What do you pellet heads think about this?

Here are two pictures of the front room of the camp to show you what the Summer's Heat pellet stove is dealing with in our camp. The windows provide a beautiful view, but they also provide a serious cold when it is really cold and windy! Now last night I turned the stove up to the setting of 7-7 before I left the camp at about 7:30. I thought I would warm the camp up so that when I came down in the morning it would be comfortable enough. Thinking it would be high fifties or low sixties with the really cold air and wind we expecting last night.

This did not pan out. I came down and the front room of the camp was 45 degrees. The stove is doing the job I want it to and keeping the electricity from kicking on. But I thought it should be warmer than that. I had just cleaned the stove and filled it with the Timber Heat pellets I have been burning from Lowe's. Now the flame to me seems small at times. It seems to me that on a setting of 7-7 it should have a bigger flame. So I turned it up to 9-9 and let it burn at that for several hours this morning. But the flame would be pretty good sometimes and small sometimes. Not putting out that much heat when the flame was small. I don't have any experience with pellet stoves before this one. It seems like the flame gets going pretty well, then sometimes the pellets that drop into it seem to knock the flame down.

There were some times when the stove was running on 9-9 this morning and it was hardly putting any heat out, then it would start putting it out better. Is it the quality of the pellets? I did check the pot again and make sure it was clean. All seemed well there.

Got any suggestions?

 

Well, the pellets DO make a difference, especially in really cold conditions. I'm using the TH's now too, but will be dumping some Somersets in my stove tonight to deal with the 10-15 degree temps + wind we're expecting.

This is a 25-pdvc?...I forget what you got, and you haven't put it in your signature line yet (good idea so we don't have to keep asking).

I wonder if you're mode is correct, or could be changed to increase heat output. Mike H would be the one to comment on that, although we may have some members who can comment too. On 9-9. that fire should be roaring.

Don't know what kind of insulation you have in the camp (if any), and those windows are going to hurt things...are they single, double, etc glazed? Do you feel any drafts around them? Have you tried the burning match around the edges of the frames to see if they're any drafts?

 

imacman...he has a 25 PAH.....

 

OK....then I think he can bump the LFF and LBA to get more pellets & air flowing.

Gasifier, what are the bottom 3 buttons set at?

 

Hmm. Good question. I don't know. Factory settings I guess. I didn't think I would need to adjust them at all. I will get on that signature thingy!

 

Just press each button, left to right, and write what numbers show....post them here. We might be able to bump them for some more heat.

 

The PAH is a good little heater and should be producing a tall lively flame if running right. My neighbors house is probably less insulated than your cabin and he has lots of old single pane windows without storms. His PAH does an extraordinary job heating his place.

I THINK the bottom buttons are supposed to be 1-4-1 from factory. I think.

How many square feet are you trying to heat and are you using anything to move the air?

 

Okay. Thank you. I will do this sometime Monday morning when I take a break from cutting wood out in the woods. Looks like it is going to be a little chilly again tomorrow morning. Hopefully one of you guys will be on line and in da house at that time.

 

The windows are good windows. I think they are Andersons and are probably 20 years old or so. The insulation is decent. Not good. I am trying to heat a little over 1000 sq.ft. I am using a small fan that sits in a pass through from the front room where the stove is and into the large center room of the camp where the kitchen/dining area is. There is also a large archway between the rooms as well. Between the blower on the stove and the little fan the temperature in the back of the large center room of the camp stays pretty close to the temperature of the room with the stove. Usually about 3-5 degrees cooler.

 

Okay. Anyone at home now. I'm at the camp and the settings on the three buttons on the bottom are 1-4-1, just like hrs said above.

I just realized my manual is not down here. Doh! I don't know how to adjust the buttons. Can ya help me out boys?

 

To increase LBA, Press the center button on the bottom of the control panel, labeled "Low Air Burn." The control panel will display the number the low air burn is at. To increase the low air burn number press the up arrow buttons below the heat range and blower speed. You must press both of the up arrow buttons at the same time to adjust the number. Press the down arrows at the same time to decrease the number.
Same instructions for LFF.

If increasing LFF, you might need to increase LBA. More fuel typically needs more air.

Have you double checked venting, stove cleanliness, and things like this? That stove puts a lot of air through the burn pot and rarely needs more from the control buttons.

I guess if it's really cold, though, you may need to catch up and get a good heat soak before it settles in well.

Either way, the flame should be pretty steady unless you're running in hi/lo with a thermostat and it's idling down when tstat is satisfied.

 

Thanks guys. I got a little busy cutting wood today and am now sitting comfy in a chair after a hot shower. I will change the settings in the am tomorrow. Camp was at 47 this morning on setting 7-7 on the stove. It was about friggin cold as chit outside with a slight wind. Brrrrr.

 

I do think this may be a low pellet feed issue. Seems like there is not enough pellets in the thingy there. What do you call that thing? Basket? Hopper? Tray? Man, I must be tired!

 

burn pot? lol

 

Daaa. I just also remembered I have to go down to the camp and feed the pellet stove this evening. Daaa, will any of you be on this hear thing-a-ma-bobber later about 7ish? Daaa. I a ........ I forgot what I was going to say. Nebermind.

 

someone should be here.....just post

 

I'd set the lower 3 buttons at 3-6-1 for a start. That will give you more fuel, and some additional air to help the burn.

 

Stove is clean. Venting seems fine. Should be. Stove is almost brand new. Just bought it and have put maybe twenty some bags of pellets through it. As far as hi/lo, I did have it on hi/lo with the thermostat. But I actually turned the power strip off to it and I think that resets it to factory settings? Maybe. I just decided to leave it on what I thought the temperatures need to keep the camp in the 40s or 50s. Even if it is still running on high low, the thermostat has not been being met. I tried turning the stat up to high 50s and it did not help my flame/heat situation. So I am thinking it is just running on what he settings are. Currently 7-7. I will see what happens when I turn the settings up a little tonight. And then check in the morning tomorrow. Of course it is now warming up to mid 20s and maybe low 30s. But I should still see an increase in flame.