I have no experience with them. We bought a house over the summer that has one in the basement. We've burned about 1 ton so far. It seems like lately it's not drafting well. The viewing glass gets covered in soot, the fire itself is not as intense as it was a month ago. I keep the fire box cleaned out daily. Does it sound like a blockage, where would you start looking? Thanks!

Yep..Adjust the damper for air flow...when the fire is "Dancing" in the fire grate then you have the right combustion..and that will clean up the glass window from soot

I have not seen a damper on this stove. Would it be a setting on the control panel? It's an England Stove Works stove.

Shut the stove down and pull the pipe. Pull the ash bin and make sure there isn't ash blocking any passageways in that area. Your burn pot might have an air passage under it. Look for that. Pull the cover on the back side of the unit and see if the combustion blower fan has a lint build-up. Vacuum everything you can reach once the stove is cooled. Don't use your wife's good one.

It should have a little clean out door on the 90 out of the back of the stove. Second thing to try is pulling the tiles out from inside and cleaning them and the inside well to allow air to flow,

Yep..Mine is a blade that has a pin and a knob on it..the blade will cover the "Exhaust" after the fire grate..look behind your stove near where the exhaust fan is at..this damper will be between that fan and the fire grate..Has nothing to do with the control panel..This is a mechanical blade that moves over the exhaust opening to control air flow

I have found the air passage under the burn pot, I keep that cleaned every day before starting is up. I'll rip in to it and look for ash and dust build up. Thanks for the help guys!

all good answers but I do not have a damper on my pellet stove. There is a little flapper in the combustion air intake that could be stuck. Also if you pull out your Ash pan there should be a wheel that connects to the combustion blower. That wheel could be caked with Ash and not moving enough air to properly fire the stove. I would check for all those things. Also make sure you scrape the burn pot. There could be a lot of buildup and slag on the little holes for the burn pot.

I have not noticed an ash pan, I've been scooping the ash out! I'll have to find it! Like I said, I know nothing about pellet stoves!

Yep..The ash pan should be underneath the burn pot..It will resemble a drawer..Its where the burnt pellets go after the burn pot.

It seems like the burnt pellets go off to the sides after being pushed forward to the front of the burn pot.

Search google for your model's instruction books. There are several ash doors that need clearing. Remember that the stove operates under vacuum so check gaskets.
Each stove is different

Lol. I have down loaded the manual, but it is not very detailed. I have done everything in the manual, then turned here for the experts!!

Yep..Does the burn pot have a grate in it..kinda like steel slats that catch the unburned pellets before than burn?

Yes, it's a plate with rows of holes. Probably 5"x5" with a slight ramp at the front. It lifts out so I can clean under it where the draft opening is. I keep it cleaned out every day so there is no buildup.

I'm not an expert but I was forced into learning pellet stoves by a former employer. I worked for a small oil company as a heating tech and any way to make a buck was their moto. They got into pellet stoves and pellet sales and so did I.

They all function on the same principles but they're all slightly different in how they get there. You're either not getting enough push or pull on your airflow. Obstructions can be in a lot of places and they tend to be an ongoing issue. It's the nature of the beast. It's even somewhat determined by the brand and type of pellets you burn.

Make sure to pull the stove off the wall and get directly to where the stove vents out the back. Make sure all of your pipes, including elbows are clear. Vacuum/brush that out as well as you can. It is likely going to turn out to be a simple fix.

I had an Englander corn/pellet stove. They drew outside air for combustion. Do you have a model number? Mine had a ash pan as well that pulled out the front. Check on the outside of the house most times close to the exhaust pipe. They can get covered in ice or snow.

Yup, mine drafts from outside too. It's clear all the way to the stove. I'll have to double check for the tray. The model is 25-pdv.

Yep..did you ever find the damper?..If after you find the damper and can adjust the airflow..the next step IMO would be to do what Posco says..I use a shop vacuum to get all the ash out of exhaust side of the pellet stove..

Did you recently get a new batch of pellets?