New member and awaiting mt vernon

[sparky421]

New to sign up but have been reading up on this site for a few weeks. Would like to thank all of you for the extensive knowledge and education I gained in deciding between wood or pellet and finally which pellet stove to go with.
My interests started recently after visiting some friends' houses (4-5) that had pellet stoves installed within the last 2 years and nothing but highly positive comments and huge reduction in fuel oil consumption which is the majority of fuel used for homes in this area.

Then it came down to replacing my existing zero clearance fireplace with an insert in the living room on the main floor or a free standing in the downstairs room.

After doing much homework here I narrowed it down to the M55 and Mt Vernon AE insert for my final decision. Next door neighbor had a free standing M55 that I got to see first hand but that company wanted $100 just for coming out to do an estimate which they "conveniently" deduct if you have them do the install. Strike one.

Had another come out and tell me it wasn't worth it to do insert because all brick face and wall would have to be redone, re-framed, etc. That raised many red flags after what I learned from here. They were either hiding inexperience or duping me for big bucks imo. They tried to (wouldn't say push) but persuade me to go with a Harman P68 free standing downstairs.

Third came out (sells Quadrafire ) and tells me the Mt Vernon AE insert is not a problem and they have done literally hundreds of installs. Labor not bad. Maybe can do a little better on stove price but I don't think all that bad for this area, time of year, and the way the owner and installer presented themselves and know how of what they sell. No sales pitch, straight and honest. Right to the point.

Was instructed how to cut out the existing fireplace to make room for my Mt V's new home. Lucky for me I know someone with a plasma cutter I picked up today which will be day/night difference than using a sawzall and/or grinder wheel.

Thanks again all of you. Not only did you help vastly on deciding which stove but some many variables to help get me there. BTU sizing. Stove location versus being able to get heat where you want it without making 1 room an over to do so. Practicability, costs, fuel consumption, (lack of oil and use of pellets). Feedback of owners of the actual units mentioned. Servicing and cleaning. And so many others.

Thanks again and a very Happy New Year to all.

I will take before, during, and after pics. Install is set up for Wed 1/8/2014.

 

[BigJohnfromCT]

Welcome aboard. This is a great site. I'm new to the pellet world myself and have learned tons here. Happy new year and good burning. What brand of pellets are you considering burning? Not all pellets are created equal but the Quad MVAE burns pretty much anything.

 

[sparky421]

Pellet brand and type is my next new adventure. That was another plus for the MT V. Being a multi-fuel only seems to help more with various types and sizes without too many hiccups.

 

[Madcodger]

Pellet brand and type is my next new adventure. That was another plus for the MT V. Being a multi-fuel only seems to help more with various types and sizes without too many hiccups.

Welcome!

Just remember that while the MVAE can burn anything, it will not perform the same on lower quality pellets. Personally I like a high quality hardwood. You'll probably need to pick an initial brand for most of this year's burning, but also test various brands as you are able to get a good idea for next year.

 

[sparky421]

So I cut out the floor and removed fan and duct underneath to make room today. Here is my question before the install takes place as the company is closed due to the holiday and can not contact them. The floor inside is almost dead on 2" lower than the stone. New pellet stove insert will be resting on the stone hearth . Need ideas or opinions as to the best material to use and how exactly to go about the best way of making a proper support that will last a long time.

Two of the pics show the view from the kitchen into the living room and with my back against the fireplace up towards the kitchen and other rooms down the hall. I'm sure this open design will do wonders for heat distribution. Especially since the now existing one did a not so bad job with the little fan it had. Have to clean up the bricks over center too.

 

[Harvey Schneider]

The Mt Vernon is zero clearance so it can sit on whatever material you want to put there. If I recall correctly though all of the weight is borne on the part that sits in front of the opening. The only requirement is that there be a non-flammable floor in front of the insert.

 

[sparky421]

So install went ok on 1/8. I need to cut some bricks to fit trim kit. Measurements I was given was the with along the majority of it and not where the bottom moldings stick out wider. That made me hesitate on putting on pics but what the hell. Also the front door sags and I was not happy and made it very clear upon noticing it at completion of install. Installers tried for a bit but it only seems to have an up/down adjustment and not alignment. Searched web for this issue until my eyeballs popped out of my head with no luck. Contacted Quadrafire who had installer contact me. They have a suggestion for trying to correct it which I have to take a shot at in the next day or so, or wait for installer to come middle of next week. If that does not work they will warranty it as I was informed.
Now 2 questions.
1) Any suggestions as to best material to stuff in between zero clearance walls of original fireplace to reduce/eliminate the drafts I can feel coming through. I was thinking bat insulation. I am talking about the space the vertical bar grates cover.

2) Question to other Mt Vernon owners out there. Today it is quite warm out in the 50's. Should I lower heat output or any other settings so stove does not short cycle too much?

So far I am very pleased with operation and heating capacity. Burning Pres-To-Logs. Current settings since install: Heat Output: -#4 med-high. Flame height: - 2 Blower mostly on quiet but switch to normal on colder nights

 

[chken]

Roxul insulation.

 

[smg64ct]

Good luck with your stove, looks great. Very warm today I shut mine off and gave it a good cleaning.

 

[Harvey Schneider]

So install went ok on 1/8. I need to cut some bricks to fit trim kit. Measurements I was given was the with along the majority of it and not where the bottom moldings stick out wider. That made me hesitate on putting on pics but what the hell. Also the front door sags and I was not happy and made it very clear upon noticing it at completion of install. Installers tried for a bit but it only seems to have an up/down adjustment and not alignment. Searched web for this issue until my eyeballs popped out of my head with no luck. Contacted Quadrafire who had installer contact me. They have a suggestion for trying to correct it which I have to take a shot at in the next day or so, or wait for installer to come middle of next week. If that does not work they will warranty it as I was informed.
Now 2 questions.
1) Any suggestions as to best material to stuff in between zero clearance walls of original fireplace to reduce/eliminate the drafts I can feel coming through. I was thinking bat insulation. I am talking about the space the vertical bar grates cover.

2) Question to other Mt Vernon owners out there. Today it is quite warm out in the 50's. Should I lower heat output or any other settings so stove does not short cycle too much?

So far I am very pleased with operation and heating capacity. Burning Pres-To-Logs. Current settings since install: Heat Output: -#4 med-high. Flame height: - 2 Blower mostly on quiet but switch to normal on colder nights

When my MVAE was installed, there was a problem with the door hinge. The dealer was very quick to offer to replace the hinge under warranty. That fixed the problem. I suspect that your crooked door is due to a bent hinge pin bracket.
I don't play with the settings much. In mild weather I run it in automatic with the flame set +2 or higher. In cold weather I run it in manual with heat output set at 3 or 5 depending on just how cold it is. These settings suit the size of the house, and the quality of the insulation and window. YMMV
I have the temperature swing set to 1 degree. People tell me that is hard on the igniter, but this one is two years old and I have a backup spare. The spare cost me $30 and I opted for comfort over cost. I burn about 3 tons per heating season so I consider the igniter to be quite robust.
Good luck with your new insert, you are going to love it.

 

[dale rex]

I have the baby brother of the Mt Vernon( the Castile) and love it. Very reliable and easy to operate and clean. The thermostat operation is great too, I have it hooked up to a Honeywell round thermostat and works very well together. You will be extreme;y pleased with it .

 

[LMPS]

Don't be afraid to turn up the flame height when it is cold out. This controls the feed rate and in turn controls how much heat you will get. The higher the flame height the more pellets are fed thus more heat. Like Harvey I tend to run mine in manual when its cold and automatic when it is not. The reason is when it is cold I want it stay running on High or Medium high and not adjust itself. Also, if you search threads on here you will see many of us set the temperature we want the room to be at about three degrees higher than what we really want. For example if I want the room to be 75 I would set it at 78. What this does in automatic is allow the stove to run longer at little higher setting thus getting you closer to the 75 mark you really want. Hope this helps.

 

[Madcodger]

Also, if you search threads on here you will see many of us set the temperature we want the room to be at about three degrees higher than what we really want. For example if I want the room to be 75 I would set it at 78. What this does in automatic is allow the stove to run longer at little higher setting thus getting you closer to the 75 mark you really want. Hope this helps.

Personally, I find this is my preferred method of ensuring a nice, toasty room (and much of the house, in fact). And while I experiment with manual mode, I find automatic generally works best for my needs. To each their own!

 

[Ctcarl]

Welcome this is a very informative site. I learned so much on here. very friendly folks.

 

[joescho]

New to sign up but have been reading up on this site for a few weeks. Would like to thank all of you for the extensive knowledge and education I gained in deciding between wood or pellet and finally which pellet stove to go with.
My interests started recently after visiting some friends' houses (4-5) that had pellet stoves installed within the last 2 years and nothing but highly positive comments and huge reduction in fuel oil consumption which is the majority of fuel used for homes in this area.
.

Its defanitely a premium stove. I have the same insert you have. Very very quiet......If I had to list a gripe it would be pulling it out and disconnecting the liner to give it its yearly cleaning and that's because its pretty heavy.


The rest is going to be a learning experience. There's many knowledgeable people here that can answer just about any maintenance question you could ask.

As long as you take care of it, it will take care of you.