Quadra fire Castille Rusted Inside

[tturek]

Hi, This is the first time I have ever posted a question on the internet.

I just opened the our pellet stove to clean it for the upcoming season. The entire inside of the stove was filled with rust. I can't even pull any of the knobs that are required for cleaning. The stove was only purchased in August of 2006 and we have had nothing but problems with it. Terrible time getting it to burn last winter.

Please help


Thank You

 

[jtp10181]

are you talking about the ash dump knob? If it is stuck you will have to take the ash drawer out and then remove the bolt holding the ash cleanout on. Its a very tight space but it can be done (I've done it twice now). Did you install this or the dealer? I would check for water leaks. You may have gotten some rain in there over the summer which caused all the rust.

 

[webbie]

A light coating of oil (spray) or a desiccant (those little bags you get in some new products to keep them dry) might help. You should also check with the dealer - and ask him to see whether there are any known problems. Example: There is probably a certain specification of steel for the inside of these units - maybe Aluminized (that is what many gas products use)....and these companies often get the sheet metal assemblies from an outside vendor. It has happened before.....so it is not a far out guess.

You might find that they say the light coating affects nothing and simply needs to be cleaned off or painted over.

 

[tturek]

Thannk you for your info. The entire inside is rusted of the stove (Where the fire burns.) We have a pellet stove. I contacted the dealer today. He informed me that he has been hearing about this problem in basement stoves. This is where mine is. He told me to scrub out the rust with a wire brush and open the latches with WD40. In the summer I should either leave the stove door open, stuff a rag in the flue or fire it up a couple of times during the season.

Does this sound correct????


Thanks

 

[Shane]

IN a place with decent humidity that doesn't sound unreasonable.

 

[budman]

Do you run a deumidefier in the summer months :question:

 

[mgambuzza]

I own a Castille and experienced the same problem - except the stove is in my kitchen. I purchased it in April '06, used it for a couple of weeks, and - like you said - when burning season started again, noticed the entire inside of the stove had rust on it. I contacted the dealer as I thought this was unacceptable - especially considering what one pays for these stoves. I also had a Thelin Parlor in my basement and it had no rust whatsoever!

I contacted Quads corporate office and they more or less said this is normal, sand and paint the inner surfaces with Stove Paint, which I did reluctantly, and the rust stayed away for the rest of the season. Again in Summer '07 after months of non use, the insides rusted.

I had the Thelin in my basement for 2years, and a Harman in the basement (100 year old house so not insulated or airtight), and neither of those stoves had even a hint of rust, which made me even more disappointed with my Quad purchase. The iron and steel portions of the inside of the Quad rusted, so it wasn't just limited to the iron as the support person first stated. The steel in my Thelin and Harmon never rusted, corroded, or blemished - only a coating of ash that was easily swept away. Possibly the quality and composition of the steel used?? Never any rust problems on those stoves.

 

[tturek]

Yes I do use a dehumidifier in the basement, actually two (2). I was also told by the dealer that this was normal. I was able to get the two (2) thin inside doors that open to the firepot with some WD-40, a hammer and some plyers. But the firepot feels almost welded shut. Any suggestions on how to get that open? It's really hard to get at the bottom portion of that. I also own a Harman XXV Anniversary series. It heats my two story contemporary perfectly. Never any problems. I would of purchased another but didn't want to spend the money on the basement.

Thanks

 

[jtp10181]

I already suggested how to get the ash dump door off. I have done it a few times and it is hard but possible.

 

[JayD]

What about the about sodium contents of your pellets? Some are very high=corrosive? salt draws moister! this may be some of you problem look here at the sodium levels per brand. https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php?ACT=24&fid=2&aid=2641_MmYRx8lWB0ytqMHx2JIU&board_id=1

 

[tturek]

A friend of mine told me to go to Autozone and buy PB Blaster, spray it on the rusted area and allow it to sit overnight. He said it will be loosened by morning. I'll let you know how it works.

Thanks

 

[richg]

I'm probably going to catch a raft of chit for this, but in my opinion Quad pellet stoves are very poorly built. I owned a Quad 1200 and the thing was built like a toy. I too had a ton of rust in it, and in the two years I owned it I took to spraying the insides with WD40 to prevent mega rust from returning. I now have a Harman P61A, which is as solid now as the day I bought it almost four years ago. Quadrafire just bought Harman, and for good reason. Harman knows how to build a quality pellet stove.

 

[Corie]

A friend of mine told me to go to Autozone and buy PB Blaster, spray it on the rusted area and allow it to sit overnight. He said it will be loosened by morning. I'll let you know how it works.

Thanks

Hey Mrs. Turek!

Let me know how that PB Blaster works, that stuff usually does a number on things rusted together.

 

[backpack09]

PB works great for busting through rust, you should give the bolts you are trying to loosen a quick tap with a small hammer or back of a screwdriver to really get the PB to work.

One warning is that PB does not really burn, it mostly smolders, and smells kinda funny when it does.