not sure if i have damp pellets or not lately but hear is what i have noticed: i have an enviro fire ef 3 and on highest feed setting i find pellets building up in middle of burn pot and it almost looks like steam comming off them or low layer of smoke this is with damper rod all the way out or at reccomended magnehelic setting of .12 to .13 . gonna keep a bag or 2 in rec room where stove is but safe distance away and see if theburn better after that? eastern ember pellets are are main choice here in eastern canada but might try comfy cozy (less heat but burn cleaner as i read in another post here).pellets i have been buying lately have been inside the store but not sure how long.i am storing them in utility room on pallet but 2 foundation walls not insulated just heat from furnace duct work but its not on a bunch as i use pellet stove.
burn pot building up?
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I have noticed when starting a fire and a lot of pellets are in the burn pot before things get going,there will be that smoke that you describe.At the highest setting however,no way regardless of my damper setting will the pellets pile up unburned and cause this smoke event. Of course we have different stove brands I realize. Are all the holes in the burn pot clear as they were when new? On a high draft setting,I can make the pellets "dance" in the burn pot-great for late nite viewing! Ha! As for moisture in the pellets,I burn both brands you describe now(I had the previous post on these brands and the heat value)...I would be doubtful about moisture-those pellets are quite hard and any amount of moisture would make them crumble-swell up,etc. Hey,you could always weigh a bag-should be 40 lbs more or less-I could weigh one here if you like for reference. Can't think of anything more at present-just stove cleaning for sure- and oh yeah, have you cleaned the exhaust lately? all for now pete
I'll pass along a trick to check pellets for excess moisture that Mike from Englander told me about. (Hope he doesn't mind and that I get it right.)
Take about a cup of pellets and put them in a GLASS bowl or cup. Cover the bowl with a saucer and microwave them on high for 45 seconds. Take them out promptly and check the underside of the saucer for moisture. If the pellets are bad you'll have a visible buildup of moisture on the saucer. If not, they are okay.
Take about a cup of pellets and put them in a GLASS bowl or cup. Cover the bowl with a saucer and microwave them on high for 45 seconds. Take them out promptly and check the underside of the saucer for moisture. If the pellets are bad you'll have a visible buildup of moisture on the saucer. If not, they are okay.
hey thats smart...I like practical solutions to problems...shows that people are using their noggin' ......
thanks for replies peg and pete its not just on fire up though pete have stove going for 1/2 or more might need other burn pot liner they list.wil try pellet trick peg thanks.
pegdot said:
glad to see some of my little tricks are remembered , actually i cannot claim credit for that one , was passed on to me by another member of the industry , but ive found it works. it should be noted that no pellets are "dry" but if enough moisture accumulates on the bottom of the saucer that it runs when you turn it on end , its a bit much and could cause less than optimal performance.
it also should be noted that this may not be the fault of the pellet manufacturer , it could be the retailer not storing them in a dry enough location , or simply they have been around for a long time in less than optimal storage conditions and simply have gotten "stale" with moisture.
hey peg and pyro i did put a good handful in a bowl and put saucer over it an yes some moisture on saucer yes. i put a couple of bags in the path of air flow coming off the stove and see what those 2 bags did and build up on high fire wasnt bad like it was. thanks for tip.
I've had the same problems with mine. First make sure your igniter works, the next thing to do is open the glass and pull out your burn pot. Now make sure the metal tube that covers your igniter is pulle out all the way. The metal liner around the igniter needs to almost be touching the burn pot. Otherwise you will get a pile of pellets and just a little smoke before it shuts off. Hope this helps
kinsman stoves said:
I can`t say that I`m enthused about early burning but I do not like the heat and humidity we are presently experiencing either.
Personally I love the cold nights and 60-70 degree days of the fall.
I enjoy running the stove for short periods during these times.
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