Novice and New Quadrafire Owner

[Dinnerbellmel]

Hi everyone,

I'm just introducing myself. We recently added a new fireplace to our home and we got a Quadrafire 7100. So far I like it. The ACC settings were confusing at first but I'm getting the hang of it now. A good fire gets the entire house to 75 degrees plus (warmer in some parts than others) so I need to open a window sometimes.

I'm new to a wood burner so I'm learning. I see how important it is to have properly seasoned wood. My first load of several cords wasn't entirely seasoned (he said it was cut in August of '15 but I don't think it was properly stacked.) I'm hoping to save that load for next year. Fortunately, I went to a local orchard and got a good load of apple wood. That seemed to raise the temp a couple degrees as that wood seems to burn hotter than others I've used. The worst thing I've encountered is cleaning the glass. It's a pain but I've read some posts here that hopefully will help.

Anyway, I hope to continue to learn on this site and will post any questions I have along the way.

Mel

 

[begreen]

Welcome. The Quad 7100 is a beautiful fireplace.

 

[Woody Stover]

The more dense woods such as Apple will definitely burn hotter, as will properly dried wood. I would take claims by most wood-sellers with a grain of salt. That wood may have been "cut" in 2015 but unless it was also split and stacked in the wind, it probably won't be very dry...especially if it's Oak.
I usually clean the glass with a paper towel and a 50/50 vinegar solution in a spray bottle. For more stubborn spots, I use a non-scratch scrubbing pad made for ceramic stove tops. I don't have to clean the glass too much with the dry wood I have...maybe once every few weeks. I don't mind a bit of haze on the glass though, so YMMV.

 

[Benchwrench]

a moisture meter will help aid in your diagnosis of burning characteristics, allowing you to adjust for more air for wet wood until you can burn seasoned wood and is what also causes some glass discoloration.

 

[Dinnerbellmel]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I figured the film on the glass might have something to do with moisture in the wood. I like the moisture meter idea and will start to research for one. Mel likes gadgets!

 

[edyit]

Lowes / Home Depo sell them for about 25$, General moisture meter

 

[snavematt]

Im a new quad owner (but different model) I clean the glass whenever the stove is cold enough, I just use a damp paper towel and a little bit of the ash, works just fine for me.

 

[Dinnerbellmel]

This has been very helpful...I'm glad I posted! I assume I want the moisture content to be under 20% on the meter? Should I look for even better percentages?

 

[Squisher]

20 or less is considered good.

 

[Dinnerbellmel]

Well, I got a General digital moisture meter (2 prong type). I'm glad I did. The wood I was using was all over the place. Some wood under 20%; some over. Some even had readings in the 40% range

Thanks everyone for the tip. This will help a lot until I can get my wood pile going and get a good season or two under my belt

 

[snavematt]

Well, I got a General digital moisture meter (2 prong type). I'm glad I did. The wood I was using was all over the place. Some wood under 20%; some over. Some even had readings in the 40% range

Thanks everyone for the tip. This will help a lot until I can get my wood pile going and get a good season or two under my belt

Make sure you split it then check in the new split (long side)

 

[Dinnerbellmel]

Make sure you split it then check in the new split (long side)

Thanks...I'm sure I did it wrong. The wood was not room temp (I rested a few pieces that were in my garage) and was not freshly split (to test the interior split.) I'll get the hang of it eventually.

 

[edyit]

bring a piece inside, let it sit over night then take it back out and split it, then measure the middle of that fresh split piece.
and welcome to the forums, how far upstate are you?