CB 550 EDGE - NEW

[ebaumcratz]

I need help.

I have a brand new 550 edge. My wood burner is plugged with creosote. I'm trying to take off the fire plate in the back of the boiler out, to clean out the chains. Currently they will not shake. I took the acorn nuts off and removed the two plates. But I can not break loose the next plate that has bolts welded to it. What is the best way to break this loose?

Anyone, please help!!!

 

[panolo]

If the creosote is that plugged in there maybe try heating the edges with a torch? There is a gasket on there so you have to be somewhat careful. Mine popped right off when I cleaned it this spring. Maybe if you can get a small putty knife on the edge.

Are you burning fresh cut wood? I literally have zero creosote in mine and last year I burnt higher moisture wood. If the chimney has that much creosote in it you are probably gonna to want to check your stage 1 air intake elbow. There are two screws that hold the cover on just under the door. Pull that cover and open the fan case. You'll see the right hand side has a little servo attached to an elbow. Make sure the power is off and than pull the three wires. Loosen the two hose clamps and pull the elbow off. Clean it out and clean out any creosote in the passage way.

 

[ebaumcratz]

If the creosote is that plugged in there maybe try heating the edges with a torch? There is a gasket on there so you have to be somewhat careful. Mine popped right off when I cleaned it this spring. Maybe if you can get a small putty knife on the edge.

Are you burning fresh cut wood? I literally have zero creosote in mine and last year I burnt higher moisture wood. If the chimney has that much creosote in it you are probably gonna to want to check your stage 1 air intake elbow. There are two screws that hold the cover on just under the door. Pull that cover and open the fan case. You'll see the right hand side has a little servo attached to an elbow. Make sure the power is off and than pull the three wires. Loosen the two hose clamps and pull the elbow off. Clean it out and clean out any creosote in the passage way.

I've heated it with a torch and have used a putty knife. I also put the acorn nuts on the top two bolts and put vise grips on them to pull and it hasn't budged!

The wood I used was cut and split in June/June. The moisture reader said it was around 15-18%. I thought that was good to use?! I'm very frustrated with this unit so far!

Is the stage one elbow the one on the left or right?

Thank you for your response!

 

[panolo]

On the right. If your burning most hardwoods that were cut and split in june it's pretty wet still. An ash may be fairly dry but most others will still be too wet to get the burn you need. Usually the outer edge will be dryer but the inner part is much higher. Most of your hardwoods need a solid year cut split and stacked to be under 20% throughout. Oak for example can take 2-3 years.

I'm also guessing your running it with a 10 degree difference like the factory setting? I changed mine to 192-172. What kind of temps were you getting?

Can you knock some of the ash and stuff out from the bottom? With the long rod that you stir the firebox with if you can get into the channels on the way back of the reaction chamber and start scraping some of the junk out? You'll have to take the flame deflector off. It's the item that swings in the middle of the reaction chamber. Are you sure it's creosote or do you just have ash packed in there?

Besides what you are doing trying to get it apart I have no more help. Keep working at it and see if you can get a screwdriver on the edge maybe.

 

[panolo]

Are you still getting smoke out of the chimney at all?

 

[ebaumcratz]

On the right. If your burning most hardwoods that were cut and split in june it's pretty wet still. An ash may be fairly dry but most others will still be too wet to get the burn you need. Usually the outer edge will be dryer but the inner part is much higher. Most of your hardwoods need a solid year cut split and stacked to be under 20% throughout. Oak for example can take 2-3 years.

I'm also guessing your running it with a 10 degree difference like the factory setting? I changed mine to 192-172. What kind of temps were you getting?

Can you knock some of the ash and stuff out from the bottom? With the long rod that you stir the firebox with if you can get into the channels on the way back of the reaction chamber and start scraping some of the junk out? You'll have to take the flame deflector off. It's the item that swings in the middle of the reaction chamber. Are you sure it's creosote or do you just have ash packed in there?

Besides what you are doing trying to get it apart I have no more help. Keep working at it and see if you can get a screwdriver on the edge maybe.

Yes I'm getting some packed ash out, yes.

My electric bill last month was $450. It hasn't gone out of stage 1 for the most part. When I opened the stove door, smoke rushes out.

Thanks for your help. We're working on breaking that plate free.

Once I get it cleaned out, I'm sure it'll be a solid stove!

 

[ebaumcratz]

Are you still getting smoke out of the chimney at all?

Yes there is chimney smoke

 

[panolo]

Yea. It's not running right. I'm betting your elbow is plugged.

A nice hot fire would help as well. Should help burn out some of the creosote. Most times my reaction chamber is 1250-1500 degrees.

I clean my ashes out every two weeks and rattle my chains then. It's critical you clean the back of the reaction chamber and pull the ash from the bottom of the tubes. I check my elbow once a month. I get 3 gallons of ash out every clean.

Another trick you can try is you have a leaf blower with suction you can hook it to the clean out T in the back and make it as air tight as you can. Turn it on and let it suck as much ash out as possible. Don't hammer the back of the stove but give it some taps and as that ash loosens it will be sucked out.

If you can get your hands on some dry lumber. Even if it's board lumber. 2x4's etc. and get it ripping that might loosen some things up as well. Get the stove into some high temps.

Than it is probably time to adjust your setting. With wetter wood you'll want it to burn longer. Hopefully getting hotter and taking the extra moisture from the wood while it's doing it. I run my splits at 20 degrees. It kicks on at 172 and off at 192. My pulse is set for 1 minute every hour. My stove runs for 20-40 minutes per cycle usually.

 

[panolo]

Did you get it operational?