Quadra Fire random No Start

[Detroit123]

Hello, I recently installed a new Quadra Fire Santa-Fe pellet stove insert and have had this intermittent problem since day one.
The stove will start and stop normally many times as per thermostat call for heat (Red Light On) and then intermittently fail to start with (Red Light On and No Pellets in Pot) I cycle the remote thermostat from Thermo to Off to On and back to Thermo and the stove starts right up and will continue starting normally many times until randomly fail as described. When running normal it seems the start/stop sequence is as it should be. Call for heat (Red Light)Pellets feed ignites (Green Light) heats up and turns to (Amber Light) and convection blower starts. Shutdown seems normal also. Call light Off, pellets Stop feeding, cools down Amber to Green, than Green Off and last convection blower Off. When it fails to start the Red call light is On and there are No Pellets( when I checked the pot there where maybe 2 unburned pellets which I attribute to slipping by the auger when stove off.) Cycle T Stat and stove immediately starts.
Thanks Ray.

 

[Former Farmer]

Did you install the stove or a dealer? Is the thermostat a remote one or a wall mounted one?

Do you have a different thermostat that you could try?

 

[Detroit123]

Did you install the stove or a dealer? Is the thermostat a remote one or a wall mounted one?

Do you have a different thermostat that you could try?

It’s a remote style T stat. I don’t think it’s the thermostat because the Red call light comes ON on the control box on the stove but the stove won’t start until I cycle or reset the start sequence.
It’s only happened once in the last couple days.
It will run normal a bunch of times and periodically it fails to start.
Call for heat light ON
No pellets in the pot.
No start.

Reset start sequence and it fires right up.

 

[Former Farmer]

Next time it fails to start, before resetting it, try jumping the terminals where the thermostat connects to. This should rule out the thermostat if nothing happens.

Have you contacted your dealer at all?

You could also try unplugging the unit and pulling out the control box and reinstalling it. Maybe the control box isn't fully seated.

 

[whit]

Does the exhaust fan come on with the light? At least with my older-version Santa Fe the sequence is light -> exhaust fan -> augur.

 

[Detroit123]

I bought it from a dealer in Tacoma Wa. and had it shipped to me up here in Alaska and installed it myself. The dealer up here didn’t have any in stock and all the installers are booked up for months out.
Quadra Fire costumer service just sends you back to the dealer and the dealer in Alaska won’t warranty anything because I didn’t buy from him. Whatever. 🤨
Whenever the misfire happens I’m never there to witness it.
I going to do the things you all have mentioned. Pull check and reseat the control box. Jump T stat and I guess I really need to be there to witness the misfire. It’s not to bad right now only 2 resets in the last 3 days. Appreciate the help. Thanks.

 

[newsu]

You might be fighting an up hill battle with this stove.

An interesting read:

Quadra-Fire Sante Fe Pellet Stove Reviews & Comments | Wise Heat

 

[Detroit123]

Update....... Quadra-Fire Santa Fe insert. I've had the stove for about 3 mo. and have had miss fires on start up occasionally from the start and found after witnessing a few failed starts that the pellets I'm using are not uniform in length. 90% are 1/2" or smaller and the rest longer with some up to 1.5" long causing a uneven dispensing of pellets. I can attribute the fail to start to a lack of pellets being dropped on start up and either not igniting or igniting and not burning long and hot enough to heat the thermocouple to desired temp and shutting down. I could open the feed shute to accommodated for the longer pellets but this seems to give me an occasional wild flame which I don't like. Conclusion is pellet quality and uniformity matters. Im burning Cascade Douglas Fir pellets from home depot and they are excellent pellets but this years batch seem to be inconsistent in length like a manufacturing glitch. So my conclusion is I don't think the stoves is at fault.
Thanks for everyone's input and would be happy to hear about something I might be overlooking.