Whitfield Advantage II-T Poor Burn

[capefolks]

Hi:

I am having a problem with Pellets backing up and overflowing the burn pot on my Advantage II-T. It just does not seem to be burning all the pellets before more drop. I seem to have this problem more on settings 1-3, it seems to work better on 4-5, but it does eventually back up.

- I have completed the following:

Removed all the firebricks and cleaned per this website.

Changed the gaskets on the door and ash pan.

Blower motor (not room motor) was changed last year.

I have had this stove about 6 years, an this problem started last year. I have switched pellets to no avail. I do not have the fresh air intake vented to outside, but I never did.

I just ordered the Ultragrate kit, since the stove still has the original burn pot.

Anything I am missing? I am not comfortable leaving it running when I leave the house since it backs up.

Any help would be appreciated!!

Tom

 

[hearthtools]

you say you have not cleaned the combustion blower because it was changed last year.
how many tons of pellets have you burned since then?

when you push the air rod in and pull it back out is there a big difference in the way the fire looks?
if so then you dont have draft or air leak. you may just need to give the stove more air.


if you have burned more than a ton it is a good idea to clean the pipe and blower

did you clean behind the baffle that is behind the brick?


if you have the old burn pot system then if your ASH pan is not sealed it would have the same problem

 

[capefolks]

I have burned about 1/2 ton of pellets since replacing the blower. Think I should pull it out and clean it?

Moving the air rod does not make a huge difference in how the fire looks. How do I give the stove more air?

I cleaned the pipe at the beginning of the season, but not the blower. Have burned about 20 bags since the start of the season.

I did clean the baffle that is behind the brick. (Thanks to this website!!)

 

[hearthtools]

giving it more is is pulling the air rod OUT more.

When you push the air in you should have a Tall ugly orange flame
when you pull the air out you will have a smaller Yellow intense flame.

if you dont have this kind of action this then you have an air leak in the ashpan or the combustion chamber or pipe is plugged.

 

[capefolks]

Did the leaf blower clean out...which I found on this board. Looked like a a city bus in the back yard. Helped some. The lock on the ash pan is not keeping it tight. I can pull on the ash pan and get my fingers between it.

On the older Whitfields can you still get the lock? Also, would it be a good test to wrap heat tape (foil) around the pan to test if it improves the burn?

Thanks for all your help!
Tom

 

[MButkus]

Did you clean behind the bricks? There are two metal sheilds you can remove and get in to the two vents in back behind the brick. Without that, there will not be enough air for a good fire. Was happening to me until I did a good cleaning. I use a vacuum, but it's in the crawlspace. Gotta get the ash behind that brick.