Pellet stove roll call!

[Richard05]

I don't think my pellet insert has shut off in about 3 weeks. I switched to softwood pellets and there is considerably less ash in the pan.
I used Barefoot hardwood pellets for the first ton since I installed it. I asked the guy who I buy the pellets from what he uses in his insert. We both have the Harman accentra 52i. He recommended Wood & Sons, a softwood pellet so I tried them and I will never go back to Barefoot. I have about half a ton of barefoot pellets in the garage that I will burn just to use them up. But I know as soon as I burn them I will have to give the insert a good cleaning.

 

[bighammer]

I'm finally able to keep the heat on in my shop. I picked up a used pellet stove that was in a guy's rental property. He said there were too many issues with vacationers not familiar with running it. I realized after buying it, it wouldn't stay running and kept having error codes. Took it apart and found a small hairpin clip in the auger had sheared. Runs like a champ now.

I built a 3 sided plywood box (which uses the open lid of the hopper for the 4th side) to extend the capacity. I'm getting about 36 hours on a fill now. Looks ugly, but it's for my workshop, so who cares? This SO much nicer than the crappy little woodstove that was in there before. I can work in comfort and not have to mess with the fire and gathering wood. I bought a pallet of bagged pellets at Homer Depot so I have plenty.

 

[Wayne M.]

Good luck at the new place, Dan! Did you move far?
I’ve been running mine whenever I’m around but not sleeping, meaning the whole day when I’m off and after work during the week. It’s running well once I changed the fuel profile. Nearly has my full confidence now.
I’m pretty sure I’ll get another one, but an insert model to put in my gas log fireplace I dislike so much.

 

[bighammer]

I have mine on the lowest setting and after about a week, the burn pot gets full and backs up the chute. It keeps burning, but gets sort of messy inside. I opened the draft a bit more yesterday, so I'll see if that helps. If opened a little too much, it goes out and shuts down.

 

[Dan_69GTX]

Nope - didn't move far. About 13 miles. I started a thread a while ago about the saga - https://www.turbodieselregister.com/threads/new-shop-progress-updates-questions.269978/

Glad to be (mostly) moved but will be very happy when the old place is totally cleaned out and SOLD! The snow, ice, mud has slowed down cleaning things up. Don't want to make too many ruts in the yard/field cleaning up stuff. Made 2 scrap metal runs and 1 dump run on Wed. They were calling for more "weather" so I burned a day vacation to work at the old place.

 

[Dan_69GTX]

bighammer - about how many bags are used before you have to clean out the stove?

Nice idea to increase the capacity. My wife would "kill" me if I did that inside the house.

 

[bighammer]

bighammer - about how many bags are used before you have to clean out the stove?

Nice idea to increase the capacity. My wife would "kill" me if I did that inside the house.

Probably 12 or so. I get some ash piled on each side, but there is also fresh pellets mixed in because they spill over when it gets full in the burn chamber. I opened the draft a bit about 3 or 4 days ago and that has helped. Today, it seemed like it was burning, but only at the very bottom, so I closed it just slightly.

 

[NIsaacs]

Probably 12 or so. I get some ash piled on each side, but there is also fresh pellets mixed in because they spill over when it gets full in the burn chamber. I opened the draft a bit about 3 or 4 days ago and that has helped. Today, it seemed like it was burning, but only at the very bottom, so I closed it just slightly.

I can't understand your stove. How do you change the draft? Ours is not adjustable. The combustion fan sucks air through the burn pot from the cold air intake and out the fan and exhaust pipe.

We shut down and clean the pot every two days or so. The pot grate is the only air flow so it needs to stay clean for an efficient fire.

 

[bighammer]

I can't understand your stove. How do you change the draft? Ours is not adjustable. The combustion fan sucks air through the burn pot from the cold air intake and out the fan and exhaust pipe.

We shut down and clean the pot every two days or so. The pot grate is the only air flow so it needs to stay clean for an efficient fire.

On each side of the burn pot, there's a slider to drop ash into the pan. In the center, there is a slider that opens a diamond shaped hole to increase air supply to the burn pot.

 

[NIsaacs]

On each side of the burn pot, there's a slider to drop ash into the pan. In the center, there is a slider that opens a diamond shaped hole to increase air supply to the burn pot.

We have a cover on each side of the pot, but it is only for ash clean out, they stay closed in operation. Nothing but the pellet shute in the center.

 

[AH64ID]

@bighammer what brand/model is your stove? Any pics?

We have a cover on each side of the pot, but it is only for ash clean out, they stay closed in operation. Nothing but the pellet shute in the center.

Ours is the same. I’ve never seen a pellet stove like @bighammer is describing.

 

[Wayne M.]

I had another smoke out tonight
It was doing real good and I ran out for a few errands, and it misbehaved. I guess it did an auto clean/ ash dump and let loose a bunch of smolders.
I’m going to email the company.

 

[Wayne M.]

Yes Dan, I remember now.
Good luck and I hope for the least of surprises for you.

 

[bighammer]

Here's mine. Nice to be in a messy shop where looks don't matter.

 

[Dan_69GTX]

I have to clean the ash out every 5-6 bags (5-6 days) or it fills up to the burn pot.

Ours has an adjustment for air flow - on the intake there is a slider that restricts the amount of air coming in. I opened it a bit more and it seems to be a bit less ash and better flame.

 

[Dan_69GTX]

Does your air intake connect outside the house or is it inside the house?!?! If outside - how do you have it plumbed?

The other day it was supposed to get to single digits at night. Got home, house nice and warm, decided to turn off stove to clean it out. Currently about 15 out. Left the room, came back 5 min later to smoke in the room - coming out the intake. Never happened before...grrr.. Turn stove on/off to reactivate the fan. Open all doors and windows/fans to air out the house. Decided to forget cleaning the bugger - turned it back on and let it run. Day or so later turned it off and was fine. Was fine before and since. So, was I just unlucky in the draft, breeze blowing against the house just right or ???

An outdoor fresh air intake for the stove would have prevented this. So might look into that this summer.

 

[bighammer]

Dan,

Mine goes thru a long(ish) shutdown ritual with boosted fan and burn pot agitation. It makes sure everything is burned (and exhausted) before actually shutting down.

I bumped the cord on mine once and didn't notice it right away. The smoke in the stove became very thick and sort of belched out into the room. I had my stereo cranked and dust collector running, so I didn't know what was wrong and opened the door. The movie Backdraft came to mind as a fireball consumed the concentrated smoke cloud right in front of me. It scared the crap out of me, but plugging it in and turning it back on got working again.

My intake is inside air. I figure it helps remove more dust and fumes. I'm thinking even with outside air, a loss of power will quickly create copious amounts of smoke because the induced draft is required for combustion.

 

[NIsaacs]

Just picked up a ton of pellets (Lignettics) from ACE, the price seemed reasonable compared to everything else. $304 plus tax. Mid winter, local pellets were $315, but dang they are dirty. I can't understand how they can be more than the long distance imports. East or west coast v/s 30 miles. We did have to go to a farther Ace, ours was out and not going to restock, same with TSC. Not sure why they quit so early in the season, winter is not over.

 

[petersonj]

Not sure why they quit so early in the season, winter is not over.

Surely, you haven't forgotten why people go to Arizona in the winter! They go there because it is warm, not to buy pellets.

- John