How to burn wood pellets in 2006 Auburn corn burner

[Washed-Up]

I’ve used a long chisel to get at some of them I’ve had to deal with

 

[mikefromiowa]

This thread has some cutaway pictures (post #6) from another Hearth member of the exhaust passages you are trying to clean (it's from a different St Croix model, but the construction looks very similar to your stove)

how do I get my st. croix scf-50 running optimally

I recently purchased a st. croix SCF-50 furnance and I'm trying to get it working to its full potential. I'm not all that familiar with wood pellet furnaces, so it is difficult for me to judge if it is giving out the full heat it can. I've tried adjusting the dampers but don't see a lot of...

www.hearth.com

From those pictures, I would guess that it is plugged the most on the sides of the tube bringing the intake air to the burn pot (pictures 2&3).
I would try cleaning on both sides of that tube (I know, not an easy task, but might be doable with something like a metal coat hanger).

 

[Rxwoman1961]

This thread has some cutaway pictures (post #6) from another Hearth member of the exhaust passages you are trying to clean (it's from a different St Croix model, but the construction looks very similar to your stove)

how do I get my st. croix scf-50 running optimally

I recently purchased a st. croix SCF-50 furnance and I'm trying to get it working to its full potential. I'm not all that familiar with wood pellet furnaces, so it is difficult for me to judge if it is giving out the full heat it can. I've tried adjusting the dampers but don't see a lot of...

www.hearth.com

From those pictures, I would guess that it is plugged the most on the sides of the tube bringing the intake air to the burn pot (pictures 2&3).
I would try cleaning on both sides of that tube (I know, not an easy task, but might be doable with something like a metal coat hanger).

Thank you for those pictures. So it looks like the fresh air intake tube passes through the exhaust area somehow? And it looks like the passage way leads up, from the area under the exhaust fan?
But in the picture someone is sending a wire through from the front. I dont understand where that is on mine. No hole like that on mine.

 

[Rxwoman1961]

I’ve used a long chisel to get at some of them I’ve had to deal with

I cant get a chisel in there because of the angle. Ive been using a thin saw blade, but man are my hands a mess!

 

[rickwai]

Kind of. One fits inside, the other on the outside. Some of the screw holes line up, but I'm not sure about those 2 big ones.

View attachment 272436 View attachment 272437 View attachment 272438

If you can get it rigged up to work for now do it. Send me your blower. I will replace the bearings then put it back in and send the chinese blower back. Amazon takes anything back and it "just would not fit".

 

[mikefromiowa]

Thank you for those pictures. So it looks like the fresh air intake tube passes through the exhaust area somehow? And it looks like the passage way leads up, from the area under the exhaust fan?
But in the picture someone is sending a wire through from the front. I dont understand where that is on mine. No hole like that on mine.

Yes, it looks like the air intake tube passes through the exhaust channels, as a way to preheat the air going to the firepot. The small hole in the front may be covered by a hole cap, like in the picture below (from a St. Croix pellet stove maintenance video). Does your stove have those?

 

[Rxwoman1961]

If you can get it rigged up to work for now do it. Send me your blower. I will replace the bearings then put it back in and send the chinese blower back. Amazon takes anything back and it "just would not fit".

Ooh, I hadnt thought of that. Like buying an outfit to wear once.
The truth is it really doesnt fit right.

 

[Rxwoman1961]

Yes, it looks like the air intake tube passes through the exhaust channels, as a way to preheat the air going to the firepot. The small hole in the front may be covered by a hole cap, like in the picture below (from a St. Croix pellet stove maintenance video). Does your stove have those?
View attachment 272509

OMG...it does! I never noticed those before. Jeez, have to wait for it to cool now.
Wish I had known about those last night when I had everything tore apart..or any of the other times I had it tore apart.
I just put everything back together!

 

[mikefromiowa]

OMG...it does! I never noticed those before. Jeez, have to wait for it to cool now.
Wish I had known about those last night when I had everything tore apart..or any of the other times I had it tore apart.
I just put everything back together!

I would let it keep burning for now. But try using a wire down through those holes the next time you have it apart to try to knock some of the crud down to the exhaust blower hole.

 

[Rxwoman1961]

Well, I spent 3 + hours sitting in awkward positions with various tools, busting the hell out of my knuckels and getting soot and sh!t everywhere last night scraping and chiseling and even sawing as much as I could reach down in that area.
Believe me or don't, it was waaay worse when I started.
When I couldnt do it anymore (it was getting late) I put the gasket stuff on and ran to quick shop for milk.
When I got back I started assembing everything thinking I would fire it up last night.
But when I plugged in Ssyko's blower to check it, nothing happened. The wires had come loose from the little electrical clip together things.
So I pushed them back together. Came right apart. So I added black tape. I plugged it in....black soot everywhere!
Aaaah! Ok, well it works still. I unplugged it again (after vacuuming up soot) and muscled the stove back to the stove pipe, taped it up and plugged everything back in. No blower. The other side had come apart!
That was it for last night. It going on 11 by then and I threw in the towel. Couldnt deal.
I black taped it up this morning.
The new room fan leaks a bit, but dang it sounds better! But the fire looks different. Better I think.

 

[Ssyko]

Yes it is an improvement. No hair dryer? Yet. I Have some ideas i want to see if i can make reality this weekend. Im thinking a flexable shaft with some nuts welded to it that you can put in a drill and shove down in there and beat the daylights out of the chit

 

[Rxwoman1961]

Yes it is an improvement. No hair dryer? Yet. I Have some ideas i want to see if i can make reality this weekend. Im thinking a flexable shaft with some nuts welded to it that you can put in a drill and shove down in there and beat the daylights out of the chit

Nope, no hair dryer yet. Im waiting to see if the burn pot still overflows.

 

[Ssyko]

Awesome it’s looking like your scraping helped!

 

[Rxwoman1961]

Awesome it’s looking like your scraping helped!

That's what I'm thinking and was hoping, considering how long I spent on it. My hands look like Ive been changing oil on cars my whole life, I broke most of my nails off and I ruined 2 pairs of used to be white socks. But dammit, it's getting air now!

 

[Rxwoman1961]

Yes it is an improvement. No hair dryer? Yet. I Have some ideas i want to see if i can make reality this weekend. Im thinking a flexable shaft with some nuts welded to it that you can put in a drill and shove down in there and beat the daylights out of the chit

If it works you should patent it. Call it a "NY Ssyko bustem' up". Or "the Miracle Auburn creosote buster".
Whatcha' think?

 

[Ssyko]

Lmaooo I like it

 

[gfreek]

If it works you should patent it. Call it a "NY Ssyko bustem' up". Or "the Miracle Auburn creosote buster".
Whatcha' think?

RXwoman1961-NYSsyko Creosote Buster +

 

[Rxwoman1961]

RXwoman1961-NYSsyko Creosote Buster +

Too long? How about " RXSsyko formula '61 creo-crusher!" Or "Ssyko RX 61. Your prescription for a clogged stove!"

 

[Rxwoman1961]

I hated to do it too soon, but the fire went out, I think because the pellets are burning to quickly now? I dampened it some.

 

[Ssyko]

If it burned out leave damper open and raise the heat level. Send some heat into the attic lol

 

[SidecarFlip]

Yes it is an improvement. No hair dryer? Yet. I Have some ideas i want to see if i can make reality this weekend. Im thinking a flexable shaft with some nuts welded to it that you can put in a drill and shove down in there and beat the daylights out of the chit

Wound probably be easier to double nut the nuts and lock them on. No fusion required. Why do I think the original owners was tickled you cam along and bought it. BTW what did you pay for it, if it's not too personal to ask?

In reality he should have paid you for taking it. He knew pretty much what the issues were.

19 here and windy and the corn burner is doing what it's supposed to do, incinerate corn. House is maintaining 71 and 53% RH, but she's working pretty hard. I have it in notch 5 presently. Much above notch 5 and it goes into overheat. it will only run so hard and then the over temp snap disc ends the program. I do run a custom algorithm so in reality, notch 5 is probably pedal to the metal anyway.

I may, this summer, take it apart physically and open up the HX area for more air flow and add a second or a larger CFM room air blower to up the CFM and then I could get past notch 5 without an overheat scenario.

 

[Rxwoman1961]

If it burned out leave damper open and raise the heat level. Send some heat into the attic lol

Got it. Will do.

 

[Rxwoman1961]

Wound probably be easier to double nut the nuts and lock them on. No fusion required. Why do I think the original owners was tickled you cam along and bought it. BTW what did you pay for it, if it's not too personal to ask?

In reality he should have paid you for taking it. He knew pretty much what the issues were.

19 here and windy and the corn burner is doing what it's supposed to do, incinerate corn. House is maintaining 71 and 53% RH, but she's working pretty hard. I have it in notch 5 presently. Much above notch 5 and it goes into overheat. it will only run so hard and then the over temp snap disc ends the program. I do run a custom algorithm so in reality, notch 5 is probably pedal to the metal anyway.

I may, this summer, take it apart physically and open up the HX area for more air flow and add a second or a larger CFM room air blower to up the CFM and then I could get past notch 5 without an overheat scenario.

I started looking for a pellet stove in July.
By September I knew I wanted a St. Croix Auburn. But everyone wanted so much for them!
There was a guy about 3 hours from me to the West who had a John Deere stove. I read those were Auburns. He was asking $800 and wouldnt come down.
It looked in good shape. I wish I had been able to get that one, but it wasnt in my price range. Another guy about 30 minutes from me in Staplehurst listed his for $2000!
But this one. The guy listed it for $400. I thought someone would snap it up for that. Plus he was 5 hours away!
3 weeks later it's still for sale and he dropped it to $300. I messaged him I would take it if it works. He said it works great. Sent me video of the control board lit up, the fan running, and the auger turning. I told him I'd be there as soon as I could arrange for a pick-up to borrow.
5 hours there. 5 hours back. Had to stay overnight outside of Des Moines. But I had an Auburn!
I had no idea it was a nightmare of a mess.

 

[Ssyko]

Yes it was a turd but look at the polishing you’ve done so far and how much YOU have learned about your stove!! Hell look how much i have learned about your stove lol.

 

[ABusWrench]

Yes it was a turd but look at the polishing you’ve done so far and how much YOU have learned about your stove!! Hell look how much i have learned about your stove lol.

We've ALL learned a lot about your stove! LOL Knowledge is freedom, nobody can take that from you.