Mt. Vernon AE Insert - Startup Problems - Looking for Help

[CFFuts23]

This winter will be our 2nd heating season for our Mt. Vernon AE Insert. It's starting to get a bit chilly in NH, so I thought it would be a good time to test out the unit to ensure everything is ready to go in a few weeks.

Last Spring, we had the stove professionally cleaned by our dealer and the only other maintenance I did was paint the interior with the stove spray that came with the unit. It also had a container of baking soda in it...if that helps with the troubleshooting. At any rate, when I attempt to start the stove I get a 'Check Ashpan' error. I removed the empty ashpan and vacumed a small amount of ash that had accumulated under / behind the tray. Tried it again and got the same error. This time I took the firepot cleaning tool and worked it into all the holes in the firepot to ensure nothing was caught. Tried it again and got the same error a few times.

Does this mean I need new parts? Last year the auto-cleaning made some noise as the metal moved around and this year I'm not getting that noise. Any ideas to try before I call my dealer?

Thank you!

 

[fluemasterjr]

it sounds like the bottom floor of the fire pot is jammed maybe even rusted or painted shut try reaching in from the ash pan opening and wiggling the floor of the fire pot.

 

[jtp10181]

I think you will get "check ashpan" if it does not detect the autoclean working properly. Check to make sure the autoclean is actually going. If it is, watch to see if it goes more than once.

If the autoclean runs more than once you might need a new 10-pin wire harness which is what connects the autoclean sensor to the main board (among other things).

 

[CFFuts23]

I played around with the bottom of the firepot via the ash pan cavity. The lever moves, so it does not appear to be painted or rusted shut.

The 'check ashpan' is the error code for the 'autoclean being jammed'. Since nothing is binding or locked, it sounds like I need a new autoclean switch. Let's hope it's covered under warranty.

Thanks for the help.

 

[jtp10181]

Yeah... I doubt its the switch. First bet would be the wire harness that plugs into the main board.

Did you watch to see if it runs the autoclean more than once? Just unplug the stove and plug it back in, autoclean should run right away. It should stop right away after one go, if it keeps running then gets the error, replace the wire harness. Should be warranty for 2 years.

 

[evil]

Yep, Force a cycle on it. Unplug the unit and plug it back in. Once the auto clean cycle is over make sure there are no errors. you may have to remove the fire pot and lightly sand/ scrap the bottom of the fire pot if paint over spray may have made a paint lip that keeps it from reaching home position and prevents it from going to ready status.