# Them little holes in the burn pot



## bcarton (Feb 10, 2015)

I noticed last night that for the first time, the flame was looking a little lazy in the old EF2. I clean the stove per manual guidelines, and every 2 or 3 days I do scrape out the burn pot liner.  As others here have mentioned, those little holes may not look clogged at all, but they are. I spent ten minutes tonight pushing a little round wire brush through every one of them. Stove is back to burning like a _champ._ I didn't want to believe that it would make any difference, but once again the collected wisdom here proves true.  Thanks, everyone!


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## Lake Girl (Feb 11, 2015)

Told ya  Sorry, couldn't resist!   Everyone has their preferred weapons for torture - some folks use drill bits, some a screw.  So far, my burn pot has only needed a putty knife to get the carbon off but then I clean it every day or two (manual says every day)...


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## Ranger72 (Feb 11, 2015)

I use a drill with a drill bit the same size as the holes.  You'll be surprised that even with the wire brush, they are still slightly smaller than originally were. I highly suggest giving it a whirl next time.


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## Johnny_Fiv3 (Feb 11, 2015)

I use the drill bit method and hit all the holes. They are almost always smaller than you think and the bit gets them good and clean.


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## SmokeyTheBear (Feb 11, 2015)

I use a brass bore brush on the slots in my burn pot.  But they also work well on the round stuff as well.


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## bcarton (Feb 11, 2015)

Am I correct to assume that one doesn't actually use a drill, but just the bit?


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## 3650 (Feb 11, 2015)

I used variable speed drill. Just dont go on at too sharp an angle or.the flute on the bit will grab and snap the bit or fling the pot around slapping your arms and hands.....


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## Johnny_Fiv3 (Feb 11, 2015)

bcarton said:


> Am I correct to assume that one doesn't actually use a drill, but just the bit?



Variable speed Dewalt 18v. Low speed straight in like 3650 says. Cleans the ports right out. For any caked on stuff in the bottom of the pot (or sides) I use a downward facing wire brush for the drill. SideCarFlip gave me the idea. Works really well. DO NOT DO IT IN THE HOUSE unless you are not married, then go ahead. LOL.


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## Ranger72 (Feb 11, 2015)

bcarton said:


> Am I correct to assume that one doesn't actually use a drill, but just the bit?


 I use a drill.


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## tiger (Feb 11, 2015)

I've been using this, especially the 90-degree one; the difficult part is seeing the holes, often I'm doing it by feel.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-Precision-Pick-and-Probe-Set-4-Piece-60004H/204314893


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## Tonyray (Feb 11, 2015)

tiger said:


> I've been using this, especially the 90-degree one; the difficult part is seeing the holes, often I'm doing it by feel.
> 
> http://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-Precision-Pick-and-Probe-Set-4-Piece-60004H/204314893


Probably not a good Idea using a Live drill with my Harman since the Igniter lives under them holes..


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## Ranger72 (Feb 11, 2015)

I do mine outside. The liner pops right out.


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## SidecarFlip (Feb 12, 2015)

My holes have gotten a bit larger than stock......


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## elevenMracing (Feb 12, 2015)

SidecarFlip said:


> My holes have gotten a bit larger than stock......



I've been curious about this myself.  Not to hijack the thread but would you care to give a quick explanation of the effects of this modification if possible?


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## SidecarFlip (Feb 12, 2015)

elevenMracing said:


> I've been curious about this myself.  Not to hijack the thread but would you care to give a quick explanation of the effects of this modification if possible?


 
I will, with the comment that it may or may not work well for you (it does for me)....

Enlarging the holes in the burnpot allows more combustion air to the fuel bed, so the fuel burns faster and hotter and any given setting and if you are like me and burn a mixture of corn and pellets, the corn likes the extra air.

An added benefit is it allows the ash to fall out of the pot easier (especially if you have an agitator (like I do), so cleaning the pot intervals become longer.

I rarely touch my stove running filt tilt (over 6 pounds per hour, which it is doing right now btw) for 7-10 days, the ash falls into the ash pan....

Good comparison (you race) is comparing a 650 holley with an 850.  The 850 flows more air and makes more power (so long as the valve lift and timing is appropriate).  On my stove, valve lift and timing equate to draft control and thats something I can easily do.

In my case, I enlarged (most but not all the holes) to the diameter of a pellet and the upper holes (that supply combustion air across the fuel bed) to a full 1/8".

Most burn pots start life as a flat sheet of machine perforated material and are formed and welded into a burn pot so custom sizing the holes isn't in the cards for any manufacturer, it's not cost effective.  They spec an average sized hole and the whole sheet (usually a 4 foot x 8 foot sheet) of material is machine perforated in one shot.


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## elevenMracing (Feb 12, 2015)

Makes sense, I may pick up and extra burn pot for the P68 in my shop and play with it some day.  In the middle of building a new race car right now so it's a ways down my priority list.  I burn straight pellets right now, though the corn mixing deal isn't out of the queston for me in the future.  I've stared at it a few times and wondered how enlarging the holes would affect it while burning straight pellets.  I've been scared off by not having a back up burn pot on hand and not knowing what the negative effects could be.  I assume there is a point that can be reached where continuing to increase the size of the holes would be a bad thing, like how an 1000+ cfm carb on a little small block  = lack of velocity/vacum signal.


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## Mt Bob (Feb 12, 2015)

Agree with sidecar.Every install is different.Found out years ago enlarging the holes in my integra was the ticket at my altitude,made stove much cleaner.When had to replace pot,measured new one,drilled out,never looked back.But like he says,every install may not work.Also have drilled out some st croixs,made them a better stove.


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## SidecarFlip (Feb 12, 2015)

Plus if you make them too large a diameter, the fuel falls through.  The 0.125" (1/8") seems to work well for me.  Don't your P68 have a stirrer as well?  Would be an ideal corn stove and you are in the corn growing region too.

Don't think I've ever used anyhting more than a putty knife to clean a pot.  I pull mine and soak it in a bucket of warm water for a half hour or so while I clean the rest of the stove and after a half hour, all the deposits in the pot basically fall out, hard carbon and all.  The agitator gets the same treatment too.  Never scraped a pot in 30 years.  Only a flexible putty knife.


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## elevenMracing (Feb 12, 2015)

SidecarFlip said:


> Plus if you make them too large a diameter, the fuel falls through.  The 0.125" (1/8") seems to work well for me.  Don't your P68 have a stirrer as well?  Would be an ideal corn stove and you are in the corn growing region too.
> 
> Don't think I've ever used anyhting more than a putty knife to clean a pot.  I pull mine and soak it in a bucket of warm water for a half hour or so while I clean the rest of the stove and after a half hour, all the deposits in the pot basically fall out, hard carbon and all.  The agitator gets the same treatment too.  Never scraped a pot in 30 years.  Only a flexible putty knife.



Not sure what you mean by "stirrer"?  It just has the hopper which dumps into the auger chamber/tube which then feeds into the back/bottom of the burn pot.  I am actually surrounded by farm feilds that are rotated between beans and corn that my uncle farms.  One of these days I'll do my research on this subject and start a new thread with the sheet of questions I'll have.


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## SidecarFlip (Feb 12, 2015)

elevenMracing said:


> Not sure what you mean by "stirrer"?  It just has the hopper which dumps into the auger chamber/tube which then feeds into the back/bottom of the burn pot.  I am actually surrounded by farm feilds that are rotated between beans and corn that my uncle farms.  One of these days I'll do my research on this subject and start a new thread with the sheet of questions I'll have.


 

You have a stoker style Harman, I'm not familiar with every stove, I assumed you has a stirrer, assumed.

Instead of starting yet another thread on the merits of burning corn, you'll find volumes on that subject by using the 'search' feature at the top of the main page.

I'm a row cropper myself so I burn what I grow...sort of.


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## elevenMracing (Feb 12, 2015)

Yup, I've seen enough people scolded for asking questions here that have been asked a thousand times already to know better.  I'll do my searching/learning but I'm sure I'll still have a few questions before I become a cornburner.  I'll be sure to message you a request to join in on that thread.  Thanks for the info so far!


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## BrotherBart (Feb 12, 2015)

If you see scolding for asking a question, PM me or click on "Report" on the post.


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## michpelletburner (Feb 12, 2015)

i drilled extra holes in my pelpro burn pot, it has slots along the bottom but they stop 3/4" from both ends and i was having a problem of ash buildup in the corners. Once i drilled 5 .125 holes in sorta a pyramid shape it burns great now and no buildup.


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## michpelletburner (Feb 12, 2015)

Heres a pic


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## SidecarFlip (Feb 12, 2015)

IMO, extra holes don't hurt and most times help so long as you don't get carried away.....


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## elevenMracing (Feb 12, 2015)

SidecarFlip said:


> IMO, extra holes don't hurt and most times help so long as you don't get carried away.....



I'm planning on poking a few tomorrow in an attempt to aid the P68 in avoiding ash buildup in the front corners of the burn pot.


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## SidecarFlip (Feb 13, 2015)

Just watch your hole size.  0.125 maximum or the diameter of a pellet.


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## sportbikerider78 (Feb 13, 2015)

Interesting.  I will use a drill bit to clean the holes out...nice and easy with a cordless.

Increasing the hole size may allow more air volume through, but it may also decrease the velocity of that air.  If your stove doesn't have a super strong blower and you increase the hole size, you might find that the ash doesn't leave the burn pot as quickly as it did.  This might be a good thing, might not be.  Depends on how good your blower is.

No blower is going to compress any air, so we're not talking a huge deal here,,,but some food for thought.


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## SidecarFlip (Feb 13, 2015)

It's all dependent on if you can regulate the combustion fan speed.  In my case, mine is very adjustable.  I seriously doubt if a couple well placed holes in any burn pot would adversely impact air flow even if the CA fan wasn't adjustable and keep in mind, on any stove, as the feed rate increases (PPH), so does the CA fan speed.  Thats built into the alogrithm in the control chip.

I see minimal impact so long as one don't get 'carried away' making holes.


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## Mt Bob (Feb 13, 2015)

elevenMracing said:


> I'm planning on poking a few tomorrow in an attempt to aid the P68 in avoiding ash buildup in the front corners of the burn pot.


 Harman is one of the stoves that I would be leary of putting holes in burn pot.They have had pot upgrades,reccomend look at pictures of the latest one and compare to yours.


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## elevenMracing (Feb 14, 2015)

SidecarFlip said:


> Just watch your hole size.  0.125 maximum or the diameter of a pellet.



I didn't end up drilling out or drilling any new holes... yet.  Current holes are already at approx .125 dia so I just cleaned them out by twisting a .125 drill bit with my fingers, I was plesantly suprised with how much carbon buildup I felt chipping off of the center holes when I did this.  Don't know why I didn't think of it sooner, especially considering the stove is in a shop full of metal fabrication tooling.  The hole pattern in my pot is not symmetrical though, as in there are a few holes in near one side that are not in the opposite side.  I;m not sure if this has to do with the location of the ignitor and/or it's wiring or not.  It's on my list of possible future projects, will likely be after heating season before I get to it though.


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## elevenMracing (Feb 14, 2015)

bob bare said:


> Harman is one of the stoves that I would be leary of putting holes in burn pot.They have had pot upgrades,reccomend look at pictures of the latest one and compare to yours.



Advice taken, I will look at the store display model nexxt time I stop at my local dealer also.


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## SidecarFlip (Feb 14, 2015)

The ignitor in my stove is me and a wad of hand sanitizer...lol  One less item to fail eventually.


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## sstf.freeindeed (Feb 20, 2015)

SidecarFlip said:


> The ignitor in my stove is me and a wad of hand sanitizer...lol  One less item to fail eventually.


Thanks for this post. I wondered if lighting gel was anything different than hand sanitizer!


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## Bioburner (Feb 20, 2015)

Some hand sanitizers are a bit weak on the booze and sometimes pretty thin too. Lucked out two years ago and got the real stuff for $1 a quart from closeout at Wally World. Got the whole case and use on camping trips for those whose fire skills are poor and lighting the old Whit camp stove.


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## bogieb (Feb 20, 2015)

elevenMracing said:


> I didn't end up drilling out or drilling any new holes... yet.  Current holes are already at approx .125 dia so I just cleaned them out by twisting a .125 drill bit with my fingers, I was plesantly suprised with how much carbon buildup I felt chipping off of the center holes when I did this.  Don't know why I didn't think of it sooner, especially considering the stove is in a shop full of metal fabrication tooling.  The hole pattern in my pot is not symmetrical though, as in there are a few holes in near one side that are not in the opposite side.  I;m not sure if this has to do with the location of the ignitor and/or it's wiring or not.  It's on my list of possible future projects, will likely be after heating season before I get to it though.



I just use an allan wrench to clean the holes out every time I shut down the stove.

I find it interesting that there are no holes on one side, are you sure they aren't covered with carbon? I usually have extra scraping to do toward the middle to find the holes, even after I think I have chipped it all off. A good thing about using an allan wrench is I can use it to scrape in the approximate location and it will catch the edge of the hole when I am over it.


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## SidecarFlip (Feb 20, 2015)

Allan wrench?  Crescent wrench?  Neither are correct though both represent a particular brand.  Allen is the manufacturer, 'Allen Tool and Machine' makes hex cap screw wrenches and Crescent Manufacturing makes adjustable open end wenches...  'Crescent wrench'.......


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## Snowy Rivers (Feb 20, 2015)

All about airflow.

Despite what some may think, the actual air flow through the fire pot is a careful balancing act.

It is amazing what just a little bit of restriction can due in the way of lousing up the efficient burn.

Turbulence is another issue, but that's another subject.

Some stoves are very fussy about airflow and others are pretty easy to please.

Too much air and the fire will act like a blow torch, or even get blown out, and too little and the flame is lazy and soot's up the glass quickly.

Some stoves have a booster fresh air blower that feeds the fire pot with a little adjustable gate on the opening to the squirrel cage to regulate the air flow.

This type of set up allows that balancing act to be less of an issue, and stoves can be tailored to most altitudes and conditions.

Stack type and height can really affect the draft and in turn the flow through the burn pot.

Just some thoughts


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## SidecarFlip (Feb 20, 2015)

I agree to  a point snowy however, combustion air flowing theough a pot needs to be throttled either with a primary damper or a slide damper or by varying the CA fan speed.  IMO, any appliance that cannot throttle the CA flow is deficient in design.

No stove is plug and play and for any owner to assume it is, is just plain wrong.  Every appliance needs to be 'fine tuned' for optimum burn and, of course needs to be vented properly.  Most every facet is explained in the instructiomn manual wihich no one sees to read anymore...


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## wazilian (Feb 20, 2015)

I use a round file similar to this below to clean the holes in my burn pot. I think it works well. Going a bit at an angle with the file won't be as surprising as with a drill.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Nicholson-10-in-x-3-8-in-Bastard-Cut-Round-File-21854L/100208023


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## bogieb (Feb 20, 2015)

SidecarFlip said:


> Allan wrench?  Crescent wrench?  Neither are correct though both represent a particular brand.  Allen is the manufacturer, 'Allen Tool and Machine' makes hex cap screw wrenches and Crescent Manufacturing makes adjustable open end wenches...  'Crescent wrench'.......


Excuse me for not knowing the real name of the tool. All my life I've been told it was a n allen wrench. Only use tools at home (and only lately since I became single), so I am just happy to be able to handle the damn thing without hurting something or someone


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## SidecarFlip (Feb 20, 2015)

No problem and I'm trying to be a smart arse either.  If one of my employees asks for an 'allen wrench', I give them a whatthehellisthat look.  In a way it's neat that people refer to a brand of tool in reference to a required need.  That gives that manufacturer recognition.

Just don't use a Crescent wrench on your scooter.  Thats a no-no.


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## SidecarFlip (Feb 20, 2015)

wazilian said:


> I use a round file similar to this below to clean the holes in my burn pot. I think it works well. Going a bit at an angle with the file won't be as surprising as with a drill.
> 
> http://www.homedepot.com/p/Nicholson-10-in-x-3-8-in-Bastard-Cut-Round-File-21854L/100208023


 
Most burn pot holes are somewhere less than 0.125 (1/8") so a chainsaw file would work real well.


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## jp99 (Feb 21, 2015)

SidecarFlip said:


> No problem and I'm trying to be a smart arse either.  If one of my employees asks for an 'allen wrench', I give them a whatthehellisthat look.  In a way it's neat that people refer to a brand of tool in reference to a required need.  That gives that manufacturer recognition.
> 
> Just don't use a Crescent wrench on your scooter.  Thats a no-no.


Channel Locks is another one of those I hear.  From what I hear marketing types say the real goal is to get your name to be a verb - like to xerox (to photocopy).


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## jp99 (Feb 21, 2015)

sstf.freeindeed said:


> Thanks for this post. I wondered if lighting gel was anything different than hand sanitizer!


Oddly it can be. I had a few bottles of a lighting gel called One Match. It was anything but that. I could never get the stove to light with it. 

On a whim I tried hand sanitizer after reading on here about many using it. Boy did the fire take off!  I was up and burning in no time.


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## Snowy Rivers (Feb 21, 2015)

Sidecar

Pretty much

Sadly though, not all stoves have easily adjustable air flow.

My large Whit has the damper rod


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## sstf.freeindeed (Feb 21, 2015)

jp99 said:


> Oddly it can be. I had a few bottles of a lighting gel called One Match. It was anything but that. I could never get the stove to light with it.
> 
> On a whim I tried hand sanitizer after reading on here about many using it. Boy did the fire take off!  I was up and burning in no time.


One Match is what I have and it doesn't work! And I paid $10 for a pint of the stuff. Glad to know an alternative!


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## SidecarFlip (Feb 21, 2015)

sstf.freeindeed said:


> One Match is what I have and it doesn't work! And I paid $10 for a pint of the stuff. Glad to know an alternative!


 
I use Rutland One Match and it works fine.  Never an issue though I prefer cheap hand sanitizer.  Maybe your 'One Match' bottle got substituted in the store somehow.


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## SidecarFlip (Feb 21, 2015)

Snowy Rivers said:


> Sidecar
> 
> Pretty much
> 
> ...


 
Keep in mind Snowy that you roast an 'alternative' fuel to what 99% of people on here roast.......


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## sstf.freeindeed (Feb 21, 2015)

SidecarFlip said:


> I use Rutland One Match and it works fine.  Never an issue though I prefer cheap hand sanitizer.  Maybe your 'One Match' bottle got substituted in the store somehow.


I tried to follow instructions, but maybe I'm not using it right, because I'm new to the stuff. What is your process? How many pellets? How much gel? All at one spot or spread around? Door open or closed? Etc.


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