Quadra Fire Overheating

[HawksViewFarm]

Hey folks-

I purchased a quad 4300 this summer and just started using it over the last few weeks. Problem is I can't keep my Inferno Stove Top meter out of the red. I get the thing running great with basically no smoke coming out of the chimney and a ripping secondary burn with the damper down about half way to 3/4 way and the thing still registers as too hot. I want to get this problem solved before I need to load up those big fires for overnights in Vermont. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[bholler]

What is the temp? How tall is the chimney and what liner does it have and do you have a stack damper in

 

[HawksViewFarm]

"To hot" temp starts at 650. Chimney is brick lined and two stories high. Is a stack damper on the flu? I do have one of those, but leave it wide open.

 

[bholler]

Ok sounds like you are using a stove pipe thermometer as a stove top thermometer 650 is a little hot but not to hot for the stove top and if you are having trouble controlling it close down the air on the stove more you can run it fully closed if need be and if that doesnt do it start to close down the stack damper. And your chimney is brick lined? that means no liner you really need a liner of some sort are you sure it does not even have a clay liner?

 

[jeff_t]

What are you burning? How big (or small) are the splits? Packed tight? Is this a reload or cold start? If a reload, at what temp? How many coals were left?

 

[BurningBrutus]

"1/2 to 3/4", go down even more to fully closed if you have too

 

[HawksViewFarm]

Let me preface all this by saying, I am new to wood burning. So, yes, it is a clay liner. Sorry. It is definitely a stove top, it says right on it. I am burning mostly maple and it is doing it mostly upon start up. I haven't burned much so the coal beds have not been big. Do I want a large coal bed? When should I start clearing some of that out? I know probably a question for a beginner forum. Not packed tight.

 

[Spletz]

Let me preface all this by saying, I am new to wood burning. So, yes, it is a clay liner. Sorry. It is definitely a stove top, it says right on it. I am burning mostly maple and it is doing it mostly upon start up. I haven't burned much so the coal beds have not been big. Do I want a large coal bed? When should I start clearing some of that out? I know probably a question for a beginner forum. Not packed tight.

An inch or two of coal bed is a good thing. I clean my insert out once I reach 5-6".

 

[bholler]

what does the owners manual say is a good stove top temp? If it is to hot shut it down more

 

[jeff_t]

A load that isn't packed sorta tight will off gas at a faster rate, as will small splits. Loading on a hot coal bed will make for a hot one. How hot is it when you start turning the air down? Maybe start cutting it back sooner?

 

[Sconnie Burner]

I'm running a 3100 step-top for my first FULL season this year and see those temperatures on a cold start but they back down quickly once I close the secondary air and start up air down. I'm not sure if your stove has the ACC system (auto close trimmer on the lower right air control) or not, but I find I need to close that by hand sometimes before it finishes on its own. I run the lower right air control barely open just back from all the way towards the front of the stove, stepping it down to thay as the fire gets rolling good. And the upper right air control no more than 1/4 to 1/3 open up from the bottom while cruising after stepping down as the fire gets going. The trick is to start closing the air down in steps every 5-10 minutes once the stove top starts hitting 300-350. You have to remember its somewhat of a delayed reading from whats going on in the firebox. It takes the heat a bit to radiate to the stove top. Hope that all makes sense.

I was completely lost without the thermometer late last winter, its helped me get way better burns out of my stove so far this year during shoulder season burns, thats for sure! Remember the temps on your thermometer are a generalized suggestion for a myriad of stoves. A little bit of time at the temps your seeing aren't going to hurt anything from what I've read here on the forums. Its more when you get to 700-800+ for prolonged periods (hours).

Also if your wood is really dry it may be an issue as well. Mix in some harder, denser woods if available and see what happens. Every wood burns different in different stoves and conditions.

 

[Sprinter]

I do have one of those, but leave it wide open.

Normally, it's best to leave a flue damper full open unless you are having a problem with excess draft. How tall is the chimney overall? Very tall stacks can cause excess draft which makes it harder to control the burn.

As said above, you can turn the air down more to achieve the temps you want. Like all EPA stoves, air supply is never fully cut off even with the control turned down. Just don't turn it down that far too quickly. Start turning the air down in stages once the secondaries are burning and keep a lazy flame and active secondaries. Whether you can maintain a clean burn with the air fully down depends on the quality of wood, how it's loaded, draft conditions, etc. Experiment and you'll find a system that works for you.

My stove is a different model, but I often burn with my air just off the bottom depending on the load and never have more than a handful of soot after a season

 

[jrems]

Also you might want to check the stove top thermometer against another thermometer. I drew some new temp #s on mine. It's very accurate until about 400 degrees. when it's showing 600 it's really only about 500. I used a non contact (lazer?) thermometer to check.

 

[hamsey]

Chucked mine and use a infrared digital thermometer now. Much more accurate

 

[Fsappo]

If it was me with exactly your same situation:
1. Try a different method to check heat
2. If still running at 700, try with air closed all the way. Most stoves (I think the 4300 included) have secret air inlets that still allow combustion air in with primary control shut)
3. If air shut 100%, a full load and still wont cruise at 500 or so, I would check stove for leaks. Dollar bill test on gaskets, etc.

I have sold hundreds of Quad wood stoves in the Long Island days. The steel line never presented me with an issue that couldn't be simply resolved. At least not one that I can recall.

 

[begreen]

Let me preface all this by saying, I am new to wood burning. So, yes, it is a clay liner. Sorry. It is definitely a stove top, it says right on it. I am burning mostly maple and it is doing it mostly upon start up. I haven't burned much so the coal beds have not been big. Do I want a large coal bed? When should I start clearing some of that out? I know probably a question for a beginner forum. Not packed tight.

You don't want to reload onto a large hot coal bed. It's better to burn it down a bit first. Is this on a reload or with a freshly started fire? How large are the splits that are being burned? Larger, thick splits will burn much more slowly. And last, what type of wood are you burning? Locust, oak, hickory, hedge will burn slower, but hot.

FWIW 650-700F is the average cruising temp for our stove with a full load of dry wood. Turning on the blower will cool the stovetop down by 50-100 degrees.

 

[Jags]

650 doesn't scare me a bit. That ain't hurting your stove.

 

[dafattkidd]

The stove top thermometers often have colors and indicators that aren't exactly useful. The only thing you need that thermometer to do is tell you the temperature of the stove top. Read the manufacturer's recommended stove top temps. 650 is a good cruising temp. If you are concerned about burning at high temps load larger splits on a smaller coal bed. Loading small splits and a large coal bed will get real hot fast. Check what Quadrafire recommend as stove top burning temps. For reference, my manufacturer recommends staying below something like 840. I forget the exact number, but these units are designed to burn hot.

 

[Jags]

Quad is not very good about advertising "peak" temps. At least not in the manuals I have reviewed. They use terms like "don't overfire" or "operating temps" but usually don't specify what the actual temps are.

 

[matt1@]

I just ordered the same inferno stove top thermometer about a week ago and it just got here yesterday, so of course like a little kid I had to fire up something and test how hot it gets! I too have a quad 4300 millinium with no blower in the garage. I made a medium sized fire with two larger splits on the bottom and several smaller on top and mine too registers between 700-750 degrees which says too hot on the gauge. Could be because it's still fairly warm outside so the heat isn't getting sucked up the pipe like it would with more draft. All I can say is I've been burning mine hard for years without any visual signs of damage, so I'd have to say I think you'll be fine HawksViewFarm