Anyone with bottom feed stoves?

I have a bottom feed ESW with 6' of 3" chimney. In 4 years never a hint of burn back.

All harmans are bottom feed. Burnback protection is in the form of a double augur setup and sealed hopper.

reallyte said:

All harmans are bottom feed. Burnback protection is in the form of a double augur setup and sealed hopper.

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My Harman does not have a double auger setup. Don't think many of them if any do actually.

mepellet said:

My Harman does not have a double auger setup. Don't think many of them if any do actually.

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Ah my mistake. I own a quad so what do I know lol. Topfeedermasterrace.

Englander uses a two auger setup to make a physical break to prevent a burn back. Top auger on timer, the bottom constant feed to pot. Harman uses a shuttle like device to make a break in hopper feed.

sass_eco65 said:

Is your install on main floor or basement? Your 6' chimney being total vertical or just outside? I have been told that inside does not count... It's only the vertical rise outside that does.

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Main floor. 6' rise inside from clean out tee to 90* and through the wall to an end cap. No vertical rise outside.

My Harman is in the basement with a 6' angled-vertical rise inside. No outside rise.

The only problem I've had with a bottom fed stove was with an Englander that blew the combustion motor. While it was shutting itself down, the auger went in reverse, drawing burning pellets back in (scared the crap out of me when I saw that!). Did not result in a hopper fire though - I'm guessing because of the double auger. That stove was set up with about 1' vertical rise inside, and no rise outside.

I would assume that any stove that doesn't have some sort of safety mechanism will specifically state in the install directions that they can't be vented straight out, and what kind of vertical rise is required.

The Earth stove was a bottom feeder and had a drop cup above the auger that prevented the dreaded burn back.