Quadrafire castile insert log placement and preferred pellets

[pulke01]

Hi Everyone,

My Castile is finally up and running! My bad control box is now a good one and off we go! I need to order 2 more tons for the winter.

Currently, the previous homeowner left me 1 ton of LG granules pellets. You castile veterans will know...being that all stoves are not created equal, what does this particular stove "like" to burn the best?

Also, I have the "logs" in the insert. I hope I don't sound stupid by asking this but does the placement of the logs affect the efficiency and/or heat output? How are yours set up?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

-Keith

 

[DMKNLD]

Glad to hear you're up and running (burning), Keith !

RE pellets - Quads seem to burn pretty much any pellet - the issue will be how much and how often you have to clean it to keep it burning happily and efficiently. Making a 'rookie' mistake my first year of ordering 4 tons of what ended up being 'dirt in a bag' was a hard lesson learned. Trial burning of a few bags, before you commit to a ton or more pellet order, is always good SOP, as every stove's venting and burn characteristics are unique, even within the same stove model and brand.

Pellet pricing, availability, deliver-ability, amount of stove and vent cleaning required, heat output, amount of dust / fines, even the pellet smell and quality of the storage bag integrity can all affect personal pellet preference. "Some like Fords, some like Chevys."

For me it is worth it to pay the extra for the best quality 100% softwoods that my local pellet warehouse supplier is carrying. Less ash, hotter burning, less often and easier cleaning. I've gone to burning mid-grade 100% softies in the shoulder seasons to save a few $'s, then burn premium / platinum grade 100% softies in the coldest months, which seems to be a common practice on this forum. As always, 'YMMV' - your mileage may vary.

All that said, at the end of the day, your free pellets trumps all !! The LG's seem to get good reviews. https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...ts-and-or-hear-how-they-worked-for-you.30909/ .

RE the 'decorative logs' - no affect that I'm aware of on stove efficiency or heat output beyond 'aesthetic ambiance'. And a PITA to have to clean around, IMO ! We had them in the stove our first burn season, only because they came with our Castile that came with our farmhouse, and the wifey wanted the 'campfire - like ambiance' they gave off. But she wasn't the one cleaning the stove out 4 or 5 times a week ! They were pretty brittle and fire scorched already when we got the stove, so we compromised and agreed we'd use them "until they heat cracked, then they were gone".

About a third of the way through that first 'dirt in a bag' burning season, I *accidentally* dropped one of the fake logs when I was cleaning the stove out, ooops....... they were in the trash can in a heart beat !

 

[Pelletluvr]

Glad to hear you're up and running (burning), Keith !

RE pellets - Quads seem to burn pretty much any pellet - the issue will be how much and how often you have to clean it to keep it burning happily and efficiently. Making a 'rookie' mistake my first year of ordering 4 tons of what ended up being 'dirt in a bag' was a hard lesson learned. Trial burning of a few bags, before you commit to a ton or more pellet order, is always good SOP, as every stove's venting and burn characteristics are unique, even within the same stove model and brand.

Pellet pricing, availability, deliver-ability, amount of stove and vent cleaning required, heat output, amount of dust / fines, even the pellet smell and quality of the storage bag integrity can all affect personal pellet preference. "Some like Fords, some like Chevys."

For me it is worth it to pay the extra for the best quality 100% softwoods that my local pellet warehouse supplier is carrying. Less ash, hotter burning, less often and easier cleaning. I've gone to burning mid-grade 100% softies in the shoulder seasons to save a few $'s, then burn premium / platinum grade 100% softies in the coldest months, which seems to be a common practice on this forum. As always, 'YMMV' - your mileage may vary.

All that said, at the end of the day, your free pellets trumps all !! The LG's seem to get good reviews. https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...ts-and-or-hear-how-they-worked-for-you.30909/ .

RE the 'decorative logs' - no affect that I'm aware of on stove efficiency or heat output beyond 'aesthetic ambiance'. And a PITA to have to clean around, IMO ! We had them in the stove our first burn season, only because they came with our Castile that came with our farmhouse, and the wifey wanted the 'campfire - like ambiance' they gave off. But she wasn't the one cleaning the stove out 4 or 5 times a week ! They were pretty brittle and fire scorched already when we got the stove, so I compromised and told her we'd use them "until they heat cracked, then they were gone".

About a third of the way through that first 'dirt in a bag' burning season, I *accidentally* dropped one of the fake logs when I was cleaning the stove out, ooops....... they were in the trash can in a heart beat !

 

[Pelletluvr]

I currently burn LGs, and find them to be a decent pellet. Normal ash content, but a little too much sawdust. You'll want to try different kinds to find one you might like better. I'm pretty sure the logs can only go in one way. Mine have metal dowel pins to locate the log pieces on top of the main log.

 

[pulke01]

Thanks guys. A friend of mine last year used bearfoot pellets (hardwood) and he liked them and this year turman. I now see that everyone has opinions and some are better than others. I.e. some like coke, some pepsi.

Spruce Pointe seems to be available everywhere locally, but I'm hearing a lot of sawdust feedback.

Just so I'm clear. Softer wood, hotter burn. Harder wood, cooler burn and more ash?

 

[DMKNLD]

In *general*, yes. Here's a good article comparing / contrasting pellet composition. (broken link removed to http://www.allaboutwoodpellets.com/hardwood_softwood.php)

Certainly there are excellent clean burning "hot" hardwood pellets, ie barefoots, and there are crappy softwood pellets. It seems primarily dependent on the source wood supply quality, and secondarily having the production process 'dialed in' at the mill. Probably as much 'art as it is a science' for the mill guys.

Regardless, the take away should be 'try before you buy'. Been there..... didn't do that initially...... But now I do !

Good luck, and happy burning Keith.