i have had the AE insert since feb, put 2 tons lg softwood tru it no problems at all great stove, only complaint small hopper, but the best for my situation. today the dealer came to clean the stove. i wanted to see how they did it so i could do it the same way. they also did the install in feb. they replaced the cracked baffle plate that only lasted about 6 weeks, heat output on high, flame -3. they vacuumed the cast backer plate with the nipples and the fire box. they put the new baffle in and buttoned it up. they also looked in the exhaust from the outside and said that it was clean. I have read that people take the combustion fan and convection fans out and clean them, none of this was done, any input to the proper way to clean this unit will be appreciated. i clean the stove weekly the way the dealer did today. i bought a b&d;leaf-blower and have put a (fernco)?? reducer on the suction side. it is a 3" to 4" rubber pipe reducer with the stainless steel pipe clamps, i cut the suction pipe connector fittings off the section that connect to the blower and put the reducer directly on the suction pipe of the leaf blower, i had to use a rasp to file a little rubber out so the 3" end would fit on the stove pipe. i do not know the pipe brand but it is not simpson, the end sections slide together with a high temp rubber o ring inside, the sections are screwed together. it was raining today so i did not use the blower. i will use it in the next week or so and take pictures of how it works and how i adapted it to the pipe and blower with the one rubber fitting in case someone else wants to do the same. the stove pipe is only about 6' total length including the 2' outside. i put 6 tons of lg in the cellar last week. i asked the dealer if i should vacuum the sawdust out of the hopper once or twice during the winter. he told me i should sift the sawdust out of each bag or the auger will clog and jam. no clogs or jams with 2 tons thru it and there was plenty of sawdust. i do not plan to either unless someone has had major problems with sawdust and this stove. any and all input will be appreciated. great bunch of people on this forum and the knowledge base is truely outstanding.
MT. Vernon AE cleaning help & sawdust in pellet questions???
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the service manual is very handy 
my boss sells them if you cant find one elsewhere....
or pm me and i can send the desired cleaning sections from the pdf. no charge...
not tonight though, i'm at home....
dave
woodheatstoves.com
my boss sells them if you cant find one elsewhere....
or pm me and i can send the desired cleaning sections from the pdf. no charge...
not tonight though, i'm at home....
dave
woodheatstoves.com
I used a AE for two seasons burning corn and could get by for at least three weeks before removing the baffle plate to clean the fins. Be sure to clean below the fins where the exhaust goes out towards the fan. The exhaust fan can be cleaned easily by loosening the 5 or 6 nuts and turning the body of the fan then it will come out and you can clean it easily. This only has to be done once a year. Pay attention to that fiber gasket between the exhaust fan and stove as it is fragile.
The AE has a hollow type of auger which allows many different types of fuels to feed very well. If you get very poor pellets you could get a lot of fines requiring precleaning but with most pellets that shouldn't be a issue. You should be able to just burn a complete bag without any problem.
Cleaning the convection fan once a year should be enough.
The AE has a hollow type of auger which allows many different types of fuels to feed very well. If you get very poor pellets you could get a lot of fines requiring precleaning but with most pellets that shouldn't be a issue. You should be able to just burn a complete bag without any problem.
Cleaning the convection fan once a year should be enough.
rona said:
true, unless you have Tons of pet dander or other bad air issues.
combustion fans may need more help, especially with low quality pellets
Two very important words in the manual are (as needed). Experience will show you how often you need to clean it and also the issue with the fines. Keep a eye on the drop tube that the pellets fall through into the pot and if it starts building up with burnt fines clean it.
One thing is to realize every time you handle your fuel whether it is corn or pellets you do some damage and create more fines. Tossing bags on the floor or when you stack them will break some pellets and create fines.
As with any fan blowing air in the house if you have cats or dogs and they shed eventually you will see it on the convection fan. I had several cats in the house and only had to clean it once at the end of the season. I don't know how the AE insert is but the regular AE is a real easy stove to service.
One thing is to realize every time you handle your fuel whether it is corn or pellets you do some damage and create more fines. Tossing bags on the floor or when you stack them will break some pellets and create fines.
As with any fan blowing air in the house if you have cats or dogs and they shed eventually you will see it on the convection fan. I had several cats in the house and only had to clean it once at the end of the season. I don't know how the AE insert is but the regular AE is a real easy stove to service.
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