A few quick questions from a newbie, and hopefully some good answers.

[danos]

New to the forums, so Hello everyone. I've spent much time here doing research through out the last 15 months. Last year I bought a unused floor model AES magnum countryside fireplace insert, had a local guy help me install it. We used just under 2 tons it. My wife and I were happy with the heat improvement from our all electric home. There are still a few questions I have and would like to hear any thoughts or insight anyone is willing to share.

First, the installer said not to bother with the Outside air make up, that I would just waste fuel. Due to it being an insert into a manufactured fire place and the snake work of 3" ducting I would have to run to get fresh air, I opted for his opinion. How important is it to have make up air?

Second, sometimes my glass gets sooty after about a day or two of burning, then slowly builds from there until I clean it. Is this normal? I have heard of "air wash" but not exactly sure what that is.

Third, I had some issues with the fuel stirrer and the build up in the fire pot making awful noises after about three days in between cleaning. So I purchased a cast iron fire pot so I can eliminate the stirrer function. I haven't received it yet. My question is there anything I should know using a cast iron pot?

a little more info, I use 3" stainless flex pipe, about 14' of length straight up chimney. Usually burn EasyHeat pellets, as that's all I can find locally. Thanks for sharing any experiences you have had.

 

[Bkins]

First, the air makeup you refer to is called a OAK for outside air kit. Some people swear by them and some don't. Some stoves require them for warranty I believe. Putting one on a insert is much harder for the reason of where do you put the intake.

Normal for the glass to get dirty after a day or few of running. Some stoves dirty quicker then others. If it bothers you clean it when you clean the pot. Do a search under glass cleaning and read, read, read.

The air wash on most stoves is a section of the front glass that doesn't have a gasket on it allowing air to wash over the glass to help keep it clean, or cleaner.

I have no experience with pot stirrers. They are there to keep clumps from forming due to the burning process. Kinda sounds like you want your stove to run longer without you having to clean anything. These stoves are not maintenance free as most scrap there pot at least once a day. The pot stirrer is also commonly used while burning corn.

As far as replacing the pot I have not a clue other thn you will most likely need a pot gasket to install it.

Welcome to the forum and the world of pellet burners.

 

[Bioburner]

Should have put the type of stove in title or your signature and someone could have helped sooner The stove you have was the first true multifuel stove made for corn. No problems burning pellets though. That stove needs a daily high fire to move the ash from the passages in the back firewall and a really good cleaning every week. Some of the dirty window issue can be pellets or air issue because of plugged air wash on the door frame. Been a couple of other change to the cast pot ad I just can't remember who. Been a lot of sick stoves as we are hitting the coldest November in 35-50 years.

 

[Luv2burnPellets]

Are you sure you are only using 3 inch flex vent pipe 14 ft straight up the chimney? You should be using 4 inch flex pipe.

 

[Wilbur Feral]

So, 1) Some people swear by an OAK, for good reason. Others just have no knowledge of how a building works in terms of air exchange. It's not a matter of opinion, but physics. Your stove will likely burn fine unless your home is very well sealed, but will do a less efficient job of heating than if you had the OAK (i.e., require more fuel to keep your house equally warm). See the gazillion threads on this subject via a search of this site.

2) Venting has also been discussed countless times, but apparently not enough to help some long time members understand it. Always follow your manufacturer's instructions / manual as this could differ from the norm, but in general, 3" pipe is fine for up to 15 EQUIVALENT feet of pipe (Equivalent Vent Length, or EVL). That is NOT 15 actual feet. You count each horizontal foot as 1 foot, each vertical foot as 0.5 feet, each 45 degree bend as 3 feet, and each 90 degree bend as 5 feet. So if you have a top vent out of the stove and go straight up 14 feet, that's only 7 feet of EVL (14 * 0.5) and normally fine. But if you come out with a 90, then up a verical foot, then have another 90 followed by a horizontal foot, then another 90 into that 14 feet of vertical pipe (just to create an example) it's a whole different story, with (5 + 0.5 + 5 + 1 + 5 + 7), or 23.5 feet of EVL. And that would require 4".

If your glass is just dirty, that's not normally a problem. If truly sooty (black) that may mean inefficient combustion. However, some stoves that cycle on and off frequently can develop a moderate amount of this, especially if they auto regulate their flame and the weather isn't very cold. If the flame generally looks strong, this may not be a problem. But monitor it, to make sure the stove is burning well.

Others are more qualified to discuss your other issues, as I don't own your brand of stove.