I've had my Mt. Vernon AE for about 5 years now. I still think I get the most heat using the sunflower fuel setting. Anyone else doing this? It cleans less, it cranks out the heat. It probably eats a bit more fuel. I use the high elev. setting with manual Low. and -5 flame.

I'm running pellets on corn setting, high elevation. Only way i can tame the flame height. Still on -5 too.

Do you need the high elevation setting?

I never found that necessary when running on the sunflower seed setting.

Kap, you should try this it really cranks out the heat!

I just thought the high elev. setting would help keep the flame ht. down. Never really tested it. It does go thru alot of pellets on sunflower setting though.

I switch back to hardwood setting when it's not super cold out.

Had my AE about 7 years now? I'd have to look into the old forum..

I never did get around to looking into which settings give you the longest time in between cleans but right now that is the one last thing I need to fine tune this thing. Other then upgrading motherboards under warranty I havent replaced anything I needed to. Did replace a foam gasket under the pot but only because it seemed like the thing to do after a cleaning the one year...

I did burn a 50lb bag of black oil sunflower seeds, on the sunflower setting. I believe I was the 1st and its on the old forum but it melted my ceramic cover over the thermo. Quad laughed at me saying the temps wouldnt do that but it did and they sent me a new one under warranty. It put out a crazy fire...wood and corn have nothing on it...it was way intense in height to where I was wondering if the glass would hold.

Wouldnt be cost wise to burn them but it gave the best heat out of the cherry pits, corn and wood I have tried.

My 2 cents.

bmoore wrote:

Yep
I have been for the last few years. Same settings as you except elevation. Works great. I never got the soft pellets setting to work correctly which is the longest between cleans. Ran a little to smokie and when I turn up the air (elevation) it sucked all the heat out.

Ely

Ely what is the time for soft in between cleans? I timed the hardwood setting on mine today at -5 and had 7 hours till it cleaned...

3.2 hrs. if running on high.

I will have to do a softwood low, -5 trial then...