Cleaning Of A Pellet Stove Quadrafire Mount Vernon AE

[Cobalt]

Hello. We have a 4 year old Quadra Fire Mt. Vernon AE pellet stove. This is our second full year with the stove as we bought the house two years ago. Last year I had a guy clean the stove before burning season and it was the same guy who had done this for the previous owner. This year the guy is not around and I have looked everywhere to get someone out here but we are very rural and no one will come out so I am wondering if I can do it myself. I watched the guy last year and he didn't really do much more than what I do on a weekly basis when I am burning. The things he did differently was that he vacuumed out the blower motor and he unhooked where the pipe that runs into the ceiling connects to the stove and vacuumed as much as he could in there and maybe wire brushed in there but Im not sure. He did nothing with the pipe that goes up into the ceiling at all. I can do all that myself as I would need to buy a wire brush though but I could also use that on the baffle. Is there something I am missing because I am probably going to have to do this myself as no one will come out here. Thanks.

One more thing. Honestly, it did not seem like he did a lot for the $200 and about 30 minutes.

 

[bogieb]

There are several people here with Quads on the forum. May I suggest that you put the brand in the title so those psople will read your post. I don't have any experience with that brand, so can't give you any specific help. But, IMO, you should be able to do most, if not all, of the maintenance yourself if you are even somewhat handy.

 

[kappel15]

Hello and welcome to the forum. You will need to clean entire exhaust piping eventually. This takes a pipe brush you can pick up at most fleet and farms, theisens, some farm stores, etc. They are not steel, just stiff bristles. Depending on your setup, depends on how many fiberglass rods you need to reach full length of pipe. Pictures of your setup would help. Annual cleaning of your fans is a must. Your owners manual should show you most of how to remove them. If you don't already have an orange re-useable gasket on your exhaust fan, I would get one. Main thing on inside of stove is to make sure you get the openings down below baffle on each side in back, and keeping fins cleaned. You should be able to google cleaning your stove, and find some videos on how to do it. Any questions, just ask. There are a lot of knowledgeable folks on here. Stay warm. kap

 

[Cobalt]

Thank you all for the responses. I will keep seeing what I can find on Google. I wanted to mention that the stove is a Mt. Vernon.

 

[Edward Hughes]

Thank you all for the responses. I will keep seeing what I can find on Google. I wanted to mention that the stove is a Mt. Vernon.

Hello Cobalt:
You need to read the first response by member bogieb, pertaining to editing you Title.
Good Luck with that and welcome to the crew.
Ed

 

[Cobalt]

Hello Cobalt:
You need to read the first response by member bogieb, pertaining to editing you Title.
Good Luck with that and welcome to the crew.
Ed

Thanks Ed. Im not sure what more info that you and bogieb want me to add. I have found the manual and looked at the back of the stove and it says this: Mount Vernon Quadra Fire Advanced Energy. It shows four models and they are MBK,PMH,CSB and WL but even on the back of the stove it does not tell me what model number. I aslo don't seem to be able to edit my title, only the message itself. I do have a photo though which I will attach at the end. I have learned this though by looking at some of the papers that the previous owner left me. When he had the guy come out two years in a row he only had him clean the pipe and not the stove. He left notes in the manual that he cleaned the stove himself. Im sure I can do it but I know i can't do the pipe so I may look for a chimney sweep for that. I find it out though that I hired the same guy and he cleaned the stove and not the pipe. I do appreciate the help from all of you. So here is the stove:

 

[Lake Girl]

Fixed the title The manual is usually the best information source ... some are lacking best info though. They sometimes fall back on the call the dealer (mine does and the translation from Italian leaves room for improvement) Member kappel15 is a very reliable source for repairs having serviced them for many years. Always unplug when working in the cabinet and make sure it has surge protection. Hopefully you have smoke and CO detectors installed. Fire extinguisher away from the stove is an extra insurance policy.

Get the chimney swept you can find a local certified sweep through the search page at csia.org or nficertified.org.

 

[Cobalt]

Fixed the title The manual is usually the best information source ... some are lacking best info though. They sometimes fall back on the call the dealer (mine does and the translation from Italian leaves room for improvement) Member kappel15 is a very reliable source for repairs having serviced them for many years. Always unplug when working in the cabinet and make sure it has surge protection. Hopefully you have smoke and CO detectors installed. Fire extinguisher away from the stove is an extra insurance policy.

Get the chimney swept you can find a local certified sweep through the search page at csia.org or nficertified.org.

Thank you, I appreciate it. I do have smoke detectors and a CO detector installed. You are right about some manuals as this one tells me very little about cleaning but I did find a video. My main problem will be finding a chimney sweep to come out here as most of them have a 45 minute drive. Thanks again.

 

[bogieb]

Good goinf @Lake Girl !

That is a nice looking stove and a nicely decorative hearth pad and backer board; someone put some time into that.

It shows four models and they are MBK,PMH,CSB and WL but even on the back of the stove it does not tell me what model number.
View attachment 186221

You may find that there is a small indent notched in the plate that shows next to the correct model (or a small dot). If it is there, you may need to use a flashlight and various angles to eventually tell where it is.

 

[kappel15]

If you can, take a pic of the back of the stove. Let us see if there is a clean out T on the pipe. We might be able to help you with cleaning the chimney yourself. kap

 

[Wilbur Feral]

Also have an MVAE. Great stove except for thermostat but I have ranted enough about that elsewhere. As for thorough cleaning:

1) Re-read Kappel15 post above. He, Bogieb and Swilliamson are probably three most knowledgeable members of forum (all techs, I believe, and I know Kap is). LakeGirl also excellent source of common sense approach to almost any problem.

2) Unplug stove from electric outlet. Do normal cleaning as per manual, including removal of baffle (large metal plate) in back of firebox and vacuuming of small openings at bottom, visible when baffle is off. If this does not make sense, you have not read the manual, so start again there.

3) Leaving plate off as you proceed with process, remove sheet metal on sides of stove to access fans. Looking at stove from front, combustion motor is on right. Remove six nuts holding it in place, BUT AS KAP NOTES, MAKE SURE YOU FIRST HAVE THE REUSABLE ORANGE GASKET FOR THAT PART. You will need it, as gaskets are essential and do tear and stick easily. The orange one has lasted me four years and counting, as I recall. Clean the motor area with vacuum and brush, including fins. Then take small brush (I use flexible one designed for internal dryer vent cleaning) to clean the pipe running up from motor area as far as you can get with that (a foot or so). You will need to be vacuuming the whole time with a HEPA vac filter in place, or ash will go everywhere. Then take brush in other direction, into stove, toward small openings at bottom, under baffle. Vacuum like crazy as you do this.

4) For this step, you need pellet stove brush and flexible rods. Rutland makes excellent versions of both that will last many years. Check local stores or Amazon. Now you need to clean your vents (exhaust pipe) for which you will need a 3" pellet stove cleaning brush and, if your pipe expands larger than this anywhere after back of stove (pic makes me think yours does), a 4" brush. I do this by removing a section of pipe just past the back of the stove and another outside, as I have an "out and up" configuration. It looks like you have a pipe that turns up just after exiting back of stove, so I would see if you have a clean out tee back there (if not, I would install one). Basically, you need to run appropriate size brush through entire section of pipe, which will produce much ash and soot. Again, keep vacuum running at all times. You will also need to brush back toward stove motor, probably with 3" brush. The rule of thumb is that if you have not THOROUGHLY brushed every inch of pipe, you have NOT properly cleaned your stove.

5) Once combustion path clean, reassemble everything. This process takes me about 75 -90 minutes. I'm sure experienced techs might do it a bit faster, but I seriously doubt the previous person did all this, as 30 minutes sounds much too fast. I also find that silicon wrap (many call it "tape", but there is no adhesive) wrapped around sections that I remove to do all this is fantastic. Keeps pipe from allowing smoke to escape while allowing for removal.

6) Once combustion path clean and reassembled, go to other side of stove and remove convection (room air) blower. There is latch that holds it in place, and then it just drops down. Remove this motor (unplug it) and clean the fins of the blower. All of them, equally... I personally hate this step as I never get it as squeaky clean as I wish, but it does help with circulation if especially dirty. Reinstall when done.

7) Plug in stove and test. It will go through a self clean cycle and then, assuming you have thermostat calling for heat, fire up. If all well, reassemble sheet metal sides and you are done.

I do this twice per year but run about 3 tons through my stove each heating season (and have another stove, a Santa Fe, that gets similar cleaning).

When hopper runs down, I also vacuum it out to get rid of fines. I do this maybe once per month, and also do a cleaning that involves just removing the back bafffle and brushing /cleaning that area and the openings at bottom, once per month. Takes maybe 30 min tops. Clean glass about once/ week, which is frequency of vacuuming out firebox and ash pan.

Others please chime in on steps I have forgotten.

 

[Cobalt]

If you can, take a pic of the back of the stove. Let us see if there is a clean out T on the pipe. We might be able to help you with cleaning the chimney yourself. kap

Thanks Kap. Here are a couple of photos.

 

[Cobalt]

Also have an MVAE. Great stove except for thermostat but I have ranted enough about that elsewhere. As for thorough cleaning:

1) Re-read Kappel15 post above. He, Bogieb and Swilliamson are probably three most knowledgeable members of forum (all techs, I believe, and I know Kap is). LakeGirl also excellent source of common sense approach to almost any problem.

2) Unplug stove from electric outlet. Do normal cleaning as per manual, including removal of baffle (large metal plate) in back of firebox and vacuuming of small openings at bottom, visible when baffle is off. If this does not make sense, you have not read the manual, so start again there.

3) Leaving plate off as you proceed with process, remove sheet metal on sides of stove to access fans. Looking at stove from front, combustion motor is on right. Remove six nuts holding it in place, BUT AS KAP NOTES, MAKE SURE YOU FIRST HAVE THE REUSABLE ORANGE GASKET FOR THAT PART. You will need it, as gaskets are essential and do tear and stick easily. The orange one has lasted me four years and counting, as I recall. Clean the motor area with vacuum and brush, including fins. Then take small brush (I use flexible one designed for internal dryer vent cleaning) to clean the pipe running up from motor area as far as you can get with that (a foot or so). You will need to be vacuuming the whole time with a HEPA vac filter in place, or ash will go everywhere. Then take brush in other direction, into stove, toward small openings at bottom, under baffle. Vacuum like crazy as you do this.

4) For this step, you need pellet stove brush and flexible rods. Rutland makes excellent versions of both that will last many years. Check local stores or Amazon. Now you need to clean your vents (exhaust pipe) for which you will need a 3" pellet stove cleaning brush and, if your pipe expands larger than this anywhere after back of stove (pic makes me think yours does), a 4" brush. I do this by removing a section of pipe just past the back of the stove and another outside, as I have an "out and up" configuration. It looks like you have a pipe that turns up just after exiting back of stove, so I would see if you have a clean out tee back there (if not, I would install one). Basically, you need to run appropriate size brush through entire section of pipe, which will produce much ash and soot. Again, keep vacuum running at all times. You will also need to brush back toward stove motor, probably with 3" brush. The rule of thumb is that if you have not THOROUGHLY brushed every inch of pipe, you have NOT properly cleaned your stove.

5) Once combustion path clean, reassemble everything. This process takes me about 75 -90 minutes. I'm sure experienced techs might do it a bit faster, but I seriously doubt the previous person did all this, as 30 minutes sounds much too fast. I also find that silicon wrap (many call it "tape", but there is no adhesive) wrapped around sections that I remove to do all this is fantastic. Keeps pipe from allowing smoke to escape while allowing for removal.

6) Once combustion path clean and reassembled, go to other side of stove and remove convection (room air) blower. There is latch that holds it in place, and then it just drops down. Remove this motor (unplug it) and clean the fins of the blower. All of them, equally... I personally hate this step as I never get it as squeaky clean as I wish, but it does help with circulation if especially dirty. Reinstall when done.

7) Plug in stove and test. It will go through a self clean cycle and then, assuming you have thermostat calling for heat, fire up. If all well, reassemble sheet metal sides and you are done.

I do this twice per year but run about 3 tons through my stove each heating season (and have another stove, a Santa Fe, that gets similar cleaning).

When hopper runs down, I also vacuum it out to get rid of fines. I do this maybe once per month, and also do a cleaning that involves just removing the back bafffle and brushing /cleaning that area and the openings at bottom, once per month. Takes maybe 30 min tops. Clean glass about once/ week, which is frequency of vacuuming out firebox and ash pan.

Others please chime in on steps I have forgotten.

Thank you and everyone for the great information as I will slowly digest it. My plan is to get someone out there to do the pipe if that is possible and then I am pretty sure that I can handle the stove. The orange gasket that was mentioned. Im assuming that is a part that I can buy? Other than that I understand everything pretty well. I really appreciate the help.

 

[Cobalt]

Good goinf @Lake Girl !

That is a nice looking stove and a nicely decorative hearth pad and backer board; someone put some time into that.



You may find that there is a small indent notched in the plate that shows next to the correct model (or a small dot). If it is there, you may need to use a flashlight and various angles to eventually tell where it is.

Thank you. The stove was already in when we bought the place two years ago.

 

[bogieb]

1) Re-read Kappel15 post above. He, Bogieb and Swilliamson are probably three most knowledgeable members of forum (all techs, I believe, and I know Kap is). LakeGirl also excellent source of common sense approach to almost any problem.
.

Ah, Wilbur, I am no tech - but am honored you think me knowledgeable! Any of my knowledge is from reading everything I can in manuals, here on this forum, as well as some hard earned self-discovery . I do believe you momentarily confused me with another whose screen name starts with a B .

 

[kappel15]

Is there a cleanout at the bottom of the pipe? If there is, you can clean it from inside the house. Let us know. And if you hire a chimney sweep, wath and learn, so you can do it yourself. And sure is dusty back there. Looks like pellet dust? And yes, you can buy the orange re-useable gasket. kap

 

[Cobalt]

I hate to say it but im not exactly sure what a cleanout looks likes. There is a grove that goes all the way around the pipe about an inch from the bottom and looking at it it looks like it may pop off but I do not see any screws that hold it on, so Im not sure.

It's not pellet dust but I wish it was. I live in the Nevada desert and dust is a issue here and we have a few days a month with high wind warnings which aggravates it. I lived the last 30 years in a concrete sub-division in California and we had dust there also but nothing like this. We can dust three days a week and it's not enough. Now that we are heading into fall and winter the dust will get better. We just had some rain and then helped a lot but it really is a pain here. I guess the trade off is that it's secluded and quiet.

 

[kappel15]

Most clean outs twist in. Are you able to ask the previous owner if there is one? And it sounds like a good trade off to me. kap

 

[bogieb]

That is a cleanout at the bottom of the T. It can be a PITA to remove, but it will come off - twist it counterclockwise and then pull - it won't come off like a bottle cap and you may have to "rock" it back and forth until it comes loose. When I reinstall mine, I tape it over with hi-temp silicone tape because that is a place that tends to leak smoke at start up.