Pointers On Cleaning Alaska Channing III Power Vent System?

2blessingsfromabove · Post by **2blessingsfromabove** » Thu. Oct. 04, 2007 10:36 pm

HI Thanks for reading this post:

We are new to coal stoves (Alaska Channing III) and the manual says to clean power vent out once a month.... any ideas or products to use??

Thanks
Slovers
NY

jpen1 · Post by **jpen1** » Thu. Oct. 04, 2007 11:10 pm

Did you get the Alaska vent or did you get one like a SWG? The Alaska vent mounts right off the stove. Is it a bottom or top vent stove? For a vottom vent once a week cut the power to the feeder and combustion fan. Take a shop or ash vac and vacuum out the bottom of the stove especially near the flue exit. Plug everthing back in and you are in business. You will still have to take it a part evry 4-6 weeks but it will help fight the build up in the pipe.

2blessingsfromabove · Post by **2blessingsfromabove** » Fri. Oct. 05, 2007 1:38 pm

We haven't purchase the power vent yet, any suggestions on which type to buy?

We have a top mounted stove, so all we have to do is take a vacuum to the outside vented part?

Thanks
RS

Matthaus · Post by **Matthaus** » Fri. Oct. 05, 2007 9:47 pm

I have no experience with the Alaska Direct Vent. It is my understanding that type can only be mounted on a bottom vent stove.

I am using the SWG power vent on my Alaska Kast Console. It works great and has the safety advantage of providing a negative pressure (draft) in the stove pipe which makes any slight leaks drastically less critical. The SWG has one weakness, it has a small aluminum cooling fan for the motor on the outside, this fan keeps the motor cool. Over time stove gases are sucked up by this little cooling motor and corrodes the fan blades off thus causing a failure of the power vent motor. The solution is to spray a little WD40 or similar up inside the fan once a month from outside.

As far as cleaning, I vacuum the inside of the stove once a month as jpen suggested and take the power vent cover off once a year and give it a good vacuuming. I also occasionally tap the pipe above the stove with my hand while the power vent is running to suck up any loose fly ash.

Best wishes for a successful coal burning experience in your first season.

jpen1 · Post by **jpen1** » Fri. Oct. 05, 2007 10:37 pm

The alaska vent can only be used on a bottom vent as it attaches ddirectly to the stove and works like a pellet stove exhaust blower. An swg or equivalent would work the best make sure you use a baro damper with that type of venteror all your heat will be sucked out of the stove.