Quadrafire 1200 smoke smell

[Steve Witters]

Has anyone had to change their heat exchanger on a Quad 1200. I’m getting a slight smell of smoke from the stove and not able to tell where it’s coming from. About the same amount of smell as when you knock a few pellets down the heat exchanger tube. But haven’t done that in a while. The stove is from 2008. Wondering if heat exchanger is just done? I also need to check the chimney liner as it is an insert and might be working it’s way down the old fire place chimney. Any thoughts Guys? Thanks.

 

[johneh]

The smell of smoke is more likely to come from the
positive pressure side of the combustion fan.
The flame side and heat exchanger are in a vac or the
air is being drawn into the firebox. To my pea brain, the
smell of smoke is most likely to be the chimney or pipe
connections and most unlikely to be the heat exchanger

 

[Steve Witters]

The smell of smoke is more likely to come from the
positive pressure side of the combustion fan.
The flame side and heat exchanger are in a vac or the
air is being drawn into the firebox. To my pea brain, the
smell of smoke is most likely to be the chimney or pipe
connections and most unlikely to be the heat exchanger

That was my original thought also. And makes sense. The liner is 12 years old it might be time. Thanks. I’ll let you know what I find.

 

[Overfireinthehole]

The heat exchanger is not replaceable. Have you taken the grill off to make sure there isn’t something smoldering by the top of the tubes. Have you run a bottle brush up and down between the tubes behind the baffles? Cleaned exhaust blower blades? Cleaned behind exhaust blower? Cleaned inside venting top to bottom? I assume this is an inert since you said it had a liner?

 

[Steve Witters]

Well thanks for the input. Overfireinthehole. Must of that stuff I do about once a month. I removed the grill and connected a 1/2” poly tube to my Vacuum and ran it down the heat exchanger tubes. I found quite a few toasted and non toasted pellets from one tube. See picture. No more smoke smell. That’s a load off my mind.