Quadra fire grand voyageur

[Nic]

Hi All-
Looking to get some feedback. We are looking to purchase a grand voyager, does anyone have any feedback on the porcelain coated version. Wife likes how it looks, however we are concerned about chips.
Leaning towards the cast black because of durability, any feedback on that finish would be greatly appreciated as well. Maintenance to the black cast, how it holds up to abuse, any fading, issues etc.

Also any comments or concerns on fan blower noise. A friend has a fireplace Xtrordinaire and there fan is very tolerable. Wondering how it compares, if there’s any humming etc.
Any other concerns/comments about the unit would be helpful.
Thank you!
BTW fireplace opening is 43” and we are looking for cast iron which is why we have come up with the quad.

 

[Markie123]

We bought black cast surround last year and we love it . If you nick it you spray with there black paint. The fan is loudest on high but manageable. The grand heats our 2300 sq ft ranch. Good luck with your purchase.

 

[Heat Transfer Guy]

I have the porcelain coated Grand Voyager. I would not say the finish is delicate at all. An accidental hit by a piece of wood is not going to hurt it. Even a light tap with a metal fireplace tool won't affect it. I suppose this finish is easier to keep clean and dust free than the cast black. Anyway it looks great, although honestly I like the look of the cast black also. I'd say the extra cost of the porcelain finish is it's biggest problem, lol. Still looks like new now going onto it's 5th season of use.

As to fan humming, well here's the details:
1) Worst noise is an occasional vibration of the curved metal fan housing in front (there are two), which has varied over the years from one side to another. I suspect it may be caused by a dust buildup on fan impeller causing it to go out of balance. BUT, wedging a small wood chip next to the edge of the cover gets rid of this noise entirely. So not a problem at all.
2) Usually turning the fan speed slightly down from top speed, or at just above minimum fan speed, results in a loud whining noise from the motor. Adjusting fan slightly faster or slower from this setting gets rid of the whine entirely, so no big deal.

The insert is usually used with fan at highest setting, and we just hear a moderately loud, but soothing whir (whoosh?) of air.

3) At the lowest fan speed, the motor noise is what you are hearing and I wish it would be quieter then. We never use the insert without the fan going so there is no really whisper quiet mode of operation. If we had room in our house I would have been happier with a free standing wood stove that could be used without a fan for quiet operation (a big "if").

 

[ImMrH]

I have the porcelain one and I love the way it looks. This is my first full year burning and this is my first wood stove so take that into consideration when reading this. As soon as you walk in the room its the first thing that catches your eye, it is beautiful. I find it difficult to get started but that may be because I dont really know what I'm doing but once its lit and dialed in it does an awesome job. The glass does get dirty fast but once it get rolling most of that burns off. The blower is a little loud but it is easy enough to take out and clean. It does rattle a bit after a while but I just assumed that it due to the hot cold cycle working the screws loose, a 3/8 socket fixes that right up. Since it is my first stove I dont have anything to compare it too but so far I am happy with my choice. I think the one thing I would do different would be to put the outside air kit in, I think that would solve the hard starting. I had a late 70's poured concrete arched fireplace that was just huge and this was the biggest stove I could find to fill that hole. So far no regrets. Hope this helps.