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Author Topic: bl 28-40 front air chamber plugging  (Read 10238 times)

Crow

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Re: bl 28-40 front air chamber plugging
« Reply #15 on: February 08, 2017, 05:52:18 AM »

 I received an email from P&M a couple years ago saying to not leave the ash pan in the stove, just to use it to scoop out the ashes. But I found that it would push the ashes to the rear and potentially put ashes in the elbow. Now I just use the lid of my ash pail under the door, and pull the ash out with the rake/scraper tool.
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E Yoder

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Re: bl 28-40 front air chamber plugging
« Reply #16 on: February 08, 2017, 07:01:58 AM »

Is there a baffle to block the ash getting back into the air inlet? If not it wouldn't be hard to fabricate one. The Heatmaster C  & MF series are like that. Some ash will eventually get over it though. All it does is make the air enter up high near the grate. If we have a "my fan isn't blowing anymore" call that's one of the first things I ask them to check. :)
« Last Edit: February 08, 2017, 07:04:44 AM by E Yoder »
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ijon

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Re: bl 28-40 front air chamber plugging
« Reply #17 on: March 16, 2017, 06:16:44 AM »

Take the hose off the blower and blow out with leaf blower or air.
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puckerave

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Re: bl 28-40 front air chamber plugging
« Reply #18 on: March 18, 2017, 09:00:33 AM »

Hi everyone I have a few solutions to the lower bricks clogging up. If you remove the center ones and use a masonry grinding wheel and shave off some of the curved part of the brick this will allow the ashes to fall into the ash pan a little better.
 I just came from a very successful Farm show in Ottawa Canada. We are now providing free of charge a Insulated ash pan plug to resolve the moisture problem.  The reason you do not see the moisture in the upper bypass chamber is the outer insulated door.   P&M will have them at your local trades show for free to give to past customers.      I also found that I use a small ice pick on a long handle to keep the air vent cleaned.  It is located at the very back of the ash pan where the air is first introduced from the blower. It can get blocked by the ash pan by pushing the ash right to the back. I hope this helps a little.
« Last Edit: March 18, 2017, 11:57:44 AM by puckerave »
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Maxnchej

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Re: bl 28-40 front air chamber plugging
« Reply #19 on: April 04, 2017, 05:23:12 PM »

I have had my bl-2840 for three years now and I'm still struggling to keep the air flowing. I'm ready to turn it off next weekend and I know that everything is now plugged as the air flow is really bad and burning much more wold then I should. To say the least I'm a little disappointed with the product as this issue is really impacting the amount of wood burned and the amount of effort required to keep it going. Is it worth me calling PM to see if they have a fix for the issue?
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E Yoder

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Re: bl 28-40 front air chamber plugging
« Reply #20 on: April 04, 2017, 06:40:32 PM »


I've never seen a P&M up close but I've dug into a lot of Heatmaster grated units . I try to trace the airflow all the way from the fan, into the ashpan, up through the grate, through the baffles, and out the chimney. A choke point anywhere will create slow burning which = creosote= less air = creosote... Etc. The problem doesn't go away til the choke point is removed.
But I may not be understanding what your specific issue is.
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MerrellRoofing

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Re: bl 28-40 front air chamber plugging
« Reply #21 on: April 04, 2017, 08:53:46 PM »

Do you guys leave your ash pans in? How deep is your coal bed? 
Only issues I have is if the wood is a little wet it can form a crust layer of ash that will block the air flow.
I try to keep my coal bed small, so it is easier to stir/rake. And I mostly load my wood running east/ west so it stays over the grates.
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blmike

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Re: bl 28-40 front air chamber plugging
« Reply #22 on: August 10, 2017, 05:32:18 AM »

When i shut my stove down this spring i found that all but the front brick space was plugged.I had to use a puddy knife and a hammer to clear the opening in the brick.
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slimjim

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Re: bl 28-40 front air chamber plugging
« Reply #23 on: August 10, 2017, 05:02:53 PM »

There is a better way mike!
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blmike

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Re: bl 28-40 front air chamber plugging
« Reply #24 on: August 18, 2017, 05:47:56 AM »

OK i am listening .
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slimjim

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Re: bl 28-40 front air chamber plugging
« Reply #25 on: August 18, 2017, 05:56:30 AM »

Get yourself a snake like is used for pulling wire, break off a piece that is long enough to reach through the hole, leave the hook on it, put one end in your cordless drill and the other in the hole, if needed, a small piece of copper tubing can be slid over the snake and you can hold it with your hand to stabilize it. The hook will bounce around in the hole and break the creosote free, once it is broken up it burns easily.
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blmike

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Re: bl 28-40 front air chamber plugging
« Reply #26 on: August 20, 2017, 05:36:42 AM »

thanks: Mike
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Super44

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Re: bl 28-40 front air chamber plugging
« Reply #27 on: October 25, 2017, 05:47:26 PM »

My BL 28-40 also had the bottom fire bricks spacing out of whack. Some tight , some wide so this season as an experiment I am using 1/2 in bolts with washers tight to one side to try and keep the bricks close to where they should be.  I've had no trouble with the front air vent plugging.  When I first started using the stove 2 years ago I was letting the ash get too high and it seemed like I was burning more wood than I should. It seems if I let it burn down to just a nice bed of coals, stir it well and put in enough wood till next time it works just fine and I have no complaints so far.  Oh, except I used shark bites to plumb it all together. Today I replaced 13 of them with the crimp style because the Shark bites would leak at start up and shut down.  About half of the shark bites are still OK but I expect them to leak in the next few seasons also. It seems the pipe must be perfect size and no damage to the OD and you insert the pipe once only for them to work good?
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E Yoder

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Re: bl 28-40 front air chamber plugging
« Reply #28 on: October 26, 2017, 01:31:36 AM »

I've seen the sharkbites leak too when they cool off. Sideways strain makes it worse. Use crimps where you can. The tool isn't that expensive any more, especially the SS ring crimper. Sounds like you have one tho.
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Super44

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Re: bl 28-40 front air chamber plugging
« Reply #29 on: October 26, 2017, 06:45:26 AM »

Some of the Shark bites that leaked were due to side ways strain.  When I did the install I did not realize how much PEX grows when warmed. The run from the boiler to the house is "about" 130 feet.  The pipe that enters the house grew 6 inches and put a lot of strain on the fitting.  That one leaked a little and was replaced and the pipe shortened enough that when warm, things will only be a little out of alignment. Several of the Shark bits did not have strain issues but may have taken apart and refit more than once or the outside of the pipe was less than perfect.  It was kind of an expensive lesson with the fittings.  Today will be the first fire of the season so I will know which fittings to replace next summer.

Boiler is up and running but had to replace one more Shark bite due to a gallon per minute leak.
« Last Edit: October 27, 2017, 09:40:05 AM by Super44 »
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