Quadrafire 2700i owners...questions on use

[Phoenix Hatchling]

As a new owner of a Quad 2700 insert, could anyone please tell me their experiences and application with this unit. Of interest to me is the placement of a thermometer. Where and what type, as I have a Rutland 701 Stove Top model, but have placed it on the face of the unit above the door. How do you calibrate to give an accurate depiction of the actual stove temp? I have used an infrared thermometer to take readings of its location and the rear fire brick inside the stove, but this would give an accurate read of the internal temp would it? Also how do you get a longer burn out of this thing without overfiring it? I am very reluctant to load the stove, as I don't know it's limits or how to squeeze out the heat for a long duration. I find my max burn time with any measurable heat has been 2 1/2 hours. I realize the firebox is small but that's crazy! Has anyone used Eco bricks or Bio Logs in their units? These are touted as burning hot and long and the installer said I can burn 1 in there at a time. Seems like a waste of time if you need to constantly feed it like a Pez dispenser every couple hours. Please chime in with any suggestions for the use of this unit. Seems like a nice piece, but I think the snap disk sensor also does not function. Even when the stove heats up, the fan won't kick in. Look forward to your responses.

 

[chris5150]

I have a 2700i that I purchased in October of this year. Heats a 1,200 sq foot house, 10 years old so it is very efficient and well insulated. I can try and answer your questions with limited knowledge.

Thermometer, I have a Rutland and that is going in the trash. Just ordered a Condar Inferno today and it should arrive next week. I borrowed a co-workers IR gun and the Rutland is over 100*F low. I have it placed on the middle of the door above the window. This is based on where others are putting them from my extensive reading here. I don't think you can calibrate the Rutland as I could not see how to calibrate mine. Figured it was best to toss it when the new one comes.

Your IR gauge is probably taking a reading off the window and not the back fire brick unless you take the reading with the door open.

Burn times. With good hardwood maple and hickory I can achieve a 6-8 hour burn time with the stove fully turned down. May not get as hot as you want/need. This is what I do each evening and everyday when I go to work. My house thermostat is set at 69*f so the house temp does not drop off too much. Typical weekday I load the stove at 6:30 am and I reload when I get home at 5:45 -6 pm. The actual burn time where it is producing heat is less, probably 5-6 hours. If you were able to open all the air controls up at the end of the burn cycle you can get more heat from just the coals in the stove but this would require you to babysit the stove instead of sleeping or working. I am finding that I get the house up to about 78*F before going to bed, load it up at 10 pm and I normally get up around 3-4 am to go to the bathroom and reload it. The house is then around 70-74. Outside temps will be below 0 again tonight.

When I am loading the stove at night, I pack it as full as I can get it. When the logs burn, sometimes I will get a log that rolls up against the window. By the time I re-load it that log will be ashes. I have tried (when there are few enough coals) to pull the coals forward and start loading in back. I think this does work to some extent even with a tiny stove box as we have.

I have not burned any bricks or any of that stuff. I bought the stove to save $$ as I can get free wood with scrounging. Buying bricks would be counter productive for me.

I quit using the snap disc function after the first week of use. Felt it turned on too late and turned off too early. When it would turn off, the stove was still putting out what I would call usable heat. I just turn the blower on when I see the secondaries starting. At night on a reload, I just leave it on even if the stove is down under 200 *F.

Wood plays a big part in your burn times. I have some assorted hardwoods and that works best. My buddy gave me some I believe cotton wood and that is junk. Gopher wood, put a piece in the stove and go for more. My guess is your wood may not be very good wood, but that is just a guess.

If you are expecting this stove to give you 8 hour burn times with usable heat, it just will not. For me, it is used as my main heat source and except for a few hours in the afternoon during the week it is producing all the heat. If I could have purchased a larger insert I would have but this was the only one that would fit that I could find besides a Regency 1200, I think that was what it was.

Good luck. I hope some others chime in as I am still learning as well.

Chris

 

[chris5150]

One other thing, for longer burns if you have a larger log, those will burn longer. I save the larger ones for the night time and for when I go to work.

 

[Phoenix Hatchling]

One other thing, for longer burns if you have a larger log, those will burn longer. I save the larger ones for the night time and for when I go to work.

Got some wood the other day and was supposedly hickory. Checking it out it is red oak and not all that dry. I have to find some dry wood to feed this winter and supplement with the ECO BRICKS. I think I want to try to sell some of the bricks and make room to start stocking some wood.

One stupid question. I get the primary air control on top, but how exactly does the start up air control work? I understand it as for automatic start up air for around 15 minutes, you put the lever in the lower position, push it all the way in, and pull it all the way back out. I have heard that you can adjust the amount that the vent stays open after "shutoff" by the amount that you pull it out by. Also, is the override feature open or closed when you raise the lever up and push or pull it all the way out or in?

 

[chris5150]

I think the ACC was for 20-25 minutes. I actually keep my door open for about 5-10 minutes until the fire is really roaring and then close it up. This is from a cold start. I sometimes push it all the way in and then pull it out when reloading. Also push it all the way in and keep it in and open the one on top all the way when burning down coals. That gives it the most air. I am sure if you kept the bottom air control pushed in half way, it would stay half open.