Quadra-Fire 4100 firebrick

[Abunker11]

Hi- I just picked up a Quadrafire 4100 (Sorry it is a 4300) off Craigslist. The firebricks are in fairly good shape I think, but I am surprised at how light they are. A few are cracked and some are partially consumed by the fire. In talking with an owner of a Napoleon fireplace I learned the Napoleon had 140lbs of brick. The Quadrafire's all together in a box might weigh 30 lbs. It seems to me more mass is better but I am a rookie at this. I was also surprised to see the fiber blanket resting on 2 very thin and seemingly fragile tiles. One is cracked. The fiber blanket appears new. Are these standard weight bricks or cheap aftermarkets? Can one buy better grade brick material and cut them to fit or would that alter the engineering for the worse?

(just an aside in case it is important. I was told this is a 5 year old 3100 Millenium, but when I got it home I realized the label on the back was missing. After taking the bricks out and measuring them and comparing the diagrams in the owners manual I see it is a 4300)

 

[DAKSY]

MASS is not the reason for the firebrick being in the box.
They act as insulators to the shell & actually concentrate the heat within the firebox to aid with the secondary burn.
Some are firebricks are made of a lightweight, vermiculite-type material.
Most "split" firebricks are made of a heavier refractory fireclay.
Either one will work properly for you.

 

[Abunker11]

MASS is not the reason for the firebrick being in the box.
They act as insulators to the shell & actually concentrate the heat within the firebox to aid with the secondary burn.
Some are firebricks are made of a lightweight, vermiculite-type material.
Most "split" firebricks are made of a heavier refractory fireclay.
Either one will work properly for you.

Thank you for the info Bob. I noticed that some of the bricks are more dense than others. Probably the owner had replaced some of the bricks and ended up with a different type. They're still kind of light though. It made me wonder about the bricks I see on ebay. They don't say what they are made from so maybe I will go to a local dealer. There are also some listed on ebay for this model that have one hole drilled in them. It would seem those holes might line up with 4 air holes in the rear channel assembly. But the manual shows solid bricks there with no holes so that must be how it was intended to be. I will avoid experimentation at this stage and go for as standard a set up as possible. Safe but boring.

I found this thread that has more info about fire brick.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/firebrick-pumice-lightweight-vs-standard-heavier.128343/

 

[velvetfoot]

Then there's my thread: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/wow-the-quadrafire-brick-is-crappy.7655/

 

[JA600L]

They are pumice bricks. They have a better insulating value and that's what you want.

 

[Abunker11]

They are pumice bricks. They have a better insulating value and that's what you want.

What do you think of the baffle board material that holds the fiber blanket? The ones I have are very thin and appear to crack easily. I would guess they are new, bought by the previous owner, and I see one is already broken. Do you think these need to have the same insulating quality to keep the combustion dynamics as planned? I wonder if they could be replaced with tougher material? It seems a shame that the bricks and baffle boards are so readily consumed. JA...How long have you had your Quadra-Fire and how often have your bricks needed to be replaced?

 

[JA600L]

I have had my Quad 4300 4 years. I replaced the pumice bricks last year mainly because of some cracks. It's a 2006 model I bought used and it was abused. The Quad is an excellent stove when set up properly.

The most important aspect is properly seasoned wood. If you try to feed this stove wet wood you will be frustrated. The board up top is important l. They do get thin over time.

 

[Abunker11]

I have had my Quad 4300 4 years. I replaced the pumice bricks last year mainly because of some cracks. It's a 2006 model I bought used and it was abused. The Quad is an excellent stove when set up properly.

The most important aspect is properly seasoned wood. If you try to feed this stove wet wood you will be frustrated. The board up top is important l. They do get thin over time.

How reliable has your ACC system been? Have you had to service those parts at all?

 

[JA600L]

My stove is the older ACT setup. Therefore, I do not have the automatic start up feature.