# cab50



## jbacon01 (Dec 15, 2012)

Just installed a new cab50 cleaned the pot and chunks of pellets dropped into the ash pan.  I am new to pellet stoves and was wondering if this is normal.  The chunks were about 3 inches long and 2 inches wide.  They had holes through them.  Any advice or comments would be appreciated.


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## imacman (Dec 15, 2012)

I saw your other post about this.   Please post pics of the "pellets".


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## MommyOf4 (Dec 15, 2012)

I know what you are talking about. It's like black clumps of ash.  If you put a little bit of pressure on it will fall apart.  I'll try to post a pic once I clean out the burnpot.


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## DexterDay (Dec 15, 2012)

Sounds like the start of a clinker..... 

That's why that clean out rod is there. Pull when necessary.


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## jbacon01 (Dec 15, 2012)




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## jbacon01 (Dec 15, 2012)




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## jbacon01 (Dec 15, 2012)

Is this normal or is this something I should be worried about?


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## DexterDay (Dec 15, 2012)

What pellets are you burning? 

Is your damper inside the ash drawer Wide Open? (Under the ash pan)?


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## Hdhogger (Dec 16, 2012)

jbacon01 said:


> Is this normal or is this something I should be worried about?


 
I don't see anything out of the ordinary here, maybe a little more firepot crust in the ash pan than usual. Is this one days pull? If your not getting misfires and have a good flame I would say everything is fine.


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## MommyOf4 (Dec 16, 2012)

Here's my burnpot after 1 night.


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## Hdhogger (Dec 16, 2012)

MommyOf4 said:


> Here's my burnpot after 1 night.


 
That's a lot of pellets in the ash pan. Did they fall out of the shoot when you were pulling the cleaning rod. Other than that looks fine to me.


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## MommyOf4 (Dec 16, 2012)

Hdhogger said:


> That's a lot of pellets in the ash pan. Did they fall out of the shoot when you were pulling the cleaning rod. Other than that looks fine to me.


 
They fell out when cleaning the burnpot.  The stove was off since the ash covered the burnpot.


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## tigerjeb (Dec 17, 2012)

I get those after burning hard for a day or two in my CAB 50 and not cleaning out the burn pot.  The manual says to pull the burn pot scraper every day and then use the tool that was provided to clean the edges and holes with it open to drop the ash into the pan.  Like what was said before, the pellets that were at the top of the chute will fall sometimes.  No biggie there.  Out of curiosity, have you (or anyone else) ever adjusted the damper below the ash pan on the CAB 50?  I can't even get it to unscrew, let alone twist!


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## MommyOf4 (Dec 17, 2012)

tigerjeb said:


> I get those after burning hard for a day or two in my CAB 50 and not cleaning out the burn pot. The manual says to pull the burn pot scraper every day and then use the tool that was provided to clean the edges and holes with it open to drop the ash into the pan. Like what was said before, the pellets that were at the top of the chute will fall sometimes. No biggie there. Out of curiosity, have you (or anyone else) ever adjusted the damper below the ash pan on the CAB 50? I can't even get it to unscrew, let alone twist!


 

I'm too scared to adjust the damper. To be honest, I didn't even know those could be adjusted.


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## kinsmanstoves (Dec 17, 2012)

ash looks good.  The clinkers are from to much silica in the pellets.

Eric


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## jbacon01 (Dec 25, 2012)

Stove is making some weird sounds when it first starts up. Sounds like a freight train is coming g through the house. Goes away y once the blower kicks in. Is this Norma or something I should be worried about.


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## imacman (Dec 25, 2012)

I saw someone above ask about what brand of pellets you're burning, but you never answered.


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## DexterDay (Dec 26, 2012)

jbacon01 said:


> Stove is making some weird sounds when it first starts up. Sounds like a freight train is coming g through the house. Goes away y once the blower kicks in. Is this Norma or something I should be worried about.



Its somewhat normal. But is normally caused by to much fuel at start up. 

Is your flame height set according to the manual?  If so,  then is the stove shutting off for a decent amount of time?  If the stove is short cycling (starting up and shutting down all the time)  then the T/C may not be getting below 200° inside the firebox. 

Remember, the pot is cast iron and the T/C is inside a ceramic cover. Both of which retain a good amount of heat. Eo even though both blowers are shutting down, if the stove doesn't stay off long enough, the residual heat inside the stove will make the T/C still think it should feed pellets. 

Normal start up with cold T/C is, Stove feeds pellets for 60-90 sec (depending on model) then stops feeding, ignitor lights pellets, flame gets T/C to 200° and tells auger that stove is lit and to start feeding pellets again. 

A start up with Hot T/C is stove feeds for 60-90 sec then still continues to feed pellets at set heat rate,  because it thinks its lit. So the amount of fuel will almost double by the time the stove lights. Add into the equation a feed gate that is open more than it should be and your in for some rumbling

What type of swing or span do you have on your stat? A 3°-4°  ((total) is pretty good, depending on stat location. 

So if your stove is starting up less than 30 minutes after it shut down, its likely to hot still. I would either lower the feed gate some or lower the heat setting to get the stove to run lower and slower. A stove set to High, will quickly heat the air in the room and satisfy the stat, but will still feel cooler than running on Med (or even Low) and heating slower, but heating the entire contents of the room. Which in turn makes it more comfortable and keeps the stove off longer because the room has soaked in the heat. 

My 2 pennies.


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## MommyOf4 (Dec 26, 2012)

jbacon01 said:


> Stove is making some weird sounds when it first starts up. Sounds like a freight train is coming g through the house. Goes away y once the blower kicks in. Is this Norma or something I should be worried about.


 
Mine does the same as well.  I noticed that it only happens when the stove is cold and just starting up.


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## kinsmanstoves (Dec 26, 2012)

jbacon01 said:


> Stove is making some weird sounds when it first starts up. Sounds like a freight train is coming g through the house. Goes away y once the blower kicks in. Is this Norma or something I should be worried about.


 
Close the damper in the hopper by 1/4" until it goes away.  Allow time for it to adjust to the new setting.

Eric


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## Hdhogger (Dec 26, 2012)

My cab does this on cold start only also. I was told it's because of the heavy cold air in the flue or pipe. The warm exhaust has to overcome this. Until it's hot enough to do so you will have back pressure on the exhaust blower which causes some vibrating.

Eric, what's your take on this? Makes sense to me.


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## kinsmanstoves (Dec 26, 2012)

Hdhogger said:


> My cab does this on cold start only also. I was told it's because of the heavy cold air in the flue or pipe. The warm exhaust has to overcome this. Until it's hot enough to do so you will have back pressure on the exhaust blower which causes some vibrating.
> 
> Eric, what's your take on this? Makes sense to me.


 

On the combustion blower there is a plastic countbalance/cooling hickamadoodle.  On the initial feed is causes that to spin a little faster than normal and the noise starts.  This is my take on it and some of you astrophysics might need to inform me of something else.

Eric


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## Hdhogger (Dec 26, 2012)

kinsmanstoves said:


> On the combustion blower there is a plastic countbalance/cooling hickamadoodle. On the initial feed is causes that to spin a little faster than normal and the noise starts. This is my take on it and some of you astrophysics might need to inform me of something else.
> 
> Eric


 
Damn, those hickamadoodles!


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## jbacon01 (Dec 26, 2012)

imacman said:


> I saw someone above ask about what brand of pellets you're burning, but you never answered.


 
New England Pellets


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## imacman (Dec 26, 2012)

jbacon01 said:


> New England Pellets


Try getting something better.  NEWP are just a mediocre shoulder pellet these days, IMO.  What other brands do you have available in your area that you can test burn??


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## jbacon01 (Dec 27, 2012)

imacman said:


> Try getting something better. NEWP are just a mediocre shoulder pellet these days, IMO. What other brands do you have available in your area that you can test burn??


 
Tried McFeeders 1st which were terrible.  Left too much crust in burn pot causing misfires.  I will shop around in the local area and try some new brands.  Is there any sites that rank pellet quality?


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## imacman (Dec 27, 2012)

http://www.woodpelletreviews.com

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/2010-pellet-review-its-that-time-again.54880/

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...same-or-rebagged-with-a-different-name.46376/


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## jbacon01 (Jan 9, 2013)

Bought a ton of Turman Pellets and have been burning them since Sunday with no problems.  They seem to be a much better pellet but now a new problem has popped up. The stove burns fine on medium but when I go to put it on high it stops feeding pellets and dies.  Starting to get frustrated with this stove.  Has anyone heard of this problem.  I called customer service and he said it was the 1st time he has heard this.  He was going to talk to some of the engineers and call me back.


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## saladdin (Jan 9, 2013)

Your ash looks fine to me. I get some of that.
The freight sound I get semi-frequently.
When you pull the rod, pellets will sometimes fall through the shoot into the ash pan. I pick them out and burn them.

No idea about your new problem. After you put it into high, does hitting the reset button on the low/med/high switch cause it to feed (work right)?

I am fairly certain the damper under the ash plan is not designed to be moved. The slide feed adjuster inside the hopper is.


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## jbacon01 (Jan 9, 2013)

I hit the reset button a bunch of times when it 1st happened.  It starting feeding and burning fine for about 10 minutes and then it would shut off.  Finally got it to keep running on medium the whole night.  When I woke up this morning i went down stove was running good flipped it to high and it shut down.  Re-started it on medium and it was running fine when I left for work.


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## DexterDay (Jan 9, 2013)

Is your flame set to Manufacturer recommendations (4"-6" above pot on High)??

If its larger than that, you may be overfiring the unit.


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## jbacon01 (Jan 9, 2013)

right now can only get it to fire on medium.  As soon as i switch it to high it stops feeding pellets.  The flame on medium is 4 - 8 inches and the feed rod is as closed as it will go.  Spoke with the dealer they think it might be a vacumn problem.  Going to walk me thru some steps when I get home.


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## DexterDay (Jan 9, 2013)

Vacuum? Your vacuum level would be higher on High setting? Lower on Med or Low? 

An 8" flame on Med Holy Chit! 

Have any Heatilator owners thought about elongating the slot, so you can block more feed ??

So many reports of Full Closed?? I have NEVER went past 50% closed. Over 50% closed will put my Fire out. At 50%, its right on the verge of barely burning. 

I would make the slots longer. Just my 2 pennies. But a flame that big, and now you have No control over it?


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## jbacon01 (Jan 10, 2013)

Tried calling them for an hour last night only to get a recording stating all reps busy finally got through to them today. representative said when you buy our product you are the service technician and that you have to work on it yourself called my dealer today and told him I would be bringing the unit back this weekend


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## mikhen (Jan 10, 2013)

jbacon01 said:


> I hit the reset button a bunch of times when it 1st happened. It starting feeding and burning fine for about 10 minutes and then it would shut off. Finally got it to keep running on medium the whole night. When I woke up this morning i went down stove was running good flipped it to high and it shut down. Re-started it on medium and it was running fine when I left for work.


 
My ps50 is about the same as your cab50.     Try removing the ceramic cover over the thermocoupler and cleaning the inside and out of that, as will as the connection under the cover.  It takes a 7/16" socket.  Every so often I have a shutdown problem.    Cleaning this always fixes it.    It will be hanging over the right side of your burn pot.  In your 1 picture,  it has ash piled on top of it.


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## MommyOf4 (Jan 11, 2013)

jbacon01 said:


> The stove burns fine on medium but when I go to put it on high it stops feeding pellets and dies. Starting to get frustrated with this stove. Has anyone heard of this problem. I called customer service and he said it was the 1st time he has heard this. He was going to talk to some of the engineers and call me back.


 

We had a similiar problem and the issue was that the purple wire was not connected properly.  It may look like it is and feel like it is, but take it apart and reconnect it.


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## The Ds (Jan 11, 2013)

Never had an overfire situation.....Did have a misfire and removing,cleaning and reinstalling the ceramic cover on the thermocouple took care of that...Had 1 pellet jam,was able to free it with a flexible vacuum attachment pushed up thru the pellet chute in the fire box..We have never had the feed gate completely closed........Our feed gate is a little more than half way closed.....we dont burn it on hi.......how bout try opening the feed gate halfway and running it on low......Dex dont you run your Quad feed gate wide open on Low??


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## jbacon01 (Jan 13, 2013)

So I am returning my cab50 and I am stuck between the quad mount vernon ae or the harman xxv.  Any suggestions out there?


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## DexterDay (Jan 13, 2013)

Thats a BIG Jump? A CAB-50 to an AE or XXV? 

Both are awesome stoves? But the simplicity of the Heatilator, has nothing in common with these 2 models. 

Both are very smart and very adjustable 	(almost infinitely).... Both are also very Beautiful units. 

When the Heatilator worked? Did it heat your home? And on what setting?


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## jbacon01 (Jan 13, 2013)

Yes....when i was able to run it on high setting it would push enough hot air up to the 2nd floor.  It does not on medium setting.  The only thing I am worried about on the ae is that is looks like the same kind of technology as the heatilator.  I am guessing that part of the issue is the amount of draft..... which if I go with the harman they can test draft and set the machine accordingly.  They do not do this with the heatilator or ae.


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## DexterDay (Jan 13, 2013)

The AE burn pot is the same. Thats where the similarity ends. The AE is an auto cleaning machine that has Numerous settings to account for fuel, elevation, etc. 

So if more air is needed, there is an adjustment that can be made. 

But this shouldn't be a worry, as my Quadrafire has the Same Technology as the Heatilator (3 heat settings) and I can go 2 weeks without pulling my ash Dump. There should be a great deal of air coming through the pot. Enough to make a tornado type flame that ejects all ash and keeps the pot nice and clean. 

The Classic Bay 1200 isnt as smart as the AE, but much easier to run, and you control the stove, rather than the Computer   
The AE is an awesome stove, but to smart for me. I would look into the XXV.

Here is a pic of my pot after a week of burning and not touching the pull rod. And then a video on the burn. (On Low in my Classic Bay)


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## saladdin (Jan 14, 2013)

Sad to see you leave the Cab50 family.

Just to satisfy my curiosity, did the blower change speed when placed on high? 

Have you tried to start it on high (instead of starting in med and the switching to high)?


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## jbacon01 (Jan 14, 2013)

yes the blower changed speed when switched. Can't remember if I started it on high after i started having the problems. I am currently running at medium with the feed adjustment rod closed and I still get a pretty good size flame.


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## DexterDay (Jan 14, 2013)

saladdin said:


> Sad to see you leave the Cab50 family.
> 
> Just to satisfy my curiosity, did the blower change speed when placed on high?
> 
> Have you tried to start it on high (instead of starting in med and the switching to high)?



The stoves start up sequence always starts in High (regardless of where you have the switch) once the 4 minute start up window is over, the stove drops to users heat setting. 

So even if you have it set to low, it will feed the same amount of pellets as if it were on High. Its a set auger on time and combustion blower always goes to high. Then around the time flame is established, it drops to your setting.


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## saladdin (Jan 14, 2013)

DexterDay said:


> The stoves start up sequence always starts in High (regardless of where you have the switch) once the 4 minute start up window is over, the stove drops to users heat setting.
> 
> So even if you have it set to low, it will feed the same amount of pellets as if it were on High. Its a set auger on time and combustion blower always goes to high. Then around the time flame is established, it drops to your setting.


 
Thanks for the lesson.


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## boosted3g (Jan 14, 2013)

Join the dark side and get the Harman and not mess with anything again.   Nothing to fiddle with.  Turmans and an XXV is a great combination.  Not a cheap combination but definantly a winning one.


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## nikeseer (Jan 15, 2013)

DexterDay said:


> The stoves start up sequence always starts in High (regardless of where you have the switch) once the 4 minute start up window is over, the stove drops to users heat setting.
> 
> So even if you have it set to low, it will feed the same amount of pellets as if it were on High. Its a set auger on time and combustion blower always goes to high. Then around the time flame is established, it drops to your setting.


 Hey there.  I have noticed with my feed low and starting with the my setting at medium that my blower is not on high.  I have had some finicky starts where it didn't drop enough for the start up and didn't get up to temp to start adding more fuel.  I'm currently testing out running on high for the next fuel days and see how the cycling goes.  Do you cycle your quad?


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## DexterDay (Jan 15, 2013)

nikeseer said:


> Hey there.  I have noticed with my feed low and starting with the my setting at medium that my blower is not on high.  I have had some finicky starts where it didn't drop enough for the start up and didn't get up to temp to start adding more fuel.  I'm currently testing out running on high for the next fuel days and see how the cycling goes.  Do you cycle your quad?




You are correct... The Heatilator starts up on the users setting?? Thats odd, seeing how it should be a Quad box?? Having the new model Quads always start on high, eliminated misfires because max air is being fed to start the fire? 

As for cycling. Yes. I leave my Feed gate wide open and run on Low and let the stat do the work.


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## nikeseer (Jan 15, 2013)

DexterDay said:


> You are correct... The Heatilator starts up on the users setting?? Thats odd, seeing how it should be a Quad box?? Having the new model Quads always start on high, eliminated misfires because max air is being fed to start the fire?
> 
> As for cycling. Yes. I leave my Feed gate wide open and run on Low and let the stat do the work.


And what do you have your thermostat set at and how many times does it cycle in a day? Mine has cycled at least 8 times since 7am this morning. Good or bad? Worried about the igniter I've heard that I may have to replace. Trying to prolong it. Some people say its best to just let it run. I just want the warmth and to get the most out of my pellets.


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## DexterDay (Jan 15, 2013)

Well. My 1st ignitor lasted 3 seasons. This one is on season #2 and not a misfire 1 (last season or this season) 

So as ling as the stove cools enough 20-30 minutes (is my minimum time). I prefer about an hour. 

I run on low, so the stove runs longer, but stays off longer also. Because the room has soaked more of the temp (couch, walls, etc are warmer and radiate heat) its warmer/longer.


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## nikeseer (Jan 15, 2013)

DexterDay said:


> Well. My 1st ignitor lasted 3 seasons. This one is on season #2 and not a misfire 1 (last season or this season)
> 
> So as ling as the stove cools enough 20-30 minutes (is my minimum time). I prefer about an hour.
> 
> I run on low, so the stove runs longer, but stays off longer also. Because the room has soaked more of the temp (couch, walls, etc are warmer and radiate heat) its warmer/longer.


 Sounds good to me. I'm going to switch mine to medium once the hopper gets down lower so I can up the feed just a little bit and keep the temp at what it is right now. Do you have your thermostat programmed for one steady temp or different temps for different times? My stove has been staying off a min of 40 min up to an hour with a 2 degree swing.  Low with feed pretty open does not keep up with my house with or without cycling when it's in the 20's or teens or low 30's. Medium with the feed the same as it is now drops too many degrees at night when in the teens for my taste so I am going to up the feed and see if it keeps up more. Also on medium it doesn't cycle because it doesn't keep up.


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## nikeseer (Jan 16, 2013)

DexterDay said:


> Well. My 1st ignitor lasted 3 seasons. This one is on season #2 and not a misfire 1 (last season or this season)
> 
> So as ling as the stove cools enough 20-30 minutes (is my minimum time). I prefer about an hour.
> 
> I run on low, so the stove runs longer, but stays off longer also. Because the room has soaked more of the temp (couch, walls, etc are warmer and radiate heat) its warmer/longer.


Where is your thermostat in relation to your stove?


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## DexterDay (Jan 16, 2013)

nikeseer said:


> Where is your thermostat in relation to your stove?



About 25' feet away, around a corner, in a hallway...


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## nikeseer (Jan 16, 2013)

DexterDay said:


> About 25' feet away, around a corner, in a hallway...


Mine is about 13-14 feet away around the corner.  What is your set at?  How big is your house that you are heating?


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## DexterDay (Jan 16, 2013)

House is 2,180 sq ft Ranch. Set at 73°…

Quads have a much different Heat exchange system than Heatilators. Quads have a tube type system, where Heatilators have just a convective system. 


So input to output #'s will vary.... 

I only run on Low and it gets it done down to 10° outside.


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## nikeseer (Jan 16, 2013)

DexterDay said:


> House is 2,180 sq ft Ranch. Set at 73°…
> 
> Quads have a much different Heat exchange system than Heatilators. Quads have a tube type system, where Heatilators have just a convective system.
> 
> ...


I have a cape and ofcourse a different stove.  With your knowledge of my stove and others what is your take at leaving the feed low and just turn it up to high at night.  It seems to only cycle at least 10-14 times a day on high.  It hasn't cycled once since being on medium WITH the feed opened a little.  You run yours on low.  Another member and I were discussing how some people say running on high all the time isn't good for the stove.  What is your take on that?  My father has the quad classic bay insert and also a cape.  A little smaller than mine and he has to do the same.  Leave on medium and put on high at night when it's in the teens.  Any insight?


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## DexterDay (Jan 16, 2013)

The Quad is rated at 47,500 BTU

The CAB and PS-50 are rated at 50,000

Those #'s are based on gate wide open and on high. 

Again. The Quads have a far superior Heat exchange system than the Heatilator. 

Burning pellets (input BTU) and getting heat out of your stove (Output BTU) are 2 different things. 

I run on low and my stove cycles about 12-16 times a day. I run a 3° swing and heat 100% of the house 

Running on high, won't hurt the stove, unless you have a larger flame than what the manual calls for? You would be overfiring the unit.


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## nikeseer (Jan 16, 2013)

DexterDay said:


> The Quad is rated at 47,500 BTU
> 
> The CAB and PS-50 are rated at 50,000
> 
> ...


I'm trying to get it to the cylce stage on medium.  It cycled lots yesterday while on high and low feed.  On for 1 hr to 1hr and half and off for 30-50 min.  Averaging on 32-40 mostly for off times.  I'm getting comfortable heat at medium and a low feed rate.  Just when it gets to the teens it wont cycle and it still drops about 4-5 degrees in the house at night.  We went for this stove because of the size of the hopper and also the price.  I only had soo much to spend.  I'm going to get one of the fans and see if it helps move the air a little better and helps it cycle....  If All else fails then I'll run it on the lower feed rate on medium during the day and high when it's predicted to be colder.  Now regarding my dad..  He has the quad and he has similar issues.  He puts his on medium and high at night when it's predicted to be colder.  My house holds the heat better than his.  Plus there are more people living in my house than theirs.


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## jbacon01 (Jan 17, 2013)

started it on high and it ran for about 10 minutes and shut down.  Did a complete clean out fired it back up on high and it ran for about 2 hours before it started to shut down.  Switched it to medium and it has been running fine.  This stove has a mind of its own.  It misfires every night so we wake up to a cold house.  Told the dealer today to drop off an xxv and and take the cab50 back.


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## nikeseer (Jan 17, 2013)

jbacon01 said:


> started it on high and it ran for about 10 minutes and shut down. Did a complete clean out fired it back up on high and it ran for about 2 hours before it started to shut down. Switched it to medium and it has been running fine. This stove has a mind of its own. It misfires every night so we wake up to a cold house. Told the dealer today to drop off an xxv and and take the cab50 back.


I'm sorry you are having issues.  I hope all works out for you.  Sorry to see you leave the CAB50 family.  We love ours.  Especially the huge hopper.  It was what we could afford and was better price and heating compacity than what we originally were thinking of getting.  Good Luck.


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## nikeseer (Jan 24, 2013)

DexterDay said:


> The AE burn pot is the same. Thats where the similarity ends. The AE is an auto cleaning machine that has Numerous settings to account for fuel, elevation, etc.
> 
> So if more air is needed, there is an adjustment that can be made.
> 
> ...


Hi DexterDay,

Flame Height 4-6 inches for the CB1200 on high to know we have the right setting.  Is that a constant flame height or when it peaks it should be 4-6 inches?  This is with feed closed.  Same question with my CAB50 4-8 inches.  Should it be a constant height between 4-8 inches on high or just when it peaks.  I peak 10-12 inches on high with feed closed.  Too High?  If so how do you lower it or get it right when feed is as low as I can make it.


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## jbacon01 (Jan 29, 2013)

Just replaced the CAB50 with a Harman XXV and we are loving it. I have been trying to figure out what is the best way to run it to get the most heat out of it. Any help of advice would be much appreciated. Also any advice about using a thermometer. From what i have read you are supposed to put it on the exhaust pipe to measure the heat. In my mind this does not make any sense. I would think you are better off measuring the heat off the blower not the exhaust.


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## nikeseer (Jan 29, 2013)

jbacon01 said:


> Just replaced the CAB50 with a Harman XXV and we are loving it. I have been trying to figure out what is the best way to run it to get the most heat out of it. Any help of advice would be much appreciated. Also any advice about using a thermometer. From what i have read you are supposed to put it on the exhaust pipe to measure the heat. In my mind this does not make any sense. I would think you are better off measuring the heat off the blower not the exhaust.


How long had you had your CAB50? What did you pay for the Harlan? Just wondering? I've got my cab50 running beautifully! I believe there is a Rutland thermometer that you can use on the pipe or the stove from or top. It's magnetic. TSC carries them.


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## St_Earl (Jan 29, 2013)

just had the first auger jam in the 15 months we've had the PS50
just a few pellets at the top of the drop chute.
this is the _only_ time function has been interrupted. except a couple times when i let the hopper go empty. : )

i am still _very_ pleased with this stove.
i would definitely look at a cb1200 though. maybe a good used one if we ever move helga to the basement like i'd like to eventually do.

damn. it sure was nice when the heat came back this morning. ran the oil for a single blast while sorting out the stove. pellet heat feels SO much better.


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## nikeseer (Jan 29, 2013)

We always have oil because of our hotwater. So that's our backup now. My father has the cb1200i and he loves the heat but is cleaning it often. I think he isn't getting enough air. He gets a pretty big crust that does break up easily mind you but after 2 days this is what he gets.


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## kinsmanstoves (Jan 29, 2013)

nikeseer said:


> We always have oil because of our hotwater. So that's our backup now. My father has the cb1200i and he loves the heat but is cleaning it often. I think he isn't getting enough air. He gets a pretty big crust that does break up easily mind you but after 2 days this is what he gets.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 

Try another pellet for a few days.


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## nikeseer (Jan 29, 2013)

He has tried too. It seems to be better with the MWP than with green supreme. Those are the only two we have. Do you think an oak will help?


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## nikeseer (Jan 29, 2013)

DexterDay said:


> House is 2,180 sq ft Ranch. Set at 73°…
> 
> Quads have a much different Heat exchange system than Heatilators. Quads have a tube type system, where Heatilators have just a convective system.
> 
> ...


Hi Dexter..  Do you think an OAK will help my dad with his air flow?  He is burning better with the MWP than the green supreme but still getting the big crust in the firepot.  I'll post the newest pic in a few minutes.  He is cleaning out the firepot every other day.


----------



## nikeseer (Jan 29, 2013)

DexterDay said:


> The Quad is rated at 47,500 BTU
> 
> The CAB and PS-50 are rated at 50,000
> 
> ...


Here's that picture of the crusted ash from my dads firepot.  I forgot to ask.  3 degree swing.  73  off at 76 and on at 70?


----------



## jbacon01 (Jan 29, 2013)

nikeseer said:


> How long had you had your CAB50? What did you pay for the Harlan? Just wondering? I've got my cab50 running beautifully! I believe there is a Rutland thermometer that you can use on the pipe or the stove from or top. It's magnetic. TSC carries them.


 
Had the cab50 for less than a month.  just about everything was going wrong with it.  Harman was around 3500.  Just put the mag thermometer on the top of the stove??


----------



## slls (Jan 29, 2013)

jbacon01 said:


> Had the cab50 for less than a month. just about everything was going wrong with it. Harman was around 3500. Just put the mag thermometer on the top of the stove??


 
Why didn't you buy the stove that cost twice as much first?


----------



## nikeseer (Jan 29, 2013)

jbacon01 said:


> Had the cab50 for less than a month. just about everything was going wrong with it. Harman was around 3500. Just put the mag thermometer on the top of the stove??


You definitely had a lemon it sounds like.  Mag thermometer?


----------



## St_Earl (Jan 29, 2013)

slls said:


> Why didn't you buy the stove that cost twice as much first?


 
lol. my thoughts exactly.

i love my PS50. and it was affordable for me. and it has proven reliable thus far.
this mornings jam in the upper auger at the chute was the first in nearly two full seasons.
knowing what i know now, i think i'd still go with a nice quad if i could afford it.
i just like the burnpot system of the air clearing the fly ash. only one auger to deal with and it's not stuck in the fire.

please don't get me wrong. i trust and believe that the harmans are among the best.
i'm just pretty sure i'm a toploader/ quad guy for life now.

i'd like to move helga to the basement one day. and i may look for a nice used quad at some point to make that possible.
then just run the PS50 sparingly and when it's really cold to heat the floors a bit and allow for a cooler stove room upstairs.

don't tell helga, but she could be a nice source of emergency spare parts as well. (shhh.)

that's my pellet dream  5 or 6 years down the line.


----------



## nikeseer (Jan 29, 2013)

St_Earl said:


> lol. my thoughts exactly.
> 
> i love my PS50. and it was affordable for me. and it has proven reliable thus far.
> this mornings jam in the upper auger at the chute was the first in nearly two full seasons.
> ...


I hear you.  My father wanted the quad because of the burn pot.  Now we just need to get him burning a little cleaner.


----------



## DexterDay (Jan 29, 2013)

nikeseer said:


> I hear you.  My father wanted the quad because of the burn pot.  Now we just need to get him burning a little cleaner.



Either a large air leak or try a different pellet.


----------



## nikeseer (Jan 29, 2013)

DexterDay said:


> Either a large air leak or try a different pellet.


He has tightened the door. Would an OAK help him? I'm thinking no. I'm going to get him a couple of bags of another brand and try them for him. He will burn what he has because he will not waste them. Just more work for him.  Where else could the air leak be if the door is tight?


----------



## jbacon01 (Jan 29, 2013)

slls said:


> Why didn't you buy the stove that cost twice as much first?


 
 because it cost twice as much and i wasn't sure if a pellet stove was going to heat my whole house.  On the few days the cab50 worked properly we realized that it would heat the whole house.  So at that point I didn't mind spending the extra money.


----------



## jbacon01 (Jan 29, 2013)

nikeseer said:


> You definitely had a lemon it sounds like. Mag thermometer?


 
magnetic thermometer on top of the xxv??


----------



## nikeseer (Jan 29, 2013)

jbacon01 said:


> magnetic thermometer on top of the xxv??


Got it. Glad the new stove is working for you. I might and I say might have gotten a different stove had I had more money. But considering mine is a sister of the quad family I'm happy. Originally was looking into an insert till a friend told me I had a perfect spot and easier install for a freestanding. Then things changed and we were not getting one due to changes in repairs. Then more repairs which told us we had to get a loan so we did and took a little extra out that we could afford to get this stove. So happy with our purchase!  Who had you bought your stove from?  Just curious. If you don't wish to mention that is perfectly fine.


----------



## jbacon01 (Jan 30, 2013)

Black Swan in Newtown.  The dealer has been great.  It's the manufacturer that's been terrible.


----------



## slls (Jan 30, 2013)

nikeseer said:


> I hear you. My father wanted the quad because of the burn pot. Now we just need to get him burning a little cleaner.


 
I bought because of the burn pot. Didn't like the idea of opening the door once a day with fire going to scrape pot per Harman manual.
I just pull the black knob.


----------



## nikeseer (Jan 30, 2013)

I like the burn pot on mine too! Simple. It's as basic a stove I think you can get. Do you know if my back baffles are dark gray almost black.... Is that good?  I've read that it's not good or that's it's not burning well! She's burning good I think. Putting out some really good heat. Any insight?


----------



## DexterDay (Jan 30, 2013)

Black is not good. IMO. The firebox should be a Grey/white/ or maybe Light brownish. Black means to much fuel or to little air. 

Increase air (open damper 100%) or decrease feed.

Can you post a vid of the burn? (Think I asked that already? )


----------



## nikeseer (Jan 30, 2013)

I will post as soon as I can take a video with my ACTUAL camera.  My phone takes videos that will not allow me to attach to this site.  Having issues with that.. LOL


----------



## St_Earl (Jan 30, 2013)

the MWP blend put out pretty dark fly ash.
even getting plenty of air.

been burning a 50/50 mix of the blend and the softies for several days. even at that ratio, the residue on the baffle plates is way lighter.


----------



## nikeseer (Jan 30, 2013)

That's what I'm thinking because it is a clean steady burn. I did lower just a little. She has been cycling today because it's been so mild out. Thermostat set high so it won't but it got there. Set at 78 around the corner from the stove. 2 degree swing. off at 80 and on at 76. So we will be good and ready when the temp drops to the low 30's and teens coming up this weekend.


----------



## nikeseer (Jan 30, 2013)

St_Earl said:


> the MWP blend put out pretty dark fly ash.
> even getting plenty of air.
> 
> been burning a 50/50 mix of the blend and the softies for several days. even at that ratio, the residue on the baffle plates is way lighter.


Are your back baffles lightly coated with the dark ash?


----------



## DexterDay (Jan 30, 2013)

nikeseer said:


> I will post as soon as I can take a video with my ACTUAL camera.  My phone takes videos that will not allow me to attach to this site.  Having issues with that.. LOL



What phone? (Smart phone)? 

Uploading to YouTube with Android phones is Easy Peasy!!


----------



## St_Earl (Jan 30, 2013)

nikeseer said:


> Are your back baffles coated with the dark ash?


 
not now with 50% softies.
but my experience with the blend all of last year and most of this year is they produce a very dark fly ash.

i've read others mention this too.

*you've got the damper all the way open now, right?


----------



## nikeseer (Jan 30, 2013)

DexterDay said:


> What phone? (Smart phone)?
> 
> Uploading to YouTube with Android phones is Easy Peasy!!


It's an iphone.  I have never uploaded anything to youtube.  I don't have an account.


----------



## DexterDay (Jan 30, 2013)

nikeseer said:


> It's an iphone.  I have never uploaded anything to youtube.  I don't have an account.



Just like starting an account here. Username and password. 

Then click upload,."choose file" very similar to here. 

I am electronicly illiterate and stupid. I have uplaoded several vids.


----------



## nikeseer (Jan 30, 2013)

Well I take that back.  I do have an account.  Working on it now.


----------



## nikeseer (Jan 30, 2013)

DexterDay said:


> Just like starting an account here. Username and password.
> 
> Then click upload,."choose file" very similar to here.
> 
> I am electronicly illiterate and stupid. I have uplaoded several vids.


LOL!


----------



## nikeseer (Jan 30, 2013)

Ok.  Uploaded.  How do I attach or link for you to view?


----------



## nikeseer (Jan 30, 2013)

Ok. I hope this worked.


----------



## nikeseer (Jan 30, 2013)

Ok.  Here is the other one I took.


----------



## DexterDay (Jan 30, 2013)

Very Nice. 

Compared to my Quad, it seems a little lazy. But I have only seen 2 Heatilators burn at Erics shop (15 min a piece?).

So that may be good? What setting is that? Low?


----------



## nikeseer (Jan 30, 2013)

DexterDay said:


> Very Nice.
> 
> Compared to my Quad, it seems a little lazy. But I have only seen 2 Heatilators burn at Erics shop (15 min a piece?).
> 
> So that may be good? What setting is that? Low?


 Medium with wide open damper and half feed.


----------



## DexterDay (Jan 30, 2013)

nikeseer said:


> Medium with wide open damper and half feed.



That 2nd one looks better. But my Medium BLOWS it out of the water. 

Having trouble with my WiFi in these Winds. Uploading a Video of mine with Gate 100% open on Medium


----------



## nikeseer (Jan 30, 2013)

DexterDay said:


> That 2nd one looks better. But my Medium BLOWS it out of the water.
> 
> Having trouble with my WiFi in these Winds. Uploading a Video of mine with Gate 100% open on Medium


I didn't want to burn through the pellets THAT fast.  And half feed with the damper all the way open is currently keeping my house at 74.


----------



## nikeseer (Jan 30, 2013)

I did reduce the feed a little thinking I had too much ash. We'll see how that goes. But I'm super happy that medium is doing sooo well for me. And as you've said Dex the quadrafire has a different heat exchange system. What are your burning right now? If you think the flame is lazy and my damper is all the way open what do you suggest?  Close the damper or reduce the feed more?


----------



## St_Earl (Jan 30, 2013)

i think the quad just moves a higher volume of air through the pot.

the blend does give a lot of lightweight fly ash.
and it is very dark too. i've burned about 6 1/2 tons of the blend so far over two winters.
even burning a 50/50 mix of the mwp softies and the blend, the ash is more a grey than the usual black.
and that's using the exact same settings.

imo, you're fine.


----------



## nikeseer (Jan 31, 2013)

Thanks..  After I read a post and saw that black is not good I got concerned.  It's not thick caked on.  Just a coating.  I knoticed it's darker with the air damper open and feeding more.  So probably just more volume.  Question for you.  What do you do when the power goes out and the stove has been running?  The exhaust blower etc all off.  The power company turned off the power on my street once because they had to fix the line and my stove was running.  Wasn't worried about the flame but the smoke seeped out into my house a little.  I opened a window but what happens if you're asleep etc.  Wouldn't know it then.


----------



## St_Earl (Jan 31, 2013)

lots of folks have ups battery back up that will keep the stove running a short time to clear the smoke.
others depend on having good vertical rises in venting so the smoke most often just drafts up and out.

lots of threads on this. try ups as a search word.
though the topic also arises in a lot of the generator threads iirc.


----------



## nikeseer (Jan 31, 2013)

Going there now.  What is ups?


----------



## nikeseer (Jan 31, 2013)

nikeseer said:


> Going there now. What is ups?


How does it work with our stoves?  Do you have one?


----------



## nikeseer (Jan 31, 2013)

Ok.  Found out what it is.  Do you have one and if so which one?  Looking at radioshack.  If I understand it correctly your plug it in then the stove into it and it reserves power and saves to the battery so if the power does go out it keeps your appliance running till it runs out.  How does the stove know to start shut down?


----------



## nikeseer (Jan 31, 2013)

DexterDay said:


> Very Nice.
> 
> Compared to my Quad, it seems a little lazy. But I have only seen 2 Heatilators burn at Erics shop (15 min a piece?).
> 
> So that may be good? What setting is that? Low?


  And as you've said Dex the quadrafire has a different heat exchange system. What are your burning right now? If you think the flame is lazy and my damper is all the way open what do you suggest? Close the damper or reduce the feed more?  Also these were shortened videos after I emailed them to myself.  Next time I'll download right from my phone to youtube.  That should give the full picture.


----------



## St_Earl (Jan 31, 2013)

uninterrupted power supply. used for computers a lot. most won't keep the stove running a long time. but enough to finish burning and exhausting what's left in the pot when the power goes out.
though some folks have rigged up larger battery systems with much longer run times. 
like car batteries. then use the car to recharge batteries to swap into the system and others run low. 

i just have a good vertical rise out of the stove and a not too long horizontal run out through the wall. 
i get a good enough draft to clear the smoke when it loses power.


----------



## jbacon01 (Jan 31, 2013)

nikeseer said:


> And as you've said Dex the quadrafire has a different heat exchange system. What are your burning right now? If you think the flame is lazy and my damper is all the way open what do you suggest? Close the damper or reduce the feed more? Also these were shortened videos after I emailed them to myself. Next time I'll download right from my phone to youtube. That should give the full picture.


 
Just purchase a upc for mine off of amazon for 139 delivered.  It will run for 21 minutes after the power goes out.......should be enough time to let the stove shut down properly.  I can also hook it up to my generator and it will clean the sine wave and prevent any surges.  Harman recommended a couple different upc's so i just measured against what they recommended.  I would double check with heatilator to what they recommend(prob the same as harman i'm guessing)


----------



## DexterDay (Jan 31, 2013)

nikeseer said:


> And as you've said Dex the quadrafire has a different heat exchange system. What are your burning right now? If you think the flame is lazy and my damper is all the way open what do you suggest? Close the damper or reduce the feed more?  Also these were shortened videos after I emailed them to myself.  Next time I'll download right from my phone to youtube.  That should give the full picture.



Good job on the video...

As for my burning. I only use/need Low. Low will heat my house down to 10° outside. But that was before the Fahrenheit. Now, when it gets around 25° or lower, the Quad gets shut down and the furnace gets the dirty work  

But the Quad never had a problem. The Classic Bay has one of the best exhaust path/heat exchanger set-ups I have seen. The Hot exhaust must travel the Full length of the tubes. Awesome stove. Awesome heat. Efficiency at its best. The AE's exchanger may be a little better, but compared to the Santa Fe and Castile, the Classic Bay wins the Quad Exchanger War!


----------



## nikeseer (Jan 31, 2013)

jbacon01 said:


> Just purchase a upc for mine off of amazon for 139 delivered. It will run for 21 minutes after the power goes out.......should be enough time to let the stove shut down properly. I can also hook it up to my generator and it will clean the sine wave and prevent any surges. Harman recommended a couple different upc's so i just measured against what they recommended. I would double check with heatilator to what they recommend(prob the same as harman i'm guessing)


Thanks.  I'll check it out.  Power went out last night for only a minute.  Luckily the stove had cycled being how mild it was.  So I was good that time.


----------



## nikeseer (Jan 31, 2013)

St_Earl said:


> uninterrupted power supply. used for computers a lot. most won't keep the stove running a long time. but enough to finish burning and exhausting what's left in the pot when the power goes out.
> though some folks have rigged up larger battery systems with much longer run times.
> like car batteries. then use the car to recharge batteries to swap into the system and others run low.
> 
> ...


I just made it with placement of the vent pipe because of windows etc.  up 1 ft inside then out and 3.5 ft horizontal on an incline of a ft to ft and a half .  We didn't get alot of smoke just enough to say open a window.


----------



## St_Earl (Jan 31, 2013)

we didn't have much choice about placement either.
when i'm up on a ladder with the linteater, i wish we had.


----------



## nikeseer (Jan 31, 2013)

St_Earl said:


> we didn't have much choice about placement either.
> when i'm up on a ladder with the linteater, i wish we had.


LOL..  It was that or an insert.  Which originally was the way we were going to go.  Glad we didn't.  We have our fireplace for backup in case we lose power with a great fireplace grate.  Generator is next on the list.


----------



## St_Earl (Jan 31, 2013)

so read up on the generator topic as well. you need a clean sine wave to protect the motors and electronics.
"inverter generator" is the type. honda, yamaha and a few others at the top of the list. but not things i could afford right now.
look into what jbacon posted about his upc cleaning up the wave. i never remembered what the final word on that was.

pretty sure if a upc does that, it has to be specifically designed to.

like i said , i don't remember exactly. i do seem to remember, some of them at least, specifically do not change the wave to a clean sine wave.

it's a topic that is covered in extreme detail in the different generator threads.

maybe it's that they put out a clean wave on their own from their batteries, but don't necessarily change a dirty wave from a non inverter generator to a clean one.


----------



## nikeseer (Jan 31, 2013)

St_Earl said:


> so read up on the generator topic as well. you need a clean sine wave to protect the motors and electronics.
> "inverter generator" is the type. honda, yamaha and a few others at the top of the list. but not things i could afford right now.
> look into what jbacon posted about his upc cleaning up the wave. i never remembered what the final word on that was.
> 
> ...


You're talking greek to me with the waves and such.  But I'll research.  I do have a surge protector on the stove so that is a plus.  We don't have very many outages during the winter.  Very rare...


----------



## nikeseer (Jan 31, 2013)

St_Earl said:


> not now with 50% softies.
> but my experience with the blend all of last year and most of this year is they produce a very dark fly ash.
> 
> i've read others mention this too.
> ...


What did you think of my videos of my stove burning on medium with feed half and damper wide open? From one cab50 owner to another.


----------



## St_Earl (Jan 31, 2013)

i've got the PS50. but they are essentially the same except mine has a smaller hopper.

looked like a very good burn to me.
the 1200 really must be a beast if that looks a little lazy to dex.
eventually i'd like to get a 1200 for upstairs and move helga to the basement.
i think a well heated basement in our house would allow a much cooler stove room during the really cold snaps.
plus it would be good to have options if anything ever went wrong with either stove.

we ran the forced air oil heat for a blast while i sorted out the auger jam a few days ago.  oil heat sucks.

first ever jam in nearly two seasons. and i don't sift. 
it was an upper/drop chute jam anyway. just a rare alignment of events.


----------



## DexterDay (Jan 31, 2013)

nikeseer said:


> You're talking greek to me with the waves and such.  But I'll research.  I do have a surge protector on the stove so that is a plus.  We don't have very many outages during the winter.  Very rare...



Surge protector won't protect against a cheap generator. Generators send "Dirty" Power (Not a constant voltage like the line to your home. The voltage varies with the RPM and load on the Genny. 

Need an Inverter unit with Pure Sine Wave. Search those words here, and you will find plenty to read.


----------



## nikeseer (Jan 31, 2013)

DexterDay said:


> Surge protector won't protect against a cheap generator. Generators send "Dirty" Power (Not a constant voltage like the line to your home. The voltage varies with the RPM and load on the Genny.
> 
> Need an Inverter unit with Pure Sine Wave. Search those words here, and you will find plenty to read.


Thanks.   Was reading alot of different things and was making my head hurt what they were talking about.  I have written it down.  You all have been a wealth of info!


----------



## DexterDay (Jan 31, 2013)

St. Earl- I am uploading a Video of my Quad on Med (1st time in about 2 yrs its been moved to that setting) with the gate wide open  (no Draft adjustment on Quads/ thats why I say the Heatilators should stay Wide Open, like they come from the factory)

Its a Giant Flame that is MUCH more active than Nikeseer's flame. Even if mine was 50% closed, the flame would be moving much faster.


----------



## nikeseer (Jan 31, 2013)

St_Earl said:


> i've got the PS50. but they are essentially the same except mine has a smaller hopper.
> 
> looked like a very good burn to me.
> the 1200 really must be a beast if that looks a little lazy to dex.
> ...


Thanks.  I've run my oil heat once a month for a few hours just to put some hot water through the pipes.  But its been between 54-58 in the basement all winter so far. When we used Oil it stayed about 10 degrees warmer down there but I'm only down there now to do laundry.  My work desk used to be down there.  Now I'm upstairs.  So much better be upstairs working and now with our stove.  After my jam I'm just a little obsessed with getting as much of the fines out of her as possible.  Mine was the same upper/drop chute jam.  Just hated it and don't want it again.


----------



## nikeseer (Jan 31, 2013)

DexterDay said:


> Surge protector won't protect against a cheap generator. Generators send "Dirty" Power (Not a constant voltage like the line to your home. The voltage varies with the RPM and load on the Genny.
> 
> Need an Inverter unit with Pure Sine Wave. Search those words here, and you will find plenty to read.


Looking forward to seeing it.  It will give me info to see how my dad's should be burning!


----------



## DexterDay (Jan 31, 2013)

This is Med gate 100% open..


----------



## nikeseer (Jan 31, 2013)

DexterDay said:


> This is Med gate 100% open..


Now I see how yours is.  My fathers glass is the same way as yours.  Now how long have you been burning on medium with that burnpot being so clean and what are you burning?  I saw you changed your profile picture.  Is that yours?


----------



## DexterDay (Feb 1, 2013)

nikeseer said:


> Now I see how yours is.  My fathers glass is the same way as yours.  Now how long have you been burning on medium with that burnpot being so clean and what are you burning?  I saw you changed your profile picture.  Is that yours?



I only cleaned my glass once this year. That was just before Christmas. 

The Stive was running.for over 15 min before taking the video (On Med/ it had been running.for over an hourtotal). The pellets can Never be see in the Pot, always in the very bottom and being burnt away as new ones drop. I am currently burning Presto Logs. 

As for the Avatar? Thats the comment I made yesterday. 





DexterDay said:


> Good job on the video...
> 
> As for my burning. I only use/need Low. Low will heat my house down to 10° outside. But that was before the Fahrenheit. Now, when it gets around 25° or lower, the Quad gets shut down and the furnace gets the dirty work
> 
> But the Quad never had a problem. The Classic Bay has one of the best exhaust path/heat exchanger set-ups I have seen. The Hot exhaust must travel the Full length of the tubes. Awesome stove. Awesome heat. Efficiency at its best. The AE's exchanger may be a little better, but compared to the Santa Fe and Castile, the Classic Bay wins the Quad Exchanger War!



This is my 2nd full season with the Fahrenheit. Awesome furnace!! (See Signature).  It has an awesome exchanger on it also (18 tubes, compared to the Quads 8 tubes. Although they are a smaller tube, and the Quads are larger.) About 50% of the air comes out of the 18 tube heat exchanger and the other 50% is blown around the firebox (taking the radiant heat away from firebox), so you get the best of both heat exchange worlds  

Quad works great in the shoulder season weather. But when it gets cold, the ENTIRE house stays the same temperature with the furnace. 

As for the Quad pot, it should be a very active flame and always emitting lots of little sparks. I would try another pellet for sure. But also look at ALL Factory seams and welds. The unit is mainly sheet steel, screwed together with high temp silicone as a seal? One little missed spot and Wa-La, an air leak? Or the ash pan gasket can be a PITA to check for tightness. Just how it sits in the stove,  the dollar bill will feel tight. When in reality it isnt. Take a lighter and run it right against the crack around the ash pan, door, and factory seams.


----------



## nikeseer (Feb 1, 2013)

DexterDay said:


> I only cleaned my glass once this year. That was just before Christmas.
> 
> The Stive was running.for over 15 min before taking the video (On Med/ it had been running.for over an hourtotal). The pellets can Never be see in the Pot, always in the very bottom and being burnt away as new ones drop. I am currently burning Presto Logs.
> 
> ...


My apologies for the Avatar.  I didn't see it on this thread.  It's been a long week.  My fathers window is like that after a couple of days.  We both clean our stoves frequently.  We don't like seeing that so we wipe it down alot. Probably just the pellet.  Going to get those different ones for him to try today.  Wish us luck for him.


----------



## saladdin (Feb 1, 2013)

nikeseer said:


> My apologies for the Avatar. I didn't see it on this thread. It's been a long week. My fathers window is like that after a couple of days. We both clean our stoves frequently. We don't like seeing that so we wipe it down alot. Probably just the pellet. Going to get those different ones for him to try today. Wish us luck for him.


 
I got them to email me a copy of the newly dated manual for the cab50. The silly thing says control box #2 and right above that  says the setting should be 4 blinks. Contradicts itself in half a page.


----------



## nikeseer (Feb 1, 2013)

saladdin said:


> I got them to email me a copy of the newly dated manual for the cab50. The silly thing says control box #2 and right above that  says the setting should be 4 blinks. Contradicts itself in half a page.


Check your part number on your control box. If its the original one then it goes with the book we got. It says in the book as an example blinks 4 times then setting is 4. Mine is the orig control board so my setting is supposed to be a part. I verified with them via email. Qdfinfo@hearthnhome.com. Either way they made me confuse everything because they ASSUMED based on when my stove was manufactured that it had a new control board. Ugh! Glad that's over! How are you doing with your cab? Loving mine!


----------



## saladdin (Feb 1, 2013)

nikeseer said:


> Check your part number on your control box. If its the original one then it goes with the book we got. It says in the book as an example blinks 4 times then setting is 4. Mine is the orig control board so my setting is supposed to be a part. I verified with them via email. Qdfinfo@hearthnhome.com. Either way they made me confuse everything because they ASSUMED based on when my stove was manufactured that it had a new control board. Ugh! Glad that's over! How are you doing with your cab? Loving mine!


 
I'm on the same board as you. I wonder what the difference between ours and the new board is?

Mine is running good.  I had an issue this week with the stat not cutting on telling the stove to burn  but I changed the batteries and fixed that.

One thing I learned from my first year I'd pass along is that when you shut it down for the summer don't forget that moisture can get into the box thru the exhaust. I had a few superficial rust spots and this year will put these in :
http://www.amazon.com/DampRid-FG60-...TF8&colid=211R98EVN7WVX&coliid=I3IDGHR7LPEJ57


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## nikeseer (Feb 1, 2013)

saladdin said:


> I'm on the same board as you. I wonder what the difference between ours and the new board is?
> 
> Mine is running good.  I had an issue this week with the stat not cutting on telling the stove to burn  but I changed the batteries and fixed that.
> 
> ...


Thanks. I have those for my basement. I will definitely check it! Are you still running on high or have you tried medium?


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## saladdin (Feb 1, 2013)

nikeseer said:


> Thanks. I have those for my basement. I will definitely check it! Are you still running on high or have you tried medium?


 
Medium mostly. I don't have the northeast winters most here have. Think I burned 75 bags last year and this year at 40 or so.


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## nikeseer (Feb 1, 2013)

W





saladdin said:


> Medium mostly. I don't have the northeast winters most here have. Think I burned 75 bags last year and this year at 40 or so.


Wish I had your winters. Lol. Burned about 97 since October. But I'm not complaining!! Warmer house and less money spent!


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## nikeseer (Feb 1, 2013)

saladdin said:


> Medium mostly. I don't have the northeast winters most here have. Think I burned 75 bags last year and this year at 40 or so.


Did you see the videos I posted? Is that how your flame looks on medium? What's your feed set at?


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## nikeseer (Feb 2, 2013)

St_Earl said:


> the MWP blend put out pretty dark fly ash.
> even getting plenty of air.
> 
> been burning a 50/50 mix of the blend and the softies for several days. even at that ratio, the residue on the baffle plates is way lighter.


Is the blend you're talking about the MWP?  Can you take a video of your flame?  I'm going to do another one with my stove being on high and I've adjusted the feed but I think my fire may be a little lazy and want to make sure it's ok.  Per the book's pictures it gets tall when it peaks and looks a little lazy.  I have the dampler wide open.  And the feed is adjusted low.  On medium I keep it half feed and wide open.


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## St_Earl (Feb 2, 2013)

don't have a camera for videos. honestly, your video looked good to me.

and yes, mwp. see in my signature


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## nikeseer (Feb 2, 2013)

St_Earl said:


> don't have a camera for videos. honestly, your video looked good to me.
> 
> and yes, mwp. see in my signature


I like the mwp. My issue with the black ash was soot. My t was full and now she is burning nice and clean! No more soot! Luckily it had only been a few days that I had the issue. After almost 2 ton. Book says every 3 ton do a cleaning of the venting. Mine should've been sooner. All is way and I'm better prepared now. First year is the major learning curve


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## nikeseer (Nov 6, 2013)

Happy pre winter folks!  Ok. Questions.  Burning Green Supreme from HD.  Love them but trying to adjust the flame to 4-6 per video or 4-8 in above the firepot per manufacture specs.  On med she runs great at a 1/3 open feed and damper wide open.  On high the flame is just too high and thats with air open and feed as low as you can.  Does anyone know if the cab50 is supposed to be open or come that way.  Don't have an option to call them at this moment.


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## St_Earl (Nov 6, 2013)

the manual (i have the PS50) says to adjust the flame on the high setting. so it should be able to be adjusted properly on the high setting.
since the combustion blower runs the same speed for medium and high settings, you will get a higher flame on high if the feed gate stays the same.

all i can think is that your pellets are short (normally a good thing) and you are getting a dense drop because short pellets fill the auger channel with less air space between them.

that's just my best guess.
definitely talk to your dealer if you can. chances are that HHT will just refer you to a dealer if you contact them directly.


also when you say "too high", is the flame actually touching the top of the firebox constantly?
if it isn't, you may be fine just using it that way when and if it gets cold enough that you need to run on high until you can try different pellets.


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## Tedinski (Nov 6, 2013)

I've just run my CAB50 on high for the first time yesterday.  My flame is quite high...  occasionally touching the top of the firebox, and almost always too high.

I was worried about using the feed adjuster in the pellet hopper... if I lower the feed, will it lower both my medium and low burn rates?   On low my stove is just going.  Very short flames that just barely fill the firepot.    I like to run on low, and would hate it if I was "too low for low" after adjustment!

Any advice?


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## St_Earl (Nov 6, 2013)

Tedinski said:


> I've just run my CAB50 on high for the first time yesterday.  My flame is quite high...  occasionally touching the top of the firebox, and almost always too high.
> 
> I was worried about using the feed adjuster in the pellet hopper... if I lower the feed, will it lower both my medium and low burn rates?   On low my stove is just going.  Very short flames that just barely fill the firepot.    I like to run on low, and would hate it if I was "too low for low" after adjustment!
> 
> Any advice?




the lower limit is having enough pellets drop on start up so you get proof of fire.

try adjusting the flame on high as the manual states. and then see if you get reliable ignition and proof of fire on low. (or any setting really as the drop is always the
"high" setting amount) but also on low that the feed after proof of fire is adequate to maintain the fire.

it's possible to run very low and still get proof of fire. but when you get close to that lower limit you might get a misfire every so often as the auger will have some variation in the exact amount of pellets dropped.
better to have a little margin "extra" in the drop to avoid misfires.

but don't be afraid to adjust the gate. it's what it's there for. also let the stove run good and long (15 minutes at least) before evaluating any change you make.


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## nikeseer (Nov 6, 2013)

Definitely smaller pellets. Which I love. I guess I'm not used to the higher flame. It is 8 inches steady and above. Not touching the top. That was with the damper under the ash drawer open wide which I like due to I have a horizontal with incline for venting. She runs good on 1/3 rd open for feed on medium. But forgot for feed setting I have to do it on high. When I did that I adjusted the feed lower to get a lower flame around 8 inch. Because it was higher. It was still high so I closed the damper an opened the feed a little because she apparently didn't drop enough with the lower feed to get to temp to drop more fuel. Any other suggestions? Lol


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## St_Earl (Nov 6, 2013)

myself i would want the damper open all the way unless there was actually so much air that it was blowing the fire out or blowing un-burnt pellets out  constantly.

imo, the exact flame height isn't as important as a vigorous flame action.
if it were me, i would just adjust as best as possible with the damper open.

the manual is written for quads as well as heatilators. and the quad has better combustion air flow. (as dexter has shown earlier in this thread) and therefore the heatilator would not adjust in exactly the same way.


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## St_Earl (Nov 6, 2013)

technically not the same manual. but i have a strong feeling they cut and paste a bit of the specs/guidlines.


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## nikeseer (Nov 6, 2013)

St_Earl said:


> myself i would want the damper open all the way unless there was actually so much air that it was blowing the fire out or blowing un-burnt pellets out  constantly.
> 
> imo, the exact flame height isn't as important as a vigorous flame action.
> if it were me, i would just adjust as best as possible with the damper open.
> ...


Thats what I think. I love it with the damper wide open! Cleaner burn I think!  How high of an active pattern do you have? And what do you run it on mostly? Med low or high. We love medium.


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## St_Earl (Nov 6, 2013)

i like running on medium as well. but it hasn't quite gotten cold enough yet to do so overnight. so i'm running on low now.
when it gets really cold i will sometimes run on high for a certain period and set it back to medium once the stove has gotten that extra bit hot.

flame pattern is close to spec.  a smidge  higher on high than the manual states.
but i did have to balance the setting across the range.


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## nikeseer (Nov 6, 2013)

St_Earl said:


> i like running on medium as well. but it hasn't quite gotten cold enough yet to do so overnight. so i'm running on low now.
> when it gets really cold i will sometimes run on high for a certain period and set it back to medium once the stove has gotten that extra bit hot.
> 
> flame pattern is close to spec.  a smidge  higher on high than the manual states.
> but i did have to balance the setting across the range.


Lol. It has gotten to 23 one night already and my original settings about a 1/3 and open wide my damper worked fabulous. I think the green supreme this year are hotter than last years made in Maine I used.


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## nikeseer (Nov 6, 2013)

When you run on low what is your flame height that you have and or like? What pellets are you using this season?


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## St_Earl (Nov 6, 2013)

on low the flame barely peeks out of the firepot and is often below the lip.
i'm burning the mwp blend right now. i have 30+ bags left. then it's on to mwp pine softies and crabbe white spruce softies.


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## nikeseer (Nov 6, 2013)

St_Earl said:


> on low the flame barely peeks out of the firepot and is often below the lip.
> i'm burning the mwp blend right now. i have 30+ bags left. then it's on to mwp pine softies and crabbe white spruce softies.


I liked the made In main last year but they went up in price so wanted to try the green supreme and I'm loving them.  I had a few of the MWP 65/35 blend from last year and find the green supreme to be hotter. We're off today being its so mild here in central ct. What have the temps been like for you so far?


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## St_Earl (Nov 6, 2013)

lowest has been 21 overnight. milder now with 20 &30s low to 40sto 50s high then monday starts getting slightly cooler. 24 monday night and a high tuesday of 35.
51 out and the stove is off now. just cleaned it an hour ago.


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## nikeseer (Nov 6, 2013)

60 currently and 56 tomorrow. With a low of 31. We drop to the 40's as the highs and 27/34 for lows. With those we usually just run med with lower feed and let her cycle at night. We've been spoiled now with the warmer house


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## saladdin (Nov 6, 2013)

Run my cab50 98% on medium. On low the flame never exits the pot and even though I "just know" it is too low and will die out, it never does.


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## nikeseer (Nov 6, 2013)

I felt so comfortable with my setting on medium and open air that afterwards she didn't stay lit being the feed was too low. So back to my original settings. It's what works for us. What have your temps been like so far?


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## nikeseer (Dec 3, 2013)

Question for all CAB50 or PS50 owner. Has anyone had pellets stuck under the angled section in the hopper. The piece from the left back corner angled towards the auger?  Also using Green Supreme this season. Love the her but a lot of fines/sawdust. Jams up the auger at least once sometimes twice a week.  Other than screening, any suggestions? Feed a quarter open and damper wide open.


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## saladdin (Dec 4, 2013)

nikeseer said:


> Question for all CAB50 or PS50 owner. Has anyone had pellets stuck under the angled section in the hopper. The piece from the left back corner angled towards the auger?  Also using Green Supreme this season. Love the her but a lot of fines/sawdust. Jams up the auger at least once sometimes twice a week.  Other than screening, any suggestions? Feed a quarter open and damper wide open.



Never had that problem. I let mine burn down to almost empty so that I can vacuum out the dust in the hopper and on top of the auger.


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## nikeseer (Dec 4, 2013)

How often do you vacuum out your hopper and auger? How many bags?  I'm using as I said green supreme. Nice but lots of sawdust. My father and I made a screen to screen the majority out of it because we've had quite a few misfires because of blockage. Probably every 7 bags or so. That's how much we have. Do you think opening the feed a little and pulling more pellets up the auger would help with it or still have the same issue with the blockage regardless of feed?


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## saladdin (Dec 4, 2013)

nikeseer said:


> How often do you vacuum out your hopper and auger? How many bags?  I'm using as I said green supreme. Nice but lots of sawdust. My father and I made a screen to screen the majority out of it because we've had quite a few misfires because of blockage. Probably every 7 bags or so. That's how much we have. Do you think opening the feed a little and pulling more pellets up the auger would help with it or still have the same issue with the blockage regardless of feed?



Probably every 8 bags or so.

I would open the feed gate up and see if it makes a difference. I'd try to narrow down if it happens all the time or certain settings etc...

Does it do it on low/med and high? Regardless of setting?


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## nikeseer (Dec 4, 2013)

Settings I haven't changed. I hate to open the feed and burn more when I already have a higher than norm active flame.


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## Mpodesta (Dec 4, 2013)

never had that issue, I vacuume the hopper out every 2-3 weeks when I do my cleaning. I just let it burn till empty that day.


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## nikeseer (Dec 4, 2013)

I'm screening mine for now. Just our pellets just have a lot of sawdust/fines. You can actually see it accumulated on the bottom after they've been stacked and settled. The weird thing was the buildup of pellets that were under that corner section. Very odd. Lol


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