Quadra-Fire stove clearances: chimney vs stove
- Thread starter cptmoney
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I'll like them all to keep it even.
Hahaha!
Thank you! This place is awesome. You guys are so helpful. Super great.
So a bit of an update here.....
I've moved the stove-top thermo to just a few inches ahead of the chimney. I've also been closing down the lower air intake (on the QuadraFire it's called the ACC system, I believe) and have really noticed a much more manageable burn. Temps don't run NEAR as high, the wood seems to last a good bit longer, and the wall temps are MUCH better. I've hit mid 140's...but nothing like the 180 I was seeing. I feel so much better about all of that.
However - I've run into a new issue: my door glass cannot stay clean. At all.
When I was running her hot and heavy - literally! - the glass would get soot on it, and the occasional black-ish build up.....but it would all wipe off with just a paper towel and clean water. Once I've been turning the air intake down, it's not even kind of clean. It gets a thick, black coating in places of the glass that is reminiscent of a glazing or sealant that you'd find on a porcelain mug. And it is really tough to get off - really tough. Even scrubbing with a wet paper towel and ash doesn't touch it - I almost have to scrape it off with a razor blade.
I have had some luck with a good hot fire; it seems to almost make the black stuff almost "flake" off in places, but not completely. It's a chore to get it clean again. Not easy.
Anybody have any good ideas on all of this?
I've not researched it on the forum just yet - but plan to. I'm sure I'm not the first to run into this...just wanted to give you all an update on how she's burning!
I've moved the stove-top thermo to just a few inches ahead of the chimney. I've also been closing down the lower air intake (on the QuadraFire it's called the ACC system, I believe) and have really noticed a much more manageable burn. Temps don't run NEAR as high, the wood seems to last a good bit longer, and the wall temps are MUCH better. I've hit mid 140's...but nothing like the 180 I was seeing. I feel so much better about all of that.
However - I've run into a new issue: my door glass cannot stay clean. At all.
When I was running her hot and heavy - literally! - the glass would get soot on it, and the occasional black-ish build up.....but it would all wipe off with just a paper towel and clean water. Once I've been turning the air intake down, it's not even kind of clean. It gets a thick, black coating in places of the glass that is reminiscent of a glazing or sealant that you'd find on a porcelain mug. And it is really tough to get off - really tough. Even scrubbing with a wet paper towel and ash doesn't touch it - I almost have to scrape it off with a razor blade.
I have had some luck with a good hot fire; it seems to almost make the black stuff almost "flake" off in places, but not completely. It's a chore to get it clean again. Not easy.
Anybody have any good ideas on all of this?
I've not researched it on the forum just yet - but plan to. I'm sure I'm not the first to run into this...just wanted to give you all an update on how she's burning!
Could be now the stove is being run a bit cool? Maybe try to strike a middle ground when burning and bring up the stove top temp 100º?
I have a Quad. Isle Royale. Love it. I also found the same thermometer that you have was way off.....even when moving it around the stove. I rely on the IR now. As to temps I agree with Begreen, run it a bit hotter. tough to keep the glass perfectly clean but I find if I can get it to 6oo during a burn it will keep it relatively clean.
Do you try and run it at 600 for the duration of the burn? Or just simply get it up to touching the 600 mark?
I believe that the dirty glass is coming from my overnight burn; I load the stove up, close the ACC inlet at the bottom of the stove, then close the upper fresh air intake down most/all of the way to allow for the slowest burn. When I wake up, the glass is covered in black, and is hard to get clean. It's something to do with the overnight burn/cooling down process....
Yes you are correct. It is the overnight burn and cooling process. Do you still have hot coals in the morning? I will run it 550 600 for a couple hours and then let it slowly cool down. It will build some ash and brown on the glass but that mostly burns off the next day when it fires up again. I still will clean the glass once or twice a week.
maple1
Minister of Fire
You might be beyond pipe changes now - but if still thinking about them, I think I would consider putting a shield up on the wall before changing my pipe. We have one for our (very old) cottage stove - I think besides protecting the wall, it also bounces more heat back into the room. And it doesn't really look too bad or out of place.
tpenny67
New Member
I've had this on my Quad as well and it seems a razor blade is the only way to get it off, and it's much easier if you can avoid it in the first place. I'm finding it's more likely to happen when the air is turned down too soon, before the stove is hot enough to keep the secondaries going. On my setup, this means leaving the ACC pushed all the way in until the stove top is over about 350. After that, the primary air can be set and the ACC pulled forward and most times the timer will close the startup air before the stove goes over 600-ish. As nice as the ACC is, it still is an open loop control and can't adapt to the specifics of an individual load.
I've found it very easy to get the stove top into the 600-700 degree range, but turning up the air past that point just makes the flue hotter with only small increments in stove top temperature.
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