lazy flame with damper opened all the way

[4charlz]

In November I had a pro come to fix my damper stuck problem and it seemed to be working ok then @fter that. But still my basement is not heating/warming up to what I expected it to. It has been comfortable don't get me wrong I have had it on for a week or so straight 24/7. It's JUST cozy. Now today 1/09 after cleaning it out I open damper all the way to start off the flame and I am getting what I think to be a somewhat "lazy flame" Not quite as lazy as with the damper all the way closed but pretty close the lazy flame characteristics. I have had it going for 40 minutes so far and still the green auto light has not come on yet.
I am so disappointed with "pellet stove" so far I don't know if I could recommend it to anyone. But I have not given up just yet.
I have gone through almost a ton & 1/2 of pellets since November... What am I doing wrong.

please help

 

[imacman]

My first thoughts are of a dirty stove....since you burned a ton and a half, did you just do a "regular" weekly cleaning, or a complete one?

Secondly, it's hard to help any more, since you haven't told us what make/model stove your referring to.

 

[4charlz]

I have a Enviro EF2

I do a weekly cleaning. I clean out all of burn pot liner and the ignition burn pot. The grate and I vacuum the small chamber compartments on both sides of the burn pot behind the port covers. I pretty much clean out that whole entire area. that's it.


thanx

 

[OU812]

Check your burn pot liner. If it is clogged or incorrectly aligned your stove will not work properly. You may also want to run a brush down your air intake or vacuum it at a minimum. Do you see air coming through at a good rate through your burn pot liner when the stove is on?

 

[OU812]

Stupid question but are you making sure to switch the unit back to manual before using it again? If you leave the switch in auto the fan will not come back on after the unit goes out.

 

[4charlz]

Yes I switch it off. B4 starting it up again always.

 

[4charlz]

Excatly what do U mean by SEEING air coming through?

I have vacuumed it B4 to make sure there were no ashes inside.
My burn pot and liner both have some build up on them but all holes are clear no obstructions that I can see.

 

[OU812]

I start my ef2 manually. When the fire is lit and I close my door I can see that air is going through the holes in the burn pot liner and reaching the flame. If everything is correct it should be easily visible to see that fresh air is reaching your fire. I did have a problem once because the liner was not seated into the burn pot all the way. Pull out the liner and make sure the holes are not blocked. Also, make sure your fan is working ok by turning it on and off while in the manual mode. I found this troubleshooter helpful as well.

http://www.hearthtools.com/parts/2004enviroTrouble.pdf

I bought an envirofire ef2 with MAJOR wiring issues and have learned that the EF2 is perhaps one of the simplest stoves out there. You will be rewarded with lots of cheap heat with that unit so hang in there. The ef2 is not a bad unit at all and parts are pretty cheap if you look around. I have an older unit that does not have a damper but it doesnt seem to need one.

 

[4charlz]

@fter sitting in front of the stove and going through the manual, I was about to check the seal on the door, when I then realized that the ash draw was not closed and locked completely ( loss of vacuum ) huge difference. I have looked thru the manual many times. But your mention of it caused me to browse thru it again to come to this realization. thank you!

Although this does not solve my overall problem of heating up m y space to my satisfaction. It does @ least solve"todays " problem.

thanx again for your input.

 

[OU812]

anytime! We ef2 users have to stick together. We may have simple stoves but simple problems can be a big pain sometimes. As far as the heat output are you burning good pellets? I use Blazer or Lignetics and heat a 1200 sq. ft home on low with my stove and I have lots of drafts. The only complaint I have so far is that the heat seems very dry and a bit uncomfortable after running it a few hours. Someone recommended putting a pot of water on the stove and I am going to try that but I am not sure that the outside of the stove will ever get hot enough to heat the water. I am contemplating a humidifier but it seems like it will be just one more thing that will suck electricity and I am using pellets in lieu of a heat pump to save on energy costs. The other issue I have is that I am afraid to leave the stove running when I leave the house as I do not want to come back and see a fire truck in my driveway next to the smoldering embers that used to be my house but I think I am being a bit paranoid there.

 

[4charlz]

I am using Pennington Natures Heat pellets. I don't know 4 sure if they R really that good or not. I do get "clinkers" I just clean them out now and then. The area that I am "trying to heat is aprox 1300sq feet ( my un-finished basement ). I understand that there is alot of space to heat and the fact that it is un-finished and not insulated, but I would expect that running it 4 such a long time that it still would warm up considerably. As I had mentioned before, I have had my stove running NON-Stop for many days
( while no one was home ) without worrying about it AT ALL. As far as your area getting dry, that is a draw back for most stoves/fireplaces, plus the humidity in the winter time is much, much lower. In the summer time the humidity in my basement can reach as high as 65-75%, so I use a dehumidifier to bring it down to 33-45% which is much better.
In the winter time I get 30% humidity. So Old Man Winter will dry your house up. So aside from getting a humidifier to add moisture to your living area, since the stoves top surface will not heat water to steam, I don't see how you will remedy it.

 

[South of Boston]

In November I had a pro come to fix my damper stuck problem and it seemed to be working ok then @fter that. But still my basement is not heating/warming up to what I expected it to. It has been comfortable don't get me wrong I have had it on for a week or so straight 24/7. It's JUST cozy. Now today 1/09 after cleaning it out I open damper all the way to start off the flame and I am getting what I think to be a somewhat "lazy flame" Not quite as lazy as with the damper all the way closed but pretty close the lazy flame characteristics. I have had it going for 40 minutes so far and still the green auto light has not come on yet.
I am so disappointed with "pellet stove" so far I don't know if I could recommend it to anyone. But I have not given up just yet.
I have gone through almost a ton & 1/2 of pellets since November... What am I doing wrong.

please help

Got an EF2I here Love it. In the begininng I had lazy flame problems but being a new user was not aware of the operations. After having a Major issue with creasote build up with the exhaust fan housing and a fire in that housing and part of the flue vent. I replaced the fan and learned from this forum the do's and don'ts. Since two weeks after Thanksgiving my stove has been running 24/7 except for the 5 minute cleanings. THe damper is key to the whole operation. What a difference with the flame. THe stove lites in 3 minutes with the green auto in about 6 minutes. Been mostly buring the same three types of pellets and can tell just about which one is burning.
Again the key for me is the proper damper adjustment. Yes the door and ashtray has to be closed to create an air tight. When I open the door to stir the pot I get that slow lazy flame for the seconds it stays open but as soon as the door closes I get that blown flame cominmg from the pot holes. So far I have had the auger dial set on 12:00 and the blower is mostly full.

 

[OU812]

OK I am a bit confused now. I have an older ef2i and it does not have a damper but it has never posed a problem. Why was a damper added to ef2 later?

 

[OU812]

You know what would be a cool option on pellet stoves? A humidifier that works via the heat exchanger. Maybe even one you can add something like eucalyptus oil to so you can really clear up the sinuses in the winter. The gym I used to go to had a steam room with eucalyptus oil and it worked wonders if you had a cold or flu.

 

[4charlz]

The EF2 I have is only 3-4 years old.
I know U can manually turn it on though I'm wondering why U would have the blower set on in the first place, my EF2's blower kicks on automatically when U have it turned all the way to left off position. As far as a humidifier option that would be a really GREAT Idea.

 

[South of Boston]

OK I am a bit confused now. I have an older ef2i and it does not have a damper but it has never posed a problem. Why was a damper added to ef2 later?

My EF2I although is new this septmeber I suspect is a few years old. It is idential with the Manual above which has a 2004 date. THe slider damper is located on the outside left black knob.