Alderlea T5 damper issues?

Wow before we address the issue we need some info, like what kind of fuel is it Oak or is it Pine? what is your flue set up, height and width? What do you mean by hot coals, is it a huge pile or have you burned down the prior load? You say you shut the damper, I take it you mean the primary air control, or do you mean a flue damper? You want low temps, what are you looking to achieve ? What temps are you running at, stove top and flue? If you can give this info then we can try and help you figure this out.

Oh and BTW welcome to the forum.

1. Read the manual and double check that you are positioning the air control lever properly.

2. Check that the ash chute is completely closed AND refill with fine ash after checking it. A small piece of debris will prevent the ash chute trap door from sealing closed. If there is a white hot inferno in the area of the ash chute that is your first clue.

3. If not #1 or 2, do the "dollar bill test" on the door gasket and adjust door.

i have the same issue. same stove. what a PIA burn times suk, roaring fire, 2nd season dealing with.

1. Check your door latch. Make sure the one screw that holds it on is tight. You shoudn't be able to move the latch at all. (on my spectrum you could work the latch loose very easily and pull it right off the stove!! -- very dangerous situation!!)

2. In my experience, filling the ash dump with ash didn't work. Seal the trap door with silicone - doing that and fixing your door latch will likely solve your problems.

Good luck.

Is it worth having a peek at the linkage to the secondary air slide to make sure it hasn't broken or become disconnected somehow?

It sure sounds like you have an air leak somewhere. I would definitely do as suggested and check the ash trap and check the door gaskets all the way around the door. I never even used my ash dump from the very beginning I packed it as tight as I could full of ash.

Has anyone else had this problem with a Pacific Energy Alderlea??
We need your help.

marreque said:

Has anyone else had this problem with a Pacific Energy Alderlea??
We need your help.

Click to expand...

We need more info before we can help. How are you running the stove? Did you already create a thread on this?

what do mean by checked? please let me know

i have mentioned it before on here but not sure of replies, was last year. this is my 2nd season with the T5

i did that exact thing earlier tonite. the rear air valve is sliding open and closed, but is there a way to see if it is closing all of the way? i did not know there was a front tho.

Do not worry my friend, I have the same problem with my Super 27 (pretty much the same stove just no cast iron) with overdrafting from the chimney. I have a 18' straight up through the roof Excel class A chimney and double wall stovepipe. I know people say that its impossible with the chimney height, etc. but the truth of the matter is every installation is different. There are too many factors involved to just arm chair quarterback anything. Check your stove for sure, just like I did myself as well as my dealer. My next step is installing a pipe damper (on order) and installing it to bring things in check. So, no you are not the only one.

yes please let us know. im prob gonna install a damper too.

Pipe damper seems like a very last option to me. I considered it, but it seems like it might over complicate things, especially for my wife, who has gotten really good at running the stove. We have 21' of pipe straight up through the house and have draft that is too good at times (occasionally it can really roar in certain conditions when we open the door). After much help from folks on this site, here's what we did/do to control it:

--We quit using the ash pan- waste of time and it never really sealed properly, even if we paid attention to ash getting stuck holding it open. I rearranged the firebrick and left it alone and it sealed itself with ash.

--Put a small piece of foil tape over the primary air intake (front of stove). I still left a small opening, so that when my air intake lever is all the way to the right, it allows a small amt of air to enter.

--Installed a Condar Fluegard Thermometer in my double-wall black pipe, about 2' above the stove (couldn't put it any lower due to adjustable pipe location).

--Put an Inferno stovetop meter (magnetic thermometer) on top of stove.

--My wife and I try to be smart about how we reload and operate the stove - it's never been above 850 in the pipe or 700 stovetop, though we approach those temps at times. I know there have been several debates on the usefulness of thermometers, but in our case (with strong draft) I wouldn't consider going without. I can glance over at the stove to see how the fire's burning and confirm where it's at with a quick glance at the Condar.

With that said, I'm curious about those who have installed flue dampers on their stoves, in particular the T5. Since we often operate with the air intake closed all the way, I can see the value in having one last saving control mechanism in the event things get out of control.

Second season running the T5. For our set up I won't pack the stove unless the stove top temp is under 200F. If the temp is between 200F-300F we'll just through a couple of pieces on and can get it to cruze between 450F-500F. If I pack the stove full with the temp under 200F it will top out at around 600F-650F and cruze between 500F-550F. The air is fully shut down by 450F. Each set up is a little different, just takes some time to figure out what works best for you.

Any body who thinks the thermometers are not necessary are fools, you have to stay ahead of the stove if you have that strong of a draft.

I'm having the same issue this year as well. I all but blocked the air in take at the front of the stove. I really think the wood I'm burning is too dry. It acts like a load of lumber scraps. I was reloading at 200 so I'm going to wait until stove is 100 - 150 but I don't know if there will be any coals left as the stove retains the heat for such a long time.