Hello all,
Im new here and new to pellet stoves as well. I have a Quadra Fire Castile insert which was installed by the dealer I purchased from back in July. I've run the insert several times now, and roughly put about 5 bags of pellets through it.
The insert has 3 speeds, lo, med, and high, and so far I've only needed to use it on the low setting as it quickly heats up my living/dining area. The unit runs very smoothly, ignites fast, and has a good flame, this was all adjusted at the install by the professional installer who made all necessary adjustments when he installed it and then tested it for about 30 minutes after that.
My question is, for those who have the Castile insert, is does the top lid get unusually hot or does it remain just warm to the touch? My unit stays comfortably warm, but there are times when the top like feels a little on the hot side if I go to open it to add pellets. I noticed this yesterday when it was colder out and I kicked the unit up into its MED setting, which gives more heat and a higher flame. I had it on MED for about 20 minutes then I decided to check the pellet level and it was so hot I could not put my hand on the top lid. I had to use a pot holder to open the lid as it was so hot. This concerned me because the pellets are inside under the lid and I wondered how hot this area is supposed to get.
The installer did mention to me that the top would be slightly warm, he said the front area around the glass would be very hot in the even I was concerned about small children touching the front, but said the sides and top should remain at room temperature or warm to the touch but not hot.
The draft looks good, I have no backpressure that I know of, no smells, no smoke ever, the only concern I have is running it on medium or high as that lid is going to really get hot. I also clean it every couple of days thoroughly, by removing the top and back plates inside and making sure all the fly ash is cleaned out, which is very little from my observations, it not very dirty at all and cleans up in about 10 minutes.
Thanks for any advice in advance, this is my first pellet experience, and the unit is really nice, seems to work very well also.
Nicholas,
Im new here and new to pellet stoves as well. I have a Quadra Fire Castile insert which was installed by the dealer I purchased from back in July. I've run the insert several times now, and roughly put about 5 bags of pellets through it.
The insert has 3 speeds, lo, med, and high, and so far I've only needed to use it on the low setting as it quickly heats up my living/dining area. The unit runs very smoothly, ignites fast, and has a good flame, this was all adjusted at the install by the professional installer who made all necessary adjustments when he installed it and then tested it for about 30 minutes after that.
My question is, for those who have the Castile insert, is does the top lid get unusually hot or does it remain just warm to the touch? My unit stays comfortably warm, but there are times when the top like feels a little on the hot side if I go to open it to add pellets. I noticed this yesterday when it was colder out and I kicked the unit up into its MED setting, which gives more heat and a higher flame. I had it on MED for about 20 minutes then I decided to check the pellet level and it was so hot I could not put my hand on the top lid. I had to use a pot holder to open the lid as it was so hot. This concerned me because the pellets are inside under the lid and I wondered how hot this area is supposed to get.
The installer did mention to me that the top would be slightly warm, he said the front area around the glass would be very hot in the even I was concerned about small children touching the front, but said the sides and top should remain at room temperature or warm to the touch but not hot.
The draft looks good, I have no backpressure that I know of, no smells, no smoke ever, the only concern I have is running it on medium or high as that lid is going to really get hot. I also clean it every couple of days thoroughly, by removing the top and back plates inside and making sure all the fly ash is cleaned out, which is very little from my observations, it not very dirty at all and cleans up in about 10 minutes.
Thanks for any advice in advance, this is my first pellet experience, and the unit is really nice, seems to work very well also.
Nicholas,
