Fire Chief or Shelter EPA stoves feedback

[Mrpelletburner]

Still thinking on how to proceed forward.

In the mean time... more videos

So I connected up another stove pipe setup (Olympia stove pipe without the long seams and (2) 45 degree elbows. Operated the stove for 24 hours with the thermostat set to 80 degrees and flue temps above 300F. The goal was to see what the inside of the new stove pipe would look like after 24 hours. I expected the look to be the same as the clean burn of my pellet stove, however still black gloss looking.

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[Medic21]

Holy chit! Only 24 hours?

With your inducer on and flap opened all the way. Do you feel any air up top along the secondary?

 

[Mrpelletburner]

Inducer on the whole time (yup it was hot in this house) and opened 1/2". I am assuming the secondary burn kicked in b/c the stove would reach 800F top left of the load door (I have a thermocouple attached with JB Weld ;P ).

 

[JRHAWK9]

I'm assuming you cleaned it before this 24 hour test? Or are you expecting the old creosote to just magically disappear when it gets hotter, which it won't unless you induce a chimney fire.

EDIT. I'm the dumba$$ who didn't read the whole thing. Totally missed the whole part about using another stove pipe.

 

[Medic21]

Inducer on the whole time (yup it was hot in this house) and opened 1/2". I am assuming the secondary burn kicked in b/c the stove would reach 800F top left of the load door (I have a thermocouple attached with JB Weld ;P ).

That is where the primary air is directed. I'm wondering if you open it up and turn it on if you even feel a small flow out of it. I guess what I'm getting at is I'm wondering if it's blocked

 

[Medic21]

I have zero smoke when it's burning. And a small secondary flame when the blower shuts off. No smoke then either. With the smoke going pat your baro and how dirty it's burning I'm thinking you have a secondary problem.

 

[bholler]

Zero issue with my old Huntsman stove.

Perhaps a combo of things?

My newbie opinion.. The stove is filling with smoke faster then it can be cleared/burned due to fixed draft blower air intake opening.

Should of asked more questions before buying the stove.

That is absolutley a possibility. Have you tried some of the compressed wood brick yet to eliminate wood as being the issue?

 

[Medic21]

unless you induce a chimney fire.

that's exactly how I clean the shop stack that's heavy steel pipe... time to do that tonight.

 

[Mrpelletburner]

That is absolutley a possibility. Have you tried some of the compressed wood brick yet to eliminate wood as being the issue?

I haven't... not sure who around here would sell compressed wood. Good suggestion.

 

[JRHAWK9]

go buy a couple 2x4's from your local Home Depot, cut them up and burn a firebox full of them.

 

[bholler]

go buy a couple 2x4's from your local Home Depot, cut them up and burn a firebox full of them.

I dont think i would burn a firebox full of 2x4s. That is just begging for an overfire.

 

[JRHAWK9]

I guess I didn't literally mean a full firebox of them......although it may help clean things up and get it to burn clean!

 

[brenndatomu]

I haven't... not sure who around here would sell compressed wood. Good suggestion.

Tractor Supply Co, Farm stores, Lowes, Home Despot, Menards, etc
Don't burn a whole load of bricks by themselves...I'd likely do 50/50...and you start them burning them same way as firewood, they are hard to light without hot coals or other established fire going already.

 

[maple1]

I've been saying design defect all along. But I could also see it being a manufacturing defect. Like, say, hole(s) not drilled or passages misaligned? Or something else just as dumb. Hard to check those things out thru a computer though.

 

[bholler]

I've been saying design defect all along. But I could also see it being a manufacturing defect. Like, say, hole(s) not drilled or passages misaligned? Or something else just as dumb. Hard to check those things out thru a computer though.

Like i said before that may be true but tgere are some basic things to try before making that determination. Like making sure the wood is not wet because the all symptoms being experinced are commonly experinced with wet wood

 

[brenndatomu]

Has there been any indication from HY-C that they will fix/replace/take back this unit?

NONE!

Booo!

 

[Mrpelletburner]

Just double checked the secondary air holes and they are clear.

Something that I noticed...

Opening the draft blower slider all the way open. The secondary air flow did not increase as much as the primary air. The primary holes felt like a fan on high and the secondary air holes felt like a fan on a low (very little air flow).

It appears that the draft blower air is directed to the primary air hole openings, where the secondary air holes has the same air flow whether the draft blower is wide opened or closed.

Going to ask this to HY-C

 

[brenndatomu]

Opening the draft blower slider all the way open. The secondary air flow did not increase as much as the primary air. The primary holes felt like a fan on high and the secondary air holes felt like a fan on a low (very little air flow).

It appears that the draft blower air is directed to the primary air hole openings, where the secondary air holes has the same air flow whether the draft blower is wide opened or closed.

Path of least resistance...like I said about 10 pages back. Too much primary air, not enough secondary...and both from the same source...bad idea.
Do this test again, only put some tape or something over some (most) of the primary holes...now I bet you will see more of a change in the secondary air flow when you open that blower flap up...

 

[Medic21]

Just double checked the secondary air holes and they are clear.

Something that I noticed...

Opening the draft blower slider all the way open. The secondary air flow did not increase as much as the primary air. The primary holes felt like a fan on high and the secondary air holes felt like a fan on a low (very little air flow).

It appears that the draft blower air is directed to the primary air hole openings, where the secondary air holes has the same air flow whether the draft blower is wide opened or closed.

Going to ask this to HY-C

Identical to mine. I have thought about fabricating a slide of some sorts to be able to redirect the air after it is burning. Maybe weldnon a couple studs and make it so I can close off or partially block the large holes

 

[Medic21]

Ok, I experienced what @Mrpelletburner has experienced tonight so I thought I would share what I did wrong:

Wood is wetter than what I have been burning. Ash that was cut down dead in November not covered. It does still burn pretty good.

Loaded too much too fast colder than normal. A lot of smokdering and smoke. Opened the bottom door to feed air to get it going and had a nice little smoke explosion that shot flame almost three feet out of the bottom door.

Closed up too soon with the draft Motor door open.

I sat there and watched multiple puffs in rapid succession.

I opened the bottom door and ran the stack up to 800 and shut it up. Played that game for 35 min until I could get it to burn clean.

After that it still burned slow for an hour. Once it got going and the temps started climbing I was able to adjust everything for the night.

 

[Mrpelletburner]

Besides the slow start, I have been able to avoid the mini explosions, just small puffs from the stack.

Today I started working on getting the stove going at 7:50am, by 8:20 the stove was burning nice. Started with a torch to get the air warm and a draft to pull, very small fire and kept the ash door just barely open and the load door opened ¼”.

As the fire started to burn, I added 1 split at a time until the fire looked right. I then shut the ash door and leave the load door opened ¼” until the fire looks a certain way (photo attached).

How I know it is the right time to shut the door? After shutting the load door, the fire box temp should continue to rise at a steady rate. If after shutting the load door, the box temp doesn’t rise, then the fire is not ready and I keep the load door opened ¼” until the stove temp can rise with the load door shut.

Small fire to start

Ready to close

 

[JRHAWK9]

Ok, I experienced what @Mrpelletburner has experienced tonight so I thought I would share what I did wrong:

Just because you didn't happen to jump through hoop A on the way to hoop B while crossing road C before meeting road D doesn't mean you did anything wrong. Any wood furnace which makes it to market should not have a very specific set of prerequisites one must meet in order for it not to become a health/safety hazard. Quit putting the blame on yourself and direct it where it should be going........to the manufacturer.

 

[maple1]

Besides the slow start, I have been able to avoid the mini explosions, just small puffs from the stack.

Today I started working on getting the stove going at 7:50am, by 8:20 the stove was burning nice. Started with a torch to get the air warm and a draft to pull, very small fire and kept the ash door just barely open and the load door opened ¼”.

As the fire started to burn, I added 1 split at a time until the fire looked right. I then shut the ash door and leave the load door opened ¼” until the fire looks a certain way (photo attached).

How I know it is the right time to shut the door? After shutting the load door, the fire box temp should continue to rise at a steady rate. If after shutting the load door, the box temp doesn’t rise, then the fire is not ready and I keep the load door opened ¼” until the stove temp can rise with the load door shut.

Small fire to start
View attachment 225282

Ready to close
View attachment 225283

That's a lot of babysitting. Which should not be required.

 

[Medic21]

Just because you didn't happen to jump through hoop A on the way to hoop B while crossing road C before meeting road D doesn't mean you did anything wrong. Any wood furnace which makes it to market should not have a very specific set of prerequisites one must meet in order for it not to become a health/safety hazard. Quit putting the blame on yourself and direct it where it should be going........to the manufacturer.

I have not had a puff out of this stove for well over a month. Personally I'm at the point I think @Mrpelletburner has a defective unit.

 

[JRHAWK9]

I have not had a puff out of this stove for well over a month. Personally I'm at the point I think @Mrpelletburner has a defective unit.

This is because you are "dancing it's dance". One step out of place and look what happens. Wood burning should not be as difficult as you guys are making it out to be with these things. Like maple said above, most everything you guys are doing to make sure it doesn't fill the house with smoke should not be required.