Can a stove draft TOO well?

[HawkinsHollow]

Your pulling outside air into the fireplace instead of your heated inside air. I would think that alone would be a benefit.

It's a highly debated topic, but that is the way I feel about it. And I wanted to have the option so that is why I installed it. I didn't use it yesterday, I will probably hook it up for tonights burn and see if I can notice a difference.

 

[ponytug]

It does not yet have an inline flue damper. I just ordered one to install.

I think you are correct, I think the inlet air damper is not restrictive enough. But in the
previous install I never had a problem closing the inlet damper and choking the fire way down. Not sure what changed, but I will figure it out AND install the flue damper and be good to go I hope.

The other thing I noticed is it burnt that load up WAY too fast. I have a nice ash round and 2 large chunks of cherry and they were GONE in about 2 hours. That is unacceptable! I mean this stove has never been an all night burner but still, 2 hours is pitiful! Need better air control to get longer overnight burns.

You need inline flue damper as the change to double will absolutely increase the draft as pointed out above.

It's a highly debated topic, but that is the way I feel about it. And I wanted to have the option so that is why I installed it. I didn't use it yesterday, I will probably hook it up for tonights burn and see if I can notice a difference.

I guess my personal home energy goal is along the lines of not having drafts in my house by having a house that is sealed well enough not to leak much air by itself. The house stays warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer using less energy year in and year out. A tightly sealed house then creates the need for combustion air, and I personally prefer to have it piped to the stove or next to it to avoid the cold drafts through the house that make me feel colder than the thermostat suggests. I can say that with each step to controlling air leaks in this house, it has gotten more and more comfortable because there aren't cold drafts any longer. We are now at the point when we do need an energy recovery ventilator to get more fresh air in the house.

All the best,

Peter

 

[jk96]

You need inline flue damper as the change to double will absolutely increase the draft as pointed out above.

I guess my personal home energy goal is along the lines of not having drafts in my house by having a house that is sealed well enough not to leak much air by itself. The house stays warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer using less energy year in and year out. A tightly sealed house then creates the need for combustion air, and I personally prefer to have it piped to the stove or next to it to avoid the cold drafts through the house that make me feel colder than the thermostat suggests. I can say that with each step to controlling air leaks in this house, it has gotten more and more comfortable because there aren't cold drafts any longer. We are now at the point when we do need an energy recovery ventilator to get more fresh air in the house.

All the best,

Peter

You've done a really good job on sealing if your at the stage of needing an ERV. It can be pretty difficult to seal up enough to see significant gains after the sheetrocks up.

 

[CalG]

When it's cold outdoors, my wood burning stoves draw much harder than when it's not so cold. There is science involved in that observation, but I won't bore you...;-)
The way I figure it, when it's cold out, I need more heat. More draft on a burning stove makes for a faster burn and so more heat. Sort of a proportional control.

Anyway, A flue damper is the cure, even if not recommended by the mfg. Burning one stick at a time works to slow the rate also.

 

[otlski]

I have about 30 feet of six inch id double pipe. I definitely had to restrict the air intake to lower than that of factory minimum. I did so by popping the side panel off the Quadrafire stove and placing a large ceramic magnet partially obstructing the main air throttle. I covered about 1/3rd of the opening area. Ceramic was used because it has a higher (Currie) temperature before losing appreciable magnetism.

This worked to make single log burns not to over fire. Multi log feeds can and will still over fire.

 

[RayIN]

I definitely try to do larger pieces of overnight burns, last nights had a few medium pieces in there. I can tell it is getting too much air when on it's lowest setting though. I tend to think it is an inlet air issue as well. After tonight it is supposed to warm up again so I am going to take the damper apparatus apart and see if something happened to it. Tonight as an experiment I am going to put a blast gate like you would have in a dust collection system on the inlet and see if I can restrict the airflow coming into the stove with that and see if it makes a difference. I also just bought an inline flue damper to add to the system.

Inlet air determines burn rate (oxygen). Each stove has a balance between inlet air and pipe damper setting. (pre-EPA stoves)