Got my efficient Fireplace insert!!!!

Yep, watching the football game.... On the couch. Lookin' at the stove Chooch away!

I don't want to toot my own antler horn, but it's a dammmm nice install. I also don't need that ball valve in there. Going to replace it with a metal pipe.

 

You and your family are really going to enjoy that stove when it gets really cold and you pack it full.
And you practically stole the dang thing

 

Yeah, that guy got chooched on that deal for sure

 

Yeah, I didn't even talk them down in price. It was as described, I had no qualms of paying what they asked.


When it gets really cold, I know we're going to love it. Load 'er full of hickory and let her chooch away!!!!

 

when I sold My Old Stove I didn't ask a lot for it, I just wanted it gone.
The guy said he usually tries to talk people down but he was very happy to pay what I was asking,, paid almost half the cost of what I bought my new, used one for

 

I'm late to this (very nice) thread, but feel halfway obligated to comment on the 4100i.
Everything Paul B, said is true. These stoves are not very fond of wood that exceeds 17-18". Mine doesn't draft real strong, so have to be careful.

We keep a mag thermometer on the top-center, but of course that is not an accurate reading. I used a IR gun to get the temp under that top at the actual stove box steel, and thus calibrate the mag thermometer (Rutland brand). After a while it just works as a nice guideline, especially for my wife. Would be curious to know if anyone figures a better way.

Ours is about a 2007 I think, and has a steel roller at the latch. A little shot of oil under that thing works wonders. Do it several times per winter.

You can just fit an ordinary stainless steel tea kettle on top. Doesn't really boil because of the blower, but makes a handy supply of hot water.

Lookout that rain water doesn't sneak onto that liner...it has a direct path to the firebox steel. I had to seal the clamp. Serious trouble for steel.

And....you really got a deal. Stop worrying about that old open fireplace; you'll never look back.

 

GranpaJohn , I appreciate the advice from another 4100i owner.

I think the latch is a little odd, and I see that Quadrafire monkeyed around with as couple of different types of latches over the years.

But I do like that the handle is a more modern design than what most stoves have.

This is a 2003 model, and I cleaned the tubes, and they are nice and solid, no rust. Despite the insert not getting a ton of use before I bought it.

Most of my wood is 16-18", but I've got some that will need to be recut. I can deal with that. It's nice and dry beech and some hickory. That will give me an excuse to fire up the saw.

I have been burning mostly NS, but I've also thrown in a few EW or diagonally . 22" won't fit diagonally, not most pieces.


One thing I've seen is the door/ blackening of the glass. I know the stoves supposed to have an airwash system, but I haven't quite figured it out yet.

I had to razor blade the stuff off this evening before I relit it.

My wife said tonight, after not even a full week of use of the insert, that she's fine with the insert, as long as the glass starts clean.

 

Yeah we sort of went through a dirty glass phase, but mostly it stays reasonably clean for about a couple weeks at a time. The airwash does work more or less. It may be the price you pay for having a nice large viewing window.
My wife has never been comfortable with the startup air lever, (it is clunky), and she just leaves the door ajar until the fire is burning well and can close it. She just uses the main air lever and it's not really a problem.

 

The glass gets dirty because your having low fires and possibly not the best wood maybe? Also if the wood is close to the glass you get black spots on it till next hot fire

 

I have a feeling it was the low, small fires. All of my wood is under 20% mc, so that's not it.

It hasn't been that cold, but we want a fire still.

So, since I'm nearly out of my pine, and box elder, maybe it'll get colder and I can use some of the higher btu stuff.

 

I always get a little build up at the sides of the glass burning small loads, nothing to worry about .
Once it gets cold and I start burning hot and long, glass stays clear

 

This stove is new to me, so it's a bit of a learning curve, but I get a lot coals especially from hickory and sugar maple after a while. When they get too high and its hard to put more than 2 larger splits on I try to open the air intake and attempt to burn them down a bit. That seems to work, to an extent.

It's there something different that I should try?


When I go to shovel ash out, I hate the idea of throwing coals in the ash bucket, as that's a waste of btu's. I can usually separate the ash from the coals pretty well, but there's always more coals left in the am recently after burning my primo woods.


The pine, box elder, and even elm don't seem to coal up like this.


My only other experience with an epa stove is with the lopi endeavor at our cottage, but that mostly sees a lot of pine, and poplar with us only recently getting enough red oak to notice, so there's just been ashes with the pine and poplar in the lopi.

 

Oak hickory, locust, hard maples are dense and will coal very well.

Many guys rake coals forward and put a split or two on them and burn them wide open till they burn down.

I too try my best to sift the coals off the too and get the ash on the bottom. I always end up with some cold in bucket. But its better than not being able to load as much wood.

 

That's good to hear.


Using the ash shovel is probably not the best tool to use. I need to get a rake so the coals can be separated from the ashes.

As with everything, the proper tools make life easier.

It's really a good problem, I just need the proper utensil.

 

I always use the shovel dont has a rake or sifter myself.

 

I don't remember if it was on here, or where I seen it, but I copied an ash rake someone made from an old garden rake.
I cut it down so that it was only 4-5" wide, cut a notch in the center of the "backbone", welded a piece of 3/8 rebar into the notch for a handle...a coat of high temp black, bam! ash rake

 

We used to have a child's rake up at the cottage for playing in the sand. It's only like 5" across, with 2" tines, kind of like one end of a pooper scooper.

I bet my mom never got rid of it. Lol