Past couple days I noticed the fire coming out of the pot higher than normal and burning a bit funny. I go to clean the stove and I needed to break-up the largest clicker I think I've ever had. I had a hard time pushing it through the dump gate at the bottom of the pot with a screwdriver. Seemed to be the size of a hockey puck Been burning a mix of IG's, NC's and CE's....
That is not good. Now you have to figure out which one caused that monster. Or maybe all three came together to form a real chitty burn.
My theory is the clinkers you guys see are the same thing as the speed bump us Harman owners see. Just a carbon buildup.
I ran two straight bags of IG's and didn't notice anything at that point but then threw a mix in of the other two that I had mixed in a bucket and bam.....I've had little ones before but not like this one.
Lol, that seems like a pain in the azz. A top feed can make clinkers if the pellets are bad or if the air flow is poor, like a burn pot bypass. Other than that I never see them. An occasional ash cash can be found but that is soft. I figured that soft clump would be what you guys see. A chisel and hammer situation is not right.
It just takes a couple of minutes. If I clean the stove every week I can usually get it by hand. If I go 2 weeks, I have to use the hammer. It's a lot easier on the hands.
always thought speedbumps we're clinkers... [As in needing something sharp and hard to break off of the burnpot bottom]... actually, no... I have had clinkers from burning shi..... pellets in the past.. big ugly dark lump of coal in the middle of the burnpot ashes....
Yea, the speed bump in the burnpot isnt a real big deal to get out, but to do it properly, the stove needs to be off. As for the chisel and hammer, its not as bad as it sounds....I dont use the hammer, but I do chisel the burnpot when I clean......takes me all of 1 minute or less....usually the speed bump comes out in one or two pieces. The speed bump IS NOT a clinker.
This is why I do not burn "shoulder" pellets to save a few cents. I just burn the good stuff year round.
This is a clinker (silca fused ash, it doesn't burn): Given a hot enough flame it will melt but not burn, a speed bump doesn't melt it is carbon and will actually burn. That is the difference.
My "shoulders" this year are $99 compared to my "good stuff" which is $280+......this year and next years savings are way more than a few cents. I hope they fire sale more this year (which I"m sure they won't) to add to the stash.
