Quadra fire 1200 keeps shutting down

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Brian T

Member
Sep 3, 2014
34
New Jersey
Hello,

I am having trouble with a stove I just bought used. First time I fired it up is ran for about an hour and shut down. Now it just lights and then stops feeding pellets and shuts down.

Any suggestions?

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Have you checked to see if stove gets to 200*, and green light comes on in control box? If stove doesn't get there, it will stop feeding. Has stove and exhaust been cleaned lately? Have you checked that all holes in firepot are clean, pot floor is closing all the way? Is stove feeding enough fuel? There is a chance that the thermocouple is bad or not in place. You can check and make sure thermocouple is touching inside end of cover, and it sticking into pot 1/2 to 3/4". Be careful as the cover is ceramic, and can break. kap
 
I don't see any lights in the control box except the red indicator. I cleaned all the pipes today when putting it in. The combustion blower looks clear. The pot floor looks to be closed.
The thermocouple seems to be springing back about a half inch. I can't seem to get it to stay put.

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Sounds like it might be the culprit. You have to hold the thermocouple in the cover, and clamp down at same time. Be careful how much you bend the thermocouple wire as you can crack the insulation, and this can cause it to misread. kap
 
Thank you. I managed to get the thermocouple to stay put by pushing it through and then slipping the cover back on. The stove is at least staying lit now.,

Seems to have a lazy flame though. Should I be able to see the fire pot gasket? Also how many bolts should hold down the fire pot? It has two bolts, but it looks like there are a couple of holes without bolts.

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You should be able to see the edge of the firepot gasket around the outside. But check for cracks or if it is sticking out too far. And there are only two bolts holding down the pot. If you have a lazy flame, it usually means the exhaust path is dirty. Either in the stove, or in the pipes. And if it has a fresh air return on it, check it also for blockage. It could be feeding too much. Firepot could be dirty. All the holes need to be open for it to run efficiently. And pot floor should be closed all the way, and no more then a dimes width opening at the back. kap
 
Is still shutting down after a couple hours. And won't restart past the ignition phase. When it cools down I'll check it out. I don't think there is a gasket under the fire pot. I think it has something to do with the fire pot. It seems to work for a while after I dump the ash.

I'll also break down the vent pipes again and vacuum directly in the outlet.

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Last edited:
Well I confirmed there is no gasket under the burn pot and also the ash door, not the one on the pot, but below it, came off the rod and is full open. I didn't know there were two doors.

Could these be the cause of all my woes?

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Here is a new gasket for your firepot, I assume you can also find on amazon.com etc. I am not sure what you mean by "not the one on the pot, but below it, came off the rod and is full open. I didn't know there were two doors" as i don't have one of those models. You can pick up roping cheap too at hardware stores etc and put the roping on yourself. Hopefully Kap can help you out with the rest....

http://www.stove-parts-unlimited.co...510-0530.htm?gclid=CPGunp31-88CFYQCaQodINQMsQ
 
Jonkman said:
Here is a new gasket for your firepot, I assume you can also find on amazon.com etc. I am not sure what you mean by "not the one on the pot, but below it, came off the rod and is full open. I didn't know there were two doors" as i don't have one of those models. You can pick up roping cheap too at hardware stores etc and put the roping on yourself. Hopefully Kap can help you out with the rest....

http://www.stove-parts-unlimited.co...510-0530.htm?gclid=CPGunp31-88CFYQCaQodINQMsQ
Click to expand...
Thanks, I actually already ordered it from there. Two actually, so I don't have to worry about it next year.

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Mine was acting up when I first hooked it up, some similar issues. Ended up the vacuum hose was blocked with fines. Double check that also.
 
So I addressed to issues and I am still having the same problem. The stove seems to run fine and stops feeding pellets after a couple hours.

The exhaust is clear. I blew air through the vacuum hose. The ash door is closed.

What's next? Could it be the #2 snap disc? I saw in a troubleshooting video that will stop the pellet feed.
 
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Easy way to see if it is that, is to jump the wires together and see if stove keeps running. Is the thermostat not set high enough, and it is reaching temp before you know it? Is it feeding enough fuel? Without being there, it is hard sometimes to diagnose a stoves problems over the internet. When it quits feeding next time, see if the red light is on in the control box. kap
 
kappel15 said:
Easy way to see if it is that, is to jump the wires together and see if stove keeps running. Is the thermostat not set high enough, and it is reaching temp before you know it? Is it feeding enough fuel? Without being there, it is hard sometimes to diagnose a stoves problems over the internet. When it quits feeding next time, see if the red light is on in the control box. kap
Click to expand...
Thanks again. I had the thermostat all the way up and the red light stays on.

Maybe it's time to call a pro. I'm so frustrated at this point, it's probably worth the arm and leg.

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Well if the red light is still on, it is hot enough. We aren't done yet. We have been finding bits and pc.'s here and there. I would try jumping the #2 snap disc wires together and see how that does. I would also try jumping the vac switch wires together too. And make sure they can't touch any metal and get grounded or you will short out your control box. Speaking of which, make sure it is seated securely in its spot. Sometimes they can vibrate just loose enough to cause headaches. But make sure you unplug stove first, before doing this. Is the flame any better? Nice and bright and active? Or is it still tall and lazy?
 
kappel15 said:
Well if the red light is still on, it is hot enough. We aren't done yet. We have been finding bits and pc.'s here and there. I would try jumping the #2 snap disc wires together and see how that does. I would also try jumping the vac switch wires together too. And make sure they can't touch any metal and get grounded or you will short out your control box. Speaking of which, make sure it is seated securely in its spot. Sometimes they can vibrate just loose enough to cause headaches. But make sure you unplug stove first, before doing this. Is the flame any better? Nice and bright and active? Or is it still tall and lazy?
Click to expand...
By the red light, I mean the indicator light on the front. It is the old control box that doesn't have the clear plastic cover. I'll still try all that and let you know.

I can't tell you how much I appreciate all the advice.

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It could be your control box too. Be nice if you knew someone that had a stove you could try their box in, to eliminate it as the culprit, without spending the money on a new one, and not needing it. kap
 
kappel15 said:
It could be your control box too. Be nice if you knew someone that had a stove you could try their box in, to eliminate it as the culprit, without spending the money on a new one, and not needing it. kap
Click to expand...
Will the new control box replace the old kind? It might be worth it. As I understand it, they flash diagnostic codes to tell you what is malfunctioning. Is that right? It would still be cheaper then having someone come look at the stove.

I'll check the connection on the old one when I get home tonight. If it doesn't help, I may order a new one.
 
They are not cheap, and no, they do not give diagnostic code. That is on the Mt. Vernon AE. The only thing the new boxes have are the green and red light to show when temps are reached in firepot. It also has the blue light to tell what stove setting it is on. I hate to see you throw parts at this stove. It can get expensive. It could still be the thermocouple too. It could work fine for a bit, and then quit, causing the stove to shut off. I would check control box(remember to unplug stove first). And I would try jumping the wires together on the #2 snap disc. And you still haven't told us what the flame looks like. kap
 
When I took the cover off, it does have the lights. I took it off, wiped it and put it back in. It turned green and then red.

The flame looks OK. It appears the same as YouTube videos from quadrafire.

Now the convection blower doesn't come on. Jumping snap disc 1 makes come on. It was coming on before.

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Did you unplug stove before pulling control box? Make sure you have good connections on the wires to #1 snap disc. And did you wait long enough for the fan to come on? kap
 
kappel15 said:
Did you unplug stove before pulling control box? Make sure you have good connections on the wires to #1 snap disc. And did you wait long enough for the fan to come on? kap
Click to expand...
Crap. I don't think I did. Did I fry it?

I didn't run the stove that long...

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Good possibility. It doesn't take the stove running. Just pulling it and putting it back in can short things out. But the stove was running so you should be ok. kap
 
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