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Diesel stove running sooty


Hedgepig

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Hi folks

 

Well, I finally got round to re-installing my (old) Hestia Lockgate diesel stove last week and have been enjoying the luxury of waking up to a toasty boat!

 

Thing is, I'm not 100% sure if I've got it set up right as didn't have any instructions - it seems to be running fine but the flame is very orange and a tad sooty, particularly on the lower settings.

 

I just re-attached the fuel line, tightened the compression fittings and placed the stack pipe and flue where they'd obviously been originally. There are 2 bends in the chimney (sharp angles so not fra off the vertical), just after it leaves the top of the stove, then it's a straight run up through the roof and up to the flue. I cleaned all of the gunk out.

 

There's a central 'catalyst' (cylinder of metal mesh) but I'm not sure if the open end should be uppermost or the other end which has a flat metal plate in the centre. There's also a metal ring/collar that seems to sit on a rim just above the bottom row of burner holes. Not sure!

 

The fuel just drips out of the inlet hole onto the bottom of the drum and burns from there. It's gravity fed rather than pumped.

 

If any of you have a similar Lockgate stove and have any top tips or advice I'd love to hear from you! Maybe it's running fine and I'm just being a bit paranoid, but still!

 

Thanks in advance and here's to a warm and snug winter!

 

Hedgepig

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Hi folks

 

Well, I finally got round to re-installing my (old) Hestia Lockgate diesel stove last week and have been enjoying the luxury of waking up to a toasty boat!

 

Thing is, I'm not 100% sure if I've got it set up right as didn't have any instructions - it seems to be running fine but the flame is very orange and a tad sooty, particularly on the lower settings.

 

 

It's normal for these stoves to run with a yellowish flame.

I use the cleaning tablets as recommended by Refleks. They with work very well and are a good alternative to messy cleaning with brushes etc. I've had my Refleks for over ten years and I've not had to dismantle it for cleaning yet. On the other hand, these stoves can be fussy when it comes to using clean fuel. You need to keep the filter cleaned out regularly.

 

Have you come across this manual yet? click . It'll give you all the information you need for installing and running these stoves.

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Many thanks, Koukouvagia!

 

It's not a Refleks (more like a Morso Squirrel) but I think it may have a washable fuel filter at the bottom of the regulator so will take it out and try that - do I need to use any particular cleaning product or just plain ol' washing up liquid? Will also get some of those cleaning tablets as it was out of use for a few years...

 

Thanks again!

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Many thanks, Koukouvagia!

 

It's not a Refleks (more like a Morso Squirrel) but I think it may have a washable fuel filter at the bottom of the regulator so will take it out and try that - do I need to use any particular cleaning product or just plain ol' washing up liquid? Will also get some of those cleaning tablets as it was out of use for a few years...

 

Thanks again!

 

I just swish it around in a bit of diesel and clean it with a cloth. It's pretty obvious when you've got a gunged up filter. It's fine mesh plastic and very easy to clean.

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It's normal for these stoves to run with a yellowish flame,,Should be Blue

No it isn`t,suggest you check the lower air holes in the burner pot which are more than likely carbon build up,the cleaning tablets are good but will not clear baked on carbon deposits in the holes

have a good scrap around in there with a stubby screw driver

http://www.lockgate-stoves.co.uk/

have a word with mike and he`ll put you right

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It's normal for these stoves to run with a yellowish flame,,Should be Blue

No it isn`t,suggest you check the lower air holes in the burner pot which are more than likely carbon build up,the cleaning tablets are good but will not clear baked on carbon deposits in the holes

have a good scrap around in there with a stubby screw driver

http://www.lockgate-stoves.co.uk/

have a word with mike and he`ll put you right

 

Interesting - thanks Denboy.

 

I found some small holes behind the larger holes on the side of the drum and cleared those out with a drill bit. Also checked around the very bottom but could only find the main inlet and the rest of the drum seemed very smooth - if there are any air holes down there they're proving tricksy to find but I'll have another peer. Will also see what Mike has to say - thanks for the heads up!

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just pop them in the bottom of the burner pot when lighting the fire they just burn away with a green flame (work by magic)201.gif

 

We bought some of these but the instructions are all in Scandewigian and German so are you saying you put one in the bottom when you light the stove (eg with diesel for normal use) or do you chuck one in and light it without turning the oil on?

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We bought some of these but the instructions are all in Scandewigian and German so are you saying you put one in the bottom when you light the stove (eg with diesel for normal use) or do you chuck one in and light it without turning the oil on?

 

 

 

Yeah I would like to know also, I shall have to get them mail order as nobody round here stocks them, does Lockgate do mail order?

 

Phil

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We bought some of these but the instructions are all in Scandewigian and German so are you saying you put one in the bottom when you light the stove (eg with diesel for normal use) or do you chuck one in and light it without turning the oil on?

yes just put one in the burner pot before lighting then light the fire as normal

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It's normal for these stoves to run with a yellowish flame,,Should be Blue

No it isn`t,suggest you check the lower air holes in the burner pot which are more than likely carbon build up,the cleaning tablets are good but will not clear baked on carbon deposits in the holes

have a good scrap around in there with a stubby screw driver

http://www.lockgate-stoves.co.uk/

have a word with mike and he`ll put you right

I find a 6" steel rule is the perfect tool for cleaning my Kabola burner pot.

 

Mike

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Interesting - thanks Denboy.

 

I found some small holes behind the larger holes on the side of the drum and cleared those out with a drill bit. Also checked around the very bottom but could only find the main inlet and the rest of the drum seemed very smooth - if there are any air holes down there they're proving tricksy to find but I'll have another peer. Will also see what Mike has to say - thanks for the heads up!

Sounds pretty similar to my stove. I've even rubbed around the burner pot with a bit of emery looking for these holes to no avail. The Lockgate instruction (as supplied to me by Denboy) clearly show where the lower holes are but on this model these holes are definately missing. I have wondered what would happen if I drilled a couple of holes on that lip!

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Sounds pretty similar to my stove. I've even rubbed around the burner pot with a bit of emery looking for these holes to no avail. The Lockgate instruction (as supplied to me by Denboy) clearly show where the lower holes are but on this model these holes are definately missing. I have wondered what would happen if I drilled a couple of holes on that lip!

 

doubt they are missing might be full of hard carbon scratch around with a bradol or something similar small and sharp 1/8 of an inch darning needle etc

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doubt they are missing might be full of hard carbon scratch around with a bradol or something similar small and sharp 1/8 of an inch darning needle etc

My assumption is based on the fact that having used emery to rub around it there would be a visible difference between the (now) shiny metal of the pot and the holes filled with crap. If sooty carbon deposits also polish shiny silver then I'm prepared to be corrected.

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The wire catalyst sits with the hat at the top, the wire feet at the bottom, at least that is how it has been in mine since I got it. I scrape and hoover my stove out ever few months but it still burns orange on low settings.

 

And I cant find these mysterious holes either!

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The wire catalyst sits with the hat at the top, the wire feet at the bottom, at least that is how it has been in mine since I got it. I scrape and hoover my stove out ever few months but it still burns orange on low settings.

 

And I cant find these mysterious holes either!

Is yours a refleks?

the holes are in a small recessed ring and almost impossible to see from above they have to be felt for

Edited by denboy
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