Quadra-Fire 3100I Cracked Manifold / Warranty Issue

[buildersteve02]

Hi everyone it's been a while since I posted on here and I apologize in advance for the long post. Well the early part of February I was cleaning out my Quadra-Fire 3100I and noticed the rear manifold was cracked and bulging out. A quick internet search revealed this has happened to other people as well. Long story short I ended up filing a complaint with the Washington Attorney General's office and used quite a bit of info and pictures off of this forum. I will update/post the outcome of this as it happens but unfortunately my experience so far has not been good. They really sold me on the "Lifetime Warranty" when I purchased this stove and now it seems I can't get any help or support. Here is my timeline and brief synopsis with this process so far:

2/3, Via Email: I contacted Dealer about the crack with pictures

2/4, Via Email: Dealer responds they will look into this and get back to me.

2/25, Via Email: I contact Dealer asking if they have figured anything out.

3/4, Via Phone: I contact Quadra-fire Directly as I hadn't heard anything from the dealer, they would not address my concerns and told me I had to go through the dealer. I told them I couldn't get a response out of my dealer and they told me I could use a different dealer if I needed to.

3/4, Via Phone: I contact the Dealer and told them it's been a month and I haven't received a response.

3/4, Via email: Dealer emails that there is not a fix for my stove and if it was theirs they would just use a filler like JB weld.

3/4, Via email: I respond to Dealer that this should be a warranty issue from what i've seen online and how do i file a claim.

3/4, Via email: Dealer responds that from their experience that the online talk with defects has been stoves like the 4300 and 5700 and not inserts like mine. They further advised if I felt I had a legitimate claim they would file it on my behalf.

3/4, Via email: I respond to Dealer that I would like a claim filed and also provided some pictures of stoves online with a similar issue and a picture of my original invoice.

3/4, Via email: I sent 2 more emails to Dealer with more pictures and my serial number.

3/4, Via email: Dealer responds asking where I found the online claims so they could reference them.

3/4, Via email: I respond to Dealer, Mostly found on www.hearth.com

3/19, Via Phone: I call Dealer to see if they've heard anything. They said that they have not but they would call after they got off the phone with me. They again said they didn't think there was a any type of fix for my stove.

3/20, Via Phone: I contact Dealer to see if they called the previous day. They advised they talked to Quadra-fire and basically my claim had been denied. I asked about why as I had read online where a few people had claimed Quadra-fire had completely replaced their stove with the same issue I had. They said the guy at Quadra-fire advised my stove was out of warranty. I told Dealer that my stove was purchased in June of 2008 and it was before the most current warranty of 10 years. She said she told Quadra-fire that the stove was purchased in June of 2008 and Quadra-fire said it was out of warranty. She asked if I had my stove manual which I did and she asked what it said and I told her mine says Limited Lifetime Warranty up to 10 years after the model was discontinued( This stove online shows manufactured from January 2003-July 2009). She asked what year my manual said and I told her it says January 2004. She said it might not sound right to me but I may have received the wrong manual. I told her my stove fell under this warranty and that the 10 year warranty changed in August or September of 2008. She also said there is possibly some type of possible fix for the stove but it would be completely out of my pocket and would cost somewhere between $160-$300 and she would need a couple more days to get a price to me.

3/20, I filed a complaint with the Washington Attorney General's office. Providing the above information, some additional info and many links to threads/pictures with the same/similar issue I found on this forum.

3/22, I received a prompt response from the Washington Attorney General's office, advising my complaint had been forwarded to the informal complaint process and could take 4-6 weeks to complete.

As of yet I haven't received a response(Quadra-Fire has up to 21 business days to respond) and still have not heard back from the dealer.

**Updated 4/29**

4/26, I received an email from Washington Attorney General's office advising they did not receive a written response from Quadra-Fire.

4/29, I called the dealer again advising I was still waiting on a price quote for the repair kit, they said they would call back today 4/29.

4/29, I received a call from the dealer about 15 minutes later and they advised they called Quadra-fire again to get a price on the repair kit and the person they talked to was familiar with this problem and advised that my stove was in fact under warranty for a couple of more months and to re-submit the claim and I will have the repair parts in about 30 days.

5/7, I received the replacement parts in the mail today.

 

[bholler]

Hi everyone it's been a while since I posted on here and I apologize in advance for the long post. Well the early part of February I was cleaning out my Quadra-Fire 3100I and noticed the rear manifold was cracked and bulging out. A quick internet search revealed this has happened to other people as well. Long story short I ended up filing a complaint with the Washington Attorney General's office and used quite a bit of info and pictures off of this forum. I will update/post the outcome of this as it happens but unfortunately my experience so far has not been good. They really sold me on the "Lifetime Warranty" when I purchased this stove and now it seems I can't get any help or support. Here is my timeline and brief synopsis with this process so far:

2/3, Via Email: I contacted Dealer about the crack with pictures

2/4, Via Email: Dealer responds they will look into this and get back to me.

2/25, Via Email: I contact Dealer asking if they have figured anything out.

3/4, Via Phone: I contact Quadra-fire Directly as I hadn't heard anything from the dealer, they would not address my concerns and told me I had to go through the dealer. I told them I couldn't get a response out of my dealer and they told me I could use a different dealer if I needed to.

3/4, Via Phone: I contact the Dealer and told them it's been a month and I haven't received a response.

3/4, Via email: Dealer emails that there is not a fix for my stove and if it was theirs they would just use a filler like JB weld.

3/4, Via email: I respond to Dealer that this should be a warranty issue from what i've seen online and how do i file a claim.

3/4, Via email: Dealer responds that from their experience that the online talk with defects has been stoves like the 4300 and 5700 and not inserts like mine. They further advised if I felt I had a legitimate claim they would file it on my behalf.

3/4, Via email: I respond to Dealer that I would like a claim filed and also provided some pictures of stoves online with a similar issue and a picture of my original invoice.

3/4, Via email: I sent 2 more emails to Dealer with more pictures and my serial number.

3/4, Via email: Dealer responds asking where I found the online claims so they could reference them.

3/4, Via email: I respond to Dealer, Mostly found on www.hearth.com

3/19, Via Phone: I call Dealer to see if they've heard anything. They said that they have not but they would call after they got off the phone with me. They again said they didn't think there was a any type of fix for my stove.

3/20, Via Phone: I contact Dealer to see if they called the previous day. They advised they talked to Quadra-fire and basically my claim had been denied. I asked about why as I had read online where a few people had claimed Quadra-fire had completely replaced their stove with the same issue I had. They said the guy at Quadra-fire advised my stove was out of warranty. I told Dealer that my stove was purchased in June of 2008 and it was before the most current warranty of 10 years. She said she told Quadra-fire that the stove was purchased in June of 2008 and Quadra-fire said it was out of warranty. She asked if I had my stove manual which I did and she asked what it said and I told her mine says Limited Lifetime Warranty up to 10 years after the model was discontinued( This stove online shows manufactured from January 2003-July 2009). She asked what year my manual said and I told her it says January 2004. She said it might not sound right to me but I may have received the wrong manual. I told her my stove fell under this warranty and that the 10 year warranty changed in August or September of 2008. She also said there is possibly some type of possible fix for the stove but it would be completely out of my pocket and would cost somewhere between $160-$300 and she would need a couple more days to get a price to me.

3/20, I filed a complaint with the Washington Attorney General's office. Providing the above information, some additional info and many links to threads/pictures with the same/similar issue I found on this forum.

3/22, I received a prompt response from the Washington Attorney General's office, advising my complaint had been forwarded to the informal complaint process and could take 4-6 weeks to complete.

As of yet I haven't received a response(Quadra-Fire has up to 21 business days to respond) and still have not heard back from the dealer.

We repair a fair number of quads with this problem. And honestly this is the first time I have heard of a lifetime warranty on quads. You said it was a limited lifetime warranty what are those limitations and what is their predetermined lifetime of the product? You may very well have a valid claim but I know most of the repairs we do on them are not covered by any warranty.

 

[buildersteve02]

We repair a fair number of quads with this problem. And honestly this is the first time I have heard of a lifetime warranty on quads. You said it was a limited lifetime warranty what are those limitations and what is their predetermined lifetime of the product? You may very well have a valid claim but I know most of the repairs we do on them are not covered by any warranty.

We repair a fair number of quads with this problem. And honestly this is the first time I have heard of a lifetime warranty on quads. You said it was a limited lifetime warranty what are those limitations and what is their predetermined lifetime of the product? You may very well have a valid claim but I know most of the repairs we do on them are not covered by any warranty.

I’ll try and attach the warranty info from my manual but like I said the warranty was different for pre September or August of 2008, thanks.

 

[begreen]

It looks like the stove is out of warranty. I have the Sept. 2008 manual if you need it. The firebox is supposed to have a 7yr warranty for parts, 3yrs for labor. The lifetime warranty is only for their gas stoves.



FWIW, the JB Weld suggestion is nonsense. It's a good epoxy, but not appropriate for this application. Is the crack repairable by welding?

 

[buildersteve02]

It looks like the stove is out of warranty. I have the Sept. 2008 manual if you need it. The firebox is supposed to have a 7yr warranty for parts, 3yrs for labor. The lifetime warranty is only for their gas stoves.

View attachment 243161

FWIW, the JB Weld suggestion is nonsense. It's a good epoxy, but not appropriate for this application. Is the crack repairable by welding?

I do not think the crack is repairable by welding, I think the piece that is bulging out is weakened and will pop out eventually. The picture you showed is correct on the warranty for the stoves purchased starting August or September of 2008 when the warranty changed. Thanks.

 

[begreen]

Sorry to hear that. Can you post the picture of this problem. I'm not a metal fabricator but there are some here that may have an idea for repair?

 

[buildersteve02]

Sorry to hear that. Can you post the picture of this problem. I'm not a metal fabricator but there are some here that may have an idea for repair?

Thanks, from what I understand there is some type of plate that can be bolted over this but

Sorry to hear that. Can you post the picture of this problem. I'm not a metal fabricator but there are some here that may have an idea for repair?

Yes the picture should be attached. Apparently there is some type of plate mount/bracket fix for this from Quadrafire but I’m afraid the crack on mine goes to far into the metal post, would also probably have to grind the bulged piece out. Also it’s quite difficult to get a response from the dealer.

 

[bholler]

Thanks, from what I understand there is some type of plate that can be bolted over this but


Yes the picture should be attached. Apparently there is some type of plate mount/bracket fix for this from Quadrafire but I’m afraid the crack on mine goes to far into the metal post, would also probably have to grind the bulged piece out. Also it’s quite difficult to get a response from the dealer.

The repair panels will take care of that.

 

[begreen]

Here is an older thread on the issue that may be helpful.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/quadrafire-3100i-cracks-in-rear-manifold-again.92330/

 

[buildersteve02]

Here is an older thread on the issue that may be helpful.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/quadrafire-3100i-cracks-in-rear-manifold-again.92330/

Thank you, I think that was actually 1 of the threads I attached for reference on my complaint.

 

[begreen]

Lopi has had this same issue at the same location. I like the PE design as it eliminates any welds in the secondary distribution.

 

[bholler]

Regency has had some issues as well but it isn't very common. Quads are the worst for sure but they changed the way they do their manifolds now and I haven't seen any of the new ones with problems

 

[weatherguy]

$160-$300 is not a bad fix for the time you've had that stove if that actually fixes it.

 

[bholler]

$160-$300 is not a bad fix for the time you've had that stove if that actually fixes it.

If they are talking about putting in the repair liners it does work but that price sounds low. If they do it for that they wont be making any profit off of it.

 

[buildersteve02]

If they are talking about putting in the repair liners it does work but that price sounds low. If they do it for that they wont be making any profit off of it.

Well that's good to know it can be fixed. I think the $160-$300 was for the parts only though.

 

[Centurion]

Well that's good to know it can be fixed. I think the $160-$300 was for the parts only though.

I’m not sure if you thought of this but cast iron can be welded. Just Google “can cast iron be welded”. Several You Tube videos out their as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[bholler]

I’m not sure if you thought of this but cast iron can be welded. Just Google “can cast iron be welded”. Several You Tube videos out their as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It is not cast it is plate steel. But that metal has already been so heat stressed welding won't help much. If it was caught when it first cracked it would work but it is past that

 

[buildersteve02]

I updated this in the original post but when I called back to the dealer this morning to inquire on the price of the repair kit they had to call Quadra-Fire to get a price on the repair kit. The dealer said the person they spoke with at Quadra-Fire was an engineer and knew of this problem said my stove was in fact still under warranty for a couple of months and for the dealer to re-submit the claim. They said I should have the repair parts in about 30 days.

 

[buildersteve02]

I received the parts in the mail today along with a new set of manifold tubes. Everything was still covered under warranty. I installed the kit and tubes this afternoon, I’ll attach a picture.

 

[bholler]

I received the parts in the mail today along with a new set of manifold tubes. Everything was still covered under warranty. I installed the kit and tubes this afternoon, I’ll attach a picture.

Good I am glad it worked out

 

[buildersteve02]

Good I am glad it worked out

Thank you, me too. They also just sent me a Reliner kit(SRV436-5400) that goes around the burner tubes and covers the front tube and baffle board.

 

[buildersteve02]

Well I finished everything on the stove tonight. I appreciate everyone’s help and input. I went from 4 months ago thinking I needed to scrap this thing to basically rebuilding it and hoping for another 10 plus years. Here is everything I’ve done to it in the last 2 months and some of them were covered under warranty by Quadra-FIre:

-Air channel Repair Kit(Warranty)
-Air Reliner Kit(Warranty)
-Manifold tubes and hardware(Warranty)
-New Baffle board and blanket
-New Brick Set
-New Gaskets for Door and Glass
-New door Screws
-New handle and stainless coil spring
-New Paint on stove, surround and door

 

[begreen]

Looks like new.

 

[rmbrumfield78]

I know this thread is pretty much dead, but do you have the part numbers for what you got? I have a cracked 3100 & I think I actually found a company who will fix it & may even line my chimney without costing as much as brand new furnace.

 

[begreen]

Is the crack in the secondary air manifold? Is the stove still under warranty? If so, your Quad dealer should be able to help. If not, these people may have the part.

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