When to clean ??? pic included for reference

[timinct]

This is after 3 days running 24/7 on level 3. Breckwell P23I. Is this ideal for cleaning or should I let it go longer? Someone else thought that every 3 days is too often. I look at the amount of ash around the pan and think it needs it. So, am I creating to much work for myself? I was doing it daily when I first started then I saw a picture of someone else's on here. This is my first year with it.
Thanks for the help. Great site by the way!!

 

[Raven20]

I never let the ash buildup in my stove that much...(but that's just me).....For some reason I like a cleaner looking stove....

 

[j00fek]

id clean that asap

 

[Shortstuff]

That's a lot more ash than I would have when I cleaned it, but it's more important that the burn pot remains clean enough to work efficiently.

That seems like an awful lot of ash for only 3 days to me.

Steve

 

[Wet1]

I'd at least scrape clean the burn pot area. I'd never buy another pellet stove w/o an ash dump...

 

[bungalobob]

I'm with Wet1 on that, life is easier with an ash pan (a big one, at that).

 

[crausch]

That looks like a lot of ash to me, but as a silver lining to your picture...the ash looks good. No clumps, all light colored, fluffy not sandy. What type of pellets are burning?

 

[timinct]

That looks like a lot of ash to me, but as a silver lining to your picture...the ash looks good. No clumps, all light colored, fluffy not sandy. What type of pellets are burning?

Burning Michigan Wood Pellet Fuel.

Thanks for the responses. I guess I will stick with cleaning every 2-3 days. That is what I bought the ash vac for.

 

[tinkabranc]

A clean stove is a happy stove! ;-)

 

[stoveguy13]

i would go back to every day if i was you that is alot of build up.

 

[woodsman23]

That door gasket looks a bit frayed maybe a issue.

 

[South of Boston]

Seems like a bit much I have been cleaning 2-3 days burning 1-1/2 bags each day. Don't get that much ash.

 

[jaybyer]

I always read how some only clean their stove out every few days. I vacuum mine out every day. Each morning I shut it down, clean the glass, scrape the burn-pot, break-up the clinkers, and move the ash to the ash pan, and each afternoon I shut it down again and do all of this and vacuum the ash out. About every other day I clean out the ash traps, use a brush to get the ash off the back wall, and try to get as much ash out as I can. If I had better pellets I might not have to do this much. I am burning Warm Front, but when I burned Ligneteics, or Blazer pellets I found less clinkers, less ash. cleaner glass, and much more heat. My stove is a St. Croix York insert. One thing I find strange is I can see the flame behind the fake brick facade, which makes me wonder how much ash is back there, and how to get it out on a regular basis, or whether I need to?

The one thing I've learned in my first year is how important the quality of pellets is. Too bad for me I bought 3 tons of the Warm Front. Lucky for me the cost of oil is about the same as the cost of pellets because if I want a warm house when the temp is 7 degrees outside like it is now these pellets wouldn't cut it!!

JB

 

[cms0553]

Looks exactly like my P-22 FS after 4 days of burning. Vacuumed out this evening and gets the regular cleaning on Saturday.
I am very pleased with my Breckwell, no problems so far.

 

[woodsman23]

I clean my st croix 1x every 2 weeks. I just open scrape and clean the glass when needed. I have a huge ash pan. If i had to clean it everyday i'd get rid of it.

 

[buildingmaint]

The amount of time between cleanings varies , from pellet type to , how many pellets burned. I clean mine 1 time a week , I burn 8-10 bags . I f I burned 15 - 20 bags I would clean it out 2 times a week . Keep it clean , and you will be happier , beer will taste better , you will look better in the mirror, some may say you look smarter.

 

[breklaw]

I turn the stove down to 1, wait about 20 minutes, scrape the burnpot to the sides, with a 4 inch scraper every evening. Then on the weekend, total shutdown, cool, stirring ash and breaking up clinkers, crafsman shop vac outside w/ regular filter, hose extension through the door, vac out takes about 5 minutes, clean glass and re-light before the stove even gets cold. I am having a rough season with pellets, my regular source here (Millbury) kinda screwed me and I wound up with 3 tons of OBECKS PREMIUM (not). They have lots of fines, not that my stove has any problems with them, TONS OF KLINKERS and ash, unlike what I was burning prior, which was LG. Thats what my receipt says I bought. Now that it is really cold, I am burning WAY more and having to clean WAY MORE. Snot good! Anybody else with OBECKS CRAPPY PELLETS?