Hello all, I’ve been lurking around here since last October.

First off:
I’ve had a Quad 1200 since Nov.  heating my 2500 sqr foot house.  I’m in line to save approx $1000 in propane costs this year.  If propane stays at or above current rates and pellets stay at current rates, the unit should pay for itself in about 3 more seasons.

I fully vacuum the unit, wash the heat exchanger plates, clean the tubes weekly, and have checked the vent on occasion to assure proper function. 

As winter SLOWLY relinquishes its grip on the northeast, my thoughts are to shut down procedures.

I’m thinking I want to get all possible combustion byproduct out of the unit.  Does it make sense to “damp” clean it (damp towel), or just use a dry cloth to wipe down all interior components? 

I’m worried that summer humidity will cause some oder in the house.

Also, should I “treat” the heat exchanger plates with a light oil or re-paint them to prevent and surface rust?

The unit is direct vented, should I cover the vent cap to prevent “critter” from nesting in the vent?

If you are concerned about odor in the summer and you apply oil or re-paint then you will for certain have what you are worried about in the fall.....odor.

I have a cb1200i (insert).  I’ll only be using the vacuum.

Just brush and vac out everything.
Because my stove is in my basement, I will put a box of baking soda in the hopper,
and one in the ash pan for the summer in an attempt to fend off any potential moisture.

My end vent cap is pretty close to the ground too so I also plan to wrap a bag
around it for the summer to stop the bees and hornets from moving in.
We get lots of them every year and they make nests anywhere they
can find shade.

This is probably overkill for most, but this is my plan.

It would be a good idea to put some sort of desiccant in the stove to help prevent rust. I would not use anything damp to clean it out, just a vacuum will work fine. You don’t need to get every speck of dirt and ash out it, just relatively clean.

I’m jealous… you’re talking about spring shut down and I’m just starting on a new ton of pellets   Ah well, spring is bound to show up here sometime.

We just do a regular cleaning at the end of the season.  I put a bag over the vent (here is a pic from last summer), and put a plastic tie wrap thru the holes of the AC plug.  I then tag the plug to remind myself to remove the bag before starting the stove.  The bag helps keep bugs and birds out of the venting system.

"you’re talking about spring shut down and I’m just starting on a new ton of pellets”

I just started a fresh ton also.  It was in the low teen’s (F) this morning. 

Thanks for the the advice.

I’m in SW Ohio, and we’re still burning pellets.  Seems like winter isn’t wanting to release it’s icy grasp.

Glad to hear others are bagging their vents, that what I was thinking of doing.  Hadn’t thought about baking soda in the hopper, though.  That’s a great idea!

Still pretty cold here too.  Expect to run the stove atleast through
mid april before it is done for the season.

I’ve heard that some people spray vegetable oil onto unpainted steel surfaces for the summer (such as the heat exchanger), so as to prevent rust.

I am thinking of trying that myself