Quadrafire Castile exhaust cleaning

[smalltown]

My Castile is running fine I have been keeping up with the daily/weekly cleaning. I am quickly approaching what I think is my 2 ton mark! I just purchased a strap wrench to open up my inside "T". It's Dura Vent piping not sure how to tell which model piping as the dealer sprayed it black when he installed it. The outside diameter measures approx 4 1/2" outside diameter. Anyway I am a little leery hoping it won't leak after opening it up, but I got to inspect it. My big question is checking my exhaust motor. On the Castile (and one of the reasons I bought this model) is the ability to see and clean the fins on the combustion motor when doing my weekly cleaning. It sits visible just behind the right hand removable brickwork. It makes it very easy to clean the fins.

Do I still need to remove the combustion motor from time to time to clean behind the fins? lastly when I do the cleaning of the exhaust piping I need to take off the termination cap on the outside. What about the inside? I was hoping not to move the stove. If I push a brush through from the "T" I will not be cleaning the section from the stove adapter through the "exhaust transition assembly" that connects the combustion motor to the rear of the Castile. The owners manual does not describe this area of cleaning. It almost sounds like I need to pull the combustion motor to get access to the whole exhaust to brush it all out anyway?

 

[ablejoy]

Smalltown

I run a brush through my pipe every 1 ton 50 bags, you might want to buy a spare gasket for the blower. You may luck out and not need one. I pull the clean out tee cap every ton the cap is about 1/2 full. Use some anti seeze on the cap before you put it back on, I also use some stove tape on the tee after installing. just around the seem where the two pcs. meet I pull the blower motor in the spring after last burn and clean inside blower chamber also the fins.

 

[Snowy Rivers]

I have a Quad 1000 and to clean the beastie out, I simply remove the shrouds off the heat exchangers, start the draft/exhaust fan and then aim an air blow nozzle down into the exhaust port area where the fan is and let er rip. The crud fogs out the pipe and all over the yard.

Been doing it this way for 15 years now and all seems well.

Once a year the stove gets a good blowing out everywhwere.


Good luck

Snowy

 

[smalltown]

AZ Pellet Guy how do you (if you do) clean from your Castile combustion motor to the "T" fitting ?

 

[ablejoy]

Smalltown

I cleaned the blower housing and ran a brush through the pipe going into the clean out tee. Look at number 56 in attached picture. I only do this at end of season.

Hope this helps

 

[ablejoy]

Snowy Rivers

Wondering are you using an air compressor and if so don't you get blow back out the front of the stove. I am not sure if I am reading this right, are you removing the plate under the heat exchanger and blowing air down towards the blower. Sounds like a good idea.

Thanks Eric

 

[smalltown]

AZ thanks. I guess that means I will need to drop the combustion motor at the end of the season and clean the whole 9 yards.

Well I removed the clean-out "T" yesterday for the first time after almost 2 ton, and was surprised to find only about 2" of fluffy ash in the "T" cover.
I gently tapped on my inside pipe (have about 5" vertical inside)and a very small amount of ash dislodged, but I was surprised later when I went out side after restarting my stove to see some ash chunks clogging my termination screen.
Looks like just tapping on the pipe dislodged some horizontal build up. Taking a small 3/4 X 3/4 stick while the stove was running I was able to just fit it inside the heavy screening to nudged the chunks, and the exhaust blew the ash right out the termination cap. My install probably has less than 2' of horizontal pipe so it's true that the ash builds up quite a bit more in the horizontal sections.

I was also happy that after restarting I had no smoke from the "T" area.

I guess I will now try to read some old posts to find those clean-out brushes that I think were intended for drier vents and pick up one or two combustion blower gaskets.
Was your Castile combustion motor gasket held on with any type of gasket cement, and it looks like there is no gasket between the combustion motor and that part 56 in the picture?

 

[ablejoy]

I have 4" pipe I bought a 4" dryer brush 20' flex cable worked fine for me my pipe about 16' in length. The blower gasket is not held on with any cement, I was able to reuse mine last year. I also cleaned the dryer vent that was really plugged after a few years. I am good to go till this summer when I will do a complete cleaning again. The gasket is on the blower motor housing #36, not on the pipe leaving the stove #56

 

[smalltown]

Thanks I just thought it might leak between #36 and #56 without a gasket, but I guess it doesn't. Thanks again

 

[gblaue]

You don't need to remove the combustion blower to clean it just remove the 3 ceramic panel in the back of the firebox. You can clean easily with a brush and vacuum.