination end it has a screen grid inside the end. But If the wall is on the prevailing wind side of the house it could mess with the airflow/draft. Like Tlc was saying try adjusting your intake damper to get the flame right.

 

[CrystalRamos1011]

It’s a brand new stove and installation we did ourself. The manual never said anything about and incline ( wish I would have know that) would the incline affect the flame? The stove has never really ran good it does give off heat but never had a good flame. Based on the photos ssyko shared we have had both the bottom images but never found that sweet spot to get the perfect flame. We have adjust the damper in every which way we could. We are thinking of just returning stove but still at a loss for what to get we can’t afford anything outlandish

 

[tlc1976]

How did you install the outside air kit? It’s an additional tube through the wall and needs to be attached to the pipe near the bottom center of the stove directly below the air damper. And run directly through the wall to the outside. In the photo I see nothing attached to that pipe below the damper. That’s the stove air intake.

I tried my stove without outside air and it would start ok but the damper had no effect on increasing the flame, and after awhile it would just choke and die. Night and day difference with outside air installed. My house was 30 years old and I figured it was old enough to not need it but I was proved wrong.

Btw I have nearly the identical chimney setup. I have an open end which came with the duravent kit except it’s rectangular and I have a 45 section in the house. I also have the extra height outside like you, which I think would make up enough updraft for whether or not there is a degree or two in the slope of the short horizontal section.

I haven’t had a bird in this particular pipe but I’ve had them in my old wood stove pipe, dryer vent, and my brick chimney here. A bird screen would be something to add before the day they decide to come in.

 

[CrystalRamos1011]

We tightened the laches on the door and now this is the flame we have. Is this too big ( first 2 imgs) then it goes down to the 3rd pic way better then what we had!!

 

[Ssyko]

A big flame is normal when first started. Looks much better in the 3rd pic. Does it stay that way? A little up and down is normal

 

[CrystalRamos1011]

It has been doing great so far! When I turned it to low the flame went out but I turned the damper down a little and it came back. It still goes up and down but isn’t going out or staying low for long anymore. I tried to post a video for you to see but it won’t let me the pics show the different “levels” of flame we are getting. cycles up and down takes about 30 second to a minute

 

[CrystalRamos1011]

 

[CrystalRamos1011]

 

[Ssyko]

Try closing the damper 1/4” at a time and let it run for 10 each time. You’ll have it dialed in in no time. Its looking better all the time

 

[CrystalRamos1011]

Okay I’ll give that try thanks you so much

 

[CrystalRamos1011]

So do I need to change the damper with each setting (high, med,low)? Also does the damper need to be open at startup and then moved towards closed once it’s going?

 

[Ssyko]

Yes you’ll have to find the sweet spot for each heat setting but once you get used to it, it’s easy. You could use different colored sharpies and mark the damper rod for each setting when found. As for start up ck your manual for its start up settings.

 

[CrystalRamos1011]

Thank you again for all your advice/help!! I’m sure I will have tons more questions as I navigate pellet stove life and I will definitely come to this site first!!

 

[CrystalRamos1011]

 

[CrystalRamos1011]

This is the flame I am getting now after closing the damper a little more I hope it’s okay if I keep posting the videos just so I get your opinion on what a good flame loos like for this stove

 

[Ssyko]

Looks good. As you play with the rod settings just watch your flame, when it gets lazy open it up a bit and that should be the sweet spot

 

[SidecarFlip]

I say this from 30 years of experience with bio-mass stoves and it's not to be taken as gospel because my situation and what I do may not work for you but here goes anyway...

I don't set my draft do the flame is blow torch like, I like to have a somewhat 'lazy' flame because, the more draft applied the faster the combusted and heated gases are expelled from the stove and are blown up the exhaust venting.

Remember that on any modern stove the combustion fan is 'pulling' the combusted gases through the stove and the heat exchangers as well as the metal interior so, the slower the combustion gases exit the stove, the better the heat exchange works and the more BTU's the stove will produce for a given amount of fuel consumed.

I can set mine to sound like a jet engine if I want to. I never do, it's always set for a somewhat lazy flame but then I keep my unit clean inside, keeping them clean is paramount to the best and most efficient heat exchange as the ash produced coats the interior walls and heat exchange surfaces with fly ash and fly ash is a good insulator.

The more ash you get inside and on the interior surfaces, the less efficient the unit becomes.

How I do it and have for 30 years but getting them fine tuned to that point takes time and trial and error and different brands of pellets behave differently when burned (different ash content and burning characteristics and remember I burn field corn and pellets together so my optimum flame characteristics ate probably different that straight pellets.

I like to purchase the same brand of pellets all the time and not switch around and I do that, Michigan Hardwood for the last 3 or 4 years consistently.

In my opinion, a strong blow torch like flame is just expelling wasted BTU's out the venting. Dwell time for the combustion gases is the important factor in as efficient as possible heat exchange ant realized btu output from any appliance.

Like I said at the outset, your mileage may vary and what works for me, may not work for you.

 

[tlc1976]

For me I like to find a good balance of flame. My goal is to have enough air for a strong clean burn while ejecting the ash out of the burn pot so it stays clear. But not so much that it ejects a lot of glowing embers from the pot because to me that’s wasted heat.

 

[CrystalRamos1011]

Unrelated question to my first post but what is the best way to store pellets? I have them In the bags in my living room right now. I have an unfinished basement, and a shed but it does get damp and cold in both locations and also I worry about pests getting into it.

 

[tlc1976]

I store mine in my pole barn. Unheated, unfinished. Mice definitely around but they’ve never gotten my pellets. Maybe because there’s enough other easier targets for them to get into. I keep them covered with a plastic sheet in case condensation drips from the roof in shoulder seasons. I don’t know what winter is like in your area but here it’s cold and dry so most of the time the bags stay in non humid environment.

 

[SidecarFlip]

How I keep mine as well. Full pallets in the tractor barn. Unheated and sand floor. Corn is in a GSI bulk bin with a bucket spout.

 

[johneh]

I store mine on an enclosed back porch
have been for 18 years never a problem