Crazy Amount of Ashes in My Burnpot

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
  • Hope everyone has a wonderful and warm Thanksgiving!
  • Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here
Status
Not open for further replies.

joefraser

New Member
Hearth Supporter
Oct 4, 2009
87
Somersworth,NH
I am burning Bayou Pellets (they came free with the stove). I am pretty sure I cleaned the burnpot this morning so at most this is 11 hours on heat setting 2. Worst case I forgot to clean and it would be 21 hours. Sill isn't this a crazy amount of ash? There was also ash all over the door too. Do I need to adjust my combuion rate or something? I\Possibly too much draft or not enough? I really don't understand what to look for when changing the settings for feed and air etc.. I went through about a bag of pellets in 12 hours on setting 2. I've been doing all the recommended cleaning.

For the pics the stove was in shutdown for about 5 minutes thats why the flame is low.
 

Attachments

  • [Hearth.com] Crazy Amount of Ashes in My Burnpot
    door.webp
    10.1 KB · Views: 933
  • [Hearth.com] Crazy Amount of Ashes in My Burnpot
    burnpot.webp
    7.6 KB · Views: 957
  • [Hearth.com] Crazy Amount of Ashes in My Burnpot
    burnpot2.webp
    7.6 KB · Views: 929
Englander 25-PDV by the way
 
Bayou Pellets Hmmmm!

What other pellets do you have available in your area? I would start looking and calling around quick before the cold really gets hear.

Post some of them and will tell ya what the good ones are.

jay
 
I am guessing that you have some crappy pellets, I had burnt this awful brand called Manufacture Trader, had the same outcome in my harman stove. I would pick up a few bags of anything else and see if there is a difference.
 
I haven't really done a large search yet.
I've seen freedom fire and natures heat (penningtons?) I know both of these brands aren't too good. Middletons had Spruce Point from Quebec for $2.99 per ton. Pellet Sales.com has LG and Maine Wood Pellets. And I think I can get New England Wood Pellets Premium and Lakes Region Premium. I was trying to find Linginstics based on the reviews but haven't yet.
So your thinking pellets not settings?
 
joefraser said:
Middletons had Spruce Point from Quebec for $2.99 per ton. ......

Stop over there and pick up a few bags to try. Best I seen on your list.

There are pricey at 299.00/ton. You didn't mension the price of the LG & the NEWP's. There decent anyway. Another pellet with very good reviews is the Okanagans and the Dragon Mountains.

Just try a few bags of good pellets and report back. Try a few bags of what ever you can find locally if you have too.

jay
 
Spruce Pointe and LG's (if softwood) are both good pellets.
 
FratFart said:
i guess u did pull & inspect the burnplate & checked the combustion air intake for obstructions? all the way to where the air comes from

Yes....wasn't that bad under the plate. Air intake whole was clear.
 
Those pellets must be made of cardboard and bark, way to much ash. Try another brand, I think you'll see a big difference.
 
jtakeman said:
joefraser said:
Middletons had Spruce Point from Quebec for $2.99 per ton. ......

There are pricey at 299.00/ton. You didn't mension the price of the LG & the NEWP's. There decent anyway. Another pellet with very good reviews is the Okanagans and the Dragon Mountains.

jay

$279 for the LG's not sure about the NEWP's.

Found some more options in a place close in Maine, assuming prices are updated, I think Maine's got a sales tax though so I'd like to find in NH:
Maine's Choice* $269 1.0 Ton $269
Corinth $279 1.0 Ton $279
Okanagan $295 1.3 Tons $383
Inferno $269 1.0 Ton $269
 
I have the same stove and have never seen assh like that! Hmmmmmmmmmm
 
Check the bottom 3 button settings on the control panel, I think they are factory set at 6-4-1 mine were.

These come into play when burning on setting 1 and 2

try more air less fuel 5-5-1 or 4-5-1

I am told to never mess with the 1 (3rd bottom button)

I currently have mine at 4-5-1

Could be pellets, but these stoves can burn just about anything.

What is you chimney set up like? do you have enough height (outside pipe height) to pull some draft?

Are you drawing fresh air into the stove from outside?
 
joefraser said:
jtakeman said:
joefraser said:
Middletons had Spruce Point from Quebec for $2.99 per ton. ......

There are pricey at 299.00/ton. You didn't mension the price of the LG & the NEWP's. There decent anyway. Another pellet with very good reviews is the Okanagans and the Dragon Mountains.

jay

$279 for the LG's not sure about the NEWP's.

Found some more options in a place close in Maine, assuming prices are updated, I think Maine's got a sales tax though so I'd like to find in NH:
Maine's Choice* $269 1.0 Ton $269
Corinth $279 1.0 Ton $279
Okanagan $295 1.3 Tons $383
Inferno $269 1.0 Ton $269

Spruce P is a very good* LG is very good* Maine Choice I'm not sure haven't tried(yet)*Corinth has mixed reviews* Okanagans very good* Inferno junk not worth $99 a ton.
 
joefraser said:
jtakeman said:
joefraser said:
Middletons had Spruce Point from Quebec for $2.99 per ton. ......

There are pricey at 299.00/ton. You didn't mension the price of the LG & the NEWP's. There decent anyway. Another pellet with very good reviews is the Okanagans and the Dragon Mountains.

jay

$279 for the LG's not sure about the NEWP's.

Found some more options in a place close in Maine, assuming prices are updated, I think Maine's got a sales tax though so I'd like to find in NH:
Maine's Choice* $269 1.0 Ton $269
Corinth $279 1.0 Ton $279
Okanagan $295 1.3 Tons $383
Inferno $269 1.0 Ton $269

There is no sales tax on wood pellets used for heating in Maine.
 
SmokeyTheBear said:
There is no sales tax on wood pellets used for heating in Maine.

Smokey, he's in New Hampshire

EDIT: Oooops, I see what you were getting at Smokey.

That's a good question: if you buy pellets in a state that has sales tax on pellets, but you buy them and bring them to a state that doesn't, do you still have to pay the tax?

Is there sales tax on pellets in CT.? I bought from Pellet sales who is based in Ct, right? And I'm in NY.
 
pelletizer said:
Check the bottom 3 button settings on the control panel, I think they are factory set at 6-4-1 mine were.

These come into play when burning on setting 1 and 2

try more air less fuel 5-5-1 or 4-5-1

I am told to never mess with the 1 (3rd bottom button)

I currently have mine at 4-5-1

Could be pellets, but these stoves can burn just about anything.

What is you chimney set up like? do you have enough height (outside pipe height) to pull some draft?

Are you drawing fresh air into the stove from outside?

Outside air is hooked up. As far as drafting, the guy I had install it did a horizontal run with vent cap at end no rise. He said his set up that way with no issues. I was thinking about buying another 90 and using the exta pieces I have to do the 3 foot rise but I wasn't sure if I had a draft problem.
 
macman said:
SmokeyTheBear said:
There is no sales tax on wood pellets used for heating in Maine.

Smokey, he's in New Hampshire

EDIT: Oooops, I see what you were getting at Smokey.

That's a good question: if you buy pellets in a state that has sales tax on pellets, but you buy them and bring them to a state that doesn't, do you still have to pay the tax?

Is there sales tax on pellets in CT.? I bought from Pellet sales who is based in Ct, right? And I'm in NY.

There is no sales tax on pellets in CT.
 
macman said:
SmokeyTheBear said:
There is no sales tax on wood pellets used for heating in Maine.

Smokey, he's in New Hampshire

EDIT: Oooops, I see what you were getting at Smokey.

That's a good question: if you buy pellets in a state that has sales tax on pellets, but you buy them and bring them to a state that doesn't, do you still have to pay the tax?

Is there sales tax on pellets in CT.? I bought from Pellet sales who is based in Ct, right? And I'm in NY.

macman,

IANAL, so remember that whatever I say has a legal weight of just about zero. A sales tax is payable at the time of sale in the jurisdiction the sale took place, so you have to pay the tax if it is required by law in that jurisdiction.

The reverse isn't always true however, in ME there is a use tax on anything purchased out of state that is taxable in ME but not in the other state. The use tax is exactly what you would have to pay as sales tax on the purchase if it took place in ME.

In short the answer is it all depends.
 
It's the pellets. I've had the same stove for about five years, and have burnt about seven different brands of pellets. I got Michigan Pellets three years ago, and they produced ash just as bad. I would clean the burnpot just before I went to bed, and the ash would be piled up against the window by the morning. All other brands of pellets burn fine.
 
I changed the settings to 5-5-1 this morning. Seems to producing a little less ash. My stepson emptied the burn-pot before I got home so I don't know for sure. Thanks for all the help. I Thinks it's alot to do with the pellets. I'm going to try some other brands and see if the do better.
 
joefraser said:
I am burning Bayou Pellets (they came free with the stove). I am pretty sure I cleaned the burnpot this morning so at most this is 11 hours on heat setting 2. Worst case I forgot to clean and it would be 21 hours. Sill isn't this a crazy amount of ash? There was also ash all over the door too. Do I need to adjust my combuion rate or something? IPossibly too much draft or not enough? I really don't understand what to look for when changing the settings for feed and air etc.. I went through about a bag of pellets in 12 hours on setting 2. I've been doing all the recommended cleaning.

For the pics the stove was in shutdown for about 5 minutes thats why the flame is low.

If I didn't know better...I would say you have a batch of first edition Maine Woods pellets....
Try a decent pellet and see what happens.
 
joefraser said:
I changed the settings to 5-5-1 this morning. Seems to producing a little less ash. My stepson emptied the burn-pot before I got home so I don't know for sure. Thanks for all the help. I Thinks it's alot to do with the pellets. I'm going to try some other brands and see if the do better.

my 25-pdv didn't have the vertical rise at beginning and after calling englander they said i needed it for better drafting, so we installed the remaining pieces that came in the kit.

pellet brand contributes to this also, last night I burned hardwood lignetics with green lettering(yes, believe it or not) and stove was VERY dirty with lots of ash, I hear others saying lignetics had a production issue this year and pellets are not the same as before.....hmmm pres-to-logs rings the bell ??
 
geek said:
joefraser said:
I changed the settings to 5-5-1 this morning. Seems to producing a little less ash. My stepson emptied the burn-pot before I got home so I don't know for sure. Thanks for all the help. I Thinks it's alot to do with the pellets. I'm going to try some other brands and see if the do better.

my 25-pdv didn't have the vertical rise at beginning and after calling englander they said i needed it for better drafting, so we installed the remaining pieces that came in the kit.

pellet brand contributes to this also, last night I burned hardwood lignetics with green lettering(yes, believe it or not) and stove was VERY dirty with lots of ash, I hear others saying lignetics had a production issue this year and pellets are not the same as before.....hmmm pres-to-logs rings the bell ??

What little birdy told you about the Ligs?

jay
 
You add pipe and you will pull a better draft, especially if you keep within the limits but do not go over and are close or above the roof line.

My stove will pull plenty of draft with the power out, I have witnessed it a few times.

If the power goes out my stove burns off what is left in the burn pot and still pulls the smoke out and no smoke enters the home.

My stove pipe is very close to the roof line.

Does sound like the pellets suck though,
 
jtakeman said:
geek said:
joefraser said:
I changed the settings to 5-5-1 this morning. Seems to producing a little less ash. My stepson emptied the burn-pot before I got home so I don't know for sure. Thanks for all the help. I Thinks it's alot to do with the pellets. I'm going to try some other brands and see if the do better.

my 25-pdv didn't have the vertical rise at beginning and after calling englander they said i needed it for better drafting, so we installed the remaining pieces that came in the kit.

pellet brand contributes to this also, last night I burned hardwood lignetics with green lettering(yes, believe it or not) and stove was VERY dirty with lots of ash, I hear others saying lignetics had a production issue this year and pellets are not the same as before.....hmmm pres-to-logs rings the bell ??

What little birdy told you about the Ligs?

jay

my bud jay..... :-)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.