Round Oak to QuadraFire

[Josh Peters]

Hello,

I've lurked here for awhile but just recently joined. For the past 5 years I've heated my 1600 sf single level home with an old Round Oak stove. I've been questing for a new stove, mostly on Craigslist, for the past summer, mostly looking for Fisher stoves but I just found a QuadraFire 3100 Step Top for nearly the same price most of the Fisher stoves seem to go for.

The QuadraFire was purchased new in 2006 and looks like it is excellent condition (on the photos anyway). I plan to pick it up Saturday.

I see variable reviews on the QuadraFire on this site but good for the most part. I think I'll do pretty good with this stove but I do have one question. Will I need a damper in the chimney pipe?

Does anyone have any advice for a new QuadraFire owner?

Thanks!
Josh

​

 

[begreen]

Welcome John. Nice find, that's an excellent heater. It looks to be in great condition. You most likely will not need a stove pipe damper unless the flue system is over 25 ft tall. EPA stoves require more draft than the old RO needs. What are you connecting it to for a chimney?

 

[Josh Peters]

My chimney goes straight up through my roof, probably just under 20 feet in total height.

I'm really looking forward to something that doesn't just chew through my wood pile like a tazmanian devil.

Plus I get to see the fire burn!

Josh

 

[Jags]

Sounds like a great setup for the Quad. Check the interior around the corners for cracks and make sure that your baffle above the burn tubes is in decent shape and let that baby BURN.

 

[begreen]

Yes, just about the perfect setup. Be sure your splits are seasoned and dry and the stove will be happy. It'll take awhile to get used to the way the stove burns and how the air controls are regulated. This will be a bit different than running the RO, but I think you'll be a happy and warm camper.

 

[velvetfoot]

If it was like my Quad, be moderately careful with the baffle, because it can break.

 

[Josh Peters]

Thanks, I'll look for all the warning signs you mentioned. Thanks for all the advice!

 

[granpajohn]

Draft damping is about the last thing my QF would need, and I'm not the only one.
(My chimney is shorter than 20', yes.)

Good luck with it; I think you'll be happy with QF.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Welcome to the forum Josh. Just remember that the newer stoves are much more fussy about the wood. Make sure you dry it a year before burning. Longer if oak.

 

[eclecticcottage]

Oooo Round Oak. I've been pondering kicking the Temco out in favor of a parlour stove like that...

Good luck with the QF.

 

[mkt1]

Been gone awhile, I have been running a Quadrafire 3100f for 17 years, great stove. You need dry wood, they will smolder with wet wood and drive you crazy. he only thing besides cleaning that I have done to mine is replaced the door gasget 2 years ago. As far as the baffel plate I can't help with the newer fiber ones as mine came with a steel baffel that looks to be about 3/8 inch thick. And no you don't need a damper. Clean it , dry wood, and go.

 

[bentonbee]

Hello,

I've lurked here for awhile but just recently joined. For the past 5 years I've heated my 1600 sf single level home with an old Round Oak stove. I've been questing for a new stove, mostly on Craigslist, for the past summer, mostly looking for Fisher stoves but I just found a QuadraFire 3100 Step Top for nearly the same price most of the Fisher stoves seem to go for.

The QuadraFire was purchased new in 2006 and looks like it is excellent condition (on the photos anyway). I plan to pick it up Saturday.

I see variable reviews on the QuadraFire on this site but good for the most part. I think I'll do pretty good with this stove but I do have one question. Will I need a damper in the chimney pipe?

Does anyone have any advice for a new QuadraFire owner?

Thanks!
Josh

View attachment 73767​

Josh,
Did you feel like this wood stove was a step up from a Round Oak? Do you burn less wood and get more heat? I have a Round Oak 18 inch and I like it a bunch. I like the parlor stove, it doesn't take up a lot of floor space and for an older fellow, having the door up higher is better too. But I often wonder if something like a Fisher would be more effiecent?

 

[MnDave]

Will I need a damper in the chimney pipe?

My guess is that you will be on the edge of needing a damper. If your wood is really good and dry, say 15% MC, then I lean more toward you needing the damper (especially since you said that you are concerned about how much wood you use).

I just installed a Quadra Fire 5700 on a 22-23 foot Class A chimney but with a wall connection and 2 - 45 degree elbows. So maybe my chimney draft is comparable to an 18 footer that goes straight up. So call it about equal on the chimney draft.

I think where you lean toward not needing a damper is because your firebox is 2 cu ft. Mine is 3 cu ft.

Without the damper my stove was running 100-150F hotter than my liking at minimum burn rate. Any more air and/or more wood and I was closing in on an overfire. I was going through wood way too quickly to expect an overnight burn. The damper made my stove "purr like a kitten" and "roar like a lion" on my command.

Even with the damper vertical the stove is much more responsive to the air controls.

You will know if you need to add one. Cost $3, easy installation.

Let us know what you do.

MnDave

 

[MnDave]

Josh,

Did it come with the fan? Outside air kit?

MnDave

 

[molly1414]

I have that same stove and have not been so happy with it. It is not a radiant heat stove but more of a convection stove. The shields on the sides and back eliminate most heat coming from the stove. I found that using the fan just seemed to cool off the stove more then heat the house. I have now found that if I leave the fan off it will heat the house a little better then it did with the fan on. I am also not very happy with the air controls on the stove. They have the lower air control fixed so that it can not be closed all the way. Last night I experienced an over fire because of this. I was reading in the above posts about installing the damper and I think that is what I am going to do. Can any of you tell me how the damper helps to control the fire as I have never had one on a stove before? My experience with this stove is you need to use dry wood, can not fill the box up with dry wood or it will over fire, the glass stays pretty clean, the air controls do not give you full control of the fire, the fan is useless, I use much more wood in this stove then other stoves for less heat.

 

[Mitch Newton]

Josh, nice stove. If you don't mind telling us, what did you have to pay for it? I have a 5700 and am very happy so far with no damper installed. So far the air controls on mine work great for controlling the fire. As far as wood consumption, that may be a different story. I am on pace to burn 4.5 cords of cherry that was split and stacked for over one year. However, I am burning 24/7 and heating 2200 SF ranch up with 2200 SF in the basement keeping it up to 70-71 degrees upstairs. That may be a lot of wood consumption. I don't know as this is my first year burning with a wood stove. It sure beats my oil boiler which would cost me $3500 to $4,000 per year. My goal is to go the whole heating season with no oil use.

 

[granpajohn]

^ Mitch, where are you located, climate-wise?
4.5 cord would be great in MN; lousy in MS.

 

[Mitch Newton]

^ Mitch, where are you located, climate-wise?
4.5 cord would be great in MN; lousy in MS.

Granpa John, I to am a Granpa 6 times. I live in Beavercreek, Ohio. Moderate temps so far, 25-45 degrees.

 

[Josh Peters]

Josh,
Did you feel like this wood stove was a step up from a Round Oak? Do you burn less wood and get more heat? I have a Round Oak 18 inch and I like it a bunch. I like the parlor stove, it doesn't take up a lot of floor space and for an older fellow, having the door up higher is better too. But I often wonder if something like a Fisher would be more effiecent?

The stove has definitely lowered my consumption of wood. It took a couple weeks to figure out the best way to run it but it works great now! So far I haven't needed a damper as the lowest setting keeps a nice low heat. I do have good dry wood and enjoy filling it up in the morning and returning home from work to find a nice coal bed remaining and a fairly warm house.

It has taken awhile to get used to the heat only coming from the front of the stove rather than all around like the round oak but it works great once you understand how it works. I did not get a blower with the stove.

All in all this stove has made me quite happy and warm!

 

[Josh Peters]

Josh, nice stove. If you don't mind telling us, what did you have to pay for it? I have a 5700 and am very happy so far with no damper installed. So far the air controls on mine work great for controlling the fire. As far as wood consumption, that may be a different story. I am on pace to burn 4.5 cords of cherry that was split and stacked for over one year. However, I am burning 24/7 and heating 2200 SF ranch up with 2200 SF in the basement keeping it up to 70-71 degrees upstairs. That may be a lot of wood consumption. I don't know as this is my first year burning with a wood stove. It sure beats my oil boiler which would cost me $3500 to $4,000 per year. My goal is to go the whole heating season with no oil use.

I got the stove for $500, a great deal for a minimally used efficient woodstove. Good luck on your goal, last year was the first year I went with all wood heat. Simple pleasures!

 

[granpajohn]

Granpa John, I to am a Granpa 6 times. I live in Beavercreek, Ohio. Moderate temps so far, 25-45 degrees.

6 is a pretty good number...congratulations.
Maybe you could put the location in your signature.

 

[cmcramer]

After telling my QuadraFire dealer that I loved my 4300, except for the surprisingly low amount of heat radiating from the sides..... he suggested I remove the side heat shields. I have yet to do this...but I'm thinking about it. He seemed to think it was perfectly acceptable to do so, in part because the stove sits in the center of a concrete basement.

Anyone tried it?

 

[MofoG23]

Draft damping is about the last thing my QF would need, and I'm not the only one.
(My chimney is shorter than 20', yes.)

Good luck with it; I think you'll be happy with QF.

Must be the chimney. Mine is right around 24/25ft (6" insulated liner installed) and when my 4100i gets going, there are times I wish I had a damper in the chimney. Not a huge issue, but I really do not have any problems getting it up to temp.

 

[MnDave]

After telling my QuadraFire dealer that I loved my 4300, except for the surprisingly low amount of heat radiating from the sides..... he suggested I remove the side heat shields. I have yet to do this...but I'm thinking about it. He seemed to think it was perfectly acceptable to do so, in part because the stove sits in the center of a concrete basement.

Anyone tried it?

I agree that the shielding on the sides prevents some valuable heat transfer. Do you use a fan kit?

I think that QF uses shields so that they can get very close clearances to combustables. In the case of my QF 5700 in a corner installation, the rear corners only require a 2 inch clearance to combustables.

I am very surprised that your dealer told you it would be ok to remove the shields. I doubt a Quadra Fire rep would agree. There are air controls and an open secondary manifold behind the right side shield. The shield has a dampening effect on the air provided to these controls. Removing the shield would affect the design flow to the stove.

Also, in the event of a fire, your insurance company might refuse your claim because of a modification that could contibute to an overfire.

MnDave