Mt. Vernon & black smoke

[JaCharr]

I have a Mt. Vernon insert and have noticed black smoke coming from my exhaust pipe as well. I am burning a softwood pellet and have the flame height adjusted to +5 (as instructed by my local dealer) I am thinking about installing an OAK but it seems to me that i didn`t have this problem before when i was burning the American Biomass premium hardwood pellet. I`m burning Freedom Fuel now ( depot brand ) until i can find some more quality pelletsto burn. Any suggestions why this may be happening? Any thoughts/ideas would be appreciated. I am also getting alot of black soot ( ash ) on my glass. Please help ....i no this isn`t correct but i am not sure how to correct this. Thanks Jason

 

[JoeS]

Why do you have the flame height set at +5? This is probably your problem, to much fuel and not enough air. To set the proper flame height run the stove on manual high and adjust the flame height to about 8 inches above the burn pot. You should be able to leave the setting alone after doing this regardless of what heat output you select.

 

[JaCharr]

i have the flame height @ a +5 because my local dealer said thats where it should be set while burning a softwood pellet. I used a hardwood pellet earlier in the season and had zero black soot on the glass. Do i need to adjust the flame height each time i try a new pellet? (hard to soft or vise versa ) Thank You for your help... Jason

 

[BIGISLANDHIKERS]

When I burn any pellets I have to have my flame at -5. Pellets are pellets and I seem to burn all of them on "utility Pellets" otherwise I get too many in the pot. The only time I get visable smoke outside is when I am operating on High. Turn the flame height down. Corn is another matter. I usually have flame set at -2 for corn.

BIH

 

[smoke show]

I may be wrong here, but it seems to me flame height could be related to venting configuration and which mode you run your sove in. Run mine on auto, 98% of the time its on low and I like to be able to see flame. I also have top vent kit with 25-27 feet of vertical run(4 inch). If I don't have my flame height set on the positive side I'm not sure I'd see the flame very often. FWIW

 

[stoveguy13]

flame height on the MT vernon AE should be hitting the center of the diamond dont care what your dealer told you turn the flame height back to zero and star there you have a bad air to fuel mixture and incomplete burn you may want to clean the stove well and start over.

 

[JaCharr]

Thanks for the help..... i did pull the outside pipe off and clean this area out..... put the flame height back to zero. cleaned the glass, and purchased 1/2 a ton of hardwood pellets to burn. I made the changes last night & almost right away the black smoke stopped and now with the hardwood pellets and the settings adjusted back i guess its a wait and see what happens. Should i always adjust my fuel type for what i`m burning. ( obviosly it would change for corn/wheat etc ) BIGISLANDHIKERS seems to be doing the opposit of what i was told at my dealer. hardwood pellet & a hardwood fuel setting...softwood - softwood fuel setting etc. ?

 

[stoveguy13]

yes always change the fuel setting and keep that flame height hitting the center of the diamond. you should not have much trouble if you do that and keep the area behind the ash pan clean to.

 

[eric_s]

This is my first season with the MT Vernon. I have burned both soft and hardwood pellets. I've found the best solution for both to be the hardwood setting. I tend to set flame height at -2/-3 for hardwood and +1 for softwood. That is what works best for me.
I have burned the softwood pellets on the softwood setting and a -5 flame height, but find after a while I do get some build-up in the burn pot and more soot on the glass.

 

[sydney1963]

I never see black smoke, only white.