First burns on new Quadra Fire 4300 - Hate It

[molly1414]

We moved to a new house this summer and it came with a Quadra fire 4300. I thought it would be a great stove. The fire box is huge and it has two air controls and it is set up in the perfect part of the house to send heat to all parts of the home. I was so excited to use this stove. Well I was so wrong. I had a simple little heat tech stove in our last house and the thing would heat us out of the house. This quadra Fire has no radiant heat at all. With the stove going at 500 I can put my hand on the side and back of the stove. The only heat output is from the front of the stove. The only thing saving it a little is there was a blower installed so it blows the hot air out in front. I am wasting my wood burning this stove. I am so disappointed in this stove.

 

[spacecowboyIV]

If there is a blower installed that means there are probably some heat shields on the back and sides of the stove. I wouldn't be suprised that you can put your hand on it, I would be surprised if you could leave it there.

Don't judge a convective stove by how long you can put your hand on a heat shield, judge it by how warm the room is. If you are truly unhappy spend some time learning your stove and make sure your wood is good and dry and I'm sure you will love it by the end of the winter.

 

[MishMouse]

When you are saying 500 degrees where are you measuring that temp?
Since this is more of a convection stove, you are not going to get a radiant heat field around the entire stove.
The purpose behind the convection is to heat the air and cause air movement.
Which is the reason for the heat shields around the stove as it creates a gap between the stove and the outer wall.
Search this site on convection vs radiant and you will find some good information.

Since this stove is new to you it will take some time for you to learn the ins and outs behind it and how to get the best heat from it.

 

[Pagey]

The wonderful world of convection stoves. Our Lopi Endeavor is a great stove, but it too is primarily a convection stove - it has heat shields on 3 sides. If you've ever had/grown up around a radiant stove, the difference is immediately and dramatically noticeable. My dad and his mom both heat with old Fishers, and though they are not very efficient, they definitely "feel" warmer...and I don't mean by just a couple of degrees in the house, either. I mean extremely noticeable.

Adding the blower to our Endeavor made a huge difference in heat distribution, and we love the low clearances. However, it is NOT a radiant stove. If I ever have the clearances, I'm going with an Englander 30 with no side shields.

In summary, I understand your frustration, but maybe give the stove some time and another try?

 

[FyreBug]

+1 on the blower. They're fairly inexpensive. You'll notice the difference right away.

 

[begreen]

It is supposed to be cooler on the sides. The stove has side and rear shielding. Heat will convect off the top and radiate from the front. With the blower on, it should run with a stovetop temp of about 500-550 and it should be pushing out a lot of hot air. If it is performing poorly, it could be the wood is not fully seasoned or perhaps a clogged flue?

Have you run an EPA stove before? If not, that could be an issue. An EPA stove is going to run differently than an older style box.

 

[Jags]

Hmmm...
Just a guess, but first it doesn't sound like your running hot enough. If you peaked at 500F without the fan running, you haven't even got this thing warmed up yet. Hit 650F and turn the fan on. Let me know what you think.

Explain your wood - when split and stacked. Explain your stove pipe, internal, external, when last cleaned. Give us more to go on, and I will bet we can help you get this thing up to proper performance.

 

[Todd]

I'd give the stove a little more trial and error but I know what you mean when talking about the differences of radiant and convection stoves. Convection panels are great if your looking for close clearance but if you like that step out from the shade into the sun feeling you need a true radiant stove.