Wow - I have to commend all of you who help out with this site you all rock! What a bunch of knowledge!!!

I was hoping you could help me out with my install of a used 7100 I have bought. Ill try to keep it short but detailed!

This stove was around 4 years old and only burned corn - it looked really clean to me!!
I really wanted to burn pellets so I bought the Negative vent kit from my local dealer. The kit i bought was the unit that attaches right to the back of the stove at the vent output I orientated the output of the kit straight up and the vent goes up 4 feet then goes to the flexible tube that comes with the exterior through the wall kit out the side of the house.

I removed the Positive fan inside the unit and I installed the cover over the hole where the fan was. The cover that came with the conversion kit (has a hole in the center of it w/ rubber grommet) did not line up with the studs on the unit so I just installed it on one stud and tightened it up tight over the hole.
With the kit it also came with TWO plugs one I am sure from the half readable directions goes into the pipe that I could see coming up in the center of the vent pipe- so i used the caulk around it and installed it with the magnet technique. Was it a mistake that they sent a second plug??? lastly I installed the updated auger.

All is good right?????

Not really I lit the stove and I noticed a few things. And Im hoping for some guidance from you professionals!
It seemed like the stove wasn't burning very clean, it smoked a lot at the exhaust, and the flame danced around inside like it was crying for oxygen to burn, the pellets weren't burning up in the pot quick enough they would back up in the shoot and then jam the auger also the glass covered with soot in less then a half hour so I couldn't see the flame any more. I read as much as I could find on line and then I stared experimenting.

What I tried
1. I moved the positive fan cover plate that i added to the side to expose 1/4" gap. I noticed it was trying to suck air in - the flame immediately jumped up and the stove began burning real hot. YAY! Is it okay to keep this gap open??? why do they send the cover - I wish they had better conversion kit instructions!!
2. I also covered up the other side of the positive pressure hose (that didnt seem to do much)
3. after this I noticed the flame was real nice and the pellets were burning up real well it it was generating real good heat BUT it seemed like the flame was favoring burning up toward the pellet shoot - ANY RISK it might burn up the shoot to ignite the auger???
4. I cleaned the glass off after i made these changes and it defiantly stayed clear longer but after about 3 hours it was blacked out again. Any thoughts???

it would rock if there was a better guide for conversion to multi fuel- I hate to keep bugging my local dealer!

Any help would be very much appreciated!
Im trying to add pictures to help describe
Thanks JOE
joemeagem1@gmail.com

Here are my pictures www.flickr.com/photos/93103982@N05/

Hi Joe... welcome. Lets try to fix this thing. First, I do believe you are correct in they sent an extra plug. I got only 1 and it went in the exhaust outlet to plug the bypass hole. There are some pretty decent instructions at www.spartacoop.com./uploads/content_file...0Instructions_1.pdf. That fellow (Bruce) is a member here as well. When switching from corn to pellets, the combustion air flow has to be adjusted. Have you done this? If you already covered that I apologize. On my 2100 as well as the 4100 this air flow opening should be around 3/16" to 7/32" ish. Lets begin there.

Also, yes the fire travelling up the chute is bad. Many house fire have been stared this very way. Hence the addition of the negative draft kit. But right now... yours isn't so negative. It will be though.

I was advised that there was not a need to adjust air flow on the 7100 is this correct? I know there is not an adjustment knob on the side like the smaller models

Ok the link for the instructions is not working. Here's how to get there.

Go to www.spartacoop.com. In the red menu tabs, choose "Main Office", At the bottom of there choose "Stove Information. Then choose "7100 Multifuel...".

joemeag wrote:

I wonder if the cover isn't the air adjustment. Maybe open or close it slightly at a time and see if you can get the burn you want. That's probably all I can contribute because a 7100 is not a 4100 like I have.

Like tfg, I don't have any experience with 7100s but we try real hard, lol. Our units do not have a control panel mounted air adjustment either. There is a hidden screw inside the stove that is used for adjustment. Maybe the 7100 does not have it but I would think it does.

Dang! I wrote a big ole reply and it didn't "Submit". I'll make it short. You can't block off where the air went to the burn pot from the old fan. Not completely. The burn pot has to get air. It won't be under positive pressure (blow) now but under negative pressure (like suck as in "draft" up a chimney). So look at that plate for a way to get some air past it. Maybe that hole with the plug"

Good point TC. Nice to hear from you and "Link" again.

joemeag wrote:


Keep the plate closed that came with your kit to cover your old blower. You need to adjust your airflow to the burnpot which is located here on the 7100 models.