New Quadrafire Mt Vernon AE Owner- Heat Pump Question

[Jojo Tapp]

Hello Forum Friends,

I'm a new forum member and new MTVAE insert owner. We purchased the unit to take the "chill" out of the air during the winter with supplemental heat. Our two zone heat pump would keep our home tolerably warm, but we always felt cold even with the emergency heat kicking on. Problem solved with MtVAE!

My question is how to best use the heat pump and pellet insert in concert with each other? I looked into possibly purchasing a Nest thermostat control, but don't think it's 1. possible and 2. worth the money/effort...but I'm completely open to your experiences/suggestions. Any advice you could share on how to best run our insert and heat pump together would be greatly appreciated. The goal is to be efficient with both units and keep the chill at bay.

Other factors- we are in Southern MD where colder temps occur between late October and April. We're burning American Wood Fibers Ultra Premium White Pine (and using more than I had originally thought!). Our home is about 3,200 square feet (above grade) with a somewhat open floorplan and the pellet insert is in our family room.

Thanks for considering my post and I look forward to learning and contributing!

Jojo

 

[kappel15]

Hi and welcome to the forum. The AE will only run on its wall control. A lot depends on how high a temp your heat pump gets the house to. I know most only get so warm, then the electric heat kicks in. You are probably just going to have to set the AE at a desired temp, and let it heat. kap

 

[Jonkman]

Kap (can I call you that?) is right. You are just going to have to let it heat.

I have a Castile and I have it set to a temp and let it do it's thing. I just have the thermostat for our regular furnace set to a few degrees less than the pellet stove in case the stove runs out of pellets, or can't keep up, etc. One thing I do too is to have our furnace kick on in the morning to bring the house up to temp, then let the pellet stove maintain it (we bought a little to small BTU output I finding out with the castile). I have it do it once in the evening too (furnace).

Depending on the tightness of your house, etc. you may be able to heat your entire house just fine with your AE. Just have to experiment moving air around the house too?

 

[kappel15]

You sure can. That's my handle. kap

 

[Wilbur Feral]

We are not far from Philly, with 3400 SF and two pellet stoves - a freestanding MVAE and Santa Fe insert (that replaced an older Whitfield this season). We also have a heat pump, and a Nest. (I also have a Nest on the Santa Fe, too, but that's another story).

In warmer periods, say temps over about 40, the heat pump is likely your better value as there is much heat to be had from the air. Our stoves then operate on lower settings and just take the chill off the locations where they exist, both of which tend to be a bit cooler than the rest of the house due to number of windows and location.

In colder temps (like tonight) we set the heat pump to run about a degree or two lower than our ideal house temp for day or night, just in case the stoves have an issue or, as noted, can't keep up. But they generally keep the dreaded auxiliary heat to a minimum, and if we just let them run through the night at perhaps two degrees less than daytime temps the heat pump use can be largely avoided. We also have the stoves programmed to come up to target temp about an hour before the heat pump target temp rises, again to avoid auxiliary heat use.

As Kap (guru of all things Quad) notes, the MVAE uses a proprietary stat that, as others can attest, I despise. But we are stuck with the infernal things. I try not to think about that part...

 

[sweetczz]

I noticed my Mt Vernon AE 2008 isn't keeping up with the thermastat heating setting of 78 degrees (it's currently 25 degrees outside). It's showing around 72 degrees. When it was warmer out (40-50s) it seemed to keep upwithin 1-2 degrees. Same pellets, same pallet, just not heating up as well. Is that because of the temperature outside? Or is this another problem with the AE?

 

[kappel15]

What fuel table are you on? Do you have your flame height set correctly? Are you running manual or auto? What heat setting are you on? When was the last time you cleaned the heat exchanger fins? Just some things to look at. kap

 

[HP52NOVA]

Hello Forum Friends,

I'm a new forum member and new MTVAE insert owner. We purchased the unit to take the "chill" out of the air during the winter with supplemental heat. Our two zone heat pump would keep our home tolerably warm, but we always felt cold even with the emergency heat kicking on. Problem solved with MtVAE!

My question is how to best use the heat pump and pellet insert in concert with each other? I looked into possibly purchasing a Nest thermostat control, but don't think it's 1. possible and 2. worth the money/effort...but I'm completely open to your experiences/suggestions. Any advice you could share on how to best run our insert and heat pump together would be greatly appreciated. The goal is to be efficient with both units and keep the chill at bay.

Other factors- we are in Southern MD where colder temps occur between late October and April. We're burning American Wood Fibers Ultra Premium White Pine (and using more than I had originally thought!). Our home is about 3,200 square feet (above grade) with a somewhat open floorplan and the pellet insert is in our family room.

Thanks for considering my post and I look forward to learning and contributing!

Jojo
View attachment 172330

I have a similar situation with two zone heating. I set my stove to 75, then set the other two stats to 70-72. In my house, down to about 25f, the other systems almost never come on. The stove keeps the house above their call for heat temp. Then when we drop under 25f my furnace and heat pump kick in as auxiliary to suppliment the stove and keep the house at a comfortable temp. In this setup the stove is the primary heat source. I can choose to keep it that way, or switch it around based in cost, comfort level or just mood. This works for me and my house setup and can vary based on where your stats are located, etc. There is nothing better the pellet heat, enjoy your stove!

 

[Wilbur Feral]

I noticed my Mt Vernon AE 2008 isn't keeping up with the thermastat heating setting of 78 degrees (it's currently 25 degrees outside). It's showing around 72 degrees. When it was warmer out (40-50s) it seemed to keep upwithin 1-2 degrees. Same pellets, same pallet, just not heating up as well. Is that because of the temperature outside? Or is this another problem with the AE?

It is not that the stove is not heating as well. It is that your house is losing too much heat. If you really want it that warm, insulate, caulk, stop air leakage.

 

[sweetczz]

Hello Forum Friends,

I'm a new forum member and new MTVAE insert owner. We purchased the unit to take the "chill" out of the air during the winter with supplemental heat. Our two zone heat pump would keep our home tolerably warm, but we always felt cold even with the emergency heat kicking on. Problem solved with MtVAE!

My question is how to best use the heat pump and pellet insert in concert with each other? I looked into possibly purchasing a Nest thermostat control, but don't think it's 1. possible and 2. worth the money/effort...but I'm completely open to your experiences/suggestions. Any advice you could share on how to best run our insert and heat pump together would be greatly appreciated. The goal is to be efficient with both units and keep the chill at bay.

Other factors- we are in Southern MD where colder temps occur between late October and April. We're burning American Wood Fibers Ultra Premium White Pine (and using more than I had originally thought!). Our home is about 3,200 square feet (above grade) with a somewhat open floorplan and the pellet insert is in our family room.

Thanks for considering my post and I look forward to learning and contributing!

Jojo
View attachment 172330

I have a 2600 sq foot home. The family room was built on and is very large with high ceilings. The main house is next to it, up 2 steps. The stove faces the steps. I have the temperature set at 76 degrees. Generally, when the stove works properly, it will heat the main house to around 67 degrees. I try to keep the heat pump from coming on as it is unbelievably expensive to run in this type of weather. I do have an open loft in my upstairs above the family room. The room gets toasty and heat spills out into the room next to it and into the hallway. The other master bedroom I am told gets warm as well. My room, well it stays cold. I don't mind sleeping in cold i just hate showering without my mini heater. I am switching to a gas furnace now that gas has finally come down my street. It gets old carrying bags of pellets, loading the hopper fighting with an older model 2009 Quad.

 

[sweetczz]

[QUOTE="Wilbur Feral, post: 2045789, member: 36645" ]It is not that the stove is not heating as well. It is that your house is losing too much heat. If you really want it that warm, insulate, caulk, stop air leakage.[/QUOTE]

I have since gotten a new roof (4 weeks ago) new R48? insulation (2 years ago?) new sliding exterior doors and some new windows/skylights and new siding is almost done (hopefully on monday). The issue is back. Could it be old pellets? I notice my so called premium Pennwood Pellets are clumpy and thick in the drawer after 1 bag burning. They are about a year old, maybe a year and a half. Does that make a difference?

 

[kappel15]

Sounds like they might have absorbed some moisture. Easy enough to buy one bag of something else and burn it, to see how stove does. Manual is the best setting for lots of heat. Be sure to be on the right fuel table for the pellets you are burning. If hardwood isn't heating too good, switch to utility and see how it does. Flame height is important also. Set it by your manual. And heat output can be on high if you need the heat, but you will go thru the pellets. And be sure the stove is clean, and exhaust. This means the path thru the stove and exhaust pipe. Don't forget the openings under the baffle. A clean stove is a happy stove. kap

 

[sweetczz]

I think i will try a different bag of pellets like you said (IF i can find any!) I did try different settings utility auto now manual - seems to be heating more than auto. Can you elaborate on flame height? There are no dancing black flames but I did kick it up from +2 to 3 and not really sure what difference it makes.

Also, the path thru the stove and exhaust pipe - do i have to disconnect a pipe to clean it? Maybe it's on youtube or something? - I'm going to buy me some baby bottle brushes to clean those slots by the baffle more thoroughly

Thanks Kap

 

[kappel15]

Flame height is actually the feed rate. Do you have a manual? It tells you how to set your flame height. On high heat setting, flames should be tickling the top of the diamond, if not a tad more. The higher the flame height adjustment, the more fuel is dumped, and the bigger the flame. Auto is best used when it is spring or fall, because the closer to temp the stove gets, the slower the stove runs. With manual, it is running at the setting you put it at, till it reaches temp and shuts off. On those holes at bottom of baffle, I use a pc. of hose that fits in there.on the end of my shop vac, so I can suck everything out of there. Just removing baffle and cleaning the fins and the holes is good enough till end of season. Exhaust pipe depends on your setup. Stay warm. kap

 

[sweetczz]

Flame height is actually the feed rate. Do you have a manual? It tells you how to set your flame height. On high heat setting, flames should be tickling the top of the diamond, if not a tad more. The higher the flame height adjustment, the more fuel is dumped, and the bigger the flame. Auto is best used when it is spring or fall, because the closer to temp the stove gets, the slower the stove runs. With manual, it is running at the setting you put it at, till it reaches temp and shuts off. On those holes at bottom of baffle, I use a pc. of hose that fits in there.on the end of my shop vac, so I can suck everything out of there. Just removing baffle and cleaning the fins and the holes is good enough till end of season. Exhaust pipe depends on your setup. Stay warm. kap

I admit I hadn't noticed any diamond shape on the stove. So, that's something I didn't understand before, flame height - originally set at 2 by the installer. I just looked and it's just barely dancing that high. I'm leaving it at 2 since I am already using 2 bags of pellets a day. I am heating 2700 sq feet, so keeping the family room at about 74 degrees keeps the rest of the house at 66 degrees there about. Heat rises upstairs so it's actually warmer in the bedrooms at nice, almost too warm sometimes! As long as my main house stays above 62 degrees I'm happy. I don't want the heat pump auxiliary heat coming on, especially in these 0-degree weather.

Some Tips: I used a mini car vacuum tube to vacuum the slits under the baffle - worked awesomely - slid in one side of the slit and came out the other - that's when you know it's good and clean, no pressure to get it through. Also, Toothbrushes work, baby bottle /nipple cleaners/pipe cleaners are helpful for cleaning tough areas.