So I started a thread in January about my St. Croix Hastings having a lazy flame. This was my 3rd year with it. I run about 3 tons of pellets through it each year. Year 1 and 2 went great. Year 3 came and things started getting strange. I had a lazy flame issue. To be honest, the first 2 years, I never cleaned the pipe. I only did maintenance on the stove. So with all your suggestions, I figured I had a clog. I cleaned the exhaust and the stove as well as I could. While things improved, something is still not right. I get a lot of ash clumps. Before these issues, I was able to go a week without having to worry about cleaning the ashes. Now after a day, I have a lot of build up. See the old topic here: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/67564/
So now I want to have a pro come check it out. I think it may have to do with my exhaust. I have a vertical exhaust, and when the stove fires up, I can smell the burning at first. I probably have a leak or a seal that is not tight. I assume that could cause the bad burn issues? I'm just afraid to have a "pro" come, spend a couple of hundred, and then have the same issues. Especially if they come now, I won't really be able to test it as I don't want to burn the stove while it's 85 degrees out. So then come the winter, if I have issues again right off the bat, and I call the pro, they may use the excuse that the cleaning was so long ago and that I'd have to pay again if I still had issues.
Anyway, any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.
Rob
So now I want to have a pro come check it out. I think it may have to do with my exhaust. I have a vertical exhaust, and when the stove fires up, I can smell the burning at first. I probably have a leak or a seal that is not tight. I assume that could cause the bad burn issues? I'm just afraid to have a "pro" come, spend a couple of hundred, and then have the same issues. Especially if they come now, I won't really be able to test it as I don't want to burn the stove while it's 85 degrees out. So then come the winter, if I have issues again right off the bat, and I call the pro, they may use the excuse that the cleaning was so long ago and that I'd have to pay again if I still had issues.
Anyway, any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.
Rob