# Quadra Fire CB1200 Won't Start Fire



## ferant316 (Oct 5, 2010)

Alright, I will try to make this brief while including as many details as possible to help diagnose.

I purchased a non-running Quadra Fire Classic Bay 1200 for cheap as a new homeowner entering my first full winter in my house (last winter took until mid-March to install my own hot water baseboard boiler, and replumb the heating pipes throughout the house due to damage suffered from two winters without heat before I bought it.)

Anyways, initially once plugging it in (with thermostat jumped for diagnostic purposes; one less item to throw problems into the mix as the original thermo does not appear in good condition) the only thing that would happen is the call light would come on and the exhaust blower.  I disassembled the exterior of the stove to gain access to as much of the internals as possible without removing anything vital to operations of the stove.  This included the hopper lid, both outer doors, the cover plates underneath those doors, the plate covering the ignitor, and the ash pan.  I discovered that the ignitor WAS becoming red, there is a Red and White striped wire that runs to a wire nut connecting it to a red wire which is loose and not connected to anything on the right hand side of the stove below the control panel, and the Vacuum Switch was missing a screw and was loose.  

I used a spare nut and bolt to refasten the vacuum switch to the body of the stove, but that made no difference.  I jumped the vacuum switch and plugged the stove in and the augur motor began feeding pellets into the firepot.  The pellets will begin to smoke but a flame will not start, instead the smoke will start to escape through the door.  I believe that narrows it down to either a thermocouple or ignitor problem.  Is it possible for the ignitor to turn red but still not be putting out enough heat to fire the pellets?  What is the easiest way to diagnose between the two?

Obviously there is something wrong with the vacuum switch, or the stoves vacuum itself but was planning on worrying about that after I get the stove to start fires unless the two are connected.


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## mralias (Oct 5, 2010)

THERMOCOUPLE TESTING
THE THERMOCOUPLE IS MADE UP OF TWO DISSIMILAR METALS THAT WHEN JOINED TOGETHER PRODUCE A
SMALL AMOUNT OF ELECTRICITY WHEN HEAT IS APPLIED. THE HOTTER THE FIRE THE HIGHER THE VOLTAGE
THAT IS PRODUCED. THIS THERMOCOUPLE WILL TOP OUT AT AROUND 30 MILLIVOLTS (DC) WHILE THE STOVE IS
BURNING ON HIGH. THE FUNCTION OF THE THERMOCOUPLE IS TO SENSE THE TEMPERATURE IN THE FIREPOT. IF
THE THERMOCOUPLE IS FRACTURED, IT WILL NOT PRODUCE VOLTAGE.
NOTE: BE SURE TO SET THE METER TO MILLIVOLTS (DC)
1) ATTACH A DIGITAL VOLT METER TO THE TWO THERMOCOUPLE WIRES ON THE JUNCTION BOX.
2) APPLY HEAT TO THE THERMOCOUPLE TIP IN THE FIREPOT.
IF THE THERMOCOUPLE STARTS PRODUCING VOLTAGE: CHECK TERMINAL CONNECTIONS ON THE JUNCTION
BOX OR REPLACE THE CONTROL BOX.
IF NO VOLTAGE FROM THE THERMOCOUPLE: REPLACE THE THERMOCOUPLE

Sorry about the caps. It is a copy and paste from the service manual. Good luck and let us know what you find.


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## tjnamtiw (Oct 5, 2010)

It sounds like your door gasket is bad.  It is allowing too much air to pass and killing the air flow through the burn pot.  You had to jumper the vacuum switch because of the door gasket, probably, and because you need the hopper lid on there to help with the vacuum.  Give the door gasket the first attention IMHO.


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## slls (Oct 5, 2010)

Give it a good cleaning, smoke should go out the vent not the door. Looking from the front, lower panel right side, inside a 4 screw plate, remove and check for ash build up. Have you pulled the tube cleaner rods.
You can download a owners and service manual online if needed.


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## ferant316 (Oct 5, 2010)

I had thought of the door gasket, did the paper test and it appears the gasket is fine. I should have mentioned the cleaning rods don't move, that is the two for the vents and the firepot cleaner. I think I'll head to the hardware store and get some manual start gel and see if it maintains a manually ignited fire or if it still leaks.

Also, the venting I have the T with the cleanout connected to the back, a 6" and 12" pipe running it vertically up a 45 and 90 turning it to a 12" horizontal pipe going into a clay lined masonry chimney with a woodstove rain cap on top. Some people have told me direct venting like that into a lined chimney with rain cap is fine some have said I need to pipe all the way up. My plan was to see how it ran with just the direct vent but I'd like to hear opinions on that setup as well.


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## slls (Oct 5, 2010)

Remove the 2 plates above the fire pot, most likely full of ash. They lift up to remove.


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## ferant316 (Oct 5, 2010)

Okay, manually started a couple fires. The convection blower and combustion motor both turn on. The augur motor does not, however it came on before I manually lit my first fire. I did notice the thermocouple is loose I don't know if that's just how these are made or if it should be firmly in place. I managed to wrestle loose the cleaning rods for the blower but the burn pot cleaning rod still won't budge.

SLLS: cleaned all three doors you talked about. The lower right one was very dirty, the ones above the fireplace were rusted on but once i got them free relatively clean.


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## slls (Oct 6, 2010)

The pot dump door needs to be scraped clean, hard to do without a special tool, I made one.


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## ferant316 (Oct 15, 2010)

Okay, so the firepot door was stuck due to the bolt that it pivots on being rusted.  I replaced the bolt and cleaned the door as well as the firepot and it now opens and closes smoothly.  I found the ignitor is indeed bad as it has two smalls holes in it.  However, I have a new problem as the auger motor won't run even if manually started.  The control box begins blinking blue every ten seconds and after about 10 minutes with the manually lit fire the light changes to solid green.  This is the same whether or not the vacuum switch is jumped, and the thermostat has always been jumped.  The auger motor ran when I first purchased the stove.  Is there an easy way to test the auger motor? I currently have it removed from the stove.


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## kilbury (Oct 15, 2010)

ferant316 said:
			
		

> Okay, so the firepot door was stuck due to the bolt that it pivots on being rusted.  I replaced the bolt and cleaned the door as well as the firepot and it now opens and closes smoothly.  I found the ignitor is indeed bad as it has two smalls holes in it.  However, I have a new problem as the auger motor won't run even if manually started.  The control box begins blinking blue every ten seconds and after about 10 minutes with the manually lit fire the light changes to solid green.  This is the same whether or not the vacuum switch is jumped, and the thermostat has always been jumped.  The auger motor ran when I first purchased the stove.  Is there an easy way to test the auger motor? I currently have it removed from the stove.


You can power the feed motor direct with a light duty cord with spade terminals attached. Depends on the feed motor connectors which way you do this. Or go buy the feed motor capacitor and this will allow you to hook up with insulated spades. connect white and either red or black. motor should operate. Is there a red button looking thing attached to the feed motor connector?


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## ferant316 (Oct 21, 2010)

Okay, just tested the feed motor with an old lamp cord and it worked to drop down pellets.  So now my problem would be even with the vacuum switch jumped the feed motor does not get the signal to turn on.  I tried pressing in the center of the call disc to reset it but it was not jumped.  What should I look to next?


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## kilbury (Oct 21, 2010)

it looks like its leaning toward bad control box. Do you have a local dealer that you might be able to take it to and have them test it in one of their floor models?


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## ferant316 (Oct 21, 2010)

I can try dealers but would have to wait til next week, however I don't see why it would be the control box.  All the functions aside from the ignitor have worked at some point or another.  The feed motor worked when I originally brought the stove home, the convection and combustion motors work, it calls for heat, and the lights on the side of the control box come on when they're supposed to.  Is there a way to diagnose a bad control box beside testing it in another unit?

Also just noticed it might be important there is a "click" when the feed motor should be turning on.  And the ignitor has been removed due to being defective.

EDIT: Well I take it back, you have quite the knack for diagnosis.  After more messing with it I pulled the control box to see if maybe it needed to be seated better.  I get the all to familiar smell of burnt electrical connections which I can only assume means the control box has fried.  Where is the cheapest place to buy a control box for the 1200?


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## kilbury (Oct 22, 2010)

Ahhh yes, the magic smoke was let out of the box! sorry to hear that, a new control box should be available at any Quad dealer. Part #SRV7000-205, MSRP is $258.18. Good luck and if you can't find one, let me know and I can probably ship you one.


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## ferant316 (Oct 29, 2010)

Okay so my new control board and ignitor came in and are installed. However, when I plug it in the combustion motor kicks on for about ten seconds then shuts off, the the feed motor kicks on for a few seconds and it continues cycling between the two without making any progress. Is their a setting I need to change on the new control board to get the stove going?


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## kilbury (Oct 29, 2010)

your control box is set to the test mode, I think you need to put it on 4, not sure though without lookin at the instruction sheet that comes with the unit.


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## kilbury (Oct 30, 2010)

ferant316 said:
			
		

> Okay so my new control board and ignitor came in and are installed. However, when I plug it in the combustion motor kicks on for about ten seconds then shuts off, the the feed motor kicks on for a few seconds and it continues cycling between the two without making any progress. Is their a setting I need to change on the new control board to get the stove going?


Did you get a instruction sheet with your control box? Did you get it going?


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## ferant316 (Nov 1, 2010)

Sorry for the gaps in updates, I keep myself pretty busy between work, a kitchen remodel and various other projects.  

So it is much closer to working now, it will stay on for half hour to a couple hours but the feed rate gradually slows and the fire dims and dims until it goes out.  I am guessing this is a thermocouple problem, maybe something to do with it being too far or not far enough into the firepot?  I read it should go into the firepot 3/4" but does that mean from the inner or outer edge of the fire pot or from where?  Also the convection motor is very loud and squeaky, so I am guessing I need to get to that and clean it what is the easiest way to do that?

Thank you so much for all your help by the way.


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