Inherited a Mt Vernon. What should I replace before using?

[cparts]

Hello,

I inherited a Mt Vernon pellet stove from my parents. I believe it to be a 2006ish model. I can get the exact year if it helps. I am new to pellet stoves. I saw it burn last year and it worked fine (as much as I know what fine looks like).

I suspect it probably didn't burn more than 10 tons its whole life. It know it has not burned more than a ton since 2009, if that.

My parents never had any trouble with it.

So I am going to put it into service.

Are there any parts I should "just go ahead and replace now?" If prudent, I'd rather just do it now than have the thing breaking down this winter. But if not, that is fine too.

At what point should the glass be cleaned vs replaced?
What about the door gaskets?

I will search for the basic maintenance stuff and follow that.

Thanks!

 

[jzm2cc]

2006 could be Mt Vernon AE or non AE, totally different stoves and cleaning process. I'd give it a full cleaning per manual instructions, listen to motors when running to see if any are loud (potentially bad bearings), vacuum out dust bunnies from convection fan, maybe leaf blower trick on exhaust channel, check out gasket on door, purchase a spare 300 watt igniter, then install stove and enjoy the heat in the Fall.

 

[cparts]

It's a NON AE model.

Thanks for the reply.

Where is the leaf blower trick documented?

I have the basic manual thermostat that came with it. Should I hook up something else? Can I hook up a different Tstat? Any particular reason I want to?

Also, I have a (stinky) chimney that burned wood stove for 30 years. I was going to plate the flu, cut a 3" hole in it, and exhaust up the chimney. Is that fine or do I need to run a pipe up the whole chimney?

Where is a supplier of value priced replacement parts?

Thanks!

 

[jzm2cc]

Youtube has a few videos of using leaf blower to suck out ashes. I do this with stove door open.

You can use any milivolt thermostat, programmable or not. Nice to have the ability to dial temps bacj at night and up during the day vua programs. Wireless thermostats can also be used.

Run flex pipe up chimney thru top plate, follow manual for diameters (3" or 4") required based on height.

I usually use ebay, amazon or just internet search fir my stove parts.

 

[cparts]

Youtube has a few videos of using leaf blower to suck out ashes. I do this with stove door open.

You can use any milivolt thermostat, programmable or not. Nice to have the ability to dial temps bacj at night and up during the day vua programs. Wireless thermostats can also be used.

Run flex pipe up chimney thru top plate, follow manual for diameters (3" or 4") required based on height.

I usually use ebay, amazon or just internet search fir my stove parts.

When you say run flex pipe up chimney through top plate, do you mean run the flex pipe only through the old "flue damper door thing" or all the way up the chimney to the very top?

Thanks for all the info, btw.

 

[jzm2cc]

Flex pipe to the top of the chimney, then through a plate to seal off chimney. Safest way to do it. Bottom of chimney should be sealed with insulation.too. manual should give these details.

 

[Lake Girl]

Roxul insulation (aka mineral wool) for the insulation. Would suggest a thorough cleaning of the chimney before installation of the flex liner. How air tight is the house? Did your parents run it with an outside air kit (OAK)? Some folks have run in to slightly negative air pressure and when the stove is not running, have the smell from the chimney to contend with... hence the cleaning of the chimney first. Also, any creosote build-up removed so less fire hazard.

 

[cparts]

Roxul insulation (aka mineral wool) for the insulation. Would suggest a thorough cleaning of the chimney before installation of the flex liner. How air tight is the house? Did your parents run it with an outside air kit (OAK)? Some folks have run in to slightly negative air pressure and when the stove is not running, have the smell from the chimney to contend with... hence the cleaning of the chimney first. Also, any creosote build-up removed so less fire hazard.

Yes the chimney stinks. I will have it cleaned, but I am not hopefull that after 40 years of wood fires, with only homeowner scraping with a basket-thinggy that it will clear the air. We are desmoking the house, but that is not good news. But better than nothing.

I was going to use an OAK. My Mt Vernon currently does not have the connector that I see on the manual for it. Don't know where to get one. Also trying to figure out where to run the OAK so that it is not directly windward. The closest place to the chimney get strong winds from that direction all winter.

I need to find the codes for the OAK. There are tons of threads on OAKS, but it is hard to make sense of who is right on many of them.

Thanks,

 

[cparts]

Flex pipe to the top of the chimney, then through a plate to seal off chimney. Safest way to do it. Bottom of chimney should be sealed with insulation.too. manual should give these details.

Do you have a recommendation for a place to buy a the flex pipe system (I'll probably have to order online)? I need to run a 4" up and a 3" OAK back down the chimney I think?