Quadra Fire 5100I, controls backwards?

[mccap]

We inherited a Quadra Fire 5100I wood stove insert from the previous owners of our house. They also left the instruction manual.

There are two air intake controls, one for primary operation and one for startup air. The startup air enters the firebox from two pipes in the lower rear, and the primary air is supposed to be delivered from the pipes with small holes running across the top.

Now, the instructions show a clear diagram with the startup air control on the right side of the unit and the primary air control in the center. However, from experimentation and thinking about the geometry, the center control seems to work the air supply from the pipes in the lower rear and the right-hand control seems to work the airflow from the top.

Could it be that the diagram in the instruction manual has the controls backwards?

Thanks

 

[begreen]

and the primary air is supposed to be delivered from the pipes with small holes running across the top.

It's probably ok. This sounds like the secondary air tubes. With a good fire burning, as the primary air is decreased, the vacuum created by the draft pulls more air out of the top secondary tubes.

Do you know the age of the insert? Is this a 5100i ACC or 5100iACT?

 

[mccap]

It's probably ok. This sounds like the secondary air tubes. With a good fire burning, as the primary air is decreased, the vacuum created by the draft pulls more air out of the top secondary tubes.

Do you know the age of the insert? Is this a 5100i ACC or 5100iACT?

I am trying not to get confused.

When you say "secondary tubes" I think you mean second, third, and fourth combustions. These are supposed to be fed by the "Primary Air System" as described in the instructions.

In contrast, the "Start-Up System" feeds the tubes at the back and is supposed to be used for just 15 minutes when a new load of wood has been added.

My problem is that the instructions say the startup air system control is on the right and the primary air control (which feeds secondary combustion) is in the center. See attached photo of the relevant instruction manual page. However experimentation and common sense seems to indicate that the center control is for startup air and the right hand control is for primary air.

The stove is a 5100-I ACT from 2008.

 

[begreen]

Yes, I can see how this could be confusing. They dropped that paragraph in the 2010 edition of the manual.

The startup air feeds boost air at the bottom of the fire from the two holes at the back of the firebox. The primary air control feeds the airwash air over the glass. As the primary air is decreased, the vacuum created by the draft starts pulling more air out of the 4 top secondary tubes. The secondary air that feeds these tubes is unregulated. They only feed air into the firebox when the vacuum in it is strong enough to pull air through the small holes. The secondary air burns up the wood gases at the top of the fire under the baffle.

 

[mccap]

Yes, I can see how this could be confusing. They dropped that paragraph in the 2010 edition of the manual.

The startup air feeds boost air at the bottom of the fire from the two holes at the back of the firebox. The primary air control feeds the airwash air over the glass. As the primary air is decreased, the vacuum created by the draft starts pulling more air out of the 4 top secondary tubes. The secondary air that feeds these tubes is unregulated. They only feed air into the firebox when the vacuum in it is strong enough to pull air through the small holes. The secondary air burns up the wood gases at the top of the fire under the baffle.

View attachment 310241

Ok, thanks, that explains why I see the blue flames from the small holes when I close the center control. So neither of the controls has anything to do with the holes at the top.

I will try running it for a while with the right hand control pulled out (closed) and the center control pushed in (open) and see if I can detect that the glass wash is working.