Yellow/Brown Film on Glass-Quad Castile

[ATCEagle]

Hello,

Just bought a new home with a Quadrafire Castile pellet stove. Before starting it up I realized the glass had a few large cracks in it. Replaced the glass with a new factory Quadrafire glass assembly and noticed it only had tadpole gasket on three sides. The glass I had replaced had rope gasket on all four sides. I installed the new glass with three sides and noticed the flame was extremely large and lazy. Glass would blacken after only a few hours. I then decided to add gasket to the fourth side on the bottom as the last glass had. The flame seems to be a nice 4in yellow flame but now I am noticing a yellowish brown film on my glass after only a few hours of burn time. This is my first pelletstove. Is this normal? The Quardafire Castile had an automatic damper so theres no way for me to adjust the air ratio. Thanks

 

[boo boo]

Hello and welcome
Here is a thread sounds like the same issue with a blocked air wash from new gasket
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/ash-on-the-window.136960/#post-1840335

 

[ATCEagle]

Thank you! Sounds like the exact problem I am facing.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Quads adjust the fuel feed instead ATCEagle see the page in the manual on adjusting flame height.

Now about that gasket you added

You really do not want to plug the air wash.

I hope you took the time to clean the daylights out of that stove and the venting, if not add that to your list, and do it before you use it.

 

[ATCEagle]

Thanks for the tip. I did adjust the fuel feed with the air wash open and still could not get the flame down. I did read in another thread about closing the air wash partially instead of completely with gasket material to change the air ratio. Thoughts?

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

And did you check the gaskets that are supposed to be on the stove such as the door gasket and the burn pot gasket?

 

[ATCEagle]

Door gasket yes fire pot gasket not yet.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

By testing all along the gasket? Looking does not count.

 

[ATCEagle]

I did check for drafts around the door gasket. is there something else I should be doing?

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

I did check for drafts around the door gasket. is there something else I should be doing?

If you did that using a flame or other easily disturbed method it is fine otherwise not. .

 

[ATCEagle]

Alright I will do that. Thanks!

 

[DMKNLD]

Hello ATC,

I partially obstruct my Castile's air wash so I can run it on medium setting, but essentially get high setting heat output from it. Even with it being -15 F temps in the morning in central ME it was still able to keep the house comfortable in the upper 60's temps on the medium setting, with some electric space heater help in the far rooms of our connected floor plan farmhouse. I am able to bump the pellet feed rate up a bit given the extra amount of combustion air being pulled through the fire pot that otherwise would be coming in through the air wash, which results in a lower but hotter flame quality that gives pretty much complete pellet combustion and a resulting increased heat output.

But the stove needs to be running as efficiently and cleanly as possible for this modification to work effectively, (my overdue 3rd ton deep cleaning on Sunday definitely helped to increase the max heat output). So I would not recommend using the air wash obstruction as a band aid fix for an inefficient burn issue, which it sounds like you are having given your lazy flame and the rapid yellow / brown glass discoloration you're having, assuming you have your replacement tadpole gasket issues straightened out.

As Smokey suggested, you need to rule out a burn pot air leak. I inherited my stove with our farmhouse purchase, and it had no burn pot gasket installed. So for the better part of my first burn season, and before I found this forum and 'got religion' , I struggled with a lazy flame and glass discoloration similar to what you describe. If the area surrounding where the burn pot mounts into the firebox floor gets no ash build-up, then combustion air is leaking in around the burn pot gasket area and causing a reduction in burn efficiency, ie a potential cause for your lazy flame.

Make sure your burn pot clean out plate 'trap door' is closed all the way and not leaving an added gap for air to leak in. The burn pot clean-out plate should not have a gap more than a dimes width on the side opposite the hinge / spring linkage. You should also make sure all the burn pot air holes are fully clean and open, particularly the 4 small ones at the bottom of the sloped section, as well as the igniter slit and the 4 small air holes on the bottom front edge of the burn pot. If any of those air holes are carbon-ed over or ash obstructed, that will definitely adversely affect your burn efficiency. I use 3/16" and 5/16" hex wrenches to keep the burn pot air holes clear and open. Brass gun - bore cleaning brushes work the best, but our cats always seem to want to bat them around when they play around the stove, never to be found again !

The most common cause of poor burn efficiency is a plugged up vent and / or exhaust pathway. You're sure your ash traps, heat exchanger, exhaust fan blades, exhaust plenum (exhaust section between the exhaust blower and the vent pipe) and the venting are clear and unobstructed of ash? Obstruction of the exhaust air flow from fly ash anywhere in the exhaust pathway will reduce or block the exhaust motors ability to create an optimum forced draft.

Lastly, if you're combustion / exhaust fan is 'on the way out' it may not be generating enough forced draft through the burn pot to give you a clean burn. Is the exhaust motor making any unusual squealing or grinding sounds that could indicate the bearings are going on it ? Does the fan blade / exhaust motor shaft spin with a minimum of resistance?

Check those things and post back on your findings. Good luck !

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Glad you 'got religion' there DMKNLD because we need more preachers as the old ones retire.

 

[ATCEagle]

Thanks again for all the help. Did a deep clean of the stove this afternoon and checked all gaskets including the ash trap door, glass, and fire pot. The firepot gasket seems to be deteriorating a little around the edges. The ash trap door and glass seem to be fine. The only thing I was unable to clean was the exhaust pipe. As i said before the new glass assembly only came with gasket on 3 sides. I looked at the manual and could not tell where the air wash side should be top or bottom? Started the stove up again with air wash on the bottom and still getting the lazy flame. Adjusted the feed rate from low to high with no results.

 

[DMKNLD]

Did a deep clean of the stove this afternoon and checked all gaskets including the ash trap door, glass, and fire pot. The firepot gasket seems to be deteriorating a little around the edges. The ash trap door and glass seem to be fine. The only thing I was unable to clean was the exhaust pipe. As i said before the new glass assembly only came with gasket on 3 sides. I looked at the manual and could not tell where the air wash side should be top or bottom? Started the stove up again with air wash on the bottom and still getting the lazy flame.

You're welcome ATC - that's what this forum is about ! If your burn pot gasket is just frayed around the edges, but still looks like it makes a decent seal between the burn pot and the firebox, then it's probably OK. If there is no ash visible near the gasket then it means some combustion air is being pulled out through the gasket area instead of through the burn pot, in which case you should replace it.

If your stove is older than 2005 or so then the air wash is on the top edge of the door, on the newer models after that Quad moved the air wash to the bottom edge. If your door has two retainer rods that you had to slide out to put your new glass in, then you have the newer door with the air wash on the bottom (see page 33 in your manual for the pic and description). My older style door has 4 metal tabs that hold the glass and the gasket in instead of the retaining rods.

If you look closely at the door there will be a small cut out section on either the top or bottom edge on the steel door frame - that is the air wash gap. Here's a good how - to video link that shows that as well as how to replace the Quad tadpole gasket, to make sure you got yours in correctly. http://www.enchantedfireside.com/ho...dra-fire-castile-or-santa-fe-stove-or-insert/

When you say you did a deep clean, I assume you removed the cast steel heat exchanger baffle that lives below the heat exchanger tubes, and the cast plates at the back of the firebox ? Behind those rear cast plates are the ash traps, and behind the right side cast plate is where the exhaust blower fan is accessible to clean. If there is ash build-up anywhere in those places, then you likely have ash build-up in your venting as well.

You'll need to buy a vent brush made by any one of a number of manufacturers (the search link has lots of threads on the options), to be able to brush the vent after at least every ton of pellets burned, and more often if you're burning particularly ashy pellets. You can stick your shop vac hose in the vent to get out what you can, but it won't get the ash out that is adhered to the inside of the vent wall. Describing your vent system would be helpful too. Is it 3" or 4" diameter pipe? Does it go straight out or does it have a vertical section either inside or outside ?

Until you're sure you've got your entire exhaust pathway clear of ash you really won't be able to go to the next troubleshooting steps of why you're having a lazy flame. Part of the problem is that you are inheriting an unknown stove history, as to what parts were possibly replaced or what routine maintenance was done on it, or not. Starting with a clean stove and venting is the first step, and unquestionably the one that most affects your burn quality.

Keep us posted !

 

[ATCEagle]

Alright update. Found that the firepot gasket was pretty much gone. Ordered a replacement as well as a pipe cleaner for the exhaust pipe. Its a 3inch pipe and goes straight out. Any tricks on how to take the firepot out?

 

[kappel15]

Pull your ashpan. Look inside and you will see the igniter and the wingnut that holds it in place. Loosen nut and slide igniter out of holder, and lay on bottom of stove. Remove the swing arm linkage. Carefully remove the two bolts holding the pot to firebox floor. Carefully remove ceramic cover from firepot thermocouple. Carefully bend thermocouple out of the way, bending no more then you need to, as bending it too much can crack the coating on wires and ruin it.. Lift pot out of opening. Clean area around pot opening. Might be a good time to clean the pot if it needs it, esp. the holes. Put new gasket down and do in reverse,making sure to put some high temp anti-seize grease on bolts to make removal later easier. If the rivnuts strip out that hold the bolts, tap them out and just use bolts, nuts, and washers to bolt pot down. kap

 

[DMKNLD]

Alright update. Found that the firepot gasket was pretty much gone. Ordered a replacement as well as a pipe cleaner for the exhaust pipe. Its a 3inch pipe and goes straight out. Any tricks on how to take the firepot out?

Shweet, you're well on the way to being an informed and self - sufficient pellet stove owner, ATC ! The burn pot's are only held in by 2 nut / bolt sets, but they can be a biatch to get out once they get 'heat welded' in there over time. You'll need to disconnect the Thermo-couple and the spring linkage that goes to the burn pot clean-out plate and pull knob by pulling out the small clevis pin that holds the two parts together. I think your manual has a picture and description of this as well.

Mine were so corroded that I had to use my small dremyl tool with a small metal cutting disc to cut the bolt off even with the burn pot lip.

But you might get lucky - pre-soak the nuts / bolts with some PB blaster or a similar petroleum based penetrant on a day when you can shut the stove down for a couple hours, and they will hopefully come off easier than mine did.

Be sure to put some high temp anti-seize liquid on the new bolt heads before you tighten them down, which will make them much easier to get out the next time you need to pull the pot to clean it.

Good luck !! And let us know if that fixes your lazy flame issues.

 

[ATCEagle]

Thanks guys! Ill let you know how it goes.

 

[ATCEagle]

Great news! Replaced the firepot gasket and cleaned the exhaust pipe. Stoves working like new! Thanks again!

 

[kappel15]

Glad you are up and running. Stay warm. kap