Pellet Stove Top Feeder Fire YoYo Effect. Do this happen in your stove?

Hello

See video of fire growing to a nice flame and then going down to red wood pellet coals.
This is a 1997 Lopi Pioneer Bay fire YoYo effect.

This may be extreme and seems like there maybe room for some improvement?

Did you see this in your stove and what did you do to improve it?
i.e. Change the auger bearing or the control panel?

 

Don, flame looks good - it appears to be starving for fuel in the burnpot, at that combustion air rate.

* I can duplicate that same condition here, by trimming pellet feed rate at a given combustion blower RPM (air rate).

(How to fix on the Lopi, don't have a clue.)

 

Edit: if this is the stove in the video:

http://www.lopistoves.com/TravisDocs/93508050.pdf

Then I would adjust air down 1 notch, using the restrictor adjustment, page 20.

 

Thanks cleanfire for your analysis. I will try the air adjustment.
It is the Lopi Pioneer Bay and I just did the restrictor upgrade so it is easier to adjust.
See pics
Let's do a Lopi - Avalon small stove Damper upgrade! | Firewood Hoarders Club

 

It's a nice looking stove Don - I can see why you would want to rehab / upgrade the Pioneer.

Even though it may be 'aesthetically unpleasing', that burn pattern is very efficient (running 'lean'), and providing enough material remains in the fire pot so the flame doesn't go out, it shouldn't cause any issues running like that.

* On the Francesca here, a 'top-fed' stove, there is always -some- variation with flame: depending on auger feed rate, air rate, and pellet length / quality.. This burn pattern is more apparent on lower feed rates on the stove here.

So some flame cycling is 'normal' here, I think you will find as you tweak air and/or fuel, it will lengthen that cycle time accordingly.

 

The yo yo thing is pretty much it.

Our Whits do it, especially after a complete cleaning.
It's more pronounced until the stove gets hot and a good bed of coals builds up.

Still though the fire ebbs and flows with the cycle of the fuel drop.

A higher setting (less time between drops) helps, but then the stove will melt

 

Hello

I decreased the damper as much as I could
Should it be better than this on Medium heat when the YoYo effect is low?

 

Hello
Do you think a dirty auger and nasty dirty auger bearing and an auger motor with skinny mini magnetic plates contributed to this yo-yo fire effect?

Will a buffed up clean auger, new hi quality GA auger motor and new hi temp nylon auger bearing help keep the fire from smoldering?

See pics

Pic 1 - Control panel heat setting shown on medium heat level
Pic 2 - dirty auger and old tired auger motor
Pic 3 - Dirty auger top
Pic 4 - Dirty auger bottom
Pic 5 - Dirty Bronze bearing
Pic 6 - Old dirty auger motor with only a few magnetic plates
Pic 7 - New high temperature nylon auger bearing in end plate
Pic 8 - New auger motor, bearing and clean buffed out auger installed!

 

If all that squaring and jigging does not help, NOTHING will.

Looks great Don

 

Hi Dexter
Cleaning up the auger and beefing up the auger motor and bearing keeps the fire from smoldering.
Still has some yo-yo effect which is fairly normal according to the general consensus
See pic below after new auger motor and bearing

 

Install a speed controller in the feed to the draft fan and adjust it into the sweet spot.

Buttttt, if you are going to sell it these thing are generally waaaaayyyy too much thinking for most folks.

 

Great idea Snowy. I would do it if I keep it as mine.
The good news is my new helper is building a corner hearth for my new workshop since I do not have the time!