# Heatilator CAB50 excessive ash buildup in pot



## Jarhead1229 (Dec 14, 2012)

Hi everyone I have a cab50 heatilator stove that when I run on high it seems to be either feeding too many pellets even though I have the feed control in the hopper choked as far down as it will go. Or I am not getting enough draft even though the plate under the ash pan is open all the way. What is happening is that I'm over firing on high and I am getting a lot of ash built up in the pot which I thought might be clinkers from the pellets but as soon as I touch them they fall apart. I also don't believe it's the pellets fault because the pellets I buy I buy because they are the only brand that I've found near me that run in my Jamestown j1000 stoves without causing clinkers

PLEASE HELP


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## St_Earl (Dec 14, 2012)

are the baffle plates seated and set properly in their slots?
i had one off kilter once and it affected the flame. made it lower and pulled it toward one side.

have you cleaned behind the baffle plates? the fly ash builds up and could affect the air path if excessively built up.

i'm running my ps50 with the gate closed down too.
as far as i can tell so far, there isn't too much room to open it up further without the flame getting too high.
my medium flame could be a little higher if it had to be. but not much.


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## Jarhead1229 (Dec 14, 2012)

I clean behind the baffle plates once a week and make sure to put them back in correctly although the last couple times there hasn't been much ash behind them and it does seem to be a little stronger flame after cleaning I even pulled the combustion blower out and cleaned it just to make sure that wasn't the issue I've only run about a ton of pellets through this stove so it really isn't that dirty yet


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## Jarhead1229 (Dec 14, 2012)

My biggest issue is that when the stove shuts down its not blowing all the ash out of the pot and when it tries to relight the igniter is covered with ash so it can't light the pellets


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## The Ds (Dec 14, 2012)

We have the PS50 and make sure you have removed the ceramic cover from the thermocouple and tapped the ash out of there,then reinstall the ceramic cover.making sure that the thermocouple wire is making contact with the end of the ceramic cover inside....With the stove off,of course.......


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## Hdhogger (Dec 14, 2012)

How does your flame look compared to when first lit and after running for an hour or two? If you have a good flame when it first fires and then after a while the flame is not as intense it could be starving for air. You might want to check the house for negative pressure after the stove has been running for a while. If negative you need an OAK.


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## Jarhead1229 (Dec 14, 2012)

Well my house is way to drafty for negative pressure and it seems if I leave the ash drawer open a little bit I get better air flow through the stove and it seems to be fine as long as it doesn't run too long but when it has to run for long periods of time the ash really builds up and that's when it won't light


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## The Ds (Dec 14, 2012)

How often are you pulling the rod for the burnpot?


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## kinsmanstoves (Dec 14, 2012)

Clean everything including the venting, baffle plates, burn pot, and anything else you find.

Eric


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## Hdhogger (Dec 14, 2012)

I clean firepot daily, vac firebox every 4 or 5 days. Complete clean out every 25 bags. Stove has been running great. Like Eric says do a complete clean out and let us know how it runs.


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## MommyOf4 (Dec 14, 2012)

I just got mine installed recently and I noticed similar problems. I have to clean out my burn pot twice a day sometimes . My ash is more on the clumpy side, but not solid hard either.



Jarhead1229 said:


> Well my house is way to drafty for negative pressure and it seems if I leave the ash drawer open a little bit I get better air flow through the stove and it seems to be fine as long as it doesn't run too long but when it has to run for long periods of time the ash really builds up and that's when it won't light


 
Isn't leaving the ash drawer slightly open dangerous?


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## kinsmanstoves (Dec 14, 2012)

Do not leave the ash pan pulled out.  Sounds like pellets might be part of the issue.  Go by another brand and try 2/3 bags.


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## St_Earl (Dec 14, 2012)

The Ds said:


> How often are you pulling the rod for the burnpot?


 

you can get troublesome build up if you don't pull your rod regularly.


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## Hdhogger (Dec 14, 2012)

St_Earl said:


> you can get troublesome build up if you don't pull your rod regularly.


 
LMAO!


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## kinsmanstoves (Dec 14, 2012)

St_Earl said:


> you can get troublesome build up if you don't pull your rod regularly.


 

OH DEAR  Does the homeowner or a "friend" of the homeowner pull the rod?


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## DexterDay (Dec 14, 2012)

Just because the pellets burn well in the Jamestowns, doesn't mean that the CAB will like them. 

What brand are you burning? How does it run on Med or Low? Does sound like an airflow problem. How is the door gasket? 

What is your venting set-up? Please describe the size and every component, describing whether the pieces are horizon, or vertical, and the length.


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## Jarhead1229 (Dec 14, 2012)

I do a full clean out once a week including pulling the baffles and brushing them clean I pull my rod every time I see the stove is not running and I don't pull the ash pan out while its running I just noticed if I leave it cracked a little I get better air flow and I pull my rod every chance I get any time I see that it's not running I pull the rod as for venting I have about a 18" piece of pipe that runs straight through the wall horizontally


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## Jarhead1229 (Dec 14, 2012)

It seems to run perfect on med never run it on low it doesn't heat my house on low I can't imagine the door gasket is bad the stove was installed in October and has only had about one ton burned through it as for the brand of pellets they are in a clear bag and I was told the brand last year but can't remember the name ill have to ask again the next time I buy them


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## Hdhogger (Dec 14, 2012)

Jarhead1229 said:


> I I pull my rod every chance I get any time I see that it's not running


 
Even though your pulling the rod sometimes the ash crust that builds up will not fall out into the pan. You will have to use the firepot tool to clean out all the crust. A mirror and a flashlight helps to make sure all the crust is out. Give it a go.


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## Jarhead1229 (Dec 18, 2012)

Ok I did a complete cleaning Sunday and for a couple days after cleaning I seem to have about the right flame highth maybe still a little tall but if the stove has to run for than an hour I'm still getting a lot of ash built up in the bottom of the pot that doesn't blow out after shut down which is blocking the igniter hole so that when it tries to start up again it can't light the pellets unless I'm around to pull the rod could this be my pellets or maybe still an airflow problem or maybe it's just dumping too many pellets for my altitude I do live above 6000 feet


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## SmokeyTheBear (Dec 18, 2012)

Jarhead1229 said:


> Ok I did a complete cleaning Sunday and for a couple days after cleaning I seem to have about the right flame highth maybe still a little tall but if the stove has to run for than an hour I'm still getting a lot of ash built up in the bottom of the pot that doesn't blow out after shut down which is blocking the igniter hole so that when it tries to start up again it can't light the pellets unless I'm around to pull the rod could this be my pellets or maybe still an airflow problem or maybe it's just dumping too many pellets for my altitude I do live above 6000 feet


 
Are you running with 4" vent and with an OAK?


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## Jarhead1229 (Dec 18, 2012)

I don't have an OAK and I think it's only 3" my pipe slides on the back of the stove and goes straight through the wall


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## SmokeyTheBear (Dec 18, 2012)

Do you run all of those stoves in the same building at the same time?


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## Jarhead1229 (Dec 18, 2012)

I'm actually only running the heatilator right now it replaced one of my Jamestowns and the other needs to have both fans replaced when I get enough money to fix it
	

		
			
		

		
	




	

		
			
		

		
	
 this is what the ash build up looks like 
	

		
			
		

		
	




	

		
			
		

		
	
 and this what happens when I touch it and I seem to get one of these after about 2 or 3 hours of running


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## DexterDay (Dec 18, 2012)

Have you tried a different pellet yet?


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## SmokeyTheBear (Dec 18, 2012)

Straight out 3" vent less than 4' horizontal with no downslope correct?

You also had clinker issues with your other stoves.

First thing I'd do is see if there are any air leaks check all areas of the fire box for bent seams, loose bolts, and so forth.  Seal and tighten .

Does your hopper have a gasket?  If so test that.

Then I'd start seriously considering an OAK.

Is this stove on a lower level in the house?

Are there any fireplaces, or other heating devices that are power ventilated or use a chimney?

I'll take a look int the manual to see if I can find anything that might be a logical place to have air leaks.  But that won't be tonight.


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## Jarhead1229 (Dec 18, 2012)

I tried a couple bags of I think heaters and had a lot of problems with them and it seems like that is when all my problems started but I have ten bags of the kind I've been running for the last couple years and after those are gone I was thinking of trying another brand that are a recycled wood pellet I think made mostly of pallets


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## Jarhead1229 (Dec 18, 2012)

I have the one other pellet stove that is in the existing fireplace and uses the chimney and my pipe is level abut 18 to 20" long. What is the best way to go about testing the gaskets?


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## Jarhead1229 (Dec 18, 2012)

I was having troubles with most other brands in my Jamestown stoves mostly because the holes in the pot were so small that they were getting plugged up by the little pebbles that were in them or I think some of them may have had a little sand in them


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## Hdhogger (Dec 19, 2012)

Check your control box to make sure the rotary switch is set on #4. Another cab50 owner received his with it set on #2, this is wrong. See your manual, page 44.
And like Dex says, I would try some different pellets.


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## SmokeyTheBear (Dec 19, 2012)

At 6000 feet you also can not tolerate much in the way of any inside negative pressure situations.

Between pellet ash content (this varies over quite a range), relatively low air oxygen levels, lack of a rise in your venting, and the venting being 3" , likely a slight negative pressure situation, even without a possible controller setting mistake I'd be expecting a possible burn issue.

Now I went through the manual for your stove late yesterday evening and have a couple of areas I'd like you to check, the first being the method that the pedestal is attached to the firebox section, the exploded diagrams are not clear as to how those two sections are joined together any bolt penetrations made to join those two sections should be checked for tightness and seal, the second area is where the drop chute penetrates the firebox at the back of the firebox, that area likely has a weld around it (or some other method of sealing) make certain if it is a weld that it goes all the way around the chute and doesn't appear to have any gaps between the back of the fire box and the chute. If there is another method of sealing used there make certain that the bolts or screws and gasket if any are tight.


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## SmokeyTheBear (Dec 19, 2012)

Now the gasket on the door can be tested by using a piece of paper the size of a dollar bill. Insert the piece of paper between the gasket and the stove (off and cold of course) close the door, and pull the paper out. It can come out but must present resistance at two separated points on each side of the door. If any of the eight places you test fails to present resistance see if the door allows adjustments to be made, if it does follow the makers adjustment instructions then retest. If you can't make any adjustments that pass or there are none that can be made, it is time to replace the gasket.


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## MommyOf4 (Dec 19, 2012)

Hdhogger said:


> Check your control box to make sure the rotary switch is set on #4. Another cab50 owner received his with it set on #2, this is wrong. See your manual, page 44.
> And like Dex says, I would try some different pellets.


 

I tried to find the rotary dial, but couldn't find it.  I was too scared to open the control box.


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## saladdin (Dec 19, 2012)

MommyOf4 said:


> I tried to find the rotary dial, but couldn't find it. I was too scared to open the control box.


 
You don't have to open anything to test the setting.

Page 44 under 1C/E.

c. There is also an internal blue light located in the control box. When you plug in the appliance the blue light will automatically start blinking. For model PS35 the blue light should flash 6 times every 10 seconds for the first 60 seconds after power up. For models PS50 and CAB50 it should blink 4 times.


E
A. Component Function
Example: If you are on setting 4 the control box will flash 4 times every 10 seconds for 1 minute.
See chart below for correct control box setting for your model.


Model

Factory Control Board Setting


PS 35

#6 (6 Flashes)

PS50 / CAB50

#4 (4 Flashes)


You can see the blinking blue light with the room lights turned down very easily. Just stare at the back and count.


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## saladdin (Dec 19, 2012)

My setup is almost identical. My pipe goes straight out the back of the stove horizontal thru my brick wall and terminates a handful of inches (not home to measure). It is 3" with no vertical pipe at all.

The rod slides the pot on a little rail. Does it slide easily? Could the pot be off the rail slightly and not setting correctly in the burn position?

Being over zealous once, I removed the door for a cleaning. When I replaced it, it did not seat well and caused a vacuum issue. My stove would come on, drop pellets, those would burn out and stove would shut down. I did the washer trick on the door and now it has no issues. No idea if a vaccum issue would cause this problem for you.


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## kinsmanstoves (Dec 19, 2012)

Jarhead1229 said:


> It seems to run perfect on med never run it on low it doesn't heat my house on low I can't imagine the door gasket is bad the stove was installed in October and has only had about one ton burned through it as for the brand of pellets they are in a clear bag and I was told the brand last year but can't remember the name ill have to ask again the next time I buy them


 

Do not imagine, takes a minute to check.  You would be amazed at how a gasket can crush.

Eric


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## SmokeyTheBear (Dec 19, 2012)

OK folks please pay close attention to the OPs location he is over a mile high and all pellet units have issues if they are not properly vented, built, and delivered without loosening up any fasteners even at sea level.

What might not matter at my location 284 feet above mean sea level is going to completely mess up his burn.

A messed up burn leaves behind a pile of ash in the venting and stove that would have exited the system normally, even the normal clean this one every ton or two tons can be quickly reduced to every 1/2 to 1 ton using a decent premium pellet let alone a marginal premium pellet.


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## DexterDay (Dec 19, 2012)

saladdin said:


> My setup is almost identical. My pipe goes straight out the back of the stove horizontal thru my brick wall and terminates a handful of inches (not home to measure). It is 3" with no vertical pipe at all.
> 
> The rod slides the pot on a little rail. Does it slide easily? Could the pot be off the rail slightly and not setting correctly in the burn position?
> 
> Being over zealous once, I removed the door for a cleaning. When I replaced it, it did not seat well and caused a vacuum issue. My stove would come on, drop pellets, those would burn out and stove would shut down. I did the washer trick on the door and now it has no issues. No idea if a vaccum issue would cause this problem for you.



Vacuum issue would mean Zero Pellets....

Sounds like the Thermocouple isn't touching the inside of the ceramic cover and/or the ceramic cover isnt sticking into pot the correct distance. 

Your stove is not sensing the heat. It senses vacuum because it feeds the initial start up sequence. But when its time to start feeding again, the t/C has to see 200°… Its not seeing that.   Check to make sure its touching and sticks out into pot, so fire can hit it.

If the T/C doesnt touch the cover, it doesn't read the right (high) temp it needs


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## Jarhead1229 (Dec 19, 2012)

Ok checked the door gasket it was good the drop tube seal looks intact to me and as far as I can see the pedestal section does not have any bolts going into the fire box the control box is set correctly. At this point I think I'm going to try some other pellets and see if that's the problem ill keep you guys posted I only have one other idea that I would like to try if possible I read on another thread that it may be possible to reduce the pellet feed through the control box settings. I'm just wondering if maybe it is just dumping enough pellets that the ash is not able to come out of the pot before it gets hurried by new pellets also I am going to try to hook up the OAK system that is already in place from my Jamestown stove since my exhaust is currently going through the hole that it used and I really would hate to have to try to cut a new hole in my house and I personally think the Jamestown system is a lot better than heatilators


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## Jarhead1229 (Jan 1, 2013)

Ok thought I would post an update changed pellet brand and seems to have taken care of the problem thank you all for your help


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## MommyOf4 (Jan 1, 2013)

saladdin said:


> My setup is almost identical. My pipe goes straight out the back of the stove horizontal thru my brick wall and terminates a handful of inches (not home to measure). It is 3" with no vertical pipe at all.
> 
> The rod slides the pot on a little rail. Does it slide easily? Could the pot be off the rail slightly and not setting correctly in the burn position?
> 
> Being over zealous once, I removed the door for a cleaning. When I replaced it, it did not seat well and caused a vacuum issue. My stove would come on, drop pellets, those would burn out and stove would shut down. I did the washer trick on the door and now it has no issues. No idea if a vaccum issue would cause this problem for you.


 


saladdin said:


> trick on the door and now it has no issues. No idea if a vaccum issue would cause this problem for you.


The same thing is happening to me right now.  Which washer trick did you do?  Add another or move it to the other side of the lug?


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## saladdin (Jan 2, 2013)

MommyOf4 said:


> The same thing is happening to me right now. Which washer trick did you do? Add another or move it to the other side of the lug?


 Moved it to the other side. No issues since.


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## Tedinski (Nov 8, 2013)

Hdhogger said:


> Check your control box to make sure the rotary switch is set on #4. Another cab50 owner received his with it set on #2, this is wrong. See your manual, page 44.
> And like Dex says, I would try some different pellets.


 
I'm under the impression the control box should indeed be set to #2.   Have they made changes?  Should I change mine to 4?


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## kinsmanstoves (Nov 8, 2013)

Tedinski said:


> I'm under the impression the control box should indeed be set to #2.   Have they made changes?  Should I change mine to 4?


There are two boxes.  Each one has it's own setting. SRV7058-188 should be on #2 fir PS50 and CAB50


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## Tedinski (Nov 8, 2013)

There are 2 control boxes?   ??  I only see one.


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## Tedinski (Nov 8, 2013)

Or. (duh!)   You mean there are two versions of the box.    I can be dense sometimes.


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## saladdin (Nov 13, 2013)

Tedinski said:


> Or. (duh!)   You mean there are two versions of the box.    I can be dense sometimes.


I emailed them asking what was the difference, I have the original, and was told "They are exactly the same except the newer control box has some slight exhaust blower voltage setting changes."


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## Tedinski (Nov 13, 2013)

saladdin said:


> I emailed them asking what was the difference, I have the original, and was told "They are exactly the same except the newer control box has some slight exhaust blower voltage setting changes."


 
Thanks.  
Do you know what the different setting on the box mean?  What each of them do?


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## saladdin (Nov 13, 2013)

Tedinski said:


> Thanks.
> Do you know what the different setting on the box mean?  What each of them do?



4 pages here but you get answers from heatilator dealers.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/cab50-control-box-rotary-switch-function.101071/


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