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IMHO, it is a fairly poor design. And their manuals and exploded views leave much to be desired,...
My stove was missing the frame and the insulation, and it was a wide-open hole in the heat-exchanger air box so when the room air fan was on I was loosing half my air flow out that side, and since that is just forward of the actual air blower fan, the exterior side wall there ended up being smoking hot with little air flow out the room air vents.
As I see it,... using the exploded view posted above,...
The flat gasket (part 27) is between the agitator motor bracket (part 29) and the firebox wall,
The 3 sided frame (the part I was missing) closes the gap between the heat exchanger wall and the firebox wall and the 2-part insulation (parts 49 and 50, which I was also missing) seals the room air flow from escaping in that area, and protects the agitator motor & gearbox from the heat.
When I fabricate and install the missing parts and insulation, I will take and post some pics.
On the side,...
Pete,... I was a Steamfitter / Welder for 25 years, then hired on for the utility (I was a Fenocian at BVPS I & II!) as a nuclear plant operator, and after 6 years in OPS, I bid into I&C, did that for 6 more years, then I retired to being a consultant! I was at V.C. Summer New Nuclear,... till if folded!
My stove was missing the frame and the insulation, and it was a wide-open hole in the heat-exchanger air box so when the room air fan was on I was loosing half my air flow out that side, and since that is just forward of the actual air blower fan, the exterior side wall there ended up being smoking hot with little air flow out the room air vents.
As I see it,... using the exploded view posted above,...
The flat gasket (part 27) is between the agitator motor bracket (part 29) and the firebox wall,
The 3 sided frame (the part I was missing) closes the gap between the heat exchanger wall and the firebox wall and the 2-part insulation (parts 49 and 50, which I was also missing) seals the room air flow from escaping in that area, and protects the agitator motor & gearbox from the heat.
When I fabricate and install the missing parts and insulation, I will take and post some pics.
On the side,...
Pete,... I was a Steamfitter / Welder for 25 years, then hired on for the utility (I was a Fenocian at BVPS I & II!) as a nuclear plant operator, and after 6 years in OPS, I bid into I&C, did that for 6 more years, then I retired to being a consultant! I was at V.C. Summer New Nuclear,... till if folded!
I agree on the manuals and diagrams. Design wise I guess I understand why they did it the way they did. There are two devices entering the firebox at that point. You wouldn't want to have to hard pipe that vac/pressure tube and putting the shaft of the agitator through both walls would have added a bushing to the interior wall. Both of these would then have been subject to three different temperatures, the exterior, the heat exchanger area and then the fire box itself.
I would think the vac/pressure switch pipe would have been OK but the agitator shaft might have stressed with the temp differences within such a short run, causing either binding at the bushings or failure of the shaft itself.
Without taking mine apart, I'm wondering if there isn't also some rockwool in the interior around the 3 sided frame? Looks to me like they just took a piece of thin tin or brass, made a straight L, then cut it and made the bends for the corners and put it in place.
Great you have the I&C and fitters background. You will easily understand how the control board works being it's a proportional control board. I've tweaked mine to the point I don't use the damper except when starting it, otherwise I use nothing but outside air for combustion, no drafts in the house!
I'm sure you know this but for anyone else reading, write down all the setting on the board before changing anything, then each time you change something write it down. It's easier to go back to the stove almost running perfect than to have to start from scratch!
Stay warm!
Pete
I would think the vac/pressure switch pipe would have been OK but the agitator shaft might have stressed with the temp differences within such a short run, causing either binding at the bushings or failure of the shaft itself.
Without taking mine apart, I'm wondering if there isn't also some rockwool in the interior around the 3 sided frame? Looks to me like they just took a piece of thin tin or brass, made a straight L, then cut it and made the bends for the corners and put it in place.
Great you have the I&C and fitters background. You will easily understand how the control board works being it's a proportional control board. I've tweaked mine to the point I don't use the damper except when starting it, otherwise I use nothing but outside air for combustion, no drafts in the house!
I'm sure you know this but for anyone else reading, write down all the setting on the board before changing anything, then each time you change something write it down. It's easier to go back to the stove almost running perfect than to have to start from scratch!
Stay warm!
Pete
Since mine is open,... I don't see any evidence of any other insulation in the heat exchanger cavity outside of the area that the frame belongs in,...
Ya, I was just thinking about getting a good seal. Perhaps some high temp aluminum tape on top of the frame. That's all heated air you want coming out of the stove but not at that point. I guess you could use high temp RTV but would be harder to remove if there was ever a reason to have to get into that area later. Can't really think of a good reason other than inspection or cleaning.
I think it depends on how well fit the frame is and how good a seal you get from it.
One other thing I can think of to improve the stove. If you haven't yet, get a couple of rare earth magnets, place them at the bottom of the hopper near the auger. They will catch any metal parts that may get through the pellet processing or if using corn from the farm. My second year burning I had one #6 wood screw the magnet caught before it could go down the auger and possibly damage it.
Even a couple of old hard drive magnets will work if you have any of those laying around.
Even a couple of old hard drive magnets will work if you have any of those laying around.
Hard drive magnets are AWESOME! And I do have a few of them lying around,... I love to tear things apart and see how they work,... 
ARC
Minister of Fire
we7hills Did you install the Retainer, Agitator Motor/support bar, I see it is also missing in your picture. This bar centers the agitator stops it from moving in and out and kind of floats it to keep it centered. I could also help with your clinker, agitator binding problem from one of your other post as it stops the motor from shifting sideways
![[Hearth.com] noob to 6039,... any help?](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/216/216585-75077b00f5d11bb44ae8e955d930f9de.jpg?hash=IAuIcqu2rK "[Hearth.com] noob to 6039,... any help?")
much when the agitator hits a clinker
much when the agitator hits a clinker
Mt Bob
Minister of Fire
ARC
Minister of Fire
Another Mod is the FAK cap mod. The FAK cap under the burn pot is a Steel Shallow Cup Freeze Plug 2 7/64 inches freeze plug part number 2078, I purchased a couple from Napa and drilled three 3/8 inch holes straight across. I still have the original if I ever need to reinstall it. This mod allows just the right amount of air in and you can then fine tune fire with manual draft (I do) or draft button adjustments. I did not install a ball valve on the FAK. The picture is my first failed attempt drilling holes, tried to hold cap with vise grips worked for the two outside holes but not on the center hole. Use a vice to hold cap if you have one. Just so you are aware the cap under burn pot is hard to pry off/remove best way is to put wooden dowel in from the back of the stove and hit it.
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Mt Bob
Minister of Fire
Yes,... 2ft horizontal to a T, then 15 ft vertical inside a chimney to a cap with vent cover, all 3 inch double wall dura pipe
Last edited:
Mt Bob
Minister of Fire
Ah,ok,I know that stove requires it,possible you might have to go to 4"
What numbers / parameters do yinz all use for your control settings?
(I'm currently burning pellets but looking at corn options)
So far, I've been running the stove on full auto at HR2 or 4 depending on weather,...
I have the newer, 4 digit control board, but it doesn't seem to function correctly in manual, at least not to me,...
I can adjust any of the controls from 2 to 9, then A (for auto) when the main control is in auto,
but in manual, it seems as though I lose some controls,... like draft won't go below 8 or 9,...
I'm not having any of the other problems I see people complaining about, like pot filling with pellets,
all in all the stove seems to be running fine, except for that carbon build-up in the bottom of the pot,...
any suggestions / advice are greatly appreciated, on how to "tweak" this baby in for a cleaner burn pot,...
Thanks so much!
(I'm currently burning pellets but looking at corn options)
So far, I've been running the stove on full auto at HR2 or 4 depending on weather,...
I have the newer, 4 digit control board, but it doesn't seem to function correctly in manual, at least not to me,...
I can adjust any of the controls from 2 to 9, then A (for auto) when the main control is in auto,
but in manual, it seems as though I lose some controls,... like draft won't go below 8 or 9,...
I'm not having any of the other problems I see people complaining about, like pot filling with pellets,
all in all the stove seems to be running fine, except for that carbon build-up in the bottom of the pot,...
any suggestions / advice are greatly appreciated, on how to "tweak" this baby in for a cleaner burn pot,...
Thanks so much!
First: Exhaust piping all 3". 18" from stove to T/cleanout. 3' vertical to 90°, 3' through wall outside to cap.
HR1 1.5 PPH (pounds per hour)
HR9 5.0 PPH
DF1 240
DF9 260
I run in full AUTO except for the RF, I run that in manual on RF9 all the time. I want all the heat I'm paying for in the house not outside.
Manual draft is completely closed after startup, while starting it is open about 1 1/2"-2" at most. The reason for this is that while starting you will hear the draft fan pulsing and with burning corn the auger starts feeding after a few minutes. If I don't get a good burn going with the handful of pellets to startup the corn will smother the pellets before they get rocking a good flame.
I will need to tweak the DF settings for each years corn. The same will happen even with the same brand pellets, even during a season you may find that the pellets are not consistent, whether from the processor or they way they are handled and stored the burn can change. Usually the tweaks on the DF are +/- 5, not much more, so once dialed in they are pretty close with just a little loving.
New member here. Long time corn burner, sort of ( 2008 ). USSC 6039 owner and also a former zoomie sponge. What are the odds? Figures the nukes are all tinkering with their stoves; I know I have.
Welcome! No zoomies here, just BTU's, lots of BTU's
!Although when the temps get way below zero and I crank up the old beast, I then refer to it as my mini-reactor.
Ummm...now if I could just figure out how to get it to turn out some mega-watts...the wife is going to kill me yet.
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