Biggest Mistake Pellet Stove Maintenance 

Keep in mind that I've only used it for a couple weeks, that being said, so far so good ru-vid.comUgkxAU9pOCSV9Y5JprooHvfxTpOrt4hx8uRM . Using it at 8 ft. by 8ft. deer blind that is insulated. I have to keep the door cracked for it to get enough air to burn, but that is very likely the wood I've used. Much better quality than I expected for the price. Now if I can just take it easy in the beginning it won't be 90 degrees in my blind. All in all it seems like a keeper.

Damn man!! Thank you so much for sharing this info...I feel like such a dumb ass! My stove went from zero to hero due to you sharing this...big thanks!

Great video. I clean the air blower twice a year. Once before the winter season starts and half way through the season. Also I have a Harmon Advance which has a chain motor and that should be oiled once a year as well.

Great advice! Thanks for the heads up on what not to miss when cleaning. We just got our first pellet insert last year and burned about one ton plus another 40 bags probably. It's only July, but we want to make sure we are ready when it's time to fire it up. We're in Michigan with some bitter temps, so it was shocking to hear 4 tons is what you burned. But that is still way cheaper than propane!!! Best decision we've made in a long time!! How in the world are people going to afford propane this year???

Can you do a video on how to access the blower, remove it, then putting it back? That would have been super helpful! Many thanks.

Thank you! I knew that I was missing something with my annual pellet stove cleaning. I’ll be all set this year and maybe I’ll burn less pellets? Time will tell. Thanks again!

Maintenance Maintenance. Looking up the process in your manual is paramount! If you have access to an air compressor or portable air tank 🤔 Take a vacuum and stick the hose in back where the fan goes to catch the mess. Blow air in the front of the exchanger with the compressor. This will ensure you have all the dirt out. Some of the blower motors also have places to lube the bearings/bushings.

We have a Napoleon NPS 45. Both the exhaust and intake blower are super easy to clean and I clean them after every ton I burn.

Glad I found your website. very helpful indeed. my Bixby stove has a pleated paper air filter before the fan but the fan still needed cleaning.

Thanks Good to know, I’ll clean mine this spring

Ok, I took my cover off the next morning, I must tell you my squirrel cage fan was dust free but the intake to the motor was very dirty, vacuumed it out then put it back with also a new filter. With me cleaning my furnace quite often and changing the filter twice a year maybe the secret. I burn 4 tons per year which are spruce and pine, I did find burning fir it was a hotter burn and way less ash.

Hi, My stove is about 11 years old. I have made certian that it has been thoroughly cleaned. Initially the stove would not fire up and get going. Based on the Circuit Board blinking on the #3 position after going into safe mode and reviewing the owners manual troubleshooting, I replaced the POF Switch and while I was there, replaced the High Limit Switch. The stove Now Starts and runs for about 15 minutes which it wasnt doing prior to the switches being replaced, and then the pellets started dropping. One thing I have noiticed is that the Convection Fan does not seem to be kicking in as it used too. I remembered that I used to hear both the combustion and convection fan both come on for awhile before one (I assume the convection) fan would shut off for a period of time. I believe the convection fan does work as It will turn on IF I push in on the red reset button on the High Limit Switch and stop upon release of the the reset button. I can also visually confirm that the combustion fan is running upon the stove running. Based on the information that I am able to provide, do you have any idea of what the issue may be? I was going to replace the Fan unit, but as I said it does turn on when I push the reset button which tells me that its getting power and does run. Not sure if it would act any different if I run power directly to the motor leads. Is there a relay or switch which causes it to come on that I have missed? Any help that you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Great video, i have a chimney sweep service. They are suppose to clean the blowers. I will check them. Thank you

Good video, it does make a huge difference. Believe it or not I have seen much worse on used pellet stoves I purchased.Three things that are missing on my pellet stoves: 1) Casters 2) Quick, positive seal disconnect for the exhaust gas connection 3) Internal ducting to a filer housing for convection air blowers I live in California and burn Home Depot stove chow and our home is a dust magnet due to the low humidity. I'm going to experiment with than fan filter idea if anyone has suggestions...

Thanks for the advice own pellet stove

I just ordered 2 distribution blowers for an old 1993 Englander pellet stove. It has been sitting on the back porch for 10 years. Brought it in and set it up today, put a new control board in it and found out both fans were stopped dead.

Thanks a lot

Thank you for the heads up on the fan

Thank you! Good video 😊

thanks brodie

I clean the squirrel cage every other week. But recently I discovered that a lot of that dust hair lint etc had collected on the inside of the volute the fan rotates in. Used the good ol toothbrush on that too.

Great video! We have the same profile picture!! Haha

Thanks. Great advice...

Also don't forget to check the chimney cap. I normally run a wire brush through the chimney pipe at least once a season. Last year I was having problems with the exhaust and discovered that the chimney cap was plugged with soot.

That was a great tip! Thanks very much! How difficult was it to get the blower out to clean it?

Holy crap, now I know what to do first thing in the morning, never cleaned in 11 yrs

I bought a new blower motor and squirrel cage just last year this year it got so loud that I couldn't stand it. When I opened it up to look, i noticed the squirrel cage was filthy. So dirty that it was out of balance. Cleaned it up with a bottle brush and vacuum, ran like the day I bought it. I also noticed that the new squirrel cage is just a little different. The blades are smaller and a little closer together. And that's probably why it got so dirty so fast.

I just moved somewhere with my 1st pellet stove can you elaborate on the pellet quality you mentioned? What to look for and what to avoid? What it effects?

Can you do a follow up video to this? Just bought a home that has a pellet stove. Cleaned out the blower like you said. I must have taken out about a half a pound of plastered dirt and dust from the blower alone.

must be from New England, HAHA your ascent. me too, New Hampshire. I have a window screen on my Intake for the distribution blower. I clean it often do to me having to replace a $300 distribution blower, do to it getting clogged up with CRAP, dog fur, Dust, and other debris getting sucked into it. I rinse the sreening about once a week.. Holy Cow it is nasty. been doing this for a few years, WORK GREAT!! thank you for your video, thumbs up. Rdownergarage

Bought a pelpro 130 two years ago, just finished cleaning it, planned on doing the squirrel cage tomorrow, (first time)I don't imagine it'll be as dirty as yours.

Where can I find parts. Mine is an insert. Just needs a tray where the pallets fall into. Or do I go with a fireplace cleaning company

Hahaha! 'stove chow' - nice. thanks for the fan tip.

To combat this problem on my Harman p68, with that round open-hole plate removed from the blower, stretch a women's thigh-high leg hosiery over the opening. Screw the plate back onto the blower. The fine mesh of the hosiery acts as a filter protecting the blower from dust and hair. .. Then, every two or three days, use a small brush or vacuum to clean the surface of the hose. My squirrel cage still looks almost new. .. Replace the thigh-high hosiery if it starts to tear, usually every two or three years.

I don't think I have that part on my stove but it is a boiler rather than a room heater. I'm trying to find advice on general maintenance on these stoves. I have just installed this thing secondhand and it is not going well! Latest problem is with the auger feed for the pellets. For some reason the motor is not bolted down but is free to rotate instead of the screw rotating. Perhaps it is a safety feature so that if something jams the screw it does not burn out the motor? I will have to empty the hopper with a vacuum cleaner and check for a blockage

Where do you find it??

Good call. I just replaced my (Englander) blower motor last week after 12 years when if finally just died. It looked just like yours - very clogged. My new motor ($109) runs very well and will get an annual cleaning so this never happens again.

Well thank you for your great video ,I just bought a pellet stove ,bought a Harman ( Absolute Series ),The same kind in your home in video . Looking forward to your next video , 45 years of fire wood , at some point , it time ,I went to pellets from Elk Wash. ,firewood is $350 to $400 a cord for red fur or tamarack. Pellets (North Idaho Pellets ) $210.per ton . I used 6to7 cords of wood .expensive ,hope fully at $210 per ton The salesman .? stated I would use maybe 2 tons , I think he be wrong .I was wondering if you have a good idea of what type of vacuum cleaner to use ?

I have had my P43 for almost 10 years, this was the first year I took mine out to look at it and there was almost nothing in there as far as dirt or buildup.

Is there anything internal on a stove you need to grease? We moved into a house with a pellet stove and after it’s been on for the day, the pellet turner in the little fire box screeches and makes an awful noise. Afraid it’s going to break on me or something. Def gong to try and clean the blower fan now though.

Check the blower bearings too.

Great down home video, I thought that was pretty cool to know that you went from 4T to 5T . Are you saying that you burn 10,000 lbs. each season Wow. Last year I tried zoned heating with those little cheep felipo 6" heaters/w thermostats $24, I bought like 8 of them, used them as I needed them, heated pad for the seat, heated mattress pad for sleep average bill $150.00 per month. The Province is handing out mini-splits, they gave me 4-18,000 btu units, their cost $35,000, I only use 3 for a total of 30 hrs. per day set @ 61 degrees, my Bills are now @ $500.00, just restored a wood furnace, time to cut down some trees. electricity is going crazy. Only a couple of days in on the wood furnace...zoned heating is much much more easy and convenient, I don't mind using my body as a furnace dressing warm...cheers

Stove Chow lol. I'm in Vermont, having the same issues with my P68. Except, mine is exploding with some crazy shit inside, which cracked my glass in half. Starting from cold, but after ignition, large pops inside. Everyone says I'm a loon and there is nothing that would cause this. It threw something out on the floor one of the times that it did this, too. Something that glowed for a second, like an ember.

Any suggestion for a new Italian pellet stove with a negative pressure switch alarm ?

My question is how do you get to that motor and stuff? My pellet stove weighs a ton and I'm sure the person that lived in this house before did not clean it well and stuff. The pellet stoves not operating properly it's feeding too many pellets and I know the airflow is not good.

I pull my stove in spring and vacuum out back and all fans

Hello… how about showing us where it’s located and how to take it out to clean. 🤔

My fan doesn't blow like it used to, it probably needs a good cleaning, my control panel not working good at all probably got alot of dust inside my panel

Great video, great presentation and right to the fucking point. You make great video's keep it up.

Knowing how bad the fan on my wood insert would get and need cleaning I can’t believe I’ve never thought to clean on the P61. I left the blower attached and just cleaned with toothbrush and shop vac. Yours was clean compared to mine it’s been about 7 years. huge difference in the increased air flow. Do you think it was easier to detach the blower to clean? I will be adding this as a step to the year end cleaning. Thanks for the video!

These blowers need a filter over the fan. This happens to any fan that does not have a filter. Even your house hold AC unit has a squal cage fan that can be clogged with dirt and cause high heating and Cooling bills. Keep the filters replaced often.

just cleaned my Ravelli 100 pellet ,fan blocked ,great flame but code states need smoke sensor , ordered 1 , do you know how to change it? thanks Mike from Westerly, R.I.

Where is the distribution air blower thing on the stove?

SO .... did you use 4 tons or 5 tons of pellets????? GREAT cleaning tip!!

Hit it with some compressed air in a can or from your compressor and have a vacuum to it at the same time to grab the dust

Welp, time to go out at 12:30 in the morning and check the Englander stove in my shop....

I clean my blower every year!

ok, the best cleaner for your firebox door or pellet stove glass is from the dollar store or 99 cent store is called awesome carpet spot and stain remover. it's in a red spray bottle. works like crazy. spray it on and wipe it off!!! all so it's a great degreaser works on all kind of stuff

Thanks I am a widow at 70 and can't afford the 150.00 check stove clean husband did all will look at it when stops was having issues with blower on not feeding hit manually on back only works 1 time then have to wait again blue light blinked did not catch how many. Cleaned vent pipes afew spider webs, need to buy new vacuum now😢

...So if the fan is collecting that much dirt, how much is in the heat exchanger and hot air tubes? ....This would cause the loss of heat transfer and the stove would not blow the hottest air possible....How would you clean (other than blow and vacuum ) the whole heat exchanger ? ......We are trying to get the stove in my shop to put out more heat as it only blows luke warm even after the complete combustion system has been thoroughly cleaned.....The distribution air blower was pretty clean already, but a previous owner may have seen to that, so the heat exchanger/tubes has me curious........

Why does my Castile pellet stove burn hot then almost go out over and over

When youre married, everything seems to start grumbling after 7 years.... :)

Lol, I first thought I only had my pellet furnace for 11 yrs, but no 15 yrs, went back on my accounts

I clean mine monthly with a stiff toothbrush as the bristles flex and reach places near the sides..

Ok and the update on tonnage in the last year? Are you back down to 4 tons?

Need to oil the blower bearings!

I think im at 7 years too, it started really struggling and making noise

What you heard was the fire burning hotter and faster, a "rocket" sound. The You have an air gap somewhere that is allowing unregulated oxygen to reach the burn chamber and cause the fire to burn faster and hotter than designed. Your clogged fan was just diminishing the flow of warmed air into the room. Good tip though, you're right about how easy it is to overlook a fan!

Where is it located???

I burn 2 ton HEAT’RS pellet very good... 255.00 a ton.. 3ded/2bath home keep it at 65 degrees for me

I'm the 800th like... Booyah... Oh btw great advice

I clean ours out every half ton burned. Clean

DEAD,DEAD,DEAD..I have Enviro Empress FS, my combustion fan stopped working. While I was troubleshooting I popped the circuit board, changed the fuse…nothing. I order a circuit breaker but no juice. I tried what you said about disconnecting all the motors then adding them back no juice at all. I have been a pellet stove user for 10 yrs and this is the first time this as happened. Maybe I need a new wire harass or Do you think they sent me a bad circuit board..is there anyway of testing any thing. Nothing is working😮

My wife has 2 cats & my fan gets clogged with cat hairs & needs to be removed & cleaned every year. I clean mine with a toothbrush and soap & water outside using a very fine high pressure mist careful not to get water into the motor or motor bearings.

Prix berger allemend!

Hi, it maybe not a bad idea to just order and install a new blower motor section.

How do I access this part?

Just moved into a house I’m renting that has one of these damned pellet stoves. What a racket: these things require cleaning daily, monthly, yearly and a 40-lb sack of pellets ain’t cheap and won’t last but several hours tops even at 70-F. Why in hell can’t they just build a house with a heat pump? Simple, efficient, heats/cools the whole house, no cleaning required and no fire hazard. Just change the indoor filter twice a year, you’re done. And unlike pellet stoves, a quality heat pump will last 15 years or longer, easily. I doubt I’ll be here long enough to worry about this stupid stove; the location is bad enough w/o worrying about stomping outside in snow and ice just to feed that greedy pellet-gobbling thing.

hollah

Just an idea while you're cleaning fans! Check your Fart Fans in your bathrooms that should be cleaned once a year also. Lol🤭🤔☠💩

If you're fan is that bad it's because when you clean your stove you need to vent your vacuum exhaust out side when cleaning.Your house is full of dust not good.

This looks like the one Noah had on the Ark.

harman advance

Here in Ireland 🇮🇪 we have certified pellet stove installers and all pellet stoves should be cleaned and serviced by a certified engineer

That poor poor pellet stove. What did it do to you to get that treatment :)

Hi, you must have a dog? Those hairs look like cat or dog hairs. Please do not forget to oil the blower bearing when cleaning the blower cage.

Have you ever thought about oiling your motor

this is what happens when people dont clean, PROPERLY, in the off season when your not using it,, clean everything in it,,, thats pure laziness,,,,,,,,,,,,,