# Un-Burned Pellets In The Ash Pan.



## New2PelletStoves (May 6, 2012)

Folks,

I am new to pellet stoves.  I recently purchases a new Hampton GC 60 pellet stove.

I am constantly finding a handful or so of new unburned pellets in the ash pan.  Can anyone tell me why this is and what I need to adjust to fix this ?

Thanks for all your help !


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## francis.g (May 6, 2012)

happens to me too, I think it's just pellets that catch a funny bounce, like maybe ones that hit a prong on the agitator on their way to the burn pot.


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## DexterDay (May 6, 2012)

francis.g said:


> happens to me too, I think it's just pellets that catch a funny bounce, like maybe ones that hit a prong on the agitator on their way to the burn pot.



Yep... Thats it. The Englander 10-CPM (or any other agitator stove) does this also. When the pellets drop, they hit the agitator and bounce out.

Once your warranty is up You can weld some taller sides and a taller front to the burn pot? I know I am looking at doing this... Others here have done it and had good success.


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## mepellet (May 7, 2012)

what a waste of BTUs  Oh the agony!


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## Snowy Rivers (May 8, 2012)

This sort of thing is not new, many stoves, even ones without an agitator will have this happen from time to time.

I had issues with our large whitfield that was similar.
I burn nutshells in the beast, and added alittle bar across the pot to scatter the shells, so they would not just pile up in the middle of the pot.

I then noticed shell pieces laying out in front of the pot.

SOOOOOOOO, careful observation revealed that the shells were bouncing out over the front of the pot.

I added a piece of stainless steel across the front of the pot about 1-1/2 inches high and the problem was solved.

The problem with the agitator pot is that most of these rely on the agitator being able to push the "clinkers" out over the front of the pot and off into the ash pan.

Adding anything to the front of the pot to stop pellets from bouncing out will also prevent the agitator from doing its job too.

Sort of a catch 22.

Snowy


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## mepellet (May 8, 2012)

Another reason why I like the bottom feeder design.   It would drive me nuts to see fresh pellets being bounced into the ash pan.


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## jtakeman (May 8, 2012)

The Hampton is a clone of the M55 cast. Check this thread where some of us have tweaked ours to reduce the loss of fuel.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/m55-burn-pot-enhancements.74275/


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## krooser (May 10, 2012)

mepellet said:


> Another reason why I like the bottom feeder design. It would drive me nuts to see fresh pellets being bounced into the ash pan.


You CAN pick 'em out...


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## smwilliamson (May 16, 2012)

Travis used to have a problem with this too, so they installed a little flapper to slow them down in the feed chute...or perhaps it was to reduce noise into the pot. That was a bad idea.


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## smwilliamson (May 16, 2012)

krooser said:


> You CAN pick 'em out...


Bottom feeder design does it to, they just aren't completely burnt. poor air ratio or feed rate set too high.


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## Don2222 (May 16, 2012)

smwilliamson said:


> Travis used to have a problem with this too, so they installed a little flapper to slow them down in the feed chute...or perhaps it was to reduce noise into the pot. That was a bad idea.


 
The flapper called a fuel gate was put in as a safety issue to prevent Hopper burn back. However for the miniscule times that happened, it was not worth having the fuel gate in there because of more auger jams. Travis issued a service bulletin to remove it.

See Stove Docs Thread
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...ppliances-fuel-gate-removal.24772/#post-24772


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## mepellet (May 16, 2012)

smwilliamson said:


> Bottom feeder design does it to, they just aren't completely burnt. poor air ratio or feed rate set too high.


 My bottom feeder doesn't drop pellets... don't know about yours


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## smwilliamson (May 16, 2012)

Don2222 said:


> The flapper called a fuel gate was put in as a safety issue to prevent Hopper burn back. However for the miniscule times that happened, it was not worth having the fuel gate in there because of more auger jams. Travis issued a service bulletin to remove it.
> 
> See Stove Docs Thread
> https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...ppliances-fuel-gate-removal.24772/#post-24772


I guess it depends on who you talk to as to why it was there. Sealing the hopper from air leaking in would have stopped or reduced the burn backs. Though Travis has the lowest service in my data it ranks 2nd in hopper fires. In fact, though many don't like the bottom or horizontal feed design because of the risk of burn back, it is the top feeders that do it more often.


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## Don2222 (May 16, 2012)

smwilliamson said:


> I guess it depends on who you talk to as to why it was there. Sealing the hopper from air leaking in would have stopped or reduced the burn backs. Though Travis has the lowest service in my data it ranks 2nd in hopper fires. In fact, though many don't like the bottom or horizontal feed design because of the risk of burn back, it is the top feeders that do it more often.


 
Most Travis stoves do not have a hopper gasket, so Travis issued an "add on" hopper gasket for FREE to prevent any oxygen from feeding a hopper fire. I do not think many people know about this.

However I have been using a Travis Avalon Astoria for 3 years now with No problems!

In my experience the stoves with poor venting installations and combustion blowers not running fast enough are the big factors that cause hopper fires! Most newer stoves now have additional programming done to their digital control panels to run the combustion blower on High now during the startup sequence because the most smoke is produced at this time! If you have an older stove without this program modification then check with the stove dealer for an upgraded control panel.


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## SmokeyTheBear (May 16, 2012)

mepellet said:


> My bottom feeder doesn't drop pellets... don't know about yours


 

If your stove starts burning poorly it will under certain conditions dump partially burned pellets over the edge of the burn pot.


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## mepellet (May 17, 2012)

SmokeyTheBear said:


> If your stove starts burning poorly it will under certain conditions dump partially burned pellets over the edge of the burn pot.


 Yes you are correct.  But the dropping that was originally being referred to was dropping pellets into the burnpot and bouncing out.  Bottom feeders won't do that will they?


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## Eatonpcat (May 17, 2012)

krooser said:


> You CAN pick 'em out...


 
Now that might just be one step beyond Frugal!


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## smwilliamson (May 17, 2012)

Don2222 said:


> Most Travis stoves do not have a hopper gasket, so Travis issued an "add on" hopper gasket for FREE to prevent any oxygen from feeding a hopper fire. I do not think many people know about this.
> 
> However I have been using a Travis Avalon Astoria for 3 years now with No problems!
> 
> In my experience the stoves with poor venting installations and combustion blowers not running fast enough are the big factors that cause hopper fires! Most newer stoves now have additional programming done to their digital control panels to run the combustion blower on High now during the startup sequence because the most smoke is produced at this time! If you have an older stove without this program modification then check with the stove dealer for an upgraded control panel.


I would like to see any documentation to verify this, links???


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## Don2222 (May 17, 2012)

smwilliamson said:


> I would like to see any documentation to verify this, links???


 
No Links, the documentation is Travis Service Bulletin!
Issued February 17, 2005  -- Hot Flash #1513-2

Here is the excerpt on bottom of page 1 see bold print!

  The Large Pellet Tune-Up Kit, SKU# 93007342, provides several easy-toinstall
parts which will restrict air flow through the air wash on the door. *Also included*
*is adhesive-back foam tape to help seal the hopper lid*. Installation of
these parts has the effect of increasing the velocity of air flowing through the
burn pot to create a more vigorous flame. Please note: The air wash restrictor
parts will not fit Astoria stoves before serial number 2303-927118 or Astoria Bay
Inserts before serial number 2304-07021. An easy-to-install sheet metal strip,
included with the tune-up kit, concentrates convection air flow for a hotter air
stream. There is *no charge* for this upgrade kit, and the standard labor allowance
applies to its installation.


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