Purchasing a used Quadra fire Castile

[courtsandan]

Hello all,
I have been looking for a good used stove for a while now. Found a three year old Castile. I am looking at it tomorrow and probably bringing it home. Previous user had it running 24/7 in the winter using corn only. Can anyone provide any tips on what to look for? Owner just replaced the door seal (general maintenance) and has not had any problems with the unit in the three years he has used it.
Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Shortstuff]

I may be wrong but Castile's are not made to burn 100% corn. I believe the recommendation is no more than 50% corn, I'll have to look it up. I don't know what effects burning only corn may have had on the stove, hopefully someone else will chime in here with more knowledge, but I'm guessing it has burned hotter than it was intended for.

Steve

 

[cncpro]

I may be wrong but Castile's are not made to burn 100% corn. I believe the recommendation is no more than 50% corn, I'll have to look it up. I don't know what effects burning only corn may have had on the stove, hopefully someone else will chime in here with more knowledge, but I'm guessing it has burned hotter than it was intended for.

Steve

Below is from the current Castille owner's manual... 100% corn is no problem

The only reason they recommend 50/50 is so the auto-ignitor will function.

2. Shelled Field Corn
Extensive factory and field testing has demonstrated shelled
field corn to be an efficient and very economical fuel. We
recommend the use of a 50-50 blend of corn and wood pellets.
The only change in operation is that the feed rate may require
a slight adjustment. The BTU output of the appliance varies
slightly compared to pellets, depending on the quality of the
corn used. In cases where it is acceptable for the appliance to
run full time, 100% corn will work after the fire has been started
using wood pellets.

 

[Shortstuff]

Thanks for the info.

 

[courtsandan]

Thanks for the responses. I did download the manual and read through it. I agree with the corn vs pellet use. I thought burning corn was more corrosive on the components than burning pellets. I have searched on the Castille's and found complaints about this and that - but did not find any trends for specific components that tend to go bad. Buying a used stove - I was looking for specific wear items I need to look out for or high cost replacement items that may be on the way out. I could then ask for the sales price to be adjusted..........Thanks again. Probably be a new used pellet stove user by the end of the day!! Thanks again

 

[zinfit]

Be very careful. I owned one these stoves and had nothing but headaches. See if you can get a 30 day money back quarantee and obtain the service record for this stove.

 

[chrisf]

I have the old style mt. vernon. same stove just bigger from what I can tell. I have had no problems running straight corn 50/50 mix or wood pellets. I have owend it since brand new in the fall of 2005. The stove runs flawlessly only isssues I have had is with pellets or corn. ie being corn with to many fines or pellets being to long. My stove runs from october to april. maintance is the biggest thing clean your stove pipe and your stove all the time. And spend some money and buy a love less ash vac it will make it alot easier to clean and keep the wife happy with alot less dust and ash in the house. only thing is you have two bolts that hold the back plate in that has to be removed to clean the baffles and get the fly ash out from behind the cast plates. leeave them out they will rust in and make life hell. that is what my dealer told me to do. enjoy your stove.

 

[Wood Heat Stoves]

Hey Hawgcooker, here is a list of replacement parts and prices for the Castile.
(broken link removed to http://woodheatstoves.com/quadrafire-castille-pellet-stove-c-292_90_99_193_195.html)
blowers thermocouples and feed motors top the list of commonly ordered parts in our experience

 

[courtsandan]

Great info. I bought the stove. looks to be in great condition. He had it running in the driveway. was working great on pellets. turned it off and then on to see auto ignite work. They have not been required to make any repairs. I noticed that the thermo couple is cracked so that will need to be replaced. He put a new window seal on it before I picked it up. Was quiet on all heat settings. He also mentioned the two bolts on the back plates - Can I put anti sieze lubricant on them? (silver stuff). Looking forward to hooking it up. I have never heard of buying a used/craigs list item with a 30 day money back agreement. "as-is" is what I have. Thanks everyone!

 

[Shortstuff]

Congrats and good luck with your purchase. You won't be disappointed. If you do a search on "Castile" here, you'll find lots of tips and tricks to keep your stove running in tip-top form. Also, don't hesitate to post any questions you have as we are eager to help you.

Steve

 

[dac122]

Bought my used Jamestown on craigslist as well at a great price. The money I saved going this route is still earning interest for when or if I need parts.