Made the leap - Quadrafire 4100i

[Learbob]

First off, I can't belive all of the great info on this site. I haven't done anything all day today at work other than surf this site.

Now, the good news is I just purchased a Quadrafire 4100I that hopefully will be installed within a few weeks. I'm looking for some advice in a few areas.

1. I know I need the damper plate, but do I need to insulate the chimney around the flu liner they'll be puttin in? My chimney is about 25 feet high and is on the outside.

2. Do I need the full flu liner? They told me they can install with or without. The install price is about $700 more with the full flu liner.

3. My house is about 3300 sq feet. The house is about 7 years old. The main reason for the install is our family room is very cold and drafty. The room is about 20 x 16 and has a high vaulted ceiling. The room is open to the kitchen which has 9 ft ceilings, and there is a stair case in the room that leads up stairs so the room is open to the second floor and the kitchen. The reason the room is so drafty is that the primary heat source is forced hot air and the return for the 2nd floor unit is at the top of the stair case in the family room. So when this unit turns on it creats a draft pulling the air from the family room up the stairs to feed that furnace. I do have a ceiling fan in the room so I'm thinking that will help with using the stove. Do you think that this insert will be enough to heat the family room / kitchen with a little left over to run up stairs? I'll be happy if it just heats the family room to the point that the draft doesn't have us cold when the temp drops below 30.

I got two cords of seasoned wood delivered and I can't wait. Any comments / thoughts on the above would be appreciated.

Thansk

 

[Jags]

My opinion-
If you live in a cold environment, an exterior chimney should be insulated.

A full liner is the "best" way. It can eliminate problems with draft and is much easier to keep clean.

I see no reason that the 4100 will not heat your concern area. Its a pretty darn nice stove and a capable heater.

Edit: I think I would have some concern with having a "drafty" 7 yr old home. Anything to help with that is a good thing.

 

[Learbob]

I agree I hate the family room becuase it is drafty. The house in general isn't a problem. It is a floor plan flaw that by putting the upstairs return at the top of the stairs it creates a draft by pulling air from the downstairs. It just makes that room feel cold. In addition, it is a large room and I think the forced hot air system has trouble keeping the room warm, as compared to the rest of the house.

Thanks for the quick reply.

 

[granpajohn]

Reason to use full liner in chimney: Think, step by step, of the method you will use to clean the chim. With full liner, I just go up on the roof and sweep it with a 6" brush, (after removing the baffle in the stove.) If it was a part liner; would one have to move the insert? No way I'd go for that.

Reason not to insulate: It's 25 feet. Nice and tall; good draft.
Reason to insulate: It's exterior. Gets cold and hurts drafting. This is a close call. I insulated my exterior chimney and am very glad I did, but mine is at least 10' shorter than yours. Might not need it, but if you had to do it later, it would be tougher. (This is assuming you have a nice straight chimney made of brick, etc, etc)

On the drafty HVAC: It is possible to relocate those vents and registers after the fact. Paint the ductwork to match the room. But I recommend that you wait a year for that. I have a strong feeling that the new insert along with the ceiling fan will make you forget all about it.

I'm not an expert; I just try to reply to QF 4100i questions.

 

[begreen]

Just curious, is the cold air return running up an exterior wall? It should not be the source of drafts. What you may be experiencing is a natural convection flow of cold air spilling down the stairs, being replaced by warmer air at the ceiling level. You could test this by placing a "temporary" piece of cardboard over the return air grille. Use a portable digital thermometer to accurately test the air temps at floor and ceiling level.

In our house we have natural convection up the large open stairway. With a digital thermometer I can measure the difference in temps between stair level and ceiling level and there is no return air duct upstairs. With the stove going the difference is about 5 degrees and there is enough airflow to make a candle flame slant sideways.

The good news is that once the stove has been running for several hours, the house temps equalize pretty well and the differential drops unless it's very cold outside.

 

[Learbob]

Thanks for your response

You may be correct in the natuarl convection theory. The return is on the upstairs ceiling (open to room below) the walls on either side are inside walls.

But the convection is bad enough that using your candle test it may blow it out -vs- slant the flame. Do you think my stove will warm the air in the hallway upstairs enough to minimize the impact?

 

[begreen]

You might want to check how well the return ductwork is sealed and insulated in the attic. All joints should be sealed and a heavy foil blanket of insulation should be wrapped around the ductwork. If it isn't, that could be a source of cold air. A portable digital thermometer is really handy for tracking these things down. So is an incense stick (watch the smoke trail).

I think the stove will handle the family room. The ceiling fan, running reversed on low speed, will help get the heat trapped at the ceiling circulating. As for the rest of the house, give it a try. This is a big house and the stove is primarily an area heater. Cathedral ceilings add a lot of air volume to be heated, so it 's hard to tell the total effect of the stove on heating. Be sure you have dry, well seasoned wood to get the most heat out of the stove.

 

[Learbob]

Thanks again. I will be sure to try the insense to find the exact cause. I know the ductwork in the attic is heavily wrapped in insulation. When you say to put the fan in reverse is that counter clockwise in the winter?

I just want to be sure.

 

[begreen]

I don't know the direction of the fan blades, but blowing in reverse means blowing air up towards the ceiling.