Monster clinkage???

[turbulator]

It seems when I run my SCF-050 anywhere past heat level 3 I get some huge clinkers overnight, and have a black glass...

Is this related to pellet quality, or do you think I can adjust my feed trim a little?

Currently burning Eden pellets....this batch is definitely harder wood than the last...more ash, darker color pellet.... Burns very hot, but I am not liking the clinkage....

Any advice?

Thanks!

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

It seems when I run my SCF-050 anywhere past heat level 3 I get some huge clinkers overnight, and have a black glass...

Is this related to pellet quality, or do you think I can adjust my feed trim a little?

Currently burning Eden pellets....this batch is definitely harder wood than the last...more ash, darker color pellet.... Burns very hot, but I am not liking the clinkage....

Any advice?

Thanks!

Tell us all about your venting etc...

 

[turbulator]

Venting - basically a T, straight up the basement wall, 90 degree outside, exit about 2' above ground level, straight out about 1.5' and a small downward angle then cap.

It is not a roof level vent.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Venting - basically a T, straight up the basement wall, 90 degree outside, exit about 2' above ground level, straight out about 1.5' and a small downward angle then cap.

It is not a roof level vent.

3" or 4", OAK or no OAK? Lengths of straight pieces?

If this is 3" you are very close to the limit for most stoves and over for some.

 

[turbulator]

Ill check when I get home - I think its 3"...will also get straight dims..... Yes running OAK...

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

It takes several things to result in a clinker one is the chloride content of the pellets, the amount of ash, the air flow through the burn pot, the temperature in the pot, etc ...

Venting plays a large part in the amount of air that goes through the system.

The primary control one has when it comes to clinkers is to keep the burn pot free of ash. So fuel quality plays a very important role as does airflow.

If you continuously make clinkers it is possible to ruin your burn pot as the temperature in the pot tends to go up higher than a lot of them can take.

 

[save$]

I get those huge bird nest crumbly clinkers with one brand of pellets. Ash is black, heat is good, but I have to shut the stove down and clean the burn pot at least on day two in order to keep the burn going right. This does not happen with some other brands of pellets. My problem is that I still have two tons left of those clinker making pellets. :-S

 

[khenault]

My problem is that I still have two tons left of those clinker making pellets. :-S

Have you tried mixing them with another brand? I find a couple of brands that don't burn well in my stove alone burn perfectly fine when mixed.

My stove says to stir the burnpot once a day anyway.

 

[hossthehermit]

Sounds like you might need a little more air, BUT, are you running the corn burnpot, or the pellet one. The 050 was designed as a cornburner, and doesn't handle pellets real well unless you switch burnpots, IIRC. Also, some of the cornburners know a lot about the 050's on http://www.iburncorn.com/new-forum

 

[save$]

My problem is that I still have two tons left of those clinker making pellets. :-S

Have you tried mixing them with another brand? I find a couple of brands that don't burn well in my stove alone burn perfectly fine when mixed.

My stove says to stir the burnpot once a day anyway.

I did, I tried that about 4 times, still got the clinker, just not so big, or so fast. So long as I get good heat, I'll put up with it. When I bought these I paid 240 a ton. I keep hearing about okies, cubex, and trumens. Around here those are so expensive if you can find them. I want to find that point where the added heat is worth the cost. Went to knights feed store today. They have brand of Canadian softwoods for 5.99 a bag or 249 a ton.

 

[jtakeman]

I think you need to post some of them monsters so we can see them.

I ain't seen a big clinker in so long, I've forgotten what they look like even! ;-)

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

I think you need to post some of them monsters so we can see them.

I ain't seen a big clinker in so long, I've forgotten what they look like even! ;-)

Sometime in early 2009 I got free of them after a combustion blower, a new burn pot, and a different batch of pellets.

You should have seen the burn pot, it got broiled, boiled, and baked into a contorted mess.

But man, could I produce a clinker, hard as a hunk of metal and as heavy.

 

[heat seeker]

Does this qualify?

Super Clinker

 

[turbulator]

My clinker was about the size of the burn pot....very similar to the super clinker above.

Ok - measurements - 14" straight out back of furnace to clean-out-T. Up 60", then horizontal 24" or so out the side of the house...


Came home from work - burn pot over-flowed and another impressive red hot clinker brick.....

I cleaned it out....fire still not acting right - I think I might have a bum gasket....been taking off the top cover on top of heat exchangers to clean out...that gasket doesnt look so healthy - it looks like a fiberglass flat gasket.... Where would I get something like that? Could I cut my own? What material?

I went outside and made sure my cap was clear - was about 30% plugged....poked it all out and its flowing ok now.... But black sooty smoke is still coming out....

I set the auger trim to its lowest setting - 1 second, and bumped up the vent trim to +5Volts... I am running on 5 right now to try to get my heat back up.. Will see where we are in an hour or so.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Does this qualify?

Super Clinker

Looks like a candidate, but I'm not sure as it doesn't look solid enough and it isn't that shiny. Looks a little under done.

 

[DexterDay]

Sounds like you need more air. Black soot/ash/smoke and an overflowing pot indicate a air loss.

Have you checked the door gasket, ash pan gasket, lubed combustion blower motor, etc.

My Fahrenheit burned like that when I bought it from the Previous owner. A good cleaning and some new gaskets, all better. Good brisk flame and grey ash. The damper is all the way open, but its doing what I want it to do. With it closed (even 25% closed/75% open) it gets a little lazier, but still burns good until level 5.

Have you cleaned every passage possible? I have several different avenues of passages to clean. The entire back wall of the stove is an air cavity, for the exhaust to exit. Along with the inside of the box, then 2 tubes in the bottom of the box, that travel to a central cavity, that leads to the combustion blower.

Either way, I hope you get it figured. I looked up the manual on your stove. And it seems pretty similar. (A few small things are different / burn pot cleaning, etc).

 

[turbulator]

Thanks. I think I am going to buy new gaskets and door seals.... Will also lube exhaust fan...

I "think" I have gotten all the cavities - but will take a closer look next shut down.... I may try a coat hanger up the back wall through the baffle openings......I was using my shop vac w/ a garden hose attachment, but will try a hanger as well...

Thanks again

 

[heat seeker]

Does this qualify?

Super Clinker

Looks like a candidate, but I'm not sure as it doesn't look solid enough and it isn't that shiny. Looks a little under done.

Not all that solid, and definitely not shiny. It's sort of crumbly, so it's out of the running…. :-/

This was a result of Lignetics combined with a disconnected Versagrate. Maybe I should have cooked it longer.

Maybe I'll do like we did with leftover pizza where I used to work: One of the guys missed our pizza party, so we took a large slice and sprayed it with clear lacquer. It looked great, and even after a couple of weeks, it looked edible.

 

[save$]

I think you need to post some of them monsters so we can see them.

I ain't seen a big clinker in so long, I've forgotten what they look like even! ;-)

These are my Energex Canadian clinkers

 

[slls]

My Canadian Energex clinkers. Have to wait till I empty my ash pan to see what I caught, the black knob makes them disappear.
I know, not impressive.

(broken image removed)