Damper Control

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TomR

New Member
Nov 12, 2011
56
Central CT
I have a new wood stove insert and I'm trying to figure out how to use the damper efficiently. Usually when I get the fire going I keep the damper all the way open and the door cracked. Once it looks like it's going strong I close the door completely. From there how should I be thinking about adjusting the damper? If I close the damper completely will the temp inside the box go up? Can it get 'too' hot for the stove?
 
When you say "damper" are you talking about an actual damper in the stove pipe or the air control on the insert . . . there is a difference.

If you are talking about the air control on the insert or stove as I believe you are . . . you're doing pretty much as I do . . . I keep the door to the firebox (not ash pan) ajar and the air control is open all the way . . . as the temp comes up in the stove and in my case in the flue (here's where having a stove thermometer or flue thermometer helps) comes up I close the door and then start to close down the air control in steps . . . usually a quarter mark at a time.

While closing down the air I keep an eye on my thermo temps and the look of the fire to make sure the fire is still going well . . . as you close down the air typically you will see the temps in the stove or insert start to rise as less air is going up through the chimney . . . or at least the air is being slowed up . . .

Whether you can close down the air all the way or not (technically you cannot fully close off the air in an EPA insert or stove) will largely depend on the quality of the wood, draft and time . . . sometimes I can close it down all the way and sometimes only to the quarter mark.

Yes . . . you can get things too hot for the stove . . . which is why having a stove thermometer is very handy . . . typically I see this problem most often though with folks who either stuff way too many small splits into the stove or folks who reload the stove too soon in the burning cycle.
 
Hey Tom. Can you add your insert make and model to your signature? That will save repeatedly asking what stove is this. I'm guessing that this is for the Enviro 1700 Boston based on previous posts. Is that correct? If yes, it only has a primary air slider control, no flue damper.

A few tips to avoid overheating - don't put a fresh load of wood on a raging hot coal bed. Instead, rake the coals to the front of the stove and open up the air slider full. Let the coals burn down until there is enough to easily restart the new wood, but not enough to start a conflagration. Reload with decent sized, 6-8" splits for better control and longer burning. Don't burn a fire with lots of small sticks or with a lot of construction scraps.

For a helpful guide on running a stove watch the last video on the bottom of this page:
http://www.woodheat.org/wood-heat-videos.html
 
Thanks BeGreen. I updated my profile and yes it's the Enviro Boston 1700. I watched the videos and tried your recommendation. I raked the hot coals to the front of the stove and loaded the back of the stove with bigger pieces and up front some smaller pieces. At first it worked great. The small piece in front caught immediately and really got going....but the logs in the back never really got going. They are still burning down, very slowly. I think next time I will try the same thing but use smaller pieces in the back...I think what I used was too big and/or a little too wet.

Question - Should I always see flame? Like I was saying those pieces in the back never really got going (no flame) but they did over time start to glow red...but overall the stove wasn't that hot.
 
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