Can't argue with success either way (water vs Windex).

You can get your hand back into the exhaust fan and spin it to make sure it's clear. I guess you don't have to now.
What motor did you put on it? Same RPM and HP? I ask because this could be related to your glass suddenly getting dirty quicker. Not as much air flow, for instance. Maybe it's running backwards too???

By the way, you shouldn't need Windex, which might leave a film that could burn on and make things worse. Many of us use just plain water. That, mixed with the accumulated ash, make a fine 'paste' to scrub the glass clean and leave no residue. Wipe dry with a second paper towel.
Three years now and have no build up or discoloration.

Thanks! No, I had the stove shop install it with flex all the way up the chimney. I put the OAK down the cleanout hole in the floor but with a quad it's really like p$$^ing in the wind. I did it anyway. I MIGHT talk myself into feeling less draft. I also built up around the ash pan with layers of high temp silicone to try to seal off some of the huge gap.
Don't let those comments deter you from looking at the Castile though or the 1200 or the Sante Fe. The Sante Fe has the same btu output of the Castile and is a lot less expensive with same dimensions.

Oh, and don't waste your money on those logs........... unless you want to buy one set of mine. I have TWO!!!

Kap's right. The Castile very well might fill your needs for upstairs. Remember, though, that you can't put ANY pellet stove in a bedroom.

I was sometimes getting a smoke smell as the burn area filled with smoke just prior to it going up in flames. It turned out to be a small leak in the exhaust piping connected to the combustion blower. That area is under positive pressure and will push out smoke. After it fires, then you have more draft from the heat and less pressure so the smell could go away. Make sure you have a CO monitor in your house just in case.

You mean Bari Shabazz???

The feed gate setting is NOT a set and forget thing on a Quad. It's one of the few adjustments you have to ensure a good burn. You should routinely adjust it for a 4 to 6" flame height with the stove set to HIGH. Then your other heat settings will be correct. As your pellets change in length, density, or composition you will get a variation in burn rate/ #/hr feed rate. You have to compensate for this with the feed gate adjustment.

Just a friendly bit of advice.

Did you set the feed rate so that you have a 4 - 6" flame height (average) on HIGH??? It could be that you have long pellets that are bridging over at the infeed of the auger. The slamming of the loading lid would point to that as a problem. You could also be bridging over at the top of the feed chute for the same reason.
The other possibility, although it hasn't happened to me YET, is that the auger could be occasionally turning backwards. This could happen at startup when there might be a little more friction and the motor goes the wrong way due to a weak capacitor. That's an easy, inexpensive fix. I'm surprised your dealer didn't recommend trying it. About $15 or so. Just unplug the auger electrical plug and put the capacitor setup in between the two pieces you just separated.

Good luck

I totally agree with you. I have the same insert. Make note that your OAK hose has to go THROUGH the hole in the outside shell and attach to the back of the ash pan area. Yes, there are huge LEAKS EVERYWHERE! It's almost not worth the effort IMHO although I put one in on the Castile because I have a cleanout hole in the bottom corner of the fireplace into which I ran the hose and then sealed it with plenty of insulation.
I also took 900 degree sealant and ran multiple beads under the front of the ash pan to seal that area and raise the pan up. I'm sure that helped but who knows if it really did?
I have yet to add anything to my Sante Fe since I must go up the chimney and terminate through the cap. That stove is just as 'leaky' as the Castile.

Stay warm and safe, guys!

Coal is hot and steady. It's the best for all night warmth and they really make some great stokers now that take very little attention and maintenance. I wish we could get coal down here in Ga. I bring back 400 pounds when I go home to Pa. I have a wood/coal burning cook stove downstairs for when the s...t hits the fan.

I also have heat pumps and discovered last year that, unless the temps got down to below 40, the heat pump was still cheaper to run given that it still has a better than 100% efficiency. Hearing the heat pump running all night is also a driving force to get up and turn on the stoves!!!!

I use this comparison because it also lets you look at the effects of the hot air delivery system. Mine sucks and needs upgrading! www.buildinggreen.com/calc/fuel_cost.cfm

Looks good. Hopefully, when the neighbor cuts down this big sweetgum tree next to my garage this fall, I'll have a perfectly angled roof to mount my panels to. I'm a Ham too but haven't been active lately. N4XTK here.
Are you using 4 gauge wire on your batteries? I'll be stringing my panels together in series since my Morningstar can handle up to 150 volts. Planning on using #8 wire for that eventhough it's overkill for the 8 amps of current.
You do know not to drag the amp-hours of your batteries down below 50% to extend their life, right? I'm sure you do, just checking.
Are you going to file for a Federal income tax credit? My state, Georgia, offers one too but they make it so damn hard plus they want the installer's specifics and the approval agency's sign off. Damn bureaucrats! Maybe I should just forge Obama's signature.

We have NG a block away from me in the same town and for 22 years they refuse to run the line to us. Everyone in the neighborhood signed an agreement to switch over if they ran it too. I guess someone was waiting for a briefcase full of cash.......

You're right. The planning is the fun part. Paying for it is NOT fun. That MPPT controller is $500 alone! Another $800 or more for the batteries. Oh yea, I need solar cells and a pure wave inverter....... And of course, despite what the POS POTUS says, it will never pay for itself.

That'll work! I see why you need another controller.

Sounds like your in good shape and ready to go as long as you have the panels to feed all that capacity!