Quadra Fire Castile - excessive ash build up

[Quad_183]

Hello, I have a 2004 Quadra Fire Castile insert. The stove is relatively new to me as it came with a home I purchased (this is my first Quadra Fire, but not my first stove). The stove has a fake log set in the bottom four corners.

I recently replaced the convection blower and door seal. The stove/chimney was professionally cleaned and serviced at the beginning of the fall. I have the feed rate set at the lowest setting I can adjust it to.

The problem I have is excessive ash buildup. I clean out the burn pot once daily and by the end of the day the stove is dirty with a decent amount of ash build up on the lower corners of the glass, sides of the stove, back plates (which are normally grey) and the top right side of the baffle is dirty (the left side is not). Even if I clean off the ash when I clean out the burn pot it is dirty within 8-10 hours later. Not sure if this is normal for a Quad but it seems excessive.

I burn Vermont Wood Pellets which have performed well in the past with very minimal ash buildup.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!!

 

[SwineFlue]

What setting are you running on, and how many bags a day?

I don't worry about the ash on the lower corners of the glass. Some of the ash falls when you open the door, but the freestanding Castile has a lip to catch it. I guess that's why they switched to the bottom airwash.

Two suggestions:

Keep the tiny holes around the bottom of the burnpot clean. If they are clogged, ash will build up in the bottom of the burnpot.

Remove the logs. I also acquired my Castile with the house. At first I used the log set because it was there. They do take up some of the space for ash in the firebox. But even worse, after a few hours of running they tend to funnel ash back to the burnpot. I removed all but the one log that covers the thermocouple wire.

 

[tjnamtiw]

Definitely get rid of the log set (if the BOSS allows it). It makes cleaning much harder. Ash build up depends on the quality of the pellets you're burning but it's quite normal to have build up in a day's worth of running if you are on Med or High. The setting of your feed gate depends on the size of your pellets. You should adjust it on HIGH so that the AVERAGE flame height is 4 -6" high. The flame should be very aggressive in the pot and you should actually see some blue flame down inside if those 8 little holes are open. That blows the ash out of the pot and keeps it clear. Don't get overly excited to see ash in there until it really builds up. Then just open the two slides and brush it down into the ash pan. BUT ABSOLUTELY DITCH THE LOGS!

 

[Quad_183]

Thank you! The stove is set on high. I removed the logs and cleaned out the burn pot holes, some were clogged.

In the process of doing so I noted the igniter casing that holds the igniter in place appeared loose and it subsequently fell of when I touched it lightly.

Now I need to figure what to do with that.

 

[tjnamtiw]

Thank you! The stove is set on high. I removed the logs and cleaned out the burn pot holes, some were clogged.

In the process of doing so I noted the igniter casing that holds the igniter in place appeared loose and it subsequently fell of when I touched it lightly.

Now I need to figure what to do with that.

Ouch~ I just looked at mine and it appears to be welded on. Do you know anyone with a small wire welder? You'll probably have to take the burnpot out, which means a gasket plus some prayers that those bolts will come loose and not break off trying to remove it. That's another 'to do' for me. > break them loose, coat them with anti-seize and put them back in.

 

[Quad_183]

So luckily I was able to loosen all the bolts without breaking any off. The burn pot actually came out easily (despite what I was expecting) and I'll have it welded back in place tomorrow. Hopefully, just the cost of a gasket and i'll be back in business. Thanks for the help!

 

[Countryboymo]

I had to drill out the old nuts and use washers with new nuts and bolts. It wasn't the end of the world and if it sticks next time I used nominal grade bolts and grade 8 nuts so they will break and make next time much faster. I did almost put nylon locking nuts on the bottom and laughed at the thought... or lack of.

If I run a good softwood pellet I have hardly any ash in the pot because it gets blown out and probably could run a couple days without getting the ash build up I get with the hardwoods I am running this year in 16 hours.