Quadrafire CB 1200 Random Shutdowns?

[Gman12]

This year my Quadrafire CB 1200 Freestanding has been randomly shutting down. It seems to be at times after it shuts down from burning and then it reaches set temp to turn back on and will drop pellets and shut down without lighting them. That's what I'm thinking as I find unburned pellets in the burnpot after we notice it's shutdown. It's random times and could go fine for a couple days without any trouble or it could be after a couple rounds coming on and off where I set my temp on the wireless thermostat. I've cleaned everything good, new batteries in thermostat and receiver, new thermocouple wire and cover. What can I try or what do you think could be causing the problems? Thanks for any help you can give as it hasn't even started the really cold season and it's doing this.

 

[Ssyko]

Make sure the opening in the bottom front of burn pot (where the igniter is) is clean and open. If its partially clogged it will give you start up issues

 

[Gman12]

Make sure the opening in the bottom front of burn pot (where the igniter is) is clean and open. If its partially clogged it will give you start up issues

Yes, that bottom door with the 2 screws just under burn pot had barely anything in it, but I re-vacuumed everything out of that just now too. It does start up fine, but its just the random times it decides to stop after its been running already. It's already happened at least 6 times in the past 2-3 weeks.

 

[Ssyko]

i guess I didn’t explane properly. If you take a mirror and look down inside the burn pot in the front, at the bottom there is an opening to allow hot air from the igniter to reach the pellets in the pot. That opening needs to be scraped and cleaned occasionally to keep it open.

 

[Gman12]

So after another 2 days of stove running fine, we woke up to smokey house due to pellets not fully burning in the burn pot or stove running. Call light was still on and our wireless thermostat said it was on. So after checking burn pot, it didn't seem bad at all. I did scrub it all out though anyways. Also removed Exhaust Blower and Cleaned in there and put new gasket on. There wasn't much at all in there either. I did go to a Stove shop today and bought a new Igniter to try to install and see if that is the issue, but I'm not sure what to do based on what I found. I'll include pics too of new Igniter and pics of old igniter and wiring. The new Igniter has two prongs to connect to something, but my igniter looks to be maybe spliced and capped off under the burn pot and then the wire it's connected to goes straight up into the Control Panel box. Is that normal and is anyone else's setup like that? I'm really hoping to get this up and working.

 

[kappel15]

How old is your stove? From the pics, you have the old style igniter that used ceramic nuts to splice wires together, but those don't look like ceramic. Surprised they haven't melted if they are. The igniter you bought is the newer style that goes up thru wall and plugs into wire harness. With your random shutdowns, make sure the firepot thermocouple cover is clear of any ash and make sure the tc is touching the inside end of the cover or it won't read right. Make sure it is sticking inside pot at least 3/4". Also make sure the auger isn't reversing, and not feeding. You will have to watch stove and see how things are going. You can feel the auger turning just below motor. kap

 

[Gman12]

I've had the stove since about 2011. I bought it off a person who used it for roughly maybe 2 years or so before me. So its at least 10-11 years old. So the Igniter that the Stove Shop sold me is for a current model Classic Bay 1200 and can't be used with mine correct? That way I can return it tomorrow.

Also, I bought the Thermocouple Cover and the Thermocouple off of Amazon. These are the the ones I purchased. Could these be causing trouble with my stove and maybe not Actual OEM's? I saw a previous post just within past 1-2 days with same Thermocouple of Amazon and it had issues until he purchased one from Stove shop.

Quadrafire Thermocouple: (Purchased Jan. 8, 2019)
Amazon product ASIN B005GQG4Q2Quadrafire Thermocouple Cover: (Purchased Nov. 3, 2018)
Amazon product ASIN B005GQGS0E

 

[kappel15]

There can be issues with after market parts yes. The add says it is OEM part, so should be good. If your igniter is getting hot, it is good. No need for a new one. You might get lucky by cutting ends off and using it if you need it. There are a number of things that can be causing your issue. Can only do process of elimination till it is found. If stove is no older then that, someone cobbled the igniter wires at some time. kap

 

[Gman12]

Could igniter be the cause? I tried to start it up this morning and it dropped pellets, but didn't light up. I didn't see any green or red light from box this time, but the side call light is lit up red. I also hit the reset button and it fed pellets again, but didn't light so I just shut it down. What's best place to start and check things out or couple things to check. Also, I have no clue how to check if parts are bad by a tool or whatever.

 

[kappel15]

You just have to look and see if igniter is red hot or not. You can also make a cord out of an old lamp cord. Put ends on it to plug igniter into to plug in and see if it works, or do a continuity test with a volt meter. kap

 

[Gman12]

Ok, sorry for repeat questions, but on my lunch today I tried turning it on again and it ran through all steps up until lighting the pellets and nothing. No Green Light or Turn to red because it didn't reach proper temps. I've been running it on Low during that. Next, I decided to turn it up to Medium and try. It went through everything and lit up and got a fire and ran fine through first cycle. Turned Green an dthen to Red for lights. Why would it work on Medium and not Low setting? Does that sound like something the Igniter would cause? I removed Thermocouple Cover and made sure nothing for ash was inside it prior and that the Thermocouple was tight up on Cover. Thanks again.

 

[johneh]

Not enough fire/fuel to get it up to the running temp on low

 

[Ssyko]

Have you taken a small mirror and looked down into the pot and ck the opening for the igniter? It needs to be clean and open. Have you taken the panel off to access the igniter and see if its clear and check the sliding pot floor only has a gap about the thickness of a dime?

 

[kappel15]

Quad does not recommend trying to start stove in low, per what is happening to you. They suggest starting on med and then switching to low once the stove gets going. kap

 

[Gman12]

Update: So after everything I've checked, it ended up being my Igniter causing all the trouble. All areas of Burnpot was good, all areas of stove/venting cleaned, and door gaskets, etc. The old igniter reading was coming out high on ohmes 39.8 - 40.3. The new one read at 37.8 when tested. After changed, It's worked great without any shutdowns so far and a quicker startup too. Works again on Low setting without going out and Medium, High as well. Thought I'd let people know in case it happens to them too.