15 year burner and still finding new tricks. I'm probably the only one that hadn't figured this one out already... When cleaning out the igniter chamber (the area beneath the burn pot), I would normally back out the two screws just far enough to be able to get the cover off, clean away - done. This season I learned if you take those two screws ALL the way out, you are able to get significantly more ash out, and much more easily as well. It's hard to believe how much ash those screws allow to remain up inside the chamber. Back them all the way out, and persistently tap on the burnpot and watch the ash rapidly fall from the area just above where the screws sit. And when you think you are done, keep tapping, because there's always a little more in there. An ash vac with the small tube attachment also does wonders with cleaning this area (that part is not new).
Oh sure, now you come up with this. I put the P43 to sleep for the summer yesterday. I'll have to remember to try this next fall.
I also tap on the shield under the ignitor. It fills with ash then doesn't light well or can even cause that ignition explosion if I let it go too long.
Hello Sometimes I blow out under the burn pot with a compressor and use a drill bit to scrap all the ash out of the holes.
I use canned air to blow out some ash while I hold the ash vac hose in there. I found a flexible crevice tool attachment from an old vacuum cleaner we had that fits the Powersmith hose. Makes it easy to bend it and reach more of the inside of the burnpot. I use a nail to clean out the burnpot holes. Remember to bend the head end over so it has an L shape and won't fall thru if you lose you grip on it. A T-handle small allen wrench will do the trick as well. sam
The boom method doesn't always work on all the holes Mr. MWP, as I am sure you found out. Summing up clean up really good and check it all twice or more after cleaning.
Hello One of the best tools I have found for cleaning the old Harman black carbon speed bump is the Harbor Freight - Air Scraper Kit Only $29.99 you cannot go wrong! Works amazingly well!
It would probably be more clear if I said: Besides cleaning the burn pot and air duct under the burn pot, I also clean the ignitor fins. Otherwise, it go boom. I've never had the holes in the burn pot plug. A scraping of the Harman Speed Bump has always cleaned them out. I have had the burn pot warp in the center. My brother, who also has a PB105, had his burn pot warp as well. I also use a brush on the boiler heat exchanger + exhaust, and a leaf blower. But that's a different cleaning which I do once or twice per year.
When I first got my stove (I have the insert) I noticed it slowly taking longer and longer to ignite until it timed out and wouldn't ignite. I had no idea that door was there. When I figured that out there was a ton of ashes up there and it took probably 10 minutes to clean it out - after that it fired right up.
Same thing happened to me the first season we had the P68, it was packed so tight I don't think one more granule of ash could have fit in there!
