Mount Vernon AE Insert / No Power - Will run on battery cable

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wyatt9696

Member
Sep 26, 2009
20
CT
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to all. My 4 year old AE insert, imo has blown the power supply. When plugged in to the wall, there is no functionality at all. When I run the stove by 12 volt battery, everything functions except the ignitor which is how it should be. i called my service guy for 3 days with no rersponse. no heat for 3 days sucks btw. anyway does this seem like a power supply issue? i pulled out the supply to replace it myself, but since its a 250.00 part, wanted to be sure that the supply is the issue. any thoughts are appreciated. i dont want to beg the service jerk-off to come out anymore. thanks to all of you folks.
 
First I would look for a line input fuse. The fuse shouldn't blow without provocation, but my first step would be to check the fuse. Check the igniter to see if it is shorted, it should be greater than 35 Ohms.
If the igniter is good and the fuse is bad, I would replace the fuse and hope it works.
 
First I would look for a line input fuse. The fuse shouldn't blow without provocation, but my first step would be to check the fuse. Check the igniter to see if it is shorted, it should be greater than 35 Ohms.
If the igniter is good and the fuse is bad, I would replace the fuse and hope it works.
there's a fuse inside the power supply, but it's seems to be a sealed unit and not accessed w/o somehow busting off the cover. it's only suppossed to be accessed by a licensed service person. the ignitor is brand new. i guess my choices are call another service company, or replacing ps myself. when the ignitors go, you get a error message on the thermostat, but all other functionality works. any other thoughts?
 
First I would look for a line input fuse. The fuse shouldn't blow without provocation, but my first step would be to check the fuse. Check the igniter to see if it is shorted, it should be greater than 35 Ohms.
If the igniter is good and the fuse is bad, I would replace the fuse and hope it works.
well, i became adventurous and was able to get to the fuse in the power supply. could be blown. the filiment isn't severed or burnt, but there is a bit of a bump on it. well Harvey, if this is the issue, you saved me 250.00+ dollars. thanks for the christmas present. your advice could be right on. i'll keep you posted. thanks so much.
 
....When I run the stove by 12 volt battery, everything functions except the ignitor which is how it should be. i called my service guy for 3 days with no rersponse. no heat for 3 days sucks btw......

Why not run the stove off a battery until you get the problem resolved? Just put a small battery charger on it all the time.

As for the power supply fuse, did you check it with an ohm meter for continuity?
 
Why not run the stove off a battery until you get the problem resolved? Just put a small battery charger on it all the time.

As for the power supply fuse, did you check it with an ohm meter for continuity?

i am running on battery now. i dont have an olm meter on hand. i'll have it tested tom. thanks have a great holiday
 
I know it's a simple idea, but did you plug something else in the outlet to make sure you have powert there?
 
I know it's a simple idea, but did you plug something else in the outlet to make sure you have powert there?

yes. everything else works fine. i'm hoping it's the power supply fuse and not the ps itself. i got this stove like 4 years ago, and if there was a lemon law for stoves i'd qualify. so far in 4 years: 0riginal power supply went 3 years ago, computer board 2 years ago, thermostat/wall control, 2 years ago, 5-6 ignitors, fireback cracked and was replaced under warranty. i've about had it.
 
yes. everything else works fine. i'm hoping it's the power supply fuse and not the ps itself. i got this stove like 4 years ago, and if there was a lemon law for stoves i'd qualify. so far in 4 years: 0riginal power supply went 3 years ago, computer board 2 years ago, thermostat/wall control, 2 years ago, 5-6 ignitors, fireback cracked and was replaced under warranty. i've about had it.
Welcome to the club. I had everything replaced with the latest updates and sold it to a fellow that only burned pellets and his wife liked the appearance. Happy to say he had good luck and only replaced one igniter in 3 years. I was still happy to see it go down the road.
 
Welcome to the club. I had everything replaced with the latest updates and sold it to a fellow that only burned pellets and his wife liked the appearance. Happy to say he had good luck and only replaced one igniter in 3 years. I was still happy to see it go down the road.

any quad reps on this forum??? i'd like to voice my concerns. anyway, i'll call my local non-service reps to try and get this fixed. it's out of warranty(of course) so i'm sure this will be another huge expense.

BTW the power supply fuse checks out fine.
 
yes that's it
i guess my only other question is this: i can easily replace the power supply on my own. i've had it in and out several times. would the power supply be the only problem?
if it runs on battery without any problems. i dont want to spend-200-300 for a part, and have it not be the problem. hope this makes sense.
 
yes. everything else works fine. i'm hoping it's the power supply fuse and not the ps itself. i got this stove like 4 years ago, and if there was a lemon law for stoves i'd qualify. so far in 4 years: 0riginal power supply went 3 years ago, computer board 2 years ago, thermostat/wall control, 2 years ago, 5-6 ignitors, fireback cracked and was replaced under warranty. i've about had it.

Wyatt, sorry can not help you directly with the stove problem. But wanted to let you know in Maine there is a law which gives everything purchased in that State a 4 year implied warranty. Under the law in Maine if the product was used in the manor it was intended for and was not abused the retailer has to fix or replace the product for free and they can not pass this off to the manufacturer Just thought I would mention it as it might be worth checking in CT to see if you have such a law. And no I am not an attorney....just a consumer that was sick of getting stuck holding the bag on poor products.
 
But wanted to let you know in Maine there is a law which gives everything purchased in that State a 4 year implied warranty. Under the law in Maine if the product was used in the manor it was intended for and was not abused the retailer has to fix or replace the product for free and they can not pass this off to the manufacturer.

Got a link to this law ? I'd like to look it over.
 
when the ignitors go, you get a error message on the thermostat,
If the igniter is shorted and takes out the power fuse, the controls aren't running and you can't get an error message. I see that you have checked the fuse so that isn't your problem, I just wanted to clear up that point.
The only other thing that I can suggest is checking the Voltages at the input and output of the power supply. If you have a Voltmeter and are very careful you should be able to do that safely. I can't get into my MV right now, but I expect that the three pin connector has AC power (line and neutral) and "ground" on it. The two pin connector next to the three pin appears to have a track going to the three pin and may be a path to the igniter.

Clipboard01.jpg

The more remote connector should be the DC output.
You need to determine if the supply has AC input and DC output. If the AC is there but not the DC it almost has to be the supply at fault. If the AC is missing dig deeper into the wiring. There may very well be another fuse.
 
If the igniter is shorted and takes out the power fuse, the controls aren't running and you can't get an error message. I see that you have checked the fuse so that isn't your problem, I just wanted to clear up that point.
The only other thing that I can suggest is checking the Voltages at the input and output of the power supply. If you have a Voltmeter and are very careful you should be able to do that safely. I can't get into my MV right now, but I expect that the three pin connector has AC power (line and neutral) and "ground" on it. The two pin connector next to the three pin appears to have a track going to the three pin and may be a path to the igniter.

View attachment 86477

The more remote connector should be the DC output.
You need to determine if the supply has AC input and DC output. If the AC is there but not the DC it almost has to be the supply at fault. If the AC is missing dig deeper into the wiring. There may very well be another fuse.
thanks so much for yur help. i am having the power supply checked out by an electrician friend today. hopefully i'll know in a bit if its the culprit. i'd rather spend 200.00 for the part than 400+ for a service/parts call. thanks for sharing your knowledge
 
check page 16 of the trouble shooting manual. There is a cable that brings low Voltage DC from the power supply to the control board. Check that both ends are plugged in securely.
 
check page 16 of the trouble shooting manual. There is a cable that brings low Voltage DC from the power supply to the control board. Check that both ends are plugged in securely.
well the grace of God(sorry if i offend anyone for saying GOD) i took Harvey's advice and traced all the wiring that could affect my stove from not running. i unplugged the battery cables and plugged her into the wall. she started right up and has being running on ac power for 2 hours. i was 10 minutes from ordering a new power supply. thanks to all of you for your input. you all saved me a ton of money.
my stove is still a lemon, but at least shes making lemonade now:)
 
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