There are many different brands and styles of wood pellet stoves – so the best way to start learning about your particular stove is to read the entire manual. If you’re a new pellet stove owner, or have switched to a different model – it could take some trial and error to learn the right process for your home.
You might be surprised to learn that many common issues pellet burners face with their stoves can be solved with making some adjustments. Again – start to troubleshoot and learn by reading your manual! It has the best stove-specific advice on operation, maintenance, recommendations and best practices.
Take a look at our quick cheat sheet below to review the pellet stove problems we hear about the most.
| The Problem |
Possible Cause |
Possible Solution |
| Poor burn quality |
Dirty stove |
Clean your stove according to your manufacturer’s recommendations, or schedule a professional stove cleaning and inspection. |
| Blackened glass |
Burning on ‘low’ |
Adjust heat setting to medium or medium/high. |
| Excessive clinkers |
Airflow leak |
Clean all vents, check and repair/replace all gaskets, adjust damper or airflow setting. |
| Trouble igniting |
Air-to-pellet ratio |
Adjust air-to-pellet ratio by increasing air flow. |
| Lazy or small flame |
Air-to-pellet ratio |
Adjust air-to-pellet ratio by increasing air flow and/or decreasing feed rate. |
| Low heat output |
Air-to-pellet ratio |
Adjust air-to-pellet ratio by increasing air flow and/or increasing feed rate. |
| Sparks flying / embers in the ash pot |
Air-to-pellet ratio |
Adjust air-to-pellet ratio by decreasing air flow and/or decreasing feed rate. |
| Whole, charred pellets left in the burn pot |
Air-to-pellet ratio |
Adjust air-to-pellet ratio by decreasing air flow and/or decreasing feed rate. |
| Auger jamming / stove shutting down |
Long pellets |
Drop bags on the floor – this can break long pellets into a manageable length. |
| Excessive ash build up / whole, charred pellets in burn pot |
Short pellets |
Reduce feed rate. |
As you can see, many burn issues are directly related to your stove’s airflow. If you have reviewed your owner’s manual to make the proper settings adjustments, but you’re still experiencing problems…you might have a leak. Wood pellet stoves operate through a system of air intake and exhaust, and the exhaust fan sucks air out through the burn pot to cause combustion of the pellets. It’s important to inspect your venting setup to see if it’s properly sealed, but it’s more likely the leak is through your door gasket.
It’s simple to test the door seal efficiency with a dollar bill. While holding on to one end of the bill, insert the other side into the door, and shut it. Pull out the dollar while the door is still shut, and note the resistance. You shouldn’t be able to remove the bill without a good amount of resistance. Repeat this method all around your door to check the full effectiveness of your gasket.
If you ordered your wood pellets from Woodpellets.com and you find damage to the actual wood pellets – call 1-800-PELLETS within 30 days of delivery to speak with a Quality Assurance Representative. All Woodpellets.com Quality Certified fuels are backed by a Physical Quality Guarantee, which is valid for 30 days after the delivery date.
Questions? Call 1-800-735-5387 to Speak to the Experts at Woodpellets.com!
