Burnpot Filling Up
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You'll have to get an airflow meter to do a definitive test otherwise you have to go by how it sounds and how fast it ramps up to full speed when hot wired and the current draw when it gets to speed.
If you didn't get the termination cap clean you'll have build up issues the same as any other part(s) of the stove that has ash stuck in it.
Step 1 is to clean the vent (again) with a brush and send the wife outside with binoculars. Hopefully she will see the brush poking out at the top of the cap.
I can't imagine that any small amounts of ash that i've missed would cause the burn to be as bad as I'm experiencing. In my (limited) experience and opinion, it has to be either blocked at the top, or a bad combustion blower.
I think 22' at 3" may be your problem. My manual recommends 4" for any runs longer then 15'. ?your stove may be different, but that may be an item to consider.
My manual has this for calculating length:
Equivalent Vent Length (EVL)
The longer the run of pipe in your installation (both with insert and
freestanding), the more restriction there is in the system. Therefore,
larger diameter pipe should be used.
Use 4” pipe if you have more than 15 feet of Equivalent Vent
Length.
Horizontal runs shall not exceed 10 feet of EVL.
Recommended vertical runs to be a minimum of 8 feet.
To calculate EVL, use the following conversions:
90º elbow or “T” = 5 equivalent feet
45º elbow = 3 equivalent feet
Horizontal Pipe Run = 1 equivalent foot per actual foot
Vertical Pipe Run = 0.5 equivalent foot per actual foot
My vent run is only verticle, I have no horizontal or T elbows so my EVL is only 11 or 12 feet.
Interesting....so there's no turn from the rear exhaust to go up the chimney? I don't remember a top exhaust vent on this stove.
A friend just had this same issue(P22 freestanding) with burnpot building up in less than 12 hrs. Plus a lazy looking flame. I stopped over last night and ran the brush up the venting for him. Unfortunately that wasn't the issue. Stove still had no draw and a lazy flame. He was cleaning behind the 2 doors, But somehow ash was built up above that area. I used a soft faced hammer and wacked the inner back wall and it all fell down towards the clean out doors. She's purring now! 
Is the damper Wide open? Or are you still trying to run with it at your normal position.
Your EVl is likely 16' which is still fine IMO. Especially because this ISN'T a new install and the stove did work properly before this issue.
I would check cap (its gotta be crudded up) thump the back wall, and add some oil (3-n-1 Blue bottle/ SAE 20) to the combustion blower bearings (even if there sealed bearings, it will help).
Anyway to get on the roof?
Your EVl is likely 16' which is still fine IMO. Especially because this ISN'T a new install and the stove did work properly before this issue.
I would check cap (its gotta be crudded up) thump the back wall, and add some oil (3-n-1 Blue bottle/ SAE 20) to the combustion blower bearings (even if there sealed bearings, it will help).
Anyway to get on the roof?
![[Hearth.com] Burnpot Filling Up](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/88/88583-c9befe95a8584dffbdab2c94a8db790d.jpg?hash=aZfcYUtpe- "[Hearth.com] Burnpot Filling Up")
A friend just had this same issue(P22 freestanding) with burnpot building up in less than 12 hrs. Plus a lazy looking flame. I stopped over last night and ran the brush up the venting for him. Unfortunately that wasn't the issue. Stove still had no draw and a lazy flame. He was cleaning behind the 2 doors, But somehow ash was built up above that area. I used a soft faced hammer and wacked the inner back wall and it all fell down towards the clean out doors. She's purring now!
I'll try this with a rubber mallet. I'll also try to find a wire brush that I can bend and get up behind and above the trap doors.
Yep... Then its an 11' EVL.. Which is about perfect. 22' of just vertical. Thats a drafting dream
I've been opening up the damper as soon as the burn starts to get slow. I came from work early today and ran the brush all the way to the top, then spun it with the cordless drill. I sent my wife out to look with binoculars, she saw ash eject from the cap. At this point I'm convinced that there is no crud build up or blockage in the vent. With everything disconnected, I could feel a cool breeze coming down the vent onto my hand. I started her up again and I'm monitoring it closely. I'll know by bedtime tonight if the burnpot starts to fill up.
I have a cape with a steep roof, my days of climbing up there are over. If I suspect that the cap is still blocked (which I don't anymore), I'll need to pay someone to do my dirty work.
If I'm still having problems, the next step before ordering a new combustion blower would be to follow Jay's advice and try to clean behind and above the trap doors, then the drastic move of taking the stove outside and letting it burn for several hours on high with no exhaust vent connected to see if it still has a slow burn.
If you are opening the damper "after" it starts to build up? Then its to late, because now you have to play catch up.
I would start with Damper wide Open. Then adjust heat setting to desired setting. Let sit 100% open for 1 hour, if no build up, then back down.
There is no set damper placement. Every install and every pellet burns different. So more air may be needed. Best to start with More air than necessary and back off, IMO
I would start with Damper wide Open. Then adjust heat setting to desired setting. Let sit 100% open for 1 hour, if no build up, then back down.
There is no set damper placement. Every install and every pellet burns different. So more air may be needed. Best to start with More air than necessary and back off, IMO
Why not try damper wide Open? Shut down, clean pot, open damper, restart with it 100% open on setting 2.
How far closed is your damper now? (Like right now as pot was filling)?
Pellets, like any combustible, need air to burn. The more air, the more complete the combustion and the.more fly ash gets ejected from the pot (keeping the pellet pile down and ash out)
How far closed is your damper now? (Like right now as pot was filling)?
Pellets, like any combustible, need air to burn. The more air, the more complete the combustion and the.more fly ash gets ejected from the pot (keeping the pellet pile down and ash out)
The damper has been wide open for a while but as you pointed out, I didn't start that way and only opened it up full after the burn got a little lazy.
I'll take your advice and shut down, clean, and restart with the damper wide open. I've got nothing to lose, but a night of broken sleep while I check on the stove every hour or two
We'll see if it can keep up.
DJS- hey don't be frustrated, if its a 98, and on the orig motor, you are ahead of the game. Almost always tho its a cleaning issue- stove or chimney. When stove is running, and adjusting damper, does it go to a very active shorter flame on fully open damper, and longer lazier, orange colored when damper is minimum opening?? If not, there is an air flow issue, either blocked partially somewhere or motor has lost its torque under load. You'll get it going.
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Nope...still not burning properly.
I still need to rule out a blockage between the main firebox and the combustion blower. I won't be home until late tonight but I'll be buying a long flexible wire brush that can get behind the walls of those trap doors, and also using a rubber mallet tomorrow. Trying to eliminate every possibility before buying a new blower or motor.
Any suggestions on a good brush that can reach the hidden walls and areas between the firebox and comb blower?
I still need to rule out a blockage between the main firebox and the combustion blower. I won't be home until late tonight but I'll be buying a long flexible wire brush that can get behind the walls of those trap doors, and also using a rubber mallet tomorrow. Trying to eliminate every possibility before buying a new blower or motor.
Any suggestions on a good brush that can reach the hidden walls and areas between the firebox and comb blower?
Anyone know what a "noodle brush" is and what section of Lowes or HD to find it or something similar?
Air compressor and a necked down blow line will probably blow any crud away... Do very short bursts.
As for the brush, a dryer trap lint brush works well. Long and flexible.
Did you try and oil it yet?? Oil works wonders on bearing. Especially an old and dry one
![[Hearth.com] Burnpot Filling Up](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/88/88696-26c6cd69b8f74592454c15b5ef104297.jpg?hash=JrLaGp5SK_ "[Hearth.com] Burnpot Filling Up")
As for the brush, a dryer trap lint brush works well. Long and flexible.
Did you try and oil it yet?? Oil works wonders on bearing. Especially an old and dry one
So, once again, thanks are in order to the veterans of the forum who consistanly tell everyone that most pellet stove issues are a result of a dirty stove. My wife already had 2 long flexible brushes just like the one in Dexter's pic. I used a brush to get behind the ash traps and pounded the crap out of the firebox with a rubber mallet. Tons of ash and chunks rained down for me to vaccuum up. Wow, what a difference! It's like I have a new stove compared to what I've been dealing with for the last month or so.
I actually feel pretty stupid because every time I've posted an issue here, it's always some form of blockage or ash buildup that's causing the problem...you would think that I've learned my lesson by now. In this case, I didn't realize the chamber behind the ash traps had as much surface area as they do and could get dirty enough to block the airflow to the combustion blower.
Thanks again to everyone who chimed in with advice.
I actually feel pretty stupid because every time I've posted an issue here, it's always some form of blockage or ash buildup that's causing the problem...you would think that I've learned my lesson by now. In this case, I didn't realize the chamber behind the ash traps had as much surface area as they do and could get dirty enough to block the airflow to the combustion blower.
Thanks again to everyone who chimed in with advice.
This is exactly why some of us get frustrated, when the symptoms we've seen hundreds of times indicate that the stove is dirty inside, but we get the owner telling us "it's a clean as a whistle....you can eat off the inside of it", and things like that. THEN, when the owner finally really does a proper cleaning, suddenly the stove isn't as clean as we are led to believe.
Don't know if this is a pride thing on people's part, that they just don't want to admit something, or they don't want to believe they did a poor job, or what.
But it all goes back to what you said (and the original.... Krooser)..."80% of all stove problems are caused by a dirty stove!"
Don't know if this is a pride thing on people's part, that they just don't want to admit something, or they don't want to believe they did a poor job, or what.
But it all goes back to what you said (and the original.... Krooser)..."80% of all stove problems are caused by a dirty stove!"
Fantastic! That is what I call a team effort. In your defense, I don't recall any manual that would advise you to be so aggressive cleaning your unit. Yet, unless you hired it done by a competent stove tech, or were as agreeable as you were to follow the forum's advice, you would still be cold and frustrated. Now when someone else signs in with a problem that sounds like what you experienced, you can pass on what you have learned. That's how it works here. (We also like pictures and some humor!)
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