New Install - Quadrafire

[beakon20]

We purchased our house just over two years ago. When we were looking for a house we wanted a wood stove, found a couple but there were other issues beside that point. If I knew it wasn't a big deal to install at that time I wouldn't have been concerned about one already installed. Ended up with a newer home but had a prefab fireplace in there. Used it actually quite often through the winter months and did provide heat to the area around the fireplace, although went through a fair amount of wood so lost probably lost in the end on that one.

The current house is heated completely with electricity and does well heating around 1600 sq ft for $200/mth last year. The averages through nov-march average around 40s during the day and 20s at night or lower. The climate is fairly mild here compared to what I am used to, although some will probably disagree.

Anyways back to about a month ago. Stopped at one of the local hearth stores to check out pricing on wood and pellet stoves. We have access to a large amount of wood, so I was leaning toward the wood stoves vs the pellets. Also at the time I knew pellets were going up and would probably continue to go up (manufacturing and transportation costs) associated with the current energy trend. And I would rather see the flame from the wood compared to the pot fire from a pellet stove. The store ended up having a Quadrafire 2100 (last years model) they were trying to move from stock for new inventory so I bought that at a considerable savings over the retail cost. I at least hope to supplement the heating of my house, although will see what this unit can do. From the reviews I have seen they sound like they perform well. I didn't want a large unit as the house is short on floorspace it seems.

I ended up having the dealer install the stove as I'm fairly mechanically inclined but I wanted it done right and didn't want to worry about if I screwed something up. I removed the old fireplace and wall (it was located in wall that divided a room), drywalled the ceiling, walls, and prepped the floor for the requirements as called in the manual. The original plan was to replace the pipe from the fireplace to the top and reuse the existing hole in the roof. However, after some calculations a new hole ended up being cut in the roof to get the stove closer to the wall within the clearance specs.

In the end the cost of the stove, all the parts, stove install (included patching old hole in roof and cutting a new hole), cost was under just under $3k. My materials cost for renovations was under $100. I don't think I did too bad as the it seems the retail cost of this years model with the ACC is near half that. Will be interesting to run this year, I probably have till mid october or later before it can be fired up.

Removing the wall and fireplace probably opened up around 10 square feet minus whatever the new stove has taken up. Pictures attached of fireplace before and present with stove. Total time for reno and install was around a week.

 

[fossil]

Welcom beakon. That's quite handsome, and it sounds like you did it right and at reasonable cost. How're you doing for wood that'll be ready to burn this upcoming season? Following whatever guidelines are spelled out in your manual, try to get the break-in fires completed before the really cold weather hits, because you're probably going to want to open some windows/doors while that paint finish cures, it can be quite a stink for a couple of fires. Nice looking installation. Rick

 

[beakon20]

Good on firewood, have a couple of cords ready. Dealer mentioned the break in, if the weather cools off enough in a couple of weeks I will plan to during the evening.

 

[begreen]

Nice setup beakon. Plan your first few fires on days that you can have windows and doors wide open. The stove will really smoke for the first burn or two as the oils burn off and the paint bakes. After the 3d fire or so, you should be fine.

 

[Redox]

What's really impressive is that you have a woodstove installed in the District! I'd figure there was a rule against that sort of sensibility! :lol:

Good job on the install; if the stove is anything like our 4300, you will be very pleased with it. Prepare yourself to be amazed at the amount of heat you will get out of just a couple pieces of wood and the lack of smoke while doing it!

Chris,
unabashed Baltimoron to your north...

 

[beakon20]

Actually I am just outside of DC on the Maryland side, so technically not in DC. Haven't really seen many woodpiles around mostly propane and oil tanks. The quotes I got for a gas insert/unit and the tank were well over what I ended up paying for. When I get it running will get some pictureas of it.

Now I just need to get rid of the ZC unit that was removed.

 

[beakon20]

I had been waiting for a good evening to break in the stove so I could have the windows open before it was too cool to do this. Well last night it got to around 50F and that was good enough. It is going to take awhile to figure out the controls for air handling but it worked very well. There was some odor, however I was expecting to have the house fill with smoke and the odor to last for days. I didn't measure the temperature but it was putting out the heat. All doors and windows open in the house (temp outside around 52F) after 90 minutes inside was above 80F and maintaining. Only thing left this morning was a pile of ash, something I am not used to compared to burning with a fireplace.

It will probably be another month I expect (later October) before the stove will go online again. Will update in a month or two once the stove is running on a continual basis. Sorry the picture isn't that great, and of course I only took one picture.

 

[begreen]

Now yer cookin! Enjoy the new heater.

 

[InTheRockies]

beakon,

I used to live in the Maryland suburbs. As you already know, you'll be thankful for that stove when one of the periodic ice storms hit, plus it's just beautiful. (Lived through enough of them myself during my many years in the DC area. Alternative sources of heat are a necessity almost everywhere in the northern hemispheres.)

 

[beakon20]

Lived here two years so far, first winter lost power for 3 days and of course all the heat in the house is electric. Learned from that a bought a generator for the following year, of course no failures last year. This year we are good to go have the generator and the stove.

 

[precaud]

Nice stove - enjoy it!

 

[Jclout]

We have the Quad 3100 and really like it. It is definately a well made stove.

 

[beakon20]

Update on the Q 2100. Used a couple of times so far. The other day the house was 59F in the morning and by 11am it was 76F burning a midsize fire. Now temperature wasn't that cold outside, around 40F or so. It seems after the fire is really going this stove will never stop.

The floor this stove is located on is around 1000 sq ft and I think it will maintain the heat throughout the coming cool season. I was concerned since I didn't have an outside airkit installed, but there has not been any draft issues at this point with the fire burning. There was only a slight odor from the paint curing the first burn and that was it.

I really don't want the cold weather to come but i'm excited knowing the house will be toasty this year and no more high heating bills.

 

[staplebox]

Hey - I've got the same stove. It's a 2002 model that I picked up used out of someones garage for $400 bucks two years ago. I have it in my basement which is also 1000 sq. ft. It heats that area really well and also throws some heat up to the main floor. I like the simple controls and easy operation but it is my first real stove so I don't have much to compare it to. You have a really nice install there. Have fun this winter.

 

[beakon20]

I've been meaning to post an update on the Quadrafire 2100 we installed last fall. Performed exceptionally over the last winter. I think we used it up until March. Heated the upper floor of a 1800 sq. ft home with no problems. Electricity usage dropped considerably over the winter months. On average used almost 1000 less kW per month by the end of March. I have had wood drying for over a year right now so will burn better this fall, although I didn't have any problem burning year old wood last year. Need to call a sweep to have it cleaned out before the fall, but very happy with the performance from this small stove.

We had calculated the stove would have paid for itself with even buying wood in two years. Did not have to buy any wood and probably won't have to for several years (stocked up plenty of free wood this winter). Well in the six months we used it, the savings from the electric company already paid for the stove. Yes it does take some work to maintain and operate, although it's minimal compared to the savings and ongoing fire to look at during the cold winter. Sorry don't have any pictures on hand to post of the well broken in stove.

 

[savageactor7]

Thanks for the report beakon. Pretty incredible that the electricity saved payed for the stove already. Don't get me wrong I believe you, I've know doctors up here that couldn't afford electric heat and took it out. Only advice is grab wood while you're ahead...then it doesn't become a big project because you're behind the 8 ball. Coasting is fun.