Stoker Lite burning so hot it shuts off

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RichinNewYork
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Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Koker Lite

Post by RichinNewYork » Sat. Nov. 19, 2022 3:09 pm

Hey all,

I'm brand new here and only two years into owning a Koker Lite. It direct vents into our basement and, up till now, has been wonderful. I love the stupid thing. I cleaned it to the best of my ability prior to lighting it this year (speaking of - is it normal to get a ton of rust in it over the summer? It was coming off in sheets, even though our basement is quite dry), installed new air filters, even bought new ash pans. When lighting it this year (with one of those bagged easily-light-your-furnace things from the feed store), the fire had just tons of flame (I usually never see flames at all, just a lovely glow) and the safety device that senses when it's getting too hot in the fire box keeps turning the unit off. I reset and re-lit the thing a couple times now, but all I'm doing is smoking up my house and the safety switch keeps tripping. Where do you think I might start looking for answers?

I appreciate any help in advance - I'm really flummoxed on what to do and it's cold, y'all. Thanks!

Rich

 
waytomany?s
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Post by waytomany?s » Sat. Nov. 19, 2022 4:01 pm

If you are smoking up the house then you are not exhausting the smoke. How do you direct vent it into the basement?

 
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McGiever
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Post by McGiever » Sat. Nov. 19, 2022 4:09 pm

RichinNewYork wrote:
Sat. Nov. 19, 2022 3:09 pm
the safety device that senses when it's getting too hot in the fire box keeps turning the unit off. I reset and re-lit the thing a couple times now, but all I'm doing is smoking up my house and the safety switch keeps tripping. Where do you think I might start looking for answers?


Safety device senses poor draft so if it’s a Field's WMO-1 You’d better check your whole flu/stove pipe path and power vent fan. Might find the same kind of rust at fan blades?? Filling room with smoke is a sure sign that your power vent is bonkers.

Even in dry basement it is best to disconnect flu for the summer and store in attic. Chimney is a path backwards for summer humidity at the very least. Some would put a light bulb or thermostatic cubical heater in fire box, and maybe a blanket over top
There is No high temperature cutout device in the fire box.
Last edited by McGiever on Sat. Nov. 19, 2022 4:24 pm, edited 3 times in total.


 
RichinNewYork
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Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Koker Lite

Post by RichinNewYork » Sat. Nov. 19, 2022 4:17 pm

waytomany?s wrote:
Sat. Nov. 19, 2022 4:01 pm
If you are smoking up the house then you are not exhausting the smoke. How do you direct vent it into the basement?
- I believe I used the term very incorrectly. I mean there's a blower that blows into the basement - it direct vents out through the basement wall.

 
RichinNewYork
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Post by RichinNewYork » Sat. Nov. 19, 2022 4:19 pm

McGiever wrote:
Sat. Nov. 19, 2022 4:09 pm
Safety device senses poor draft so if it’s a Field's WMO-1 You’d better check your whole flu/stove pipe path. Filling room with smoke is a sure sign that your power vent is bonkers.
No high cutout in the fire box.
Thanks, that's my next step. I just ran my shop vac's long tube up through the pipes, and I bet I missed a chunk of something or other than more I'm reading.

 
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McGiever
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Post by McGiever » Sat. Nov. 19, 2022 4:25 pm

Did some edits above ^^^^


 
RichinNewYork
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Post by RichinNewYork » Sat. Nov. 19, 2022 6:37 pm

Thank you for the advice! I will disconnect the whole thing when I clean it at the end of the season.

 
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McGiever
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Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 414A
Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar

Post by McGiever » Mon. Nov. 21, 2022 10:21 pm

RichinNewYork wrote:
Sat. Nov. 19, 2022 4:19 pm
Thanks, that's my next step. I just ran my shop vac's long tube up through the pipes, and I bet I missed a chunk of something or other than more I'm reading.
RichinNewYork wrote:
Sat. Nov. 19, 2022 6:37 pm
Thank you for the advice! I will disconnect the whole thing when I clean it at the end of the season.
Oh it fixed now?!?!

 
RichinNewYork
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Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Koker Lite

Post by RichinNewYork » Tue. Nov. 22, 2022 8:32 am

Yeah! I took apart the blower assembly (the blower/fan that draws from the fire box, that is) and it was totally rusted up. I clearly need to replace the fan and take better care of it (I'm not sure how old this thing is, I didn't get any information about it from the previous owners), but I got it running and the stove is burning fine (and the house is toasty). These stoves are really quite a technical marvel to me. I also learned I'm missing a draft gauge, which I think might be useful to fine-tune this thing. Any advice on draft gauges?

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