A friend just bought a Breckwell Big E

Any advice for the Breckwell Big E 55,000 btu stove? The dealer says softwood pellets.

 

Hello
Agree, 100% softwood pellets are easier on the auger system. I also found that a taller impeller blade on the exhaust blower helps it burn much better on heat level 1.
Just my 2 cents

 

Talk to jtakeman ...I think he had a Big E at one time.

 

Hey Jay
Good Idea about the larger burn pot holes. 7/32" is very close to the new Enviro High Ash burn pot with the 1/4" holes for burning Ashy wood pellets. Did you have the old digital control panel with the gold color background on the buttons. The new control panel has the red background. Also there is a hybrid Ashley/Breckwell panel on some smaller Breckwells.with heat level 1-4 only. The panel says Ashley Hearth Products and the stove tag says made by Breckwell on the stove tag on the P22.
Anyway. the new Stainless Steel burn pot has 11/64" elongated holes so Breckwell took your advice but these holes could still be larger like 7/32" or even 1/4". The heavy 1.75 amp open frame exhaust motor with the taller impeller blades do make them burn a lot better. I am not crazy about the mini low Limit POF snap disc and the screws holding in the exhaust blower. The exhaust housing can be changed to one with the threaded studs and a regular size ceramic snap disc can then be installed,

See my pics

1. Old Control Panel
2. New control Panel
3. Ashley Hearth Products Control Panel
4. New Stainless Steel burn pot cradle

 

Yikes!...He gets it installed this week, replacing his wood stove because of chimney issues. It's his first pellet stove, so I hope the thing has been updated! I'll let you know!

 

Don...out of curiosity, what's your reasoning on this?

 

Many US Stoves and most Breckwell pellet stoves have a 1/2" diameter auger with a hitch pin to hold the auger motor with the hole in the shaft to the auger. I have seen stoves where the auger motor was lying in the bottom of the stove because when the auger jammed the motor torqued the hitch pin so much that it ripped out and tore off the bottom of the auger so the motor and end of the auger shaft fell to the bottom of the stove. Enviro's and Travis stoves have a stronger auger with a 5/8" diameter auger shaft and use a bronze auger bearing. The old Whitfield pellet stoves have an Auger shaft that is 3/4" diameter with the best auger bearing in the Biz for a top feeder - permanently lubricated high temp Nylatron! That is why they still work so well after 2o years!

Some Newer Breckwell pellet stoves now have a cheaper alluminum alloy auger bearing! Not sure how that will last. :-(

So softwood pellets are easier to crutch threw on these more delicate augers and auger bushings

See older SAE 841 oil impregnated bronze Breckwell bearing on left and new shinny alloy Breckwell Bearing on right in pics below

 

If it were me I would share all this info with your friend and steer him away from this stove before it's too late. From all I've read it's s bottom tier stove. What else does the dealer have to offer. Don is a repair guy and J has a ton of experience with stoves. Both will tackle just about any repair. If you buddy is not mechanically inclined this could be a disaster from the getgo. BTW "friends don't let friends buy breckwells "

 

Good advice there , don't want to start a former wood burner off on the wrong foot with a chitty stove , plenty of other options out there

 

Sound advice above

 

Hello
I still would not put down the whole brand based on experience with one older model. The P2000 is their flagship model and I also like the P2700 model with the modern nickel trim and 3 sided glass.
The unique burn pot with the enclosed outside air feed gives a flame like no other stove!
See video below

 

I fixed it to the correct spelling.

 

think Harmone!

 

Also
"Nothing Burns Like a Quad!"

 

I wonder what he's paying for the breakwell stove. Some great deals to be had on Craigslist this time of year