20
April 2, 2019
7050-802B
SANTA FE FREESTANDING
C. General Maintenance and Cleaning
1. Types of Fuel
The type of fuel you are burning will dictate how often you
have to clean your fire pot.
If the fuel you are burning has a high dirt or ash content or
you are burning shelled field corn, it may be necessary to
clean the fire pot more than once a day.
Dirty fuel will cause clinkers to form in the fire pot. A clinker
is formed when dirt, ash or a non-burnable substance is
heated to 2000
°
F (1093
°
C) and becomes glass-like. See
page 34
in this section for more details on fuels with high
ash content.
2. Cleaning Fire pot with Cleaning Rod & Fire pot
Scraper
• Frequency:
Daily or more often as needed
• By:
Homeowner
a. The appliance must be in complete shutdown and
cool and the exhaust blower off. If you are just
cleaning the fire pot, there is no need to unplug the
appliance.
b.
Pull fire pot cleaning rod OUT a couple of times to
help shake debris loose. If rod is hard to pull, it may
be necessary to use your fire pot clean-out tool to
chip away material that has built up on the bottom
plate of the fire pot and to push out any clinkers.
Larger clinkers may have to be removed from the
top of the fire pot. Corn clinkers can be especially
difficult to break up.
c.
The fire pot floor plate must be fully closed when
finished (
Figure 20.1).
3. Ash Removal from Firebox
• Frequency:
Every 5 bags or weekly or more frequently
depending on ash build-up.
• By:
Homeowner
a.
There must not be any hot ashes in the firebox
during cleaning so allow the appliance to
completely cool. Frequent cleaning of the ash in
the firebox will help slow down the build-up of ash
in the exhaust blower and vent system.
b.
Plug in your appliance, if unplugged, and turn the
thermostat on and immediately shut it off to start
the exhaust blower on its cycle time. It will pull fly
ash out the exhaust instead of into the room.
c.
Open door. There are 2 cleaning slide plates to
the left and right of the fire pot with finger holes.
Pull both slide plates out and sweep the remaining
ash from the firebox into the 2 open holes. A paint
brush works well for this. Close slide plates.
d. This ash is deposited in the same ash drawer
as the fire pot debris. The ash drawer should
be emptied every time you clean the firebox.
Remember to place the ash and debris into a metal
or non-combustible container.
e. The 2 cleaning slide plates must be fully closed
when cleaning is complete.
4. Cleaning Ash Pan
• Frequency:
Weekly or every 5 bags of fuel
• By:
Homeowner
Locate the ash pan underneath the fire pot. Open the
bottom ash door and slide the ash pan straight out. Empty
into a non-combustible container and re-install ash pan
(See Disposal of Ashes on page 20)
.
WARNING
Fire Risk
•
NEVER pull fire pot cleaning rod or cleaning
slide plates out when appliance is operating.
• The cleaning slide plates must be fully
CLOSED when appliance is operating.
• Hot pellets may fall into ash pan and start a
fire or mis-starts due to lack of vacuum.
WARNING
Fire Risk
• The cleaning slide plates must be fully
CLOSED when appliance is operating. Hot
pellets may fall into ash pan and start a fire.
Back side of Firepot
Firepot floor left open
Figure 20.1
WARNING
Disposal of Ashes
• Ashes should be placed in metal container
with tight fitting lid.
• Ashes should be retained in closed
container until all cinders have thoroughly
cooled.
5. Disposal of Ashes
• Frequency:
As needed
• By:
Homeowner
Ashes should be placed in a steel container with a tight-
fitting lid. The container of ashes should be moved outdoors
immediately and placed on a non-combustible floor or
on the ground, well away from all combustible materials,
pending final disposal.
If the ashes are disposed of by burial in soil or otherwise
locally dispersed, they should be retained in the closed
container until all cinders have thoroughly cooled. Other
waste shall not be placed in this container.
