We've burned corn in the past years with no issues. We have the Countryside Magnum stove and had it for about 6-7 years or so. This year with the high prices of corn we switched to wood pellets. And I can't seem to get them to burn correctly. Does anyone know if the is a different setting for pellets?

I was talking to a gentleman that owns a Bixby and he says those have a setting to switch to from corn to wood pellets.

Looking for some input cause I can not find anything in the owners manual.


thanks for any help

Hi mike-minn13,

I started replying to your posting last night but the server went down as I submitted my post. Let me know what is going on. Usually getting any fuel burning right is a matter of getting the combustion air adjusted. Adjust the air in small amounts at a time and allow the change to take effect. You probably already know that but have used your stove to burn corn so long you forgot what you did when you first started using the stove.

Tall

OMG I tried to write back earlier tonight at work, only to get kicked off. Then I spent the past 40 min trying to get back on the chat forum and it wouldn't let me log in.

OK, basically it isn't burning correctly leaving way too much fuel in the pot, throwing it over the side. I have been playing with the side vent and when I get it where I think it needs to be the flame it way too rapid and the fly ash is everywhere.

I have been playing with the "pull outs" the 2 on the bottom for cleaning. If I pull one out about 1-1 1/2" it give some different air flow that makes my flame burn (more) correctly and that allows me to push my side vent in some so I don't have so much fly ash. Also, when I do this my glass looks clean in the mornings. If I don't do this no matter how far out my vent is the glass ends up black.

Note: there shouldn't be any issue with the pellets being damp or anything like that cause I store them inside (porch) and they are bagged as I bought them.

Any info is appreciated. Sorry, I had planned on being more informative but my issue with not being able to log-on has got me all worked-up and used up my time to write.

I will check back as I can.

thanks

When I first got my stove I had a different exhaust setup. The exhaust pipe went through a cover plate over my fireplace and up inside the chimney. Even with the side exhaust gate closed the burn pot would eventually lose out when the corn burned faster than the auger could feed it. I was burning corn back then (less than $2 per bushel) and I was trying to keep the stove running on #1 setting. I was getting too much draft. My dealer suggested pulling the left cleanout plate out until it cut the draft down so the fuel didn't burn so quickly. That worked. After I got the slide where I needed to pull it out to I put a strip of masking tape on the slide to mark the position. Then when I moved the slide for cleaning I could use the tape for reference to where to reset the slide. Even if you need to change the slide adjustment for a change in fuel, etc. you have a reference with the tape.
I think if you look back in the old forum you can find lots of discussion and pictures about adjusting the draft. Other than adding pellets and dumping the burn pot every couple of days I've got my stove pretty close to "set it and forget it".

Fly ash is almost a requirement of burning pellets.. I have a buddy with a Baby and a 3500.

The more air, the better (to a point)!! You dontnwantna lazy flame with pellets, you want live and active. Corn requires less air and builds a clinker (depends on stove).

My 10-CPM is set up like the 3500 (stirrer) and it Loves air for pellets. Fly ash is an indication that the pot is being cleaned by combustion air. Rather than ash fall through the pot and clog the intake.

Yeah, and a lot of your heat is getting blown out the stack. High draft doesn't work at the lowest heat setting either, the fire will go out if there isn't enough burning pellets maintained in the burn pot to hold a fire.

I did burn it at a higher setting to get the pellets out. (that seemed to help burn better at a higher setting, but still have some adjustments to make. Still think that flame is too wild and fly ash is too much).

Another issue you guys can maybe help with. My feed auger squeaks, whines and grinds. Not sure why. Like I said above, I burned all the fuel out of it and I am going to look in there this weekend and see if there are some unwanted particles is in there or something. Anyway of lubing that inner auger area? It never Squeaked before, just since I started with the wood pellets.

thanks

A little powder graphite in hopper will quiet squeak if coming from auger, zerk and add grease if coming from auger motor.

Oh, the graphite powder worked great. Couple bucks and and it is quiet as it was the day we bought it.
Thanks for that tip.

Still working with the fly ash issue.



thanks again!