Quadrafire MVAE insert firepot residue buildup - need advice.

[sambam]

First post here, please be kind to a n00b.

My 2011 vintage Mt Vernon insert stove has been such a welcome addition to our home, but lately I've had a problem with clinkers rapidly building up and causing the autoclean to jam.

I clean the firepot religiously, and have had some buildup in the bottom of the firepot, especially when burning Turman's, which are now tougher to find here in CT. A weekly chisel (or more often when really cold) was always sufficient to clean it well.

Due to lack of Turman availability, I tried Lauzon Northern Maxs this season and the buildup has seemed really excessive, so bad that I have been chiseling out buildup nearly every day (versus once or twice a week). First I blamed it on the pellets, but, I've spent the past week running Barefoots as well as a few Turman's, and the jam problem is still evident.

Question: is it possible that the autoclean motor and/or assembly are tired out and need to be replaced? The firepot is in good shape and clean. It's just such a stark change in how often it jams versus prior seasons.

Does anyone have a similar experience that might offer to share? Thanks in advance.

 

[Ssyko]

More than likely its the pellets, they all seam to get dirtier than in the past. I had bad luck with lauzon last year, clinker, lots of ash burned like s**t. And the year before was great. I get Logik-e now and my stove likes em.

 

[sambam]

More than likely its the pellets, they all seam to get dirtier than in the past. I had bad luck with lauzon last year, clinker, lots of ash burned like s**t. And the year before was great. I get Logik-e now and my stove likes em.

So it does not seem to be bad pellets. I've run Lauzon straight, then Barefoots, then Turman's each over the past few weeks and the problem has actually gotten worse. Other threads suggest using anti-sieze lubricant on the arms after sanding them, but the arms feel fine. I think it's the motor for the autoclean itself. Just seems tired. like me.

 

[Ssyko]

Ok Sambam, when was the last time you cleaned from the exhaust blower to the rain cap? This residue you talk of is it hard as glass in the bottom of the pot? Have you checked all the gaskets making sure they are sealing good, dollar test? Does the auto clean do its thing?

 

[sambam]

Ok Sambam, when was the last time you cleaned from the exhaust blower to the rain cap? This residue you talk of is it hard as glass in the bottom of the pot? Have you checked all the gaskets making sure they are sealing good, dollar test? Does the auto clean do its thing?

I clean the exhaust fan annually as well as the pipe all the way up. Obsidian-like residue does build up, especially when running Turman pellets, but the autoclean is struggling with no hard blisters on the plate, its getting stuck on softer chunks of slag, which again makes it seem like a motor, not some new buildup from using different pellets. The autoclean is now stuck and while I could pull it back into place manually, I am having my first service call in ten years tomorrow. This is beyond nuisance. Thanks for your input though!

 

[stovelark]

Could be your motor is getting tired, or as suggested a good cleaning will always help any pellet stove. Airflow is always directly related to good performance and happy owners too. Hopefully the service call will provide a cleaning too. Good luck, stay warm.