# First 1 Ton Cleaning - XXV



## Mr. Spock (Jan 19, 2013)

The XXV burned though it's first ton without a hitch. Today marked the first full tear down/cleaning and inspection for the stove.

I hear a lot on this forum that if you don't have pictures it never happened so you asked for it.

My goal is to post the pictures in an organized fashion, each post relating to a specific stove area. Venting is included as well. It may take a while.

This is my first experaince cracking open the stove and digging in. So just how dirty is this stove going to be?

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Pellets burned:
46 Geneva
2 Energex
2 Hearthsides
2 Maine Wood Pellet Company
2 Greene Team

Venting:
Pellet Vent Pro 4" , 1 Cleanout Tee, 12ft Vertical through attic

Stove settings (majority of time):
Feed Rate 4
Room Temp Auto 74 deg
Convection Blower Low
Damper on intake to prevent "woofing"
No OAK

Heating Area : 1000 sq/ft
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Stove location and vent configuration. Vent passes though the attic and terminates
2 feet above the roof line. Clean out tee is behind the stove.





Next post:
Tools/Consumables Used


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## Mr. Spock (Jan 19, 2013)

*Tools\Consumables Used*

5/16 Nut Driver (back panel removal)
7/16 Wrench (combustion fan removal)
1/8 Allen Wrench (combustion blade set screw)
1/4 Socket (ESP screw)
Craftsman 17" Pry bar (burn pot)
Flat Long Screwdriver (auger and auger tube)
Bottle Brush (exhaust path/tee)
Vent Brush 4" with Rods (venting)
2" Paint Brush( stove interior)
Flashlight
Cougar Ash Vac

High Temp Sealant
3 in 1 oil
Vaseline
ScotchBrite
Permanent Marker





Next: Venting


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## subsailor (Jan 19, 2013)

Did I read this correctly? You burned a ton without cleaning the stove at all?


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## gfreek (Jan 19, 2013)

ShopVac with drywall/ash bag or filter or Ash vac......


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## Mr. Spock (Jan 19, 2013)

*Venting*


Bad?







The cap cleaned up easy enough. A little running water and a soft brush.




Next:
Pipe


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## Mr. Spock (Jan 19, 2013)

subsailor said:


> Did I read this correctly? You burned a ton without cleaning the stove at all?


No sorry. First full tear down cleaning/ inspection. Edited original post.


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## subsailor (Jan 19, 2013)

Got it.


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## Mr. Spock (Jan 19, 2013)

gfreek said:


> ShopVac with drywall/ash bag or filter or Ash vac......


Dang how did I forget that  ?? Long day, little tired I guess . Thanks.
Edited tools/consumables post.


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## P38X2 (Jan 19, 2013)

Judging by the thermometer in that first pic, it got pretty nippy in there during the cleaning 

Nice stove 

What are you using to clean the burn pot holes? I use a finish nail with a 90° bend in it. Works great.


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## john193 (Jan 19, 2013)

ahh, i miss my XXV. Great stove and very nice setup. I live about 40 min north of Philly and while rare we do on occasion get temperatures hovering around 0 or the negatives. The XXV didnt even blink an eye. I could always tell how cold it was with how big the fire was, ohh and the best part, when I walked outside I could hear the entire neighborhoods heat pumps buzzing. Silly people, heat pumps are for Florida's winters...


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## Mr. Spock (Jan 19, 2013)

*Pipe*

Hard to get a good inside shot of the vertical stack. Would be cool to have a small inexpensive pipe inspection camera.






I scratched away some deposits with my finger nail. Very hard under the coating of ash. I don't think I like it. Note: the dark black wet spots are WD-40 applied to loosen the cap.




After brushing there was still that hard, very thin, layer I believe is creosote. How do I get that out!



The tee after a Ton of pellets. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of it cleaned :: mad::
I do not recall it having the hard coating like at the top of the stack.




Here is the cleanout. Not much ash in there.




However it did have this ring of dried grease used to lube the vent seal. It made the clean out difficult to remove.




Removed the gunk with WD-40 (not easy) and put a light application of petroleum jelly to
lube the joint and prevent damage the o-ring seal.




Here is the high tech vacuum attachment used to capture the dust during brush.




Next: Combustion Air Path


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## DexterDay (Jan 19, 2013)

Very nice write up....  Nice pics 

(That looks a little light colored to be Sote? Maybe some condensated ash? Sote would have been black?)


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## Mr. Spock (Jan 19, 2013)

P38X2 said:


> Judging by the thermometer in that first pic, it got pretty nippy in there during the cleaning
> 
> Nice stove
> 
> What are you using to clean the burn pot holes? I use a finish nail with a 90° bend in it. Works great.


 
Man you guys have sharp eyes.

That last vessel floating indicates 64 deg, low as that Galileo goes. It was actually 40 deg today, good day for a clean. Didn't mind it at all, g/f wasn't digging it though.

I use picks for the holes. Post some pics when I cover the interior clean.


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## Mr. Spock (Jan 19, 2013)

john193 said:


> ahh, i miss my XXV. Great stove and very nice setup. I live about 40 min north of Philly and while rare we do on occasion get temperatures hovering around 0 or the negatives. The XXV didnt even blink an eye. I could always tell how cold it was with how big the fire was, ohh and the best part, when I walked outside I could hear the entire neighborhoods heat pumps buzzing. Silly people, heat pumps are for Florida's winters...


 
I have been in your neck of the woods once or twice! I remember the first time I saw Pittsburgh. Amazing. Driving through the tunnels was a blast too. It gets below 0 around here once in a while...mild winter this trip around the sun. Yet to see temps dip below 15 so the XXV is a little bored me thinks.


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## Mr. Spock (Jan 19, 2013)

DexterDay said:


> Very nice write up.... Nice pics
> 
> (That looks a little light colored to be Sote? Maybe some condensated ash? Sote would have been black?)


 
Thanks Dex. I thought you guys would enjoy it.  
I thought it might be Sote but to be honest I an not sure. What I am wondering is how to remove it without damaging the vent. It's a very thin coating, but after years?


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## thedude110 (Jan 19, 2013)

Great thread -- thanks for this level of detail.

Love the enamel finish on the XXV -- I steered clear because of the extra cost and because I thought I would chip it.  How is it holding up so far?


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## Mr. Spock (Jan 19, 2013)

*Combustion Air Path*

I'll start with the rear end ...




ESP Probe just about self cleaned pulling it out (gently of course). It was pretty much
ash. A very very light coating of carbon was under it.




Next removed combustion fan. A little dirty.




Coated flue.




Flue intake.




Exhaust path is open, commence brushing.
Used the brush below to clean entire exhaust
path. Held vacuum hose near to capture dust.




With exhaust path cleaned, time to tidy the fan.


Next: Combustion Fan


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## lessoil (Jan 20, 2013)

Excellent post!!
Nice looking stove/install.
I do a full clean every time the ash pan is full and clean the burn pot as needed.
Do not forget about the sneaky fines box!


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## Mr. Spock (Jan 20, 2013)

thedude110 said:


> Great thread -- thanks for this level of detail.
> 
> Love the enamel finish on the XXV -- I steered clear because of the extra cost and because I thought I would chip it.  How is it holding up so far?


Your welcome. No issues with the enamel.


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## P38X2 (Jan 20, 2013)

Keep em coming. Great posts, Mr. Spock.


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## Mr. Spock (Jan 20, 2013)

lessoil said:


> Excellent post!!
> Nice looking stove/install.
> I do a full clean every time the ash pan is full and clean the burn pot as needed.
> Do not forget about the sneaky fines box!


Thanks. How long does it take your P61 to fill the ash pan? Choice of pellet? I have gone 2 weeks without basic cleaning aside from scraping the pot a few times a week. I want to say the ash pan is 1/3 - 1/2 full at that point. The ash pan is much bigger on the P61 if I recall.


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## boo boo (Jan 20, 2013)

Great post
I Love the looks of that stove
I cleaned mine yesterday also with the full break down getting ready for the cold front this week will see what she is made of with the below 0 temp


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## thedak (Jan 20, 2013)

Very Nice


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## Mr. Spock (Jan 20, 2013)

*Combustion Fan*

Here is it again after removal.



After some running water and a tooth brush the
blade looks like new.




Time for the housing.




About 1mm of buildup. Hard to capture 
with camera.




A vacuum followed by a damp rag cleaned it right up.



Assembled.




The motor end didn't look bad considering
how much the dog sheds. No need to crack it
open this round. Brushed it clean.




Some final assembly shots will come later.

Next: Fines Box

First: Walk the dog.


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## Richprint29 (Jan 20, 2013)

A quick question from a wood burner. Do the temps in the flue of a pellet stove ever reach a point where they could cause a chimney fire? I was just curious, after viewing this thread. Maybe a stupid question, but I don't know anything about these pellet stoves. Forgive me.


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## Mr. Spock (Jan 20, 2013)

Richprint29 said:


> A quick question from a wood burner. Do the temps in the flue of a pellet stove ever reach a point where they could cause a chimney fire? I was just curious, after viewing this thread. Maybe a stupid question, but I don't know anything about these pellet stoves. Forgive me.


No question is a dumb question in my book.
Yes. Typically pellet soves burn much cleaner than other type of wood burning appliances and a properly working pellet stove will create very little creosote. Startup and low burns can create the sote but it is usually burned off when the stove reaches higher temps. However prolonged low temp burns and/or poor stove maintenance could result in creosote issues and lead to venting fire.


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## Mr. Spock (Jan 20, 2013)

Seen a wood stove chimney fire first hand. As they say in these parts "Wicked".


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## will711 (Jan 20, 2013)

Great post love all the pics and detail. Nice set up, beautiful stove, if it were me I would paint the stove pipe black, just me I think it would look better.


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## Mr. Spock (Jan 20, 2013)

will711 said:


> Great post love all the pics and detail. Nice set up, beautiful stove, if it were me I would paint the stove pipe black, just me I think it would look better.


I think your right on. Absolutely. It's already on the "honey do" list.


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## will711 (Jan 20, 2013)

Mr. Spock said:


> Seen a wood stove chimney fire first hand. As they say in these parts "Wicked".


 
I've had one! Sounds like a rocket taking off. Gets the heart racing a, 911 call fire dept. all better. Helped make the decision to buy a pellet stove easier.


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## djs_net (Jan 20, 2013)

Really great thread! Awesome details and pics. Thanks for taking the time to post.


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## Mr. Spock (Jan 20, 2013)

will711 said:


> I've had one! Sounds like a rocket taking off. Gets the heart racing a, 911 call fire dept. all better. Helped make the decision to buy a pellet stove easier.



Parents house - vent outside my bedroom window. Scared the hell outa me (parents too). Ya just like a rocket, flame to match. Turned out ok though, no damage.


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## SmokeyTheBear (Jan 20, 2013)




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## Mr. Spock (Jan 20, 2013)

"Ahh $hit, That ain't good." lol.


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## Mr. Spock (Jan 20, 2013)

Smokey, What do you make of the hard crusty buildup in the upper portion of the venting?


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## Lousyweather (Jan 20, 2013)

good post.....wish all my customers went to this level of detail! keep it up!


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## Mr. Spock (Jan 20, 2013)

*Fines Box*

The fines box is easy to open.




Got the bulk but decided to vac out the pellets and
get a better look.



Looks ok to me.



Next. Before and After - Exhaust Path.


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## Mr. Spock (Jan 20, 2013)

Lousyweather said:


> good post.....wish all my customers went to this level of detail! keep it up!


Show them this thread.


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## Lousyweather (Jan 20, 2013)

Mr. Spock said:


> Show them this thread.


 lol- dont get me started, my friend.......


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## SmokeyTheBear (Jan 20, 2013)

Mr. Spock said:


> Smokey, What do you make of the hard crusty buildup in the upper portion of the venting?


 
Likely ash embedded in the wood burners nightmare or some vent makers apply a liner to their flues that melts and fuses with ash sealing minor flaws in seams.

This is common at the ends of vent runs due to cooler temepratures, a lot of this stuff gets generated when the stove goes through shutdown or bounces between low and high burn mode.

In a short vent system it frequently ends up on the ground or on the critter screen.  I remove my critter screen and let it hit the ground during burn season. Because the air flow can get the mess out of the flue before it condenses or precipitates out.

You can also get silicone sealant or lubricant for the joint seals that will fuse with ash. 

If it is black consider it a creosote and whatever mixture and brush it out or otherwise get rid of it.  Warm water on a old towel works well, you just have to watch out for the mess at the other end (stove end and floor) so you don't ruin things instead of cleaning things. 

I see a nice light gray color for most of what was in your flue.

I plan on pulling the term cap off mine this afternoon and removing any ash, I don't want anything to be able to get between me keeping the place warm the next few days because of an unscheduled shut down.


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## Chevy2011 (Jan 20, 2013)

Mr. Spock said:


> *Fines Box*
> 
> The fines box is easy to open.
> View attachment 90106
> ...


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## Mr. Spock (Jan 20, 2013)

*Before and After - Exhaust Path- Final Rear Shot.*






Forgot to grab a closeup of this flue area are but you can see it just about clean in the
second pic.




Flue Intake.




While were here...
A before shot of the convection fan. I am really surprised
it's not full of dog hair.



Last shot before the back panels go on.





Next : Regular Maintenance - 2 Week Run.


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## Mr. Spock (Jan 20, 2013)

Chevy2011 said:


> Is the fines box on the left or right side of the stove? I tore apart the left side where the blower is but did not see the fines box. So I assume it's on the right side of the stove.


Yes. Take off the right panel (facing the stove) look for a big wing nut.


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## Mr. Spock (Jan 20, 2013)

djs_net said:


> Really great thread! Awesome details and pics. Thanks for taking the time to post.



Your welcome. This forum helped make it possible.


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## will711 (Jan 20, 2013)

Said it before Great Post ! Maybe the Mods can put it all together and make a sticky out of it.


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## Mr. Spock (Jan 20, 2013)

SmokeyTheBear said:


> Likely ash embedded in the wood burners nightmare or some vent makers apply a liner to their flues that melts and fuses with ash sealing minor flaws in seams.
> 
> This is common at the ends of vent runs due to cooler temepratures, a lot of this stuff gets generated when the stove goes through shutdown or bounces between low and high burn mode.
> 
> ...



I think your dead on with the "mix", fits my burn pattern. Not black though like sote. In any event I don't like it... Easy to remove the pipes and make 'em shiny again. Good tips.

Supposed to have a pretty good cold snap in the coming days. Get 'Er clean, stay warm!


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## TheMightyMoe (Jan 20, 2013)

Pretty intense monthly cleaning, about what I plan to do for my end of season cleaning after 5 tons. (I do fines / brush everything inside / quick vacuuming / empty ash monthly)

Not sure if XXV does, but did you get the igniter clean out? Mine usually has a handful of ash debri in there.

Also right above the window on the inside, mine gets a lot of ash build up there.

I was going to do a full annual cleaning guide, but now I don't have too =) Nice job.


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## Mr. Spock (Jan 20, 2013)

will711 said:


> Said it before Great Post ! Maybe the Mods can put it all together and make a sticky out of it.


Thanks man. I wouldn't object.
Maybe next round I can spend more time and expand this with pics showing more doing , like a how to. My other half wasn't around to help me out. Or maybe she just didn't want to be cold? Hmm...


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## Mr. Spock (Jan 20, 2013)

TheMightyMoe said:


> Pretty intense monthly cleaning, about what I plan to do for my end of season cleaning after 5 tons. (I do fines / brush everything inside / quick vacuuming / empty ash monthly)
> 
> Not sure if XXV does, but did you get the igniter clean out? Mine usually has a handful of ash debri in there.
> 
> ...



Thanks!

 I did not have any idea what to expect so I wanted to investigate everything. My first ton ever.

You can wait for 5 tons? I do not think I would attempt that. Based on what I discovered there are some things I could probably let go longer. I would be scared to go that long but I am still inexperienced so better safe than sorry for me.

Ignitor pics are coming soon!


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## TheMightyMoe (Jan 20, 2013)

I'm at 4 tons now, hoping 5 is enough for the season. Like I said I do a quick monthly, but I don't think I will need to brush flue except annually. Result's will vary, but I can see my exhaust on the side of the house, and know it is clear. Likewise, my tee gets very little ash, so chances are my venting is still fine. You hear about people going 2-3 years without a brushing all the time (They pay for it...)


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## Mr. Spock (Jan 20, 2013)

*Regular Maintenance - 2 Week Run*

I usually clean out the fire box every weekend. But this time I let it go two weeks maybe
three or about 14 bags. Note: I have not been in the igniter area for about a month.





Here is what the burn pot looked like after a few days with no attention.



I used the 17" pry bar to remove the bulk followed by the small flat screwdriver
to clean carbon from the auger, auger tube and flat area around the tube. Since
I was going for a deep clean I finished off the burn pot with Scotch Brite.



I keep a 90 deg pick handy for the air holes but they were fine.



On to the igniter area. I tapped on the top of the burn pot to knock loose ash off the igniter.
Then went under for the clean up. I used a small hose connected to the vacuum to get way
down in there.




Below shows the fire box clean. Flame guide wire brushed and the heat exchanger
cleaned with the 2" paint brush. Followed up on the exchanger with the Scotch Brite.




Well, that about wraps it up. I was really curious to see what the inside of
the stove and venting would look like after 1 ton. Not to bad IMO. I think the XXV
is doing well.

I would have liked to get more pictures of "doing things" like a "how to" but I was a bit
short on time and taking pictures of all this really slows down the progress.
I will flesh things out next round when I do..."A Ton of Cleaning".


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## lessoil (Jan 23, 2013)

Mr. Spock said:


> Thanks. How long does it take your P61 to fill the ash pan? Choice of pellet? I have gone 2 weeks without basic cleaning aside from scraping the pot a few times a week. I want to say the ash pan is 1/3 - 1/2 full at that point. The ash pan is much bigger on the P61 if I recall.


 
Book states with a good quality pellet, empty ash pan after every ton burned.
We are going about 4-5 weeks. Burning MWP. Locally made and delivered. About $220/ton as I remember.


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## mepellet (Jan 23, 2013)

Dang! Very thorough cleaning! Much better than what I do.


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## Goliath (Jan 23, 2013)

Mr.Spock- Bravo! and a big thank you for this informative post!! I have only torn down my XXV once and the details you provided in this thread will surely help me on my next cleaning. The pictures were extremely helpful.


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## Mr. Spock (Jan 23, 2013)

mepellet said:


> Dang! Very thorough cleaning! Much better than what I do.


Thanks. The positive feeback appreciated. geez...I thought everybody cleaned there stove like this! Well most everybody...a hear lot on this site clean, clean, clean. Didn't want to post a half a$$ job


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## mepellet (Jan 23, 2013)

Mr. Spock said:


> Thanks. The positive feeback appreciated. geez...I thought everybody cleaned there stove like this! Well most everybody...a hear lot on this site clean, clean, clean. Didn't want to post a half a$$ job


Well you certainly did a great job! How much you charge?


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## Mr. Spock (Jan 24, 2013)

Goliath said:


> Mr.Spock- Bravo! and a big thank you for this informative post!! I have only torn down my XXV once and the details you provided in this thread will surely help me on my next cleaning. The pictures were extremely helpful.


Your welcome! Next time you clean, post your insides! I for one would like to see what others find when they clean.


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## rwreuter (Feb 26, 2014)

I just bought a XXV myself and have been just surface cleaning.  I was wondering when I needed to do a thorough cleaning.....now I know......1 ton and I will rip into her.  I certainly was hoping to just do a thorough cleaning once a season.


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## Mr. Spock (Feb 27, 2014)

Congrats on your purchase! The XXV is on its second full season and no complaints. She has been a fine stove. I am over a ton since the last teardown/ cleaning so I want to get on it soon. I did a quick inspection of the venting and things look ok so I am not to uncomfortable. Burning Okies this year and they are a much cleaner pellet then the Geneva I burned last season.


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## BGStG1aholic (Feb 27, 2014)

Just got my newborn(porcelain)XXV a little over a week ago, sure puts out some great heat quick when you need it!
These stoves are great as they are made to be easy to work on and clean , I'm liking mine more every day.

Thank you for the informative thread w/the great pics!


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## Mr. Spock (Feb 28, 2014)

BGStG1aholic said:


> Just got my newborn(porcelain)XXV a little over a week ago, sure puts out some great heat quick when you need it!
> These stoves are great as they are made to be easy to work on and clean , I'm liking mine more every day.
> 
> Thank you for the informative thread w/the great pics!


Your welcome. Would like to do a cleaning video...will see if time is on my side.


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## Luv2burnPellets (Mar 1, 2014)

Love your post.  Great pics!  I do what I thought was a fairly decent cleaning every two weeks.  I scrape burn pot, clean fines box, brush out  combustin flu to the ESP probe, scrape exchanger and brush out all interior surfaces and vacuum out igniter chamber. I have a very short 3" vent to the outside, no vertical run at all, terminating only 18" or 2 ft from the house with a 45* down elbow and critter grate. Also have the Harman wall thimble for the OAK combo vent.  I will clean out that last 3 ft from the ESP to the vent termination point in the spring.


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