How to burn wood pellets in 2006 Auburn corn burner

[rickwai]

Early on my pellet burning adventures I ran a Harman P-43 in for a couple of weeks in the fall shoulder season in manual mode with the feed turned down to just below "test". This resulted in a very cool running stove that deposited a significant creosote coating throughout the stove and exhaust pipe. My strategy at the time was to occasionally burn a good hot fire to burn off the accumulated glaze. One evening while doing this my partner said " do you smell something hot" . At the same time I began to notice a rapidly increasing roar that sounded like a train fast approaching. Looking behind the stove I could see that the exhaust pipe was becoming incandescent, first cherry and then dull orange. Long story short, the exhaust pipe did not fail but the ESP over-temped and required a reset once things settle down and I ascertained that the stove was still serviceable. The creosote coating within the stove was rather nicely consumed. I immediately vowed to never allow this situation to happen again. From that time on I've never "choked" the stove down to smoldering fire. It runs in room temperature mode at all times alternating between a hot fire and off when temperatures are too warm for a continuous fire. Stove/chimney fires are way too exciting especially indoors.

YMMV,

Hugh

I had a similar situation with my P38 running it real low to maintain constant temp in the basement. That is when I converted it to a auto ignition P43 and run it like you do.

 

[rickwai]

parting it out she could make most of her money back.. but if she's willing to move it outdoors i think its worth a shot at it. yeah we wont worry about motors till we get this thing clean. tape the hairdryer on the intake and turbo burn .lol

I think that is the only salvation to move outdoors and try to burn it out. It is a shame that the guy screwed her over like that. If she was closer I have a nice Greenfield I would let go. I bought it cheap , cleaned it up and have not done anything with it. i also have a P61 harman i am converting to a P61A auto ignition that will be for sale once the parts come in.

 

[Washed-Up]

I think she’d have to remove the pipes and tee, clean them out before trying to burn it off....indoors anyways

 

[rickwai]

I think she’d have to remove the pipes and tee, clean them out before trying to burn it off....indoors anyways

The other thing is that from the stove to the 6" looks to be just ductwork type pipe from Lowes. That would not hold up well if things got out of hand

 

[Washed-Up]

That’s a good point and I never notice until you mentioned it. Can the OP confirm that the exhaust is the proper double wall piping?

 

[Ssyko]

RX do you have a son in_law or friend/neighbor that can help you move the stove outside for a big burn?
you will need power for the stove and your test cord for the exhaust blower and 1 creosote log and pellets

 

[Washed-Up]

Would these be the same or better Ssyko?

 

[Ssyko]

I have always kept my wood burning appliances burning clean and i've never had creosote. let alone this corn biproduct that looks like melted glass. @rickwai might know. i have seen some in stoves i've worked on but it was nowhere near this level. i read the specs on it looks like its about the same as the logs

 

[SidecarFlip]

I've never had a creosote issue with mine on pellets or corn or a mixture but when I saw the picture of her combustion blower housing, I was quite taken back by the deposits in it. I tend to agree, there is some blockage in the stove somewhere and it needs a 'helluva' roast to get it out. I'd move the stove outside on the porch and light it up, wide open and let it cook with no venting attached, just the exhaust outlet stub pointed AWAY from anything flammable.

Sure looked to me like a pretty steady diet of wet corn and low burns.

I've run my 6039 on HR1 during shoulder season but not for days on end and I notice on HR1 (lowPPH feed rate) it will blacken the backer board and the window as well. I just don't make a habit out of extended running that way.

The bones of the stove are still good, it just appears to have some internal blockage, probably coagulated corn residue. Corn with a high wax content will coagulate in various passages when burned cold.

Time for a front (or back) porch run I'd say. I saw the picture of the venting and glossed over it but it did not look like double wall pellet/corn vent. I always assume people use approved multi fuel venting.

 

[SidecarFlip]

If you want to do a road trip, again, I'll drive from here to there and back to here again. I need to go to Nebraska to pick up my mule deer cape mount anyway. I have a lugs your butt Suburban LTZ. Even has heated and air conditioned seats. In leather of course....lol

 

[Ssyko]

If you want to do a road trip, again, I'll drive from here to there and back to here again. I need to go to Nebraska to pick up my mule deer cape mount anyway. I have a lugs your butt Suburban LTZ. Even has heated and air conditioned seats. In leather of course....lol

be cheaper if i just sent her a stove lol.

 

[SidecarFlip]

A stove would fit in the back of the 'Burb' just fine. A Suburban is basically a pickup truck without an open bed. Even with the 3rd row seating up, you still have 6 feet of cargo room. It's a bus... It's air ride too. LIke my wife says, if it's good enough for Trump, it's good enough for us...

 

[JbTech]

I'm a new member here. I must say the willingness to help figure this out is amazing!

If I were closer, I'd help deliver whatever! As long as it wasn't knowledge. Don't have much of that to share yet!

 

[Rxwoman1961]

A dossier NO just a very long file
You are lucky you have Ssyko helping he is one of the best in stove repairs
and I have never seen him give up

Yes, it was a joke, born out of frustration with this stove, after everything else Ive been through and spending all LAST winter freezing my butt off and trying to decide how best to heat this place, I end up with a stove worse than the oil stove I finally got sick of trying to fix.
No one's fault except mine, you have to laugh at a string of bad luck sometimes.
I appreciate everything Ssyko and everyone else is doing.

 

[Lordtimothy200]

Anything you buy used is a gamble. I bought my St Croix Auburn for 200 bucks and have had zero issues. Then again bought a used mower a few years ago that crapped out on me right away. Win some, lose some.

 

[Rxwoman1961]

i agree 100%, I have a combustion blower i know is much more powerful than the original and she would not need a hair dryer. My concern is weather the stove it is recoverable at all. My thoughts were to get 1 of those creosote logs, break it into chunks that would fit in the pot. All safeties jumped with the blower i have or hair dryer run it to an almost over-fire hand feeding chunks till it opens up or burns out the blockage. Do you think this would work?

Funny you should say that. I was out and about today and stopped Menards...again, and grabbed a creo-shot tube.
Then I came home and fired up the stove. But I was unsure whether to use it.
I can get this thing to burn ok, for about 30 to 45 minutes. But then it does something weird. I hear a click, then it stops feeding pellets and soot will start to accumulate on the glass and fire will start dying. So, I off switch, then back on so I can add pellets while the fire is still going. Nice n hot, but the room fan hasnt kicked in. Now I have to constantly monitor the fire and try to keep it going.
I saw your suggestion and I thought "oh boy, I'll try it!" I think I should have waited until I restarted the fire after the inevitable death. The stick seemed to kill it and nothing, but nothing, not even the blow dryer would bring it back to life.

 

[Ssyko]

if you run the stove i would recommend the test cord on the combustion blower so you don't have smoke in the house. it wont shut of till you pull the plug. you have no one to help move the stove?

 

[Rxwoman1961]

Anything you buy used is a gamble. I bought my St Croix Auburn for 200 bucks and have had zero issues. Then again bought a used mower a few years ago that crapped out on me right away. Win some, lose some.

Yup. Lol, frustrating when you go to so much trouble and distance to get one and find out it was a lemon. I didnt think there could be anything wrong as long as it turned on and everything seemed to run.
Duh.

 

[Rxwoman1961]

if you run the stove i would recommend the test cord on the combustion blower so you don't have smoke in the house. it wont shut of till you pull the plug. you have no one to help move the stove?

Good idea.
Nope. My 90 lbs gf, but it's hit or miss if she'll even show up. No way her and I could move it outside. Steps in the way.
We were lucky that her pickup lined right up to my front door and 3 of us pushed it on the dolly.

 

[Rxwoman1961]

That’s a good point and I never notice until you mentioned it. Can the OP confirm that the exhaust is the proper double wall piping?

It's pellet stove pipe, 3 inch off the stove, then 3-4 "ductwork converter from Menards...thats the only way I could make it go from 3" to 6 ".

 

[Rxwoman1961]

I've never had a creosote issue with mine on pellets or corn or a mixture but when I saw the picture of her combustion blower housing, I was quite taken back by the deposits in it. I tend to agree, there is some blockage in the stove somewhere and it needs a 'helluva' roast to get it out. I'd move the stove outside on the porch and light it up, wide open and let it cook with no venting attached, just the exhaust outlet stub pointed AWAY from anything flammable.

Sure looked to me like a pretty steady diet of wet corn and low burns.

I've run my 6039 on HR1 during shoulder season but not for days on end and I notice on HR1 (lowPPH feed rate) it will blacken the backer board and the window as well. I just don't make a habit out of extended running that way.

The bones of the stove are still good, it just appears to have some internal blockage, probably coagulated corn residue. Corn with a high wax content will coagulate in various passages when burned cold.

Time for a front (or back) porch run I'd say. I saw the picture of the venting and glossed over it but it did not look like double wall pellet/corn vent. I always assume people use approved multi fuel venting.

The porch! I might be able to get it to my porch if my gf helps me.

 

[Rxwoman1961]

RX do you have a son in_law or friend/neighbor that can help you move the stove outside for a big burn?
you will need power for the stove and your test cord for the exhaust blower and 1 creosote log and pellets

Ok, I'll get my gf out here..maybe she can talk her guy into helping..but he works so often except weekends, and of course I work every weekend. But I didnt think of the porch. No need to take it all the way to the ground.

 

[Rxwoman1961]

Ok, a whole "log" of creosote de..cruster? De- creosoter? Or the stuff that comes in a tub? What chemicals am I looking for?

 

[Ssyko]

Would these be the same or better Ssyko?

I would try the stuff Washed-Up posted it's small and you could mix them with your pellets

 

[Rxwoman1961]

Y

The much newer units they put access covers to get to the hidden passages

YEAH! Why the heck build something with an area that's completely innaccessable?! Can't be reached, even with a coat hanger! What if a varmit climbs up in there and builds a nest while the stove is off, or in storage?