So as a final update to this saga......... I have mastered the beast.
It needs a simple poke-n-prod with the poker it came with, at least twice a day. Simply run it round the lower set of holes and give it a little "flip" to move that clinker away from the lower holes. You don't even have to get the clinker out of the pot, I try to but it it is moved to the center it will burn away with no problem.
As long as this is done, and the bin is kept 1/2 full or more, this furnace burns with no problems.
The other side of the coin is this: This furnace simply does not have enough BTU output for our needs. Our house requires a minimum of 150,000 BTUs, and this furnace is rated at 100,000 BTUs. It is just never going to be able to keep up for us when temps get down to 10* and the wind blows.
For a 1200ish sq ft home, I have no doubts it would do a fantastic job, and probably heat the place on 6-7 tons of pellets a year. I put 5 tons through it and just finished off the last one Saturday night.
That's all I have. This furnace will be coming out of the basement soon, and I hope to find a new owner for it whose needs better match the furnace.
And hopefully someone else can use these experiences to tame their beast!
Thanks for all the input and advice!
