Air inlet port on a Whitfield Advantage Plus MH-116278 built in 1998

[Randy1998]

Can anyone explain why the air inlet port is blocked off with a plate that is located in the inlet tube that is supposed to be for air going into the firebox? It's located in the tube behind where the high temp sensor is. There is also a round hole in the AIP housing before the plate. The plate doesn't completely block the tube. There is about a 1/4 of space between the bottom of the plate and the floor of the housing. I can hold a flame up to the end of the tube and it doesn't draw any air in it. The plate has a spot weld on it where it slides down into the tube from keeping it from being removed. According to the manual, the AIP is to be directed to outside of the house to draw cold air into the firebox.hole. If I connected the AIP up the way the manual shows, all I would do is get cold air coming into the tube and going nowhere except inside the house.

 

[Snowy Rivers]

Just looked at mine

The air comes into the tube, then out the side of the tube into the mechanical cabinet, from there it goes back into the tube past the burn back sensor (keeps the sensor cool)

The idea is to allow cooler outside air to keep the cabinet slightly cooler than not having any airflow, plus some fresh air will also be added to the room air as it is sucked up by the convection fan.

Normally the back of the stove is covered by a sheet metal cover that has some louvers in it to allow air flow.

I tossed my back cover and replaced it with a piece of aluminum expanded sheet metal. Just to keep little fingers and THE CAT out.

The mechanical cabinet stays far cooler and the air flow is way more.

I also do not use an oak.

My house has a fresh air inlet in the laundry room the adds fresh air to the inlet of the air handler (Furnace/AC) so adding more holes and more air made little sense.

The house stays clear of nasty cooking odors and other ugly smells

We don't use the Air handler in winter.

Hope this answers the ?????

 

[Randy1998]

Just looked at mine

The air comes into the tube, then out the side of the tube into the mechanical cabinet, from there it goes back into the tube past the burn back sensor (keeps the sensor cool)

The idea is to allow cooler outside air to keep the cabinet slightly cooler than not having any airflow, plus some fresh air will also be added to the room air as it is sucked up by the convection fan.

Normally the back of the stove is covered by a sheet metal cover that has some louvers in it to allow air flow.

I tossed my back cover and replaced it with a piece of aluminum expanded sheet metal. Just to keep little fingers and THE CAT out.

The mechanical cabinet stays far cooler and the air flow is way more.

I also do not use an oak.

My house has a fresh air inlet in the laundry room the adds fresh air to the inlet of the air handler (Furnace/AC) so adding more holes and more air made little sense.

The house stays clear of nasty cooking odors and other ugly smells

We don't use the Air handler in winter.

Hope this answers the ?????

You are the first person that has explained this to me that knew what they were talking about! This explains the purpose of the AIP being blocked by the plate as well as the hole in the side of the AIP housing. The back of my stove does have a cover. I removed it to get a better look at the AIP. After what you said, I could tape up all of those louvers and make everything draw air from the outside. This would increase the airflow in the room as well.
I used this stove for 3 years and got tired of getting a smoke smell and not being able to get the heat to circulate to go upstairs. I have the stove in the basement. I went overseas for nearly 10 years and after returning home in 2012, I decided to fire it up this winter. I cleaned it thoroughly and re-taped all the joints on the exhaust stack, removed both fans and cleaned them. They weren't very dirty. I noticed the gasket on the combustion fan looked like it may have been torn from the factory. I could smell smoke coming from that area. Since doing all of that I don't get a smoke smell. I added a gasket on the ash pan also.
I have called every dealer that I could find and only one had someone that knew anything about the older stoves, but he wouldn't tell me anything unless I had him come out and look at it. Whatever happened to those days when the dealers would give you tech help without wanting to charge you????
Thank you very much for your help!