Long time lurker, but first post. My question is at the bottom if you want to skip all the introductory information.
We have a Quadra Fire discovery 1 we got new in March 2023. We have the factory fan and the fresh air kit. The stove was installed by professional installers and inspected by the fire department. We heat with a combination of heavy machinery pallets, oak splits, and maple splits. Our pipe is double wall 5" pipe. There is about 21' of pipe from the top of the stove to the cap.
Our home is a 1200 square foot Saltbox Cape style home. Our house is typically heated with oil via a Buderus Logomatic boiler. The stove is located in one corner of our living room. We keep the boiler heat set to 59F and use the stove to keep the house above 65F. Where we would use a tank of oil for heating for a winter like this past winter, we have used maybe a 1/4 tank since October 2024. This is our second full heating season with the stove. The winter of 2023-2024 was a bit warm so I figured our experiences would not be typical. This past winter was a bit more typical for New England.
Because the stove cannot be shut down (no damper, and no way to shut the air off), we typically build moderate sized fires. Loading up the stove with any type of wood results in a very hot fire. So we only 1/2 load the stove at a time to keep the stove between 300F and 600F. On a below freezing week we usually have to have use 2x 1/2 loads with the stove to get the house from 59F to +65F. Then later in the day we will relight the stove when the house gets below 64F and the house stays above 65 till we go to bed. In the morning the house is 59F again and the stove is very cold.
This stove does not allow us to shut off the air completely nor close a damper. I understand and appreciate that it is able to burn clean. The only time we get smoke from the stove is when it is first lit.
My biggest problem is that we cant completely close off the outside air. I feel the stove is drawing in cold air through the fresh air inlet, heating the air from the room in through the stove and sending it up the stack. I am assuming this because the stove feels very cold in the morning. Has anyone added a fresh air shut off to the fresh air inlet to close off the inlet? We have had wood stoves in then past where we would have coals in the stove the next morning. Instead this stove is ice cold. I tried the aluminum foil in the upper air control, but it did not make a difference. The lower air control is working. I can see the flames leap and drop as the lever is opened and closed. I think that enough air leaks in the channels in the side of the stove to by-pass the upper air control. When the season is over I intend to open the side of the stove again to see if there is any leaks I can find and seal.
Thanks all for the help.
We have a Quadra Fire discovery 1 we got new in March 2023. We have the factory fan and the fresh air kit. The stove was installed by professional installers and inspected by the fire department. We heat with a combination of heavy machinery pallets, oak splits, and maple splits. Our pipe is double wall 5" pipe. There is about 21' of pipe from the top of the stove to the cap.
Our home is a 1200 square foot Saltbox Cape style home. Our house is typically heated with oil via a Buderus Logomatic boiler. The stove is located in one corner of our living room. We keep the boiler heat set to 59F and use the stove to keep the house above 65F. Where we would use a tank of oil for heating for a winter like this past winter, we have used maybe a 1/4 tank since October 2024. This is our second full heating season with the stove. The winter of 2023-2024 was a bit warm so I figured our experiences would not be typical. This past winter was a bit more typical for New England.
Because the stove cannot be shut down (no damper, and no way to shut the air off), we typically build moderate sized fires. Loading up the stove with any type of wood results in a very hot fire. So we only 1/2 load the stove at a time to keep the stove between 300F and 600F. On a below freezing week we usually have to have use 2x 1/2 loads with the stove to get the house from 59F to +65F. Then later in the day we will relight the stove when the house gets below 64F and the house stays above 65 till we go to bed. In the morning the house is 59F again and the stove is very cold.
This stove does not allow us to shut off the air completely nor close a damper. I understand and appreciate that it is able to burn clean. The only time we get smoke from the stove is when it is first lit.
My biggest problem is that we cant completely close off the outside air. I feel the stove is drawing in cold air through the fresh air inlet, heating the air from the room in through the stove and sending it up the stack. I am assuming this because the stove feels very cold in the morning. Has anyone added a fresh air shut off to the fresh air inlet to close off the inlet? We have had wood stoves in then past where we would have coals in the stove the next morning. Instead this stove is ice cold. I tried the aluminum foil in the upper air control, but it did not make a difference. The lower air control is working. I can see the flames leap and drop as the lever is opened and closed. I think that enough air leaks in the channels in the side of the stove to by-pass the upper air control. When the season is over I intend to open the side of the stove again to see if there is any leaks I can find and seal.
Thanks all for the help.
