# Pellet stove not drafting correcty.



## hearthtools (Dec 19, 2007)

Well it looks like I need to practice what I preach more often.

I took out a Meridian that work great in my showroom to install as a demo. Connected in up at the persons house works great

then back out my store in the same spot connected a brand NEW made this year Meridian in the same place.
It is burning like crap. the stove soots up black in 2 hours.
I can only get .10 PAS on my magnahilic with the Air control All the way out. Need about .12 and you normally get that with the air half way out.
I check the door GOOD
Checked the Ash pan door GOOD
Check the burnpot GOOD 
Decided to start over and test all the Voltage and Amp reading on the stove
I spend 2 hours this morning before the store opened to figure this out.
I had a Meter connected right on the board on the Common and Hot wires on the Molex plug
Had another Amp meter on the Hot wire right at the blower.
had my Magnahilic connected to the stove.
Ran the stove 
Recorded all Reading at different times of start up cycle and then each feed rate
All were good 
BUT 
the Pressure was still low.
Took the ash pan off again LOOKED at the gasket GOOD
Pushed as hard as I could with my foot against the ash pan to see if the pressure changes 
NO change
Check the door gasket 
GOOD
Pushed on door hard on the sides and the front 
NO change in pressure

OK
Let me go look at the T clean out.
keep in mind the other Meridian stove worked GREAT with the same venting just 2 days earlier.

Pulled off the T cap 
it had just a little bit of ash in the cap but it was cool at the bottom.
Banged on the pipe.
*A 3" ball of White Clump of what could have been a Rats Nest in the pipe fell out of the T clean out.*

Shut down the stove 
Pull it out away from the wall
Run a brush out the horizontal pipe out the wall
Run up to the roof.
Clean the pipe from the roof down.

Hooked it back up
Start stove

WORKS like a meridian
HOT and clean.
.13 WCI with the damper at 1/2 way out.


OK
Now I tell people over and over to clean the pipe and pull the blower 
Every time they say the stove is burning like crap
I did not listen to myself the first time.


*(KEEP READING DOWN THE THREAD I FOUND MORE MICE NESTING)*


----------



## webbie (Dec 19, 2007)

Over confidence...why those jet pilots used the wrong (short) runway in Lexington last year!

It is so easy to skip a step...when you "know" better.

What do the Buddhists say? "Approach all situations with a beginners mind".


----------



## hearthtools (Dec 19, 2007)

Yes
I cant figure out were the Rats/mice got the material from to put on the combustion blower.
I dont have anything like that around here
So im thinking it was from AES warehouse.


----------



## Xena (Dec 19, 2007)

Good on ya Rod.  I think that was a really great post
that will help a lot of folks self diagnose a similar
problem.


----------



## stoveguy2esw (Dec 20, 2007)

LMAO!! i know how ya feel bro, had a bird nest in my flue after a summer once , didnt check it , figured aint nothin in there and it was swept in the spring and not used after, smoked up the house a bit , jumped on the roof and immediately spotted where the screen was bent back . cant believe a bird would have bent back the screen that way , but there was a nest , , dragged it out and the stove immediatly took off again. wife , watching the stove from inside yelled "what did you do???" i said come outside, and when she did i dropped the bird nest in front of her. since then i always visually inspect my flue before the first fire. even left a note in my stove for a couple years to remind myself.


----------



## hearthtools (Dec 20, 2007)

We took the Firebrick out and found more
The Mouse Decided to make a home in the stove behind the firebrick
It pulled at the KOAWOOL out from the back brick and stuff it in the exhaust passages.
I will post photos Later.


----------



## hearthtools (Dec 21, 2007)

http://www.hearthtools.com/parts/rats/rats.jpg
http://www.hearthtools.com/parts/rats/rats2.jpg
http://www.hearthtools.com/parts/rats/rats3.jpg


----------



## drizler (Dec 21, 2007)

Should have seen me start the snowmobile first time last month.   Mice come piling from out of everywhere under the engine.   First 3 then about 5 more.   They kept running back trying to hop onto the sled and climb back into the motor  till I got it out of the area and then a couple more spilled out and kept trying to do the same thing.    You have to watch the little vermin with stored machines.  They build a nest on the aircleaner ( one of their favorite spots) and then you start it and run it and fry the engine.   A guy I know killed his almost new riding lawn tractor like that once.   Damned mice, where are the cats when you need em??


----------

