What to use to cover burn pot holes?

[Bioburner]

Sorry, I don't get it... so your going to modify your burn pot to optimize your stove with different pellets?? Im assuming the stove manufacturer tried more than one design in the 1st place..

Theres a couple of companies that seem to have made stoves with little testing or thought to continued operation. Burn pots that crumble or stoves with passages that are impossible to clean. Two examples

 

[thadd677]

I drilled some holes in the bottom of the pot and then covered others higher up. It's been running like this for about 5 days with no problems. I've been getting a much cleaner burn and was able to turn the air down. Before this modification, my air was turned up as high as it could go and I still wasn't getting enough. Now it's burning great and I have room for more air if needed.

I appreciate the concerns but all is well.

 

[Bioburner]

I drilled some holes in the bottom of the pot and then covered others higher up. It's been running like this for about 5 days with no problems. I've been getting a much cleaner burn and was able to turn the air down. Before this modification, my air was turned up as high as it could go and I still wasn't getting enough. Now it's burning great and I have room for more air if needed.

I appreciate the concerns but all is well.

You are not modifying the safeties or raising the thermal limits of them. But my opinions don't qualify anymore.

 

[St_Earl]

just out of curiosity, what kind of stove do you have, thad?

 

[thadd677]

just out of curiosity, what kind of stove do you have, thad?

It's the Pleasant Hearth ph50cabps

http://www.amazon.com/Pleasant-Hearth-Cabinet-Pellet-120-Pound/dp/B008R514Z0

 

[St_Earl]

ah yes.
the other stoves that use the purge system (from what i've been told) do have holes in the bottom of the pot.
their omission from the pleasant hearth would seem to be not the best design.

i'm glad you were able to take steps to improve the situation.

 

[rafmt]

This is what I used to cover holes in my burn pot.

 

[CelciusMaximus]

you can use thermosteel good up to 2500 deg. buy at autozone or advance auto ect.
"necessity is the mother of invention"

 

[turbosporsche]

Seriously ? Rewiring / modding controls is OK but drilling, enlarging some air holes is not ?

Modding the burn pot. What can go wrong. It burns hotter. Last time I checked almost all stoves have an over fire safety switch.

And if he plugs them he will have a dirtier burn which equals more freq cleaning.

I say go ahead.

As far as insurance company's go they pay out no mater what. Unless there is a criminal arrest then they have he option not too.

People leave candles burning and destroy homes
Leave cigarettes out.
I've seen people use kitchen stove as a heater and burn house down. Insurance pays

I've actually seen a case where a guy put gas in a 5 gallon pal in his living room and they paid out.

I read all these forums where people are afraid to touch anything cause of mr insurance man or the fire Marshall.

Relax and mod away.

 

[kinsmanstoves]

No one doubts your expertise. Did you even read your post? It was not all that pleasant.

As for your actual comment. He's not modifying the stove. He wants to modify the burn pot. As we all know, pellets are not created equal. Presumably, the mfr is making its burn pot for the average pellet size and quality, not to mention multi feed pots. Perhaps, the OP wants to burn a specific pellet, which isn't like the average pellet. If that's the case, clearly there's an opportunity to improve.

My pellet stove is made in Italy. I wouldn't be surprised if US pellets are just a tiny bit different than European pellets. Unless the mfr tests US pellets and optimizes his burn pot for those, there's again some room for possible improvement.

Lastly, the implication that his burn pot mod would somehow trigger a fire and the need for the Fire Marshal and insurance investigators implies that somehow his mod would affect the safety features of the stove.

I am not here to be 100% "nice". Whoopsy there goes that bubble. I am not sure if you have ever been part of a fire investigation but it can be very "not nice" point being lets say a fireman got hurt fighting a fire at your place. There will be a very detailed invest and if your toaster or pellet stove is altered they will find it. I do not have to be nice and I do not claim to be.

Eric

 

[chken]

I am not here to be 100% "nice". Whoopsy there goes that bubble. I am not sure if you have ever been part of a fire investigation but it can be very "not nice" point being lets say a fireman got hurt fighting a fire at your place. There will be a very detailed invest and if your toaster or pellet stove is altered they will find it. I do not have to be nice and I do not claim to be.

Eric

Hmmm… Didn't ask you to be "nice", didn't say you had to be "nice, don't care if you are "nice", but just pointing out that if you weren't getting positive reinforcement for your tough love comment, it was because it came across as confrontational and unpleasant. That's totally fine, but you know, people don't respond well to that kind of approach. Of course, you knew that.

And while I get your point, I feel somehow that you are blowing it out of proportion. What the OP, original poster, is doing does not in any way deactivate any of the safety features of his stove. How is blocking a few holes in his burn pot, any different than a clinker blocking off a few holes in his burn pot. Different holes, but same result. I just don't see where your safety issue and common sense come together.

 

[St_Earl]

op also added holes to the bottom of the burnpot. something the designers should have done in the first place.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/no-holes-in-bottom-of-burn-pot.118846/

I drilled some holes in the bottom of the pot and then covered others higher up. It's been running like this for about 5 days with no problems. I've been getting a much cleaner burn and was able to turn the air down. Before this modification, my air was turned up as high as it could go and I still wasn't getting enough. Now it's burning great and I have room for more air if needed.

I appreciate the concerns but all is well.

 

[bigblockbird]

Thadd, have the same stove and obviously the same probs. Been experimenting too, possible to post pics of your mod.? Thanx

 

[Augmister]

I believe the moral of Eric's story is don't be surprised if you get screwed if for some reason your stove causes a fire and it is found out that you modified the stove in any way.

I added rope gasket around my burn pot as suggested by me dealer and on this forum. There is now zero pellet buildup and the stove seems to be a thousand times safer. That being said, I would hate to explain it to an insurance agent.

There is a member here that works on quite a few stoves and often swaps out snap discs for different ratings and uses different blower specs than the ones that come originally. Just because things can be done and seem to help doesn't mean there may not be unforeseen negative consequences.

A lot of tinkers here. I would much rather screw around with aluminum turbulators in the heat exchanger tubes than burn pot holes. I also did the rope gasket around the burn pot and I like it too. I will second that modification!