Operating Tips for Pellet Stoves
General Information
Pellet fuel varies in size and m aterial quality. T his will effect your pellet stoves operation in several ways.
Pellet Size
Size of the pellet in both diameter and length will effect the am ount of fuel your stove will burn. In general terms a standard pellet is 1/4" in diameter and should range from ½" to 3/4". The sm aller and shorter a pellet is the faster it will feed into the stove and the larger and longer the slower. Your Easyfire stove is easily adjusted for this by changing the “trim” setting (Review the installation instruction and video). Just remem ber that if the fuel changes from bag to bag an adjustment may be needed.
Pellet Material
The base material used in m anufacture of the pellet is directly related to how much adjustment and cleaning your stove will require. W ood is made up of a number of nature com ponents. After the wood is burned, the left over material is ash and silica. If there is a low percentage of these m aterials in the wood, your Easyfire stove will eject this material out of the firepot and into the ash trap space inside the stove. During operation of the stove you will see the “fly ash” blown out into the bottom of the stove. If the pellet has a high percentage of ash and silica, these things com bine in the firepot at very high temperature to form a large mass that cannot be blown out. This will cause the firepot to fill up and the stove to run poorly.
Operating Tips
The best way to minimize the time spent cleaning and adjusting your stove is to buy fuel that is low in ash and has a consistent size. Th ere are many high quality fuels on the market that are in this category. Ask your dealer what fuel he or she has run in the stove and what works best. If you purchase fue l from another source, obtain only a couple of bags and try them out. If they run clean then consider purchasing a large quantity from that “lot.”
This type of fuel purchasing strategy also keeps your costs down. Consider buying fuel early in the heating season or even before the season starts. Once you have verified that the fuel burns satisfactorily, a purchase of one ton will generally result in the lowest possible price. This will also allow you to set up the stove and run most of the season with very little adjustments.
Daily Operation
Pellet stove heating is generally used to zone heat. This is the most practical application because you heat an area of the house that you spend the most time, i.e., the family room or living room. The stove is designed for continuous operation and is most efficient in the “Low” or “Medium” settings.
Check the stove during the day for fuel quantity and general operation. Always look through the glass at the firepot and the area above the pot. If the stove is adjusted properly with good quality fuel, the pot will be about a third full of “coals” and the surrounding area a lite tan color. This color indica tes clean com bustion. If the firepot is m ore than a third full and or the are a is black and sooting the firepot should be cleaned. T his can be accomplished by shutting the stove down or by the following method (check your operating instructions included with your stove for shut down and cleaning).
Figure 1 - Cleaning the burnpot
Cleaning the burnpot during stove operation
Warning: If extrem e caution is not observed during this proc edure, bodily injury or property dam age will result. If you have any doubts or concerns shut the stove down and follow the cleaning instructions in the installation guide.
Note: This procedure does not replace the cleaning and maintains required in the installation and operation instruction accompanying the stove.
Tools required:
1 - An old table spoon
1 - Glove or hand protection
1)Turn stove to “low” setting and allow the flam e to burn down.
2)Open door and carefully with a protected hand and the spoon remove coals from firepot and deposit them into the bottom of the stove (fig 1).
3)Rem ove all ash and coals in the fire pot leaving only a small amount in the center to light the incoming pellets.
4)Close and latch the door. Turn the control knob to the “Clean” setting for 15 seconds to blown ash from fire pot.
W arning: Do not operate stove on clean setting for m ore than 30 seconds or permanent dam age m ay occur.
5)Return stove to the preferred operating setting.
This method of cleaning when safely accomplished, or cleaning by shutting the stove off com pletely will result in clean operation and increased utility.
For additional information regarding pellet stove fuels or operation contact your dealer customer service.
Sierra Products, Inc.
5061 Brooks St., Ste. B, Montclair, CA 91763
Phone
Fax
www.sierraproductsinc.net
Sierra Products, Inc. 5061 Brooks St., Ste. B Montclair, CA 91763
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