I'm Clean! (also tips and tricks I learned)

[joescho]

Well since this was my first year with my Mt. Vernon I wanted to have my dealer come out and do the yearly cleaning so they could teach me.

I learned a lot.....

First, its pretty easy to clean your own flex pipe. I never did it before because I've got it in my head that a professional should do it. Not so... at least for a pellet stove. You can go buy those (fiberglass?? plastic??) threaded rods and the small 3 inch brush. Stick the vaccum at the bottom of the pipe, feed the brush up until it stops. Suck the crap out.

When he cleaned my heat exchanger and baffle, he used a wire wheel on a cordless drill. Works better than the brush I was using.

He was able to take the combustion blower off without destroying the gasket. He brought me the new reusable gasket. I asked him to leave it as I'll probably destroy the gasket when I do it.

He also sucked out all the pellets I had in the chute. Said its not a good idea to leave them in all summer because if you get some moisture of any kind the pellets could expand and that will probably block your chute and the pellets won't feed anymore.

He painted the inside and said that's the best way he's found to take care of rust (as opposed to the PAM method)

He also showed me that for hard to reach or for those tiny crevases he had a small automotive vaccum hose with a rubber stopper on the end which made it fit on the shop vac.

The stove looks like the day I bought it.......Now I can do my own next year....

 

[mepellet]

The linteater set is very nice. Comes with a few rods but you may need more depending on your liner length. It goes through my 90 degree elbow with ease. Comes with a shop vac adapter that I use to while running the linteater through the venting. Works pretty slick.

I ran my stove in "test mode" to empty my auger of pellets then sucked them up with my shop vac. I know, I know.... pellet abuse....

What kind of stove paint did he use on the inside? I am thinking about doing the same thing next summer.

A forum member made his own crevice tube thing similar to what you described. Looked like they worked good for stoves that required it. I was going to make one but found out that there are no crevices in my stove.

 

[joescho]

The linteater set is very nice. Comes with a few rods but you may need more depending on your liner length. It goes through my 90 degree elbow with ease. Comes with a shop vac adapter that I use to while running the linteater through the venting. Works pretty slick.

I ran my stove in "test mode" to empty my auger of pellets then sucked them up with my shop vac. I know, I know.... pellet abuse....

What kind of stove paint did he use on the inside? I am thinking about doing the same thing next summer.

A forum member made his own crevice tube thing similar to what you described. Looked like they worked good for stoves that required it. I was going to make one but found out that there are no crevices in my stove.

I think the paint he used was :

http://www.rutland.com/productinfo/1200f-hi-temp-paint.html

not completely sure though, but it makes it look brand new inside. I know it won't look like that after burning for an hour, but for now its great....

that lint eater is a good idea - may look into that.....

 

[imacman]

..... You can go buy those (fiberglass?? plastic??) threaded rods and the small 3 inch brush. Stick the vaccum at the bottom of the pipe, feed the brush up until it stops. Suck the crap out........Now I can do my own next year....

www.amazon.com/Gardus-RLE202-LintEater-10-Piece-Cleaning/dp/B0014CN8Y8

 

[joescho]

www.amazon.com/Gardus-RLE202-LintEater-10-Piece-Cleaning/dp/B0014CN8Y8

Thanks.... Order placed....

 

[DexterDay]

I still paint mine. Only takes a minute and I do it with the leafblower hooked up outside.

As for your Combustion blower gasket? Its a reusable rubber gasket. The AE comes with one. It may not be indestructible, but it lasts longer than the Lytherm gaskets you hear us talking about (one use and its done). You should get several years out of yours....


Congrats on the lesson learned. You are now wise in the ways of cleaning!

 

[mepellet]

I still paint mine. Only takes a minute and I do it with the leafblower hooked up outside.

As for your Combustion blower gasket? Its a reusable rubber gasket. The AE comes with one. It may not be indestructible, but it lasts longer than the Lytherm gaskets you hear us talking about (one use and its done). You should get several years out of yours....


Congrats on the lesson learned. You are now wise in the ways of cleaning!


View attachment 70872 View attachment 70873

Dexter-what type of paint do you use? Looks like you spray the burnpot also. I imagine most of it burns off pretty quickly during the first fire of the season?

 

[DexterDay]

Dexter-what type of paint do you use? Looks like you spray the burnpot also. I imagine most of it burns off pretty quickly during the first fire of the season?

Stove Bright paint. Its prob the best there is.....

It doesnt last long in the firepot, but it does prevent a little rust. The Quad pots have a little reputation for deterioration. So anything I can do to help prolong the life, I am gonna do.

 

[joescho]

Stove Bright paint. Its prob the best there is.....

It doesnt last long in the firepot, but it does prevent a little rust. The Quad pots have a little reputation for deterioration. So anything I can do to help prolong the life, I am gonna do.

That's basically what the tech said too as far as keeping the rust out. He painted my pot and the thermocouple also. Said the paint won't last long though, mostly there for summer time and keeping the moisture out. But right now it looks brand new....

I see that when you painted your firepot you must have covered your thermocouple before-hand because its still nice and white.

As far as the gasket on the blower, mine still had the paper one from the factory so he brought me the rubber one that I had him leave for me (because he managed to take the blower off without ripping it) so when I rip the paper one next year when I'm cleaning it, I can just replace it.

 

[DexterDay]

That's basically what the tech said too as far as keeping the rust out. He painted my pot and the thermocouple also. Said the paint won't last long though, mostly there for summer time and keeping the moisture out. But right now it looks brand new....

I see that when you painted your firepot you must have covered your thermocouple before-hand because its still nice and white.

As far as the gasket on the blower, mine still had the paper one from the factory so he brought me the rubber one that I had him leave for me (because he managed to take the blower off without ripping it) so when I rip the paper one next year when I'm cleaning it, I can just replace it.

I thought the AE came with the High Temp Rubber gasket?

The paint on the sidewalls will last a little while, but the Pot will quickly burn off...

Some dont clean there stove at all... Some are super anal (a few on here ). I just see it as protecting your investment. So it lasts as long as possible.

 

[joescho]

I thought the AE came with the High Temp Rubber gasket?

The paint on the sidewalls will last a little while, but the Pot will quickly burn off...

Some dont clean there stove at all... Some are super anal (a few on here ). I just see it as protecting your investment. So it lasts as long as possible.

I'm not sure why, but the gasket mine came with was paper.

I gotta get a decent camera. All of you guys get to post pics with your posts....

 

[DexterDay]

I'm not sure why, but the gasket mine came with was paper.

I gotta get a decent camera. All of you guys get to post pics with your posts....

Or a phone with Android OS (Droid). 95% of my pics come right from my phone. Unless I am posting an old photo thats not on here. But even then, I have been going back to my old threads and downloading my old pics on to my phone.

Easy Peasy...

 

[smoke show]

I thought the AE came with the High Temp Rubber gasket?

you thought wrong.

 

[DexterDay]

you thought wrong.

Does your have one? (Now? A replacement? )

 

[smoke show]

Does your have one? (Now? A replacement? )

yep a replacement.