# Enviro M55 burn questions



## Wachusett (Jan 15, 2011)

I have a M55-FS installed and burning for 2 months and a couple questions for fellow owners. Do you burn on the setting for Regular pellets
or Premium? I burned Dragons and Barefoots on both settings and at all feed and air trim settings (learning curve/tinkering). When burning
Dragons on all settings the agitator pushes ash off the burn pot, however on Barefoots set at Regular pellets, heat level 3,feed rate 1, air trim 5
the agitator pushes red coals/ pellets off the pot, I can see them glowing in the ash pan, exhaust gas/smoke visible none. On Premium setting,
same settings, the agitator pushes black/grey ash of the burn pot, exhaust smoke is visible. On premium the pot naturally fills up more
between agitator times and seem to smolder a bit more (ie. the visible smoke).

How does this compare with you?
Agitator noise is agitating
No control over convection air annoying.

Dragons hot & clean.  Barefoots HOT & little more ash.....real HOT!


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## nh1234 (Jan 15, 2011)

Agitator noise is agravating...I burn on premium because it only runs around every .5 hours.  The motor seems loud???
Was another post in here sometime ago about changing the motor??  Would be interested in hearing more about that??
When the stove is set to other than premium the agitator runs everytime the feed auger runs and then it is really agravating.  Keep in mind I am not talking about a lot of noise but because the stove is pretty quiet the agiator noise is more noticable. Comments??...I am running an M55 C insert.  Love the stove and I consider this a minor problem. Another issue the dealer is looking into is that the cast plate behind the feed shoot rubs against the exchanger cleaner and can fall forward.  It seems to be only balanced in there.  This seems to be a problem only with the insert.  The FS has a plate that hols it on place below the exchanger cleaner.  Dealer says he has checked out his demo model and has the same issue.  Any others with the insert observe this problem??  I had to put a small screw in the feed shoot to hold it in place but I am still waiting for a more permenant solution from the manufacturer.  When you use the exchanger cleaner it hangs up on the cast liner.  Lookind forward to any input on these things???


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## vinny11950 (Jan 15, 2011)

Haven't noticed what type of embers the agitator pushes out.  Got my M55 Steel installed in October (thanks to Jay for all the advice he gave me) and have been running on manual setting since.  At first the setting was on normal pellets, feed rate of 3 and air trim of 3.  I was burning Cleanfire from Woodpellets.com, then Penningtons, and now some Okanagans.  So I turned the pellet setting to Premium, the Feed rate to 1 and the air trim to 1.  Now i burn less pellets and the agitator turns every ten minutes.  Also the back of the stove doesn't get that warm with these settings.  The noise can be annoying at times, especially when it first tries to turn and makes a loud pop.  And I agree, the blower should have an option to control the output some.

But overall i am happy with the M55.  I wish Enviro had tech support, or better customer support.  My dealer sucks and his install guys just don't know much about pellet stoves.  Enviro should have these answers for us customers.  But it is a nice stove and it puts out a lot of heat and i don't worry much about the quality of the pellets as it seems to eat up anything.

Do you hear a very slight clicking noise coming from the exchange tubes on Manual setting 2?  I hear it on mine and figure it is the blower motor.  If i turn it up it goes away.

Are you happy with your purchase?


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## Wachusett (Jan 15, 2011)

Agreed the agitator is not terribly loud, its the increased noise on a timed basis, annoying like water torture.
Overall I am pleased with the stove, just trying to gain knowledge from first hand experiences. Learn any tips or tricks.
Yes dealer knowledge is limited, just a salesman. I have emailed Enviro (technical@envirofire.biz) no response yet, not
complaining just looking for support/information.


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## jtakeman (Jan 15, 2011)

Wachusett said:
			
		

> *Agitator noise is agitating*



Probably why they called it an Agitator and not a stirrer.  sorry couldn't resist!

Was you stove set with a magnehelic gauge when installed? It really sounds like you still don't have enough combustion air if your seeing smoke. You should also see black build ups starting. A sure sign on not enough air.

On the agitator noise. I saw it posted that you got some never seeze in the packet with the stove. Put some on both ends where it contacts the bushings in the stove body. The chain could also be to tight. There should be just a bit of slack in the chain. Make sure you lube the chain with some chain lube or light oil. There is also a bushing the sprocket goes thru. I add some oil there as well. If it is because of carbon buildup in the burnpot? Shut the stove down every couple of days and scrape it out with the supplied tool. The carbon build up is the pellets your burning and not the stoves fault.


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## Wachusett (Jan 15, 2011)

j-takeman said:
			
		

> Wachusett said:
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Sorry just being punny, I couldn't resist either. The stove was not set up with a magnehelic, however the draft slider is wide open.
I don't think I can add more air. I just noticed the smoke this morning, when the pellets looked like they were piling up faster than they
could burn on Premium setting. Currently burning on Regular setting no more smoke, active flame, great heat, but with all the stirring
I have glowing embers falling over the ends of the burn pot almost to much agitator.


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## SREPLeonard (Jan 15, 2011)

Hi All, 
Just wanted to introduce myself.  I recently installed an Enviro M55 a few weeks ago and certainly couldn't have done it without lurking on this board.  Now that the stove is installed, I have been testing out pellets that are the most cost effective while buring the longest and producing the least amount of ash.  So far I have burned some free pellets from a friend (wish I could remember the name of them)- they seemed to be the best.  I have also burned Maine from Brock's Building Supplies and Maine's Choice from Lowes.  The Maine pellets burned very quickly, left a lot of ash and were more expensive per bag.  The Maine's Choice were pretty good.  I want to try out a couple more before I purchase a ton or two.


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## Wachusett (Jan 16, 2011)

Well I have stumbled upon a workaround. After reading through one of J-Takeman's old posts with auger timing and feed rates
I tried running the stove on multi-fuel thinking I am burning a dense pellet small in size (kinda like corn). Well this is working out
extremely well. The feed rate is a little slower allowing more burn time between auger feeds and the agitator turns a little less often
for less time (quieter)and few pellets overflowing. I am also able to burning at level 4 (more convection air) and a fire similar to level 3.
I think I am onto something.


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## jtakeman (Jan 16, 2011)

Wachusett said:
			
		

> Well I have stumbled upon a workaround. After reading through one of J-Takeman's old posts with auger timing and feed rates
> I tried running the stove on multi-fuel thinking I am burning a dense pellet small in size (kinda like corn). Well this is working out
> extremely well. The feed rate is a little slower allowing more burn time between auger feeds and the agitator turns a little less often
> for less time (quieter)and few pellets overflowing. I am also able to burning at level 4 (more convection air) and a fire similar to level 3.
> I think I am onto something.



Only draw back to the multifuel mode is there is a clean up cycle added to it. Once in a while(not sure about when it accures) the stove will go to low for 5 to 10 minutes(I never actually timed it) to help clean up the burnpot and empty out any excess fuel. This could also help you if you still get some build up or overfilling. With some playing and tinkering these units should be able to burn just about anything. 

Still wondering why you have to open the damper all the way though. Can you discribe your vent pipe configuration?


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## Wachusett (Jan 16, 2011)

j-takeman said:
			
		

> Still wondering why you have to open the damper all the way though. Can you discribe your vent pipe configuration?




Vent is direct vent. 1-45* and 3 feet of pipe with hood (all 4"). May have to add some vertical pipe to increase draft.


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## jtakeman (Jan 16, 2011)

Wachusett said:
			
		

> j-takeman said:
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I actually though you might have a 20 plus foot run of pipe or something. I don't see many direct vents with low air flow issues. But adding just enough to keep the EVL in check shouldn't hurt the draft any and may give some natural draft.

This baffles me on why you need to have the damper full open. Unless the collar on the damper shaft is locked restrickting the damper from opening more? This might make you think its full open but actually its not. Was the stove setup with a magnehelic gauge by the installer?


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## Mavrickracer5 (Jan 16, 2011)

I installed an M-55 C insert about 3 wks ago.  Installed with 20 feet of straight 4" flex.  I'm overall very happy with the stove and would like to share what I have experienced.  There was a cover plate added to the auger before they let me take the sove from the store.  They also burned the paint smell off the stove and adjusted the damper to about half way open.  I got the stove home and had it burning on high and didn't really think it produced the BTU's my old Whitman putout,  so I slid the auger cover plate so that it was exactly covering half of factory opening.(about 1/2" open more than they had set it)  Seems to putout satisfactory BTU's now.  I burn Penwood pellets out of Omish country in Pa.(seem to burn well and produce less ash than some others I've used)  The stove is set to prem and I've been monitoring this forum and read that others have the glass soot buildup in top right corner.  My stove was set to 3 and 3 and I've set the combustion air to 4 and seems to help with the window soot to a light brown.  I've also hooked the thermstat up and noticed that the stove dosn't seems to work totally correct.  When the stove is on Auto setting and it satisfys the heat in the room its supposed to run on low for a period and than shut down.  Mine does do this, however it does not start back up.  It will just have a flashing 3 and to restart it I have to push the power button on.  Also sometimes sometimes when I start the stove it will run a few minutes and seems normal than the fire will go out and that flashing 3 is on agin.  Recycle the power button and stove runs fine.  I'm working with a tech from my local store and I'll post what we find out.  Hope this helps others...


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## mdavis (Jan 17, 2011)

Wachusett said:
			
		

> Agreed the agitator is not terribly loud, its the increased noise on a timed basis, annoying like water torture.
> Overall I am pleased with the stove, just trying to gain knowledge from first hand experiences. Learn any tips or tricks.
> Yes dealer knowledge is limited, just a salesman. I have emailed Enviro (technical@envirofire.biz) no response yet, not
> complaining just looking for support/information.



Wach - In my stove there was a piece of paper titled "New Quality Control Procedure (M55C)."  It basically says - we are implementing new quaility control procedures...we appreciate any feedback.

It has the Operations Manager contact information.

Stuart O'Connor - Operations Manager
Ph - 250-652-6080 ext 230
stuart@enviro.com

My stove had a couple of dings from the shipping process.  I e-mail Stuart pictures and he called me that day.


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## jtakeman (Jan 17, 2011)

Shorebilly said:
			
		

> Wachusett said:
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Stuart O'Connor was the guy who helped me with my install questions. Very prompt with replies and info. Very pleasent person to chat with and explained things in an understandable fashion. He even replied on a sunday! Top notch support! 

I did ask him to join us here, But I guess he is just to busy.


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## nh1234 (Jan 17, 2011)

It is GREAT to have Stuart's contact info.  I will give him a call about some minor issues with the M55.  Thanks


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## CONCORDE (Jan 18, 2011)

Hi All,

Pellet stoves are not toasters. You don't just plug 'em in and go. Be sure to READ THE MANUAL before installing. This will guide you thru proper set-up and operation. The by-guess-and-by-golly approach will only cause you stress, headaches, and anxiety.  The directions are quite clear on how the board works. 

Mention made here in one of the posts of a blinking #3 light on the control board. The stove has several safety features that are supposed to shut the stove down if it detects a problem. Rather than unplugging your stove each time to reset the board, check to see what this indicator is trying to tell you. There is a reason you are getting this fault code. If you ignore it, you could end up causing yourself extra work, or worse... an expensive service call / repair. 

Always install the stove using 4" pipe. With horizontal terminations, be sure to include at least 3-to-5 feet of vertical pipe to improve draft. Combustion air (outside air) is highly recommended. If installing in a basement area, I would say this is an absolute requirement. Stove can run in manual, hi-low T-Stat mode or Auto Stat mode. For folks that want to run in one of the two thermostatic modes, the factory supplies a wall-mounted thermostat with each stove as standard equipment. If you did not get this stat, be sure to use one that is millivolt type (not 24 volt). 

Couple of things here with the Enviro M55 that make it different from other Enviro stoves.

First, the damper on these units comes preset from the manufacturer (the Omega had to be set on initial firing). This is an approximate average setting that will work for most typical applications. As per instructions in the manual, any initial air adjustments should be made using the circuit board (not the slider / damper). Fine tuning here allows you to increase / decrease feed rate for the pellets, and also allows you to increase / decrease combustion blower voltage which will increase / decrease air moving thru the stove. If fine tuning is required, do this first prior to opening or closing the slider/damper door. I have installed several of these stoves and not had to touch the slider / damper a single time. That said, every install can be different. All depends on vent configuration, elevation, and fuel type. A pro will use a magnahelic to ensure the air is set exactly where it should be. Unless you want to invest in a mag, do-it-yourselfers will have to use the trial-and-error method.

Stove has three pre-sets for fuel type: Premium / Regular / Multifuel. Poorer fuels may require more time in the burn pot for more efficient combustion. Each of the three programs will automatically change the fuel feed rates and agitator rotation intervals / self-clean intervals accordingly.   

As you may have read on this site, you really have to watch with fuel. Even if the fuel is labelled "PREMIUM" - it may not be. Aside from ash content, pellet density is also important. Also, commonly overlooked is moisture content. Do not buy old fuel -- especially if it has been stored outdoors. Pellets will absorb something like 7 times their weight by volume. This is why the reject pellets are often sold as kitty litter or horse bedding. The really nice thing with these Enviro stoves is that they have the ability to easily cope with the poorer fuels. If you notice that you have red coals or unburned pellets spilling out the sides of the pot, might be an idea to switch from the premium setting down to the regular setting. Worst case scenario, go to multifuel setting.  

If you are still having problems after reading the manual, there are some good training videos for the M55 posted on YouTube.
Just go to Google and type in "Youtube Enviro M55 Pellet Stove". You will have a wide selection on everything from operation, to basic troubleshooting and repair.

One final note... be sure to follow the manufacturer's advice for routine cleaning & maintenance. The more fuel you burn, the more often you have to follow the routines. If your stove has been left unused for a long period of time, do not assume the stove is ready to go. Often, little critters (mice, insects, birds etc.)can move in over the summer and build nests within air passages, combustion blowers or vent pipe.

Regards!


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## jtakeman (Jan 18, 2011)

Fireplace Guy said:
			
		

> Hi All,
> 
> Pellet stoves are not toasters. You don't just plug 'em in and go. Be sure to READ THE MANUAL before installing. This will guide you thru proper set-up and operation. The by-guess-and-by-golly approach will only cause you stress, headaches, and anxiety.  The directions are quite clear on how the board works.
> 
> ...



Very Nice write up Fireplace Guy! A pellet stove definetly isn't a toaster, But these Enviro's sure give you plenty of options to tweak the burn. Select what how dark you want them toasted and whether you want butter or jam. Push the go button an the stove will do the rest. 

I think every M55 owner should check out the cleaning vids Enviro has on youtube. There priceless for the beginners. Hopefully Enviro will get a little more indepth on the multifuel side of these controllers when the fuels become available?


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## CONCORDE (Jan 19, 2011)

Like mine just lightly toasted. I hear black toast can cause cancer! LOL 

The more I see of the Enviro M55 line, the more I like them. Now, you can pick from steel or cast versions. They even offer the cast insert which is also approved for zero clearance. The Maxx will also be available with the same low-maintenance burner and agitator system (identical to what you have on your Omega).


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## flynfrfun (Jan 20, 2011)

Fireplace Guy said:
			
		

> Like mine just lightly toasted. I hear black toast can cause cancer! LOL
> 
> The more I see of the Enviro M55 line, the more I like them. Now, you can pick from steel or cast versions. They even offer the cast insert which is also approved for zero clearance. The Maxx will also be available with the same low-maintenance burner and agitator system (identical to what you have on your Omega).



When you say the cast insert is approved for zero clearance...what does that mean?  I had to build a Durock box around mine per the installation manual.  Did something change?
Flynfrfun


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## CONCORDE (Jan 20, 2011)

No, you are OK. A lot of "inserts" cannot be installed in zc applications because they are not tested or approved for that application.
The M55 is different. As you have done, just follow advice for building the rough-in enclosure as shown in the instructions (for those who are following along, see below).

From their manual:

_Installation without a masonry fireplace -
The M55C-FPI can be installed without an existing masonry fireplace by building an enclosure for the
unit to be installed in. This enclosure must be a minimum of 18â€ deep, 36â€ wide and 23-1/4â€ high and
made with Â½â€ noncombustible cement board. The floor of the enclosure must consist of a minimum of
1-1/4â€ air space and a layer of Â½â€ noncombustible cement board and a layer of tile. The air space must
be supported with sheet metal studs and have no combustible material in the air space._


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## Threerun (Jan 21, 2011)

I'm still tinkering with my new M55. I have it set up on HI/LO with a remote thermostat. When it was first installed the agitator used to come on simultaneously with the feed auger. I had to shut the stove down for a little while / unplug it after the first week to do some routine cleaning and stuff, and when I reset the controls back to HI/LO now the agitator only turns a little bit every half an hour. 

Weird. 

I tried resetting everything again to see if it would go back to turn in conjunction with the feed auger, but no luck. 

However- I'm not to upset with this because frankly I've noticed no downside to this. The burn pot looks fine, the excess ash gets moved out when the agitator rotates every half an hour and the house stays warm, so meh.. who cares. 

I'm burning Eureka pellets and they seem to be doing the trick. I've got the trim and related adjustments still at factory settings and things seem to be fine. Little ash build up, glass only gets slightly smudged every few days and the house is warm.


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## jtakeman (Jan 21, 2011)

Threerun said:
			
		

> I'm still tinkering with my new M55. I have it set up on HI/LO with a remote thermostat. When it was first installed the agitator used to come on simultaneously with the feed auger. I had to shut the stove down for a little while / unplug it after the first week to do some routine cleaning and stuff, and when I reset the controls back to HI/LO now the agitator only turns a little bit every half an hour.
> 
> Weird.
> 
> ...



When you unplug the stove the stove goes back to factory default settings. The fuel mode is reset to premeum. To change it back to regular or standard fuel you need to shut the stove down and let it cool. Once the blowers stop press the fuel mode button to change it to regular fuel. You will be back to the setting of agitator will rotate on every auger turn.

Your feed/comb air trims are also reset to default settings. So if you had them tweaked to the fuel your running, They settings are not as they were before power down. I always keep a note handy by the stove with the settings logged down for the current fuel. Once I repower the stove I set the trims to the note before I refire the stove. 

All this is in the owners manual for further reference.


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## Threerun (Jan 21, 2011)

Yup- when I unplugged the unit I reset everything back to the settings as they were before (had them written down). I even tried shutting down the stove by powering off (not unplugging it), let it cool down, then reset it. The agitator still only operates once every half an hour as opposed to cycling when the feed auger runs. 

I've called the tech at the dealer and left a message for some insight to it..


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## Wachusett (Jan 22, 2011)

Threerun, when the stove is powering off, or completely off press the "fuel type" button. You may have to press and hold for second, then release and
wait a few seconds for the light to change. I have noticed if you press quick or are impatient waiting for light to change you can miss the setting.


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## CONCORDE (Jan 22, 2011)

Gotta keep in mind that the agitator on the M55 does not always turn in conjuction with the auger - that is not the way it is designed.
Agitator will only turn continuosly from time to time during a cleaning cycle (to break up clinker). Otherwise, only rotates in very small increments that are hard to notice unless you watch really closely. With each partial turn, the forks on the agitator keep slowly pushing the burning pellets and ash to the sides of the burn pot. Easy way to pin this down is to listen for the agitator motor as it starts and stops. Somewhere in my stuff, I have details on the timing for the agitator cycle in each mode. Will see if I can find it and post for you.


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## Wachusett (Jan 22, 2011)

Fireplace Guy, with the stove set to Regular pellets the agitator turns in lock step with the auger. Are you burning the M55?


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## CONCORDE (Jan 22, 2011)

No, but I have installed three and work on Enviro stoves a fair bit.

Here are details from a memo I had received from Sherwood on stirrer (agitator) operation. If I can figure out how to to do it, I have a chart with more info on this topic.
Just want to ensure we are on the same page. The agitator rotates in small "pulses" rather than rotating in full revolutions. Only revolves continuosly as per schedule below.

If you tinkered with the slider/damper prior to making adjustments on the control board, you might need to start at the start to set it all up right.  A mag would definitely help you.
If you go to the Enviro website, you can find a tech manual for this stove towards the bottom of the HELP page. 


*Stirrer Operation Description*

Program #1 (premium pellets)
- Startup, start stirrer at 5min then pulse with auger till run mode starts.
- Run Mode, stirrer on for 1min off for 30min
- Shutdown, stir for 5min

Program #2 (regular pellets)
- Startup, start stirrer at 5min then pulse with auger till run mode starts.
- Run Mode, stirrer pulses same as the auger.
- Shutdown, stir for 5min

Program #3 (multi fuel)
- Startup, start stirrer at 5min then pulse with auger till run mode starts.
- Run Mode, stirrer pulses same as the auger.
- Every 30min drop feed to low and run stirrer continuously for 1min
- Shutdown, stir for 5min


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## jtakeman (Jan 22, 2011)

fireplaceguy,

Anything you have as far as charts. Please post them for the group. Its much needed knowledge. If you need tips or assistance send me a PM.


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## Threerun (Jan 22, 2011)

Fireplace Guy said:
			
		

> No, but I have installed three and work on Enviro stoves a fair bit.
> 
> Here are details from a memo I had received from Sherwood on stirrer (agitator) operation. If I can figure out how to to do it, I have a chart with more info on this topic.
> Just want to ensure we are on the same page. The agitator rotates in small "pulses" rather than rotating in full revolutions. Only revolves continuosly as per schedule below.
> ...



Got my M55 working right. I had to shut it down, unplug it again, waited a while and then reset it to Program#2 for regular pellets and to HI/LO.. Now agitator turns with auger simultaneously. 

I'll chalk it up to operator error. It's hard to see that fuel light from an angle, I had to get right on it to make out the color.


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## Wachusett (Jan 23, 2011)

Threerun said:
			
		

> It's hard to see that fuel light from an angle, I had to get right on it to make out the color.



They say the eyes are the first thing to go  :bug: , glad you got it working. Nice looking install on other thread.


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## Threerun (Jan 23, 2011)

Yup- operator error. Even if the agitator turned every 30 minutes (on premium setting) it wouldn't have mattered. I can't wait to give this unit a long term test though, at temps -20 no less.

The basement has been a work in process. I may build a stone feature behind the stove to make a hearth, but that would be down the road. The M55 is really a good looking stove. It's not quite as classic as a Dutchwest wood burner, but for a pellet stove I think it looks a bit nicer than the normal freestanding jobbies. I guess the wife was right, lol... 

I'm thankful that my propane usage has been negated- that was the point of the whole endeavor- Get off the juice. With all the beetle kill pine out here, and Eureka having a plant 70 miles away, it just makes good sense to use natural resources to heat as much as possible.


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## flynfrfun (Jan 23, 2011)

> Got my M55 working right. I had to shut it down, unplug it again, waited a while and then reset it to Program#2 for regular pellets and to HI/LO.. Now agitator turns with auger simultaneously.
> 
> I'll chalk it up to operator error. It's hard to see that fuel light from an angle, I had to get right on it to make out the color.



I've burned 3 different pellets...Blazers, Eureka and Cleanburn.  The stove does just fine on premium mode with all 3. Why do you have yours in regular mode?  I just can't see this stove having problems with even the worst quality wood pellets using premium mode.   Unless you've got some REALLY crappy pellets I would think premium mode would work on about 99% of the wood pellets available today.  Besides, it is SO quiet on premium mode.  And it's cool to hear the agitator come one every 30min and see all the sparks go flying.  Makes for a nice show  
Flynfrfun


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## Threerun (Jan 23, 2011)

I'm playing around with it, seeing how it burns in different conditions with different fuels... 

Kinda like when I burned wood- I had to play around with the damper and air intake if I burned oak, ash, hickory... Just normal tinkering...


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## flynfrfun (Jan 23, 2011)

Gotcha!  Tinkering is ALWAYS fun.  I just ordered a magnehelic gauge for mine.  I did my own install and I had to slide the damper all the way closed so it wouldn't get broken off while I was moving the stove into the house.  So, I have no idea of what it was set at from the factory.  It will be interesting to see how the stove performs when I get it adjusted correctly.  I think I'm close now (eyeballing the flame), but in the back of my mind I keep wondering if I'm in the ballpark or not.  At least now I will know for sure.  
Flynfrfun


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## flynfrfun (Jan 23, 2011)

Fireplace Guy said:
			
		

> No, but I have installed three and work on Enviro stoves a fair bit.
> 
> Here are details from a memo I had received from Sherwood on stirrer (agitator) operation. If I can figure out how to to do it, I have a chart with more info on this topic.
> Just want to ensure we are on the same page. The agitator rotates in small "pulses" rather than rotating in full revolutions. Only revolves continuosly as per schedule below.
> ...



Fireplaceguy,
Do you know if the auger feed times are the same for all 3 programs?  Thanks for the info you have passed on.  The more we know the better.  

So far I like everything about this stove except I wish they would have allowed us to increase the convection blower manually.  It just doesn't seem to put out much air at heat level 3 where my stove is at most of the time.  Yes, the air is HOT, but I think it would be more efficient with more air coming out.  I realize they are trying to keep this stove quiet, but even on heat level 5 it doesn't make much noise and puts out a lot more air.  If I could get the amount of air coming out at heat level 5 to come out at heat level 3 it would be great.
Flynfrfun


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## Wachusett (Jan 23, 2011)

flynfrfun said:
			
		

> Fireplace Guy said:
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## terps02 (Jan 23, 2011)

Washusett - How long does a bag of pellets last with those settings?  I've never run my M55 above heat #3, and considering how fast it burns them at #3, I'm scared to try #4!


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## Wachusett (Jan 23, 2011)

Running on high/low with thermostat set at 70, heating 2400 s.f. 1.5-2 bags per day.
I have run the stove in manual on heat 3 and get similar results, heat 4 moves more air
and the thermostat helps. When the temps are high 20's low 30' I run on heat 3.


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## flynfrfun (Jan 23, 2011)

I've been doing the same thing... running it at higher heat levels and then turning down the feed trim to 1 or 2.  This gets the higher convection blower speeds and cuts down on pellet usage.  I wish Enviro would have given us a table showing the auger on/off times for each heat level and feed trim setting.  I'm wondering if heat level 3, feed trim 5 is just a step below heat level 4, feed trim 1 on the amount of pellets it dispenses?  If so, then its much more beneficial to go up a heat level to get the higher convection blower speed and then lower the feed trim.  My auger is so quiet that I can't hear it cycle on/off otherwise I would be able to complile this info myself.

Have you guys noticed that upon startup, it will slowly ramp up the convection blower a little at a time as it warms up until it is at it's full programmed speed for your selected heat setting? 
Flynfrfun


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## jtakeman (Jan 23, 2011)

flynfrfun said:
			
		

> I wish Enviro would have given us a table showing the auger on/off times for each heat level and feed trim setting.  I'm wondering if heat level 3, feed trim 5 is just a step below heat level 4, feed trim 1 on the amount of pellets it dispenses?  Flynfrfun



By the sounds of it "Fireplace Guy" just might have the info for you. If he can figure out how to post the chart.

Anyway, You should correct with your question. I am sure there feedrates are similar to the Omega's is. The feedrate on 3-5 is about 5% lower than feedrate 4-1 setting but you would have more combustion air with the higher setting. You will also have a higher convection speed on heat setting 4 as well. Just wish I could post some numbers for you!


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## CONCORDE (Jan 27, 2011)

According to my notes, ON time for the Auger is always three seconds. What changes is the OFF time.

*When running on all three modes, auger is OFF for 15 seconds when running at heat level 1.

As above, auger is OFF for 8 seconds when running at heat level 2.

When running in PREMIUM and REGULAR modes, auger is OFF for 4 seconds when running at heat level 3.
If running on MULTIFUEL, auger is OFF for 5 seconds (poorer fuel requires more time to burn before adding fresh fuel).

When running in PREMIUM and REGULAR modes, auger is OFF for 2.5 seconds when running at heat level 4.
If running on MULTIFUEL, auger is OFF for 3.5 seconds.

When running in PREMIUM and REGULAR modes, auger is OFF for 1.5 seconds when running at heat level 5.
If running on MULTIFUEL, auger is OFF for 2.5 seconds.*

As for controlling speeds on the circulation fan, I do agree with some of the points raised here. Would be nice to have a little more manual adjustment. 
Pellet stoves get a nasty rap for being loud (and some of them could raise the dead!). They designed this stove to be much quieter than most. Aside from noise, I am thinking they might also be concerned about folks running fan on high while stove is at the low heat level settings. I could be wrong, but would this not cause the heat exchanger to cool? Am thinking if conditions were right, this might lead to nasty accumulations of creosote.

Will ask my contacts about this again. At one time, they were talking about a turbo-fan setting for the higher heat levels.

In my opinion, if you really want to improve air movement, go with a ceiling fan. Most are reversible. You can push warm air down during the winter, and pull cool air up during the summer.  Wall fans are also good to take warm air from one room and push it into another.


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## flynfrfun (Jan 27, 2011)

Thanks Fireplaceguy for all your input....it really helps.

Here is a question...Is the net heat output the same if you have a low output convection fan that puts out less air, but really hot air compared to a high output convection fan that blows more air into the room, but at a lower temp?  Seems like I've read about other pellet stove owners that turn the convection fan as high as possible on medium flame settings and seem to think they get more heat out of the stove (they notice the house is warmer).   I'm pretty new to pellet stoves, so where would we have to worry about creosote?  In the exhaust piping?  Couldn't be on the heat exchanger since we can clean that with the cleaning rod?  Just curious.

Would that turbofan mode require changing out the convection blower?  I assume the blower is running at full speed when on heat setting 5?  You are correct, this stove is really quiet.  They met their goal in that respect.  The only other stove I've heard as quiet is the Quad Mt Vernon, but I didn't like their auto-dump setup.  Seemed mikey-mouse to me compared to the heavy duty and truly effective agitator tines on the M55.
Flynfrfun


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## jtakeman (Jan 27, 2011)

flynfrfun said:
			
		

> Thanks Fireplaceguy for all your input....it really helps.
> 
> Here is a question...Is the net heat output the same if you have a low output convection fan that puts out less air, but really hot air compared to a high output convection fan that blows more air into the room, but at a lower temp?  *Seems like I've read about other pellet stove owners that turn the convection fan as high as possible on medium flame settings and seem to think they get more heat out of the stove (they notice the house is warmer). *  I'm pretty new to pellet stoves, so where would we have to worry about creosote?  In the exhaust piping?  Couldn't be on the heat exchanger since we can clean that with the cleaning rod?  Just curious.
> 
> ...



I swapped out the blower on my stove with one from the Maxx. It's double the CFM of the original blower. Its not that you get more heat, As it actually cools the air more. But you circulate the air about faster. I have noticed faster temp rise with mine. Even before I added the duct to the stove. Hard to explain, But it does warm the room faster even though the output temp is lower. As the output air is still warmer than the room.

The "draw back" is noise. The stove is much louder with the larger blower. I wouldn't be able to stand it if it was in my living room!


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## CONCORDE (Jan 28, 2011)

As for creosote build up, from my experience you usually see this where stoves have been burned continuously at low heat settings or when routine maintenance & cleaning is not performed. Improper air settings can cause creosote. Aside from slider / damper position and board adjustment, you must ensure gaskets in doors seal up properly. Damp pellets can also cause a lot of creosote problems. Creosote can build up on glass, on the walls of the firebox, cake-up on the heat exhanger tubes, and within the exhaust system. In extreme cases, you can also find this down in the ash pan area. Does not happen overnight. Usually takes a lot of neglect over a period of time. In this forum, you will often see that people often assume there is something defective with their stove if it quits, when what has happened is the stove is just asking to be cleaned. 

There are safeties (ie. pressure switch / vent switch) that are built-in to shut the stove down if there are blockages in the intake, firebox air passages, or exhaust. In addition, most stoves have an exhaust temp sensor that will turn the auger off to stop feeding fuel if no heat is detected. As a third level of safety, stoves have a high-limit to shut the stove down if it is overheating.

As to other questions in regards to feed rate on various settings, would think it would be similar to the Omega. Other more technical questions would have to be answered by someone at Sherwood.


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## jtakeman (Feb 1, 2011)

flynfrfun said:
			
		

> Do you know if the auger feed times are the same for all 3 programs? Flynfrfun



I got an email from an insider at Enviro today. I think it is what your looking for. Hope it helps.


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## flynfrfun (Feb 24, 2011)

Thanks J!  That is what I was looking for!  
Flynfrfun


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## Freddyp (Mar 12, 2011)

Hi I just wanted to add to the thread on the M55. I recently swapped out my Empress FPI with the larger M55 insert and what a significant difference in every category, design, build, control panel and certainly on noise level. I have been running the M55 for just about a month now and the only issue that I am seeing is the amount of pellets that it consumes. For the first few days I had some of the issues that I have read on other posts such as unburnt pellets being pushed into the ash pan and the pot clean out agitator running every time the auger would run which is every 3.25 to 4.0 seconds. After 4 days of getting frustrated with that noise, I unplugged the stove to pull it out and inspect all of the connections - which were all fine but a funny thing happened when I plugged the stove back in,,,, the agitator started running as it was designed to. Turns on for the first minute then very slowly turns to clean out every 10 minutes of so. 
Heat output on this stove is excellent and the stove is so quite that I can now turn my TV down by 5 volume settings. With the Empress I had to turn the TV up to around 25 on the volume, with the larger, more powerful M55 I run the TV at a volume level of 19 a Big difference on sound.
The only problem that I have is the amount of pellets that this stove burns. I have conducted some test over the past 10 days or so and the best I can get is 10.25 hours out of a bag of Premium Lignetics Pellets. I have run the stove on all of the various settings and no matter what I do I still only get 10.25 hours out of a bag. Currently I am running the Pellet Quality setting on Premium, with a Combustion Setting of 3 and a Feed Rate of 2 and the stove runs very clean and produces enough heat for this shoulder season (around 45 degrees in Mass) but I still only get 10 hours out of a bag. I have contacted Enviro tech to see if there is anyway to slow the auger down and reduce the pellet feed rates, however I have not heard back from them yet. I would have thought that by changing the feed rate setting would have achieved this, however I can sit in front of the stove and visually watch the pellets drop in and time the feed rate cycle and I see no time difference. every 3.25 to 4.0 like clock work. I am not sure if anyone can offer some advice on perhaps better, more economical settings that I can try since I have not been able to figure them out at this point. Overall this stove is great and is super quiet and well built and well thought out. Install was a breeze and the rail system makes it pretty easy to do maintenance. Oh Ya the other problem I am having is the right side of the door glass almost immediately gets dirty,,, the rest of the glass is always spotless and if Sherwood could figure out why just that part of the glass gets dirty would be great.
Thanks for listening.


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## Threerun (Mar 12, 2011)

I'm getting about a full day on each bag of Eureka pellets (on average). A daily fill and I'm good to go. Setting is feed trim 3, combustion air 3, Hi-Lo setting. 

Temps here range from -20 a few weeks ago to low 40's this week. House is above average insulated, stove located in half underground basement.


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## Freddyp (Mar 12, 2011)

WOW I cant come close to a full day! I have been closely monitoring the daily running of my stove, alternated manufactures pellets to see if there would be a difference and all I see is 15 minutes difference on run time on a full bag of pellets. Over 10 bags, I consistently get either 10 hours or 10 hrs and 15 minutes. I kinda figured that this should not be the case, however the stove is running great and I see no noticeable issues that lead me to believe that something else is wrong. I have contacted Sherwood - who by the way has been great - quick response and even have called me at my home in the past, but still no resolve.
It seems to me that my auger run time, which is always every 3.25 to 4 seconds seems to be over kill and I am feeding in more pellets than the flame needs. I am hoping that Sherwood can tell me (or my installer) how to manually adjust or calibrate this and increase the timings to say every 6 or 8 seconds instead of the every 4.
BTW - my insert is installed in a see through fireplace so I have full access to view the back of the stove while it is running so I can actually video the auger running every 3 to 4 seconds - not sure why I would do that, but I have found myself sitting in the other room with a stop watch timing this thing while enjoying a bottle of wine - crazy ha!
Well I appreciate your post back, and I am still hoping that someone can give me some direction on how to retard the timing to increase the amount of time that I get out of a bag. 
Thanks


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## Wachusett (Mar 12, 2011)

Yes the stove has an apetite, a lot of it depends on your unique heating needs, etc.. Sherwood I believe has an adjustable auger cover that limits
the amount of pellets that get to the auger. I know from burning a few different pellets that the smaller pellets will feed quicker, even at the lowest setting.
Pellets from 1/2" to 1" seem to feed at the best rate. Good luck and enjoy the stove.


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## angler3 (Mar 3, 2014)

Ive had my m55 for a little over a year.  I give it  thorough cleaning every week. Both combustion and convection motors failed and I had to pay to replace. When I run on 4 or 5 I keep getting an overrun in firebox and unburned pelletsin ash box which in turn light. Tried adjusting pellet feed and and increasing combustion trim. No luck. Dont want to contact dealer cause they charged me for repairing a 14 month old unit. Any help is greatly appreciated.


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## vinny11950 (Mar 4, 2014)

angler3 said:


> Ive had my m55 for a little over a year.  I give it  thorough cleaning every week. Both combustion and convection motors failed and I had to pay to replace. When I run on 4 or 5 I keep getting an overrun in firebox and unburned pelletsin ash box which in turn light. Tried adjusting pellet feed and and increasing combustion trim. No luck. Dont want to contact dealer cause they charged me for repairing a 14 month old unit. Any help is greatly appreciated.



Hi, Angler, sorry to hear you are having problems with your stove.

You should start your own thread with your stove issues so they don't get lost in this old thread.  You will get better feedback this way.

Strange that both motors would fail within a year, though.  Something more seems to be going on.  In the new thread tell us about the stove and the venting setup.  If you have pictures, post them, cause we just love pictures.


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