Quadrafire Mt. Vernon AE AutoClean and Check Ashpan repeating

[ronniec]

Problem:
After plugging the stove into the outlet, AutoClean engages, then Check Ashpan error message appears. We check ash pan and then push the retry button. AutoClean engages again, then Check Ash pan error message appears. This action continues to repeat.

Actions Taken in attempt to correct the issue:
1. Complete clean out of entire stove.
2. AutoClean motor has been replaced.
3. Gear Box has been replaced.
4. AutoClean switch has been replaced.

Results:
1. Motor is running, but arm will not move to move the ash pot forward.
2. Unhooked arm off ash pot and Autoclean motor is running, but arm is still not moving.

Any help is greatly appreciated

Ronnie C.

 

[Force58]

It's looks like nobody responded to you, strange. I just wanted to add I have a 4 year old Mount Vernon AE and the problem you describe has been happening to my stove for the past 4-5 months. Calls to the store I bought it from have resulted in many left messages but no return calls, typical.

On mine I watched the autoclean process and it looks like the floor of the pot moves to the right and back 3 times and then the fire lighting takes place. I've checked and double checked the autoclean mechanisms over and over and cannot see where its getting bound up. I can see/hear at the point it does get bound up but it doesn't look like there's anything bent or obstructing in any way. It makes loud metal on metal scraping noises right before it does stop in the middle of the process.

I used a screwdriver to press down on it during the right to center process and it eventually finishes.

I just wish there were a way to turn the autoclean process off. Based on this website and general google searches, this is happening to an alarming number of people. You'd think the manu would have addressed it at this point.

The problem I have is if I don't physically help it along it just errors out and doesn't start a burn. On 11 F nights that's not good. Please let us know if you got a dealer to look at it and if it was fixed, what the issue was. Good luck.

 

[BigJohnfromCT]

I've got an MVAE, built in 2011 so not sure if its the same but I have had that problem albeit not too often. In all of my cases the problem has been a dirty fire pot floor. I'm not talking about a little ash. I'm talking hard residue. I use a screw driver, mirror and light to clean. Scrape, scrape, scrape. Vacuum. Check fire pot bottom with the light and mirror. If I don't see shinny metal I keep going. Then I feel around for a nice flat bottom. No chunks or bumps. On the slanted face of the FP, I use the screwdriver and a small hammer to chip off the baked on residue. I do this about every 14 bags of pellets, plus or minus. In fact, just cleaned it this morning. Good luck.

 

[ronniec]

It's looks like nobody responded to you, strange. I just wanted to add I have a 4 year old Mount Vernon AE and the problem you describe has been happening to my stove for the past 4-5 months. Calls to the store I bought it from have resulted in many left messages but no return calls, typical.

On mine I watched the autoclean process and it looks like the floor of the pot moves to the right and back 3 times and then the fire lighting takes place. I've checked and double checked the autoclean mechanisms over and over and cannot see where its getting bound up. I can see/hear at the point it does get bound up but it doesn't look like there's anything bent or obstructing in any way. It makes loud metal on metal scraping noises right before it does stop in the middle of the process.

I used a screwdriver to press down on it during the right to center process and it eventually finishes.

I just wish there were a way to turn the autoclean process off. Based on this website and general google searches, this is happening to an alarming number of people. You'd think the manu would have addressed it at this point.

The problem I have is if I don't physically help it along it just errors out and doesn't start a burn. On 11 F nights that's not good. Please let us know if you got a dealer to look at it and if it was fixed, what the issue was. Good luck.

Sorry but I have not found out what my problem is. And it seems that the manufacturer don't or the people that sale them care to help. Once you buy one your on your on. I have not been able to use mine all winter.

 

[BigJohnfromCT]

"Once you buy one your on your on. I have not been able to use mine all winter."

Unlike most companies Quadra fire does not want to talk to its customers and it can't be the numbers of callers or quantity of product sold. I call manufacturers from time to time and most often find them eager to help. Honeywell and Kohler come to mind and, obviously, Kohler sells a lot more product then Quadrafire. Regarding the retail seller, the store I bought my stove from is always helpful, has good service and great service people. Sorry for your experience and problems.

 

[kappel15]

Pull ashpan and look at rails, the auto-clean slide on. How rusty are they? Just had a friend at start of season, couldn't get his stove to go. Pot floor was froze in place from rust on rails, and dirty pot floor. I sanded down rails and put some high temp anti_seize grease on them, cleaned pot floor and his stove ran fine. You can use a magnet on the door switch, to fool it into thinking door is closed, to stop auto_clean at places to help clean rails. kap

 

[tmeric7]

I just wanted to follow up on this thread because it helped me. And to provide some detail of my experience as it may help others.

I have a Mt. Vernon AE and had similar problems, reaching back a few years. Fairly intermittent at first, but gradually more persistent. I would occasionally see the "Check Ashpan" error for no apparent reason. The firepot floor seemed to be finding its home fine after an autoclean, but the stove disagreed about everything being fine. Then, like others, it would try to autoclean three times in a row, and still throw the error. I lived with this intermittent behavior for quite some time, but it gradually got more common. This heating season... fairly intolerable.

My rule of thumb is that intermittent problems are usually electrical. This is an insert and I hadn't known how to get at the motor assembly and the limit switch, so that explains my prolonged inactivity. But this year the mechanism would star to get bound up occasionally, so it was apparently not electrical. Based mostly on kap's last message here, I pulled the assembly and cleaned/lubed everything and that seems to have solved the problem! Here is what I did:

1. Remove igniter from firepot and detach firepot thermocouple/push aside.
2. Unbolt firepot (two bolts) and remove.
3. Detach autoclean arm from right side of firepot floor (hitch pin on right side).
4. Pull firepot floor out through ashpan access.
5. Detach rails from left side by removing two hitch pins.
6. The hitch pins on the right side are not as accessible, so... Pass thermocouple and igniter through hole in right rail bracket and detach the bracket (two small screws in the firebox floor)
7. Now the rails, along with the right bracket, come out of the ashpan access.

I then cleaned (shined!) the rails, the four points of the ashpan floor that slide on the rails, and the surfaces of the firepot/base that slide on each other, with a wire wheel and applied Permatex aluminum antiseize, 80078, to those same surfaces. As they say... reassembly in reverse order.