Cleaning a Mt Vernon AE Insert

[joescho]

I know there's at least a few of you that have Mt Vernon AE inserts. This is my first year with it, and I've had a chance to do a little burning and checking it out. I want to make sure I keep up with it as I recently learned it throws so REALLY good heat (which is another goods story). Everyone I talk to (including the folks here) say the stove needs to be clean - clean - clean....

I've read the manual about cleaning and have a decent idea on what needs to be done like vaccum around the pot and the burn shelf, take care of clinkers as needed, remove the ashes, clean behind the baffle.

Got two areas though that I'm not sure how to adress - the hopper and those two exit ports behind the baffle.

First question is do you pull the insert out? If so how far? I would imagine you're disconnecting the liner first too. Mine sits up on a mantel, so I would have to get something like a cinderblock to rest the stove on while its pulled out.

I'm sure its a good idea to keep the hopper and auger area clean so it does not jam. How do you clean that? I see that the pellets feed from the left side of the hopper. Do any of you just stick a vaccum cleaner down there, or do you go behind the stove and remove the assembly? If you remove the assembly, how did you go about it?

As for the exit ports behind the baffle, I did not see them, but I've only had the baffle out once so far. Are you doing as the manual says and pushing the ash down into the stove, then removing the fan and sucking it all out? Are you doing this often, or just once a month or less?

Thanks for your help....

J

 

[tsmith]

I know there's at least a few of you that have Mt Vernon AE inserts. This is my first year with it, and I've had a chance to do a little burning and checking it out. I want to make sure I keep up with it as I recently learned it throws so REALLY good heat (which is another goods story). Everyone I talk to (including the folks here) say the stove needs to be clean - clean - clean....

I've read the manual about cleaning and have a decent idea on what needs to be done like vaccum around the pot and the burn shelf, take care of clinkers as needed, remove the ashes, clean behind the baffle.

Got two areas though that I'm not sure how to adress - the hopper and those two exit ports behind the baffle.

First question is do you pull the insert out? If so how far? I would imagine you're disconnecting the liner first too. Mine sits up on a mantel, so I would have to get something like a cinderblock to rest the stove on while its pulled out.

I'm sure its a good idea to keep the hopper and auger area clean so it does not jam. How do you clean that? I see that the pellets feed from the left side of the hopper. Do any of you just stick a vaccum cleaner down there, or do you go behind the stove and remove the assembly? If you remove the assembly, how did you go about it?

As for the exit ports behind the baffle, I did not see them, but I've only had the baffle out once so far. Are you doing as the manual says and pushing the ash down into the stove, then removing the fan and sucking it all out? Are you doing this often, or just once a month or less?

Thanks for your help....Joe, as far as the hopper goes, all you have to do is shop vac it out once in awhile, I only do mine at end of season. The exhaust ports are on the back of the stove floor behind the baffle, just remove the baffle and on both sides at the back of the stove on the floor, you will see slots in the floor, just get your shop vac inside there and suck it out good. I bought a pellet stove shop vac attatchment kit that has a flexible tube for cleaning this area. I also use the leaf blower to suck out any remaining ash from the stove about once per month, this really gets her clean.
Joe, I don't have the insert, but they are the same. As far as the hopper goes, just shop vac it out I only do this at the end of the season. The exhaust ports are at the back of the stove on the floor. remove the baffle and they will be slots on both sides of the floor. I bought a pellet stove shop vac attatchment kit with a flexible hose that you can stick right into the ports. I usually do this with my monthly tear down cleaning. I also use the leaf blower attatched to my outside vent to suck it out good, gets it really clean. I do this once a month.
J

 

[tsmith]

Joe, as far as the hopper goes, all you have to do is shop vac it out once in awhile, I only do mine at end of season. The exhaust ports are on the back of the stove floor behind the baffle, just remove the baffle and on both sides at the back of the stove on the floor, you will see slots in the floor, just get your shop vac inside there and suck it out good. I bought a pellet stove shop vac attatchment kit that has a flexible tube for cleaning this area. I also use the leaf blower to suck out any remaining ash from the stove about once per month, this really gets her clean

 

[joescho]

Thanks... I've heard so many folks stress clean stoves that I wanted to do it correct from the start and not get to the point where I needed a professional to come out at some point to bail me out because I let the stove get filthy out of ignorance....

The manual tells you how to clean some of it, but not all. Between my dealer and the good folks here I think I may have it figured out....