Older Mt.Vernon just installed- have a couple of questions.

[FFRKing]

I just helped a friend install an older Quadra-Fire Mt Vernon. This model just has a thermostat hookup and a 4 position rotary switch for Low, Med., High, and Quad.
First of all, What is the Quad setting?
Second,We hooked it up and couldn't get it to run at first. After checking everything, I could jumper the electrical on the vacuum switch and make the auger turn. I could also reconnect the electrical connections and suck on the vacuum line and make the auger turn. I couldn't make it work with everything hooked up correctly. I thought that by the 2 bypass methods, that it verified the vacuum switch was good. Could it still be the vacuum switch?
Third, The blower is cycling off and on when the stove is on high. Is this normal? I have a Quad Castile insert in my own house that doesn't do this.

Thanks

Chris

 

[SwineFlue]

0. Do you have the manual for it? Quadra-Fire | Install & Owners Manuals (You don't want the "AE" one)

1. I think the Quad setting is just an "extra high"

2. You have verified the vacuum switch is good. Therefore the stove has an airflow problem -- the vac switch is protecting you from an unsafe condition. Make sure ash has been cleaned out of the air/exhaust passages. Also check the door gasket and look for any other air leaks into the firebox. What is the exhaust vent configuration, and does it have an OAK?

3. Which blower is cycling? You can check for any loose wires/connections. If it's the combustion/exhaust blower, it could be the cause of the vacuum problem.

 

[FFRKing]

We looked at the manual but didn't really find anything to help. Bypassing the vacuum switch in the 2 ways above should verify it is working correctly, right? The vacuum hose was also in good condition.
The stove was cleaned out well and the exhaust is into a 3" cleanout "T", up 2 feet, elbow, and out 2 feet with a horizontal termination cap. Airflow out the exhaust is very strong.
Is the gasket on the ash pan as important as the door gasket for vacuum? It also is in good condition.
It is just enough different from my Castile insert that I hope I'm not missing the obvious.
Also, the 2 airflow adjustment slides on each side of the firepot are closed and we have a fast moving flame that is consistent.
The blower cycling stopped after about 30 minutes of running. It cycled about 4 times and was 4 min 30 secs on and 1 min 45 sec off and was consistent.

Chris

 

[SwineFlue]

Other than the 4-position heat level control, the Mt Vernon should operate the same as your Castile.

You verified the vacuum switch is working, and the hose is OK. Did you clean out the nipple where the hose connects to the stove? It is possible that the vacuum switch is not accurate, but I don't think it's likely. The stove could be just shy of "enough" airflow to trigger it.

The 2 cleaning slide plates on either side of the burnpot are to sweep ash down into the ashpan. Leave them closed. Quads don't have any airflow adjustment.

I assume it's the convection (room air) blower cycling. That blower is triggered on when its snap disk reaches its pre-set temperature. The blower could be cooling the stove below that temperature and shutting it off until heat builds up again. I've only seen this happen on Low, though. How is the feed gate in the hopper set?

 

[SwineFlue]

I forgot to add... the ashpan door gasket is not important. (I think I remember reading that the Castile Inserts don't have them.)

 

[FFRKing]

I don't remember where the feed gate was at, but it was set for a 4" flame on high.
We jumpered the vacuum switch to get it running and everything is working fine now, except the vacuum switch.
I just had a thought as I was typing this.
If the hopper is empty of pellets, will it not pull enough vacuum due to the opening where the pellets meet the auger? The vacuum port opening is at the top of the auger chute so this should be at least shut off by the pellets in the hopper, right?

Thanks for all of your suggestions,

Chris

 

[tractorman100]

I THINK that the empty hopper of pellets affects the thermocouple. No Flame, No heat, thermocouple opens.
Yes the Quad setting is Super high.

For the convection blower, once it warms up it should run consistantly. Mine will only cycle on low (1).
Did you take the top plate out of the firebox and clean behind it? It will make a difference.

Did you push the reset button on the side?

There is no vacuum adjustment on this stove. I love mine.

 

[SwineFlue]

If the hopper is empty of pellets, will it not pull enough vacuum due to the opening where the pellets meet the auger? The vacuum port opening is at the top of the auger chute so this should be at least shut off by the pellets in the hopper, right?

Yes, you'll need at least a few handfuls of pellets in the bottom of the hopper to seal it off. It should have been enough pellets in there if it ran for 30 minutes.

 

[Bkins]

After owning one for a number of years I can add that you do need to dis-connect the rubber hose from the augar chute and make sure it is open by sticking it with a paper clip or something metal that will not break off in the port. Someone else mentioned this and I am saying again to make sure it is open. Also make sure the rubber hose is open. This stove is pretty basic as far as pellet stoves go. Sounds like you hve a bad snap disk that keeps re-setting hence the on/off motor. Don't know which one it is so you could probably unplug the stove and jumper each snap disk untill you find the offending one. That would be my suggestion. Also the stove needs to be set on Quad for cold startup. You may or may not need this step depending on the grade of the pellets you are using but if your using a lower grade pellet then the stove needs to start on Quad for a cold stove startup.

If the stove is/was dirty when you got it then also pull off the top and right side panel and clean behind them and also take off the back panel which will allow you to take off the left side panel and clean behind all of them. There is a gasket on the top of the back panel that seals the top panel when installed. You may need to put in a new rope gasket in this position. There is one screw in the right side panel and 2 screws in the back panel. They will be tough to get out if they have not been removed before. A word of advice...don't over tighten them when you re-install them and also do use a good anti-sease on the threads when putting back together.

My stove will not run if the ash pan door is not closed with a good gasket. If there is a air leak here the vacumne swich will not get enough vacumne and will not allow the stove to run.

Only other issue with this and some other Quads of that time is that the augar motor on some stoves is known to start and run in reverse. Has to do with a capacitor or some such sh## and the fix I believe is a new wiring harness.

Any more questions just ask..........

 

[SwineFlue]

My stove will not run if the ash pan door is not closed with a good gasket. If there is a air leak here the vacumne swich will not get enough vacumne and will not allow the stove to run.

That is different from the Castile, then. I can open the door to dump my ashpan while running... it doesn't affect the stove at all.

 

[FFRKing]

Thanks for all of the replies and suggestions. This is at my friends house that has never had a pellet stove and I have only set up one (Mine) but am on my 3rd year.
After installing the flue pipe, I was checking to make sure everything was working correctly before adding any pellets and trying to start it. Cleaned out the firebox area, combustion blower started, thermostat call light good, green light in control box (or red, whichever one comes on first), no auger. Pulled vacuum hose and blew thru it, cleaned nipple on back of auger chute, still nothing. Jumpered electrical connections, auger turns. Reconnect electrical, pull vacuum on rubber hose, auger turns. Hook it all back up, no auger. We jumpered the electrical connections to get it started and heating. He was hit last week with $4.90/gal propane and was anxious to get this going.
It dawned on me this morning that with no pellets in the hopper that it was sucking air thru the feed chute and couldn't pull a vacuum to make the switch. He understands that the vacuum switch is a safety device and is going to reconnect it today since I talked to him.
I did a quick clean on it yesterday, but I think it may need a complete dismantle and cleaning. I pulled the top shield out the firebox and it was a little dirty, but not bad. Heat output on high seemed a little low but we were still tinkering. He was happy with it, and I think there is more to be had out of it. The next few days are going to be single digit lows and highs in the 20's and he was heating with a couple of electric radiant heaters after spending $500 on a weeks worth of propane to get by.
I'm on my 3rd year with a Quad Castile insert and will never go back to propane and I don't think he will either, after only 1 day.

Thanks again,

Chris

 

[stovelark]

Hi Chris, yes that is quite a heater still today. A good cleaning (remove convex and combustion blowers, clean around the heat exch tubes, make sure exh vent is clear (Understand that is prob new) and burn good quality pellets. Quad speed was High2 speed. Think most people use med and high (2 and 3). Good luck with it, I'm sure she has plenty of heat left.