Kind of Stupid Question....Englander/Summers Heat

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kdp7462

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Hearth Supporter
Jan 10, 2007
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I just recently purchased a Summers Heat Pellet Stove from Lowes. Prior to that I burned with an Austroflamm Integra with a 112lb hopper for about a year since we bought the house. Yesterday we installed the new one, and last night at about 4am came downstairs to find the fire out. The hopper still has pellets in it, but on the sides and back. (60lb hopper) probably 20-30 lbs left on the sides and back....Is there any way to keep those moving down towards the middle so I do not have to make sure there is always a full hopper at night.(Sometimes I work overnights, and the wife isn't into loading it yet) Any info would be great...I dont think I can grease the sides!!
 
I think the spray on graphite lube is recommended for this, but I could be wrong. The pellet heads will be along to confirm in a minute.


EDIT - Also, I believe the recommendation is to polish the inner surface of the hopper with some Very Fine steel wool and then apply the lubricant.
 
The method Corie described works well. I'm going to do it again to my hopper this evening when I clean the stove.
 
I have heard rubbing the inside of the hopper with wax paper helps keep the pellets from getting stuck
 
You want to make the surfaces as slick as possible. Take some fine steel wool and polish the interior first. Then give it a nice car wax coat and shine it up. In a pinch I found that spray silicone also will work, but it's more temporary.

The Austroflam is a nice unit. How does the Englander compare for operation, noise, heat?
 
Hey BeGreen,
The Austroflamm was a nice "stop gap" before getting a newer more advanced stove. I was unsure how I would like heating with pellets so we tried it out last year. The Austroflamm was an older model manufactured in 94 and bought in 96. This year the auger noise seemed to get extremely loud after half way up on the heat and also made a whistling sound from the blower. I am still keeping that one for a family camp that my parents/brother/and I own. It just wasn't viable as a primary heat source in our living room. The Englander thus far has heated the house about 5 degrees warmer at a lower temp, and with less pellets...so far I am one happy Englander owner!!
 
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