# Breckwell owners: Burn pot clogging



## doublewide (Dec 11, 2011)

So, After I burn for about 12 hours my burn pot has about 1/2 inch of ash.  I stir it and the flame improves, but not like it burns when I shut down the stove and dump all the ash out of the burn pot.  It is just a lazier flame.  Do any of you dump out the burn pot during a fire?  I just vacuumed the stove completely.  I have this problem with all 3 brands of pellets that I am using.  So to sum it up the stove still burns hot, but the flame is not as aggressive (also the flame burns higher/taller because there is not as much oxygen getting through the burn pot.  Is this normal for pellet stoves?


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## SmokeyTheBear (Dec 11, 2011)

doublewide said:
			
		

> So, After I burn for about 12 hours my burn pot has about 1/2 inch of ash.  I stir it and the flame improves, but not like it burns when I shut down the stove and dump all the ash out of the burn pot.  It is just a lazier flame.  Do any of you dump out the burn pot during a fire?  I just vacuumed the stove completely.  I have this problem with all 3 brands of pellets that I am using.  So to sum it up the stove still burns hot, but the flame is not as aggressive (also the flame burns higher/taller because there is not as much oxygen getting through the burn pot.  Is this normal for pellet stoves?



It is perfectly normal for a dirty stove, a stove without proper damper adjustment, a stove with a failing combustion blower, a stove with bad gaskets or doors not closed tightly, or with air leaks, and of course burning dirt in a bag pellets.

But is it normal for a pellet stove, no.


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## HopeItBurns (Dec 11, 2011)

On most stoves including the Breckwells there are these cover plates, looking at your manual right now here on  Go to page 20    ......have you ever cleaned behind these plates because when ash builds up, efficiency of the stove suffers. I clean behind my cover plates every ton put thru the stove. I also give it the spring cleaning, take off combustion blower and clean the little vanes, clean vanes on convection blower - oil if possible depending if you have sealed bearings. Also important is do you have OAK installed and the last is what brand pellets you burning? Also I remove the exhaust piping and clean that real good.


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## Roadstar (Dec 11, 2011)

I have an old Breckwell insert and I do not suffer from the problems you mentioned.  I never have to empty my burn pot while burning.  I do clean it out about once a week when I do regular maintenance, clean the glass and remove the ash that builds up around the burn pot.  Once a year during my annual full maintenance I remove the cover plates that HopeItBurns mentioned and clean out the exhaust ducts.  Perhaps the exhaust ducts on your 2000 are smaller than mine but I doubt it.  Do you have a lot of ash in your ash bin also?

I keep my damper almost closed when burning but not quite.  I find I get a better flame when I do.  I only burn the best premium pellets.  I actually have almost no ash in my burn pot when I do my weekly cleaning, certainly not 1/2 an inch.  Make sure the side holes in your burn pot are clean and not clogged.  If they are clogged take a nail, stick it in the hole and move it around until the buildup is removed.

How long have you had your 2000 and have you ever done a full heads to toe cleaning of the stove?


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## doublewide (Dec 11, 2011)

HopeItBurns said:
			
		

> On most stoves including the Breckwells there are these cover plates, looking at your manual right now here on  Go to page 20    ......have you ever cleaned behind these plates because when ash builds up, efficiency of the stove suffers. I clean behind my cover plates every ton put thru the stove. I also give it the spring cleaning, take off combustion blower and clean the little vanes, clean vanes on convection blower - oil if possible depending if you have sealed bearings. Also important is do you have OAK installed and the last is what brand pellets you burning? Also I remove the exhaust piping and clean that real good.



Thanks for the info.  I clean behind the cover plates every time I vacuum.  Combustion blower has been cleaned and completely oiled with bearing lubricant. I do not have an oak, but why would the efficiency drop down in about 12 hours (the same amount of airflow is getting in + the damper is only opened about 3/8.")  I had all the exhaust cleaned before the season.  It looks to me like I need a new seal on the doors anyone know what size it is and how to attach it to a Breckwell?  Eric?


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## doublewide (Dec 11, 2011)

Roadstar said:
			
		

> I have an old Breckwell insert and I do not suffer from the problems you mentioned.  I never have to empty my burn pot while burning.  I do clean it out about once a week when I do regular maintenance, clean the glass and remove the ash that builds up around the burn pot.  Once a year during my annual full maintenance I remove the cover plates that HopeItBurns mentioned and clean out the exhaust ducts.  Perhaps the exhaust ducts on your 2000 are smaller than mine but I doubt it.  Do you have a lot of ash in your ash bin also?
> 
> I keep my damper almost closed when burning but not quite.  I find I get a better flame when I do.  I only burn the best premium pellets.  I actually have almost no ash in my burn pot when I do my weekly cleaning, certainly not 1/2 an inch.  Make sure the side holes in your burn pot are clean and not clogged.  If they are clogged take a nail, stick it in the hole and move it around until the buildup is removed.
> 
> How long have you had your 2000 and have you ever done a full heads to toe cleaning of the stove?



thanks for the info.  I have only had the stove for a year and I bought it used.  I did a full air compressor outdoor cleaning last summer.  I am new to the stove and it is just used to heat the basement.  I only burn about a ton of pellets a year.  I have burned about 15 bags this year and have done about 2 cleaning, so far.  I have never really burned the stove through the night because the stove is new to me and I wanted to get used to it before I let it preform without paying attention to it.  So now that I am letting it burn for longer periods of time I am having this problem.  Currently, my pellets are stove chow.


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## SmokeyTheBear (Dec 11, 2011)

doublewide said:
			
		

> Roadstar said:
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Is there a furnace/ boiler down there with the stove that is running?


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## doublewide (Dec 11, 2011)

Is there a furnace/ boiler down there with the stove that is running?[/quote]

I usually put on the fan with the furnace to help move some air,  I have not seen any difference in the pellet stove whether the furnace is running or not.  I will try and open a window which is really close to the stove and see if there is any immediate difference.  If I were to do it over again I would have put in an OAK but the dealer said not to,  due to loss of efficiency.  By the way I replaced the gaskets today and, so far things look good.  I will wait an see what happens.  Any other suggestions?


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## imacman (Dec 11, 2011)

doublewide said:
			
		

> ......If I were to do it over again I would have put in an OAK but the dealer said not to, due to loss of efficiency.....



My suggestion is to stay as far away from that "dealer" as possible.  An OAK will only *add* to the stove's efficiency, and most stove companies recommend or require an OAK with their stove.


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## doublewide (Dec 12, 2011)

I tried to open the window near by the stove, turn on and off the furnace while the stove was running, and open and close the basement door.  I did not noticed any noticeable effect.  However the stove seems to be preforming great with the new gaskets installed, but I will have to wait to know for sure.  Thanks for your suggestions, so far!


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## mroletta (Dec 12, 2011)

doublewide said:
			
		

> HopeItBurns said:
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So the Breckwells have cover plates that come off, but it's not just the bottom of the cover plates you need to scrape/clear of ash.  Above the cover plates also gets excess ash buildup.  I had a heck of a time trouble shooting me, as I would remove the cover plates and clean/remove the blower etc, but it wasn't until I bought a long 22" flexible brush that I was able to stick it up and saw it poke out above where the heat exchange tubes are.  I had previously been trying to get up there with a screw driver and had some success, but I needed something longer to poke through the thick layer of ash that had built up, which was blocking air flow, which was causing a lazy burn.  

It WOULD help if I cleaned the bottom of those ash traps (for a very short period), but it wasn't until I cleaned up in the ash traps near the heat exchange tubes (just the side removable panels, not the middle panels), that I noticed a HUGE difference.  The stove now burns the way it was meant to be burned.


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## SmokeyTheBear (Dec 12, 2011)

MrOletta said:
			
		

> doublewide said:
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Sounds like a good application for the leaf blower.  Faster than a person with a long brush, able to find those ash hidey holes, able to leap tall venting and all that rot.   A bit of thumping of the wall in the back of the fire box (be careful if yours is cast) and lots'o suction from the leaf blower.


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