Need help with my smokey MVAE
- Thread starter AEStoveGuy
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
- Status
hooter04
Feeling the Heat
I just watched one of mine smoke for about a minute before starting.That particular stove has a 300 watt ignitor.Just wondering if that is a possibility.
I dont have an ignitor and never will as I see them going out on a lot of stoves. I simply put a small cup of pellets in pot and use a propane torch to lite pellets.takes about 30 seconds and almost no smoke. Works every time. A 16oz bottle will last a full season and costs around 3 bucks.
And except in very cold weather or a poorly insulated house, you'll burn a lot more pellets. I have two stoves, an MVAE and an old Whit Quest w/ no ignitor. On a normal day with temps around 35 high and lows in 20s, the fact that the Whit has no ignitor means it's always burning, and the difference in pellet use is considerable.
I cleaned the entire stove this weekend. Checked OAK, vent stack, and both blowers. Checked ignitor chamber. Nothing "extra" dirty at any spot. I did switchover to auto setting to force the stove run longer. Figure it'll burn up more pellets that way, but have less start ups.
Question: Does anyone use the gel for start up purposes? Was wondering if, when I see it getting to start up, I could open the door and add some of the gel. Any thoughts...
Question: Does anyone use the gel for start up purposes? Was wondering if, when I see it getting to start up, I could open the door and add some of the gel. Any thoughts...
Harvey Schneider
Minister of Fire
The alcohol in the gel will vaporize too quickly if the stove is starting using its igniter. When it does catch there will be a flash as the alcohol vapor ignites. Don't ask me how I know that, but it goes back to a power outage we had two years ago when I was lighting a warm stove with gel.
In other words, I think it's a bad idea.
Ctcarl
Feeling the Heat
So today I did my 7 day clean and payed attention. It smoked for exactly 42 seconds then the fire came on and smoke disappeared also no smell of smoke at all. Hope this helps
LMPS
Feeling the Heat
Just an FYI not sure when you switched your elevation to high but this will now change any of the fuel table updates back to the original tables when the unit was manufactured so any updates you had done are lost. The dealer will have to come out with his handy laptop and plug into the thermo. to update them if you want them back.
I am not expert but this might be the reason for the smokey start.
I do run mine on softwood, just to get the longest run time I can between autocleanings.
- Status
Similar threads
