Fresh Air Kit Install For USSC 6041 PT

Scotty,this is my take about whats going on with the over flow by burning straight corn,which I also do. Corn needs more air to burn than a 50/50 mix.By drilling holes in the metal cap and replacing the cap you are limiting the total amount of outside air needed for combustion to just those 3 holes. If that air is not enough 2 things can happen.
1. Because you don't completely burn all the corn up, the left over corn piles up, layer upon layer until the pot overflows or the fire goes out.
2. Because a complete burn is needed and the xtra air needs to come from somewhere,the draft slide needs to be opened to allow more air in.Yes,that brings in the already heated inside air which then may go up the chimney.
If you change your mix, then to get an efficient burn more or less air is needed.Drill more holes or manipulate the draftslide to get the best flame.
On my valve there are 5 black magic marker slash marks. HR1,3,4,5,7. By turning the valve handle to one of these I always get the best burn for my mix. No guess work, only time spent watching the flames on each setting before making the slash mark.
On the pic in my previous post there is the 2 inch plastic valve with the red handle. I used a thick rubber reducer to connect the valve to the air inlet. The rubber reducer is found in the plumbing section. 1 end fits over the valve, the other fits over tha air inlet on your stove.You will see an adjustable metal band that is used to firm up the connection between the inlet and the valve.
The valve is secured to the oak inlet tube with thin metal tape,not duct tape.The tape eliminates any leaks and can be removed if the stove has to be moved.
One final thought,,,when I shut the stove off for cleaning, the valve gets turned off helping reduce the burn and shut down time. On windy days, no cold air gets past the valve.Restarting the stove, just move the valve back to your mark.

Well i changed my oak around and installed a ball valve I have been working on getting my air settings for each heat range so far so good.

Keep us posted Dragracer300,the easiest part for me was watching the flames so I could mark the slash marks,,,sometimes I was forced to skip some unwanted chore so I could mark the precise spot. My wife took up the slack on the chores.

Scottydog, If you transition to the ball valve expect the cost to be around 10 dollars for the valve,rubber reducer,adjustable metal band,tape and magic marker. Silicone spray for the inside of the valve is about 4 dollars. If you go that route be sure to remove the metal cap. Others have forgotten to do that.

The valve seems to work pretty well. I'm only running on 3 with the t-stat. I haven't got any higher yet. But i did score a small hopper wagon 3/4 full of dry corn in a trade with a amish farmer that needed his tractor engine repaired so i will be mixing in some corn soon.

Oak is working good i also took the screws out of the slide draft so i will close all the way. The only issue i'm having is ash buildup under the firepot. I would like to seal off the inside air so i can leave the slide draft open so the ash will fall into the ash pan instead of doing the slide draft dance a couple times a day.

dragracer300 said:

Oak is working good i also took the screws out of the slide draft so i will close all the way. The only issue i'm having is ash buildup under the firepot. I would like to seal off the inside air so i can leave the slide draft open so the ash will fall into the ash pan instead of doing the slide draft dance a couple times a day.

Click to expand...

if you do can you please post pics would love to see how you do that i just installed a ball valve on mine and it was a world of differance.

Well after working with the ball valve for a couple months now i found just leaving the valve open all the way seems to work the best for me. I made the mistake of putting a fine screen over the end of the oak only to have it freeze over the end during a ice storm luckily i still had the inside draft to open and keep the fire going. How's everyone else's working out?