big draft

[netmouse]

I had a new energy audit done. When the door blower test was done to see the air drafts coming into the house, a huge problem was my Vermont Casting wood stove, a big Defiant installed in the early 1980's. Air was rushing in from the little flap on the back for air control with a lever, and all doors. Even from the seam of the two sections of the pipe to the outside.

The damper was closed. But then I realize the hot air goes around this in a curve and up, so the stove is really open to outside. The audit guy said that if a fire is burning it should be OK with hot air rising, but when a fire is not burning air could be drawn into the house (big time).

I doubt anything I do to this old stove won't make any real difference except to totally wrap it up (slightly impractical).

Are new stoves different and far more draft free? My heat is literally going up the chimney......or perhaps more correcting coming IN the chimney.

 

[soupy1957]

The new EPA-rated stoves are quite "tight" in my opinion, having owned one now for a couple years. I'd think ANY of the newer stoves (EPA-Rated or not) would be a step up.

Get out there and buy a new stove........it's a great excuse to do so and there is so much to choose from! The season is changing NOW however, so don't wait TOO long!!

-Soupy1957

 

[vvvv]

epa stove has 2ndary air intake always open

 

[netmouse]

epa stove has 2ndary air intake always open

So are you saying an EPA stove has the same problem with draft because is has the secondary air intake that is always open?

What stove on the market today would best solve the air draft problem? My sister bought an Avalon Olympia. I got a price on a Jotul Oslo 500.

 

[vvvv]

epa stove has 2ndary air intake always open

So are you saying an EPA stove has the same problem with draft because is has the secondary air intake that is always open?

What stove on the market today would best solve the air draft problem? My sister bought an Avalon Olympia. I got a price on a Jotul Oslo 500.

blower door test doesnt mean stove setup has a prob. if stove burns ok there is no prob. if theres a prob, youll smell smoke in the house

 

[soupy1957]

Won't speak for netmouse, but.......it sounded, (based on your OP) that the problems you are having, are problems with air intake that have developed over time.

Although it's true that the newer EPA-Rated stoves have air-flo intentional designs, they don't have "problems" with the design such as you are apparently describing. At least not in my experience thus far.

-Soupy1957

 

[netmouse]

epa stove has 2ndary air intake always open

if stove burns ok there is no prob. if theres a prob, youll smell smoke in the house

I think there is a problem even though burning seems fine. I should mention that when not burning, the air intake flapper on the back keeps making a clinking noise as it opens/shuts with draft. I've been sticking a towel in the opening or taping it shut when not using it. But the rest of the "seams" are also very leaky per the door blower test.

 

[Battenkiller]

I think there is a problem even though burning seems fine. I should mention that when not burning, the air intake flapper on the back keeps making a clinking noise as it opens/shuts with draft. I've been sticking a towel in the opening or taping it shut when not using it. But the rest of the "seams" are also very leaky per the door blower test.

If you create negative air pressure in the living space (like in the blower test), air can be drawn down the chimney and through the stove. If it is coming through your doors, definitely sounds like time to put in fresh gaskets, but with your stove it will come out the intake pretty easily and you will hear every it time the flapper falls shut again. Other stoves without that flapper design might do the same, only silently. Keeping the bypass damper closed to force the air through the restrictive secondary combustion passages may help. If you don't want any air at all going through your air inlet flapper during negative pressure incidents, stuff newspaper into the flue during the off season. Just remember it's there before you light up first time in the fall.

 

[netmouse]

I think there is a problem even though burning seems fine. I should mention that when not burning, the air intake flapper on the back keeps making a clinking noise as it opens/shuts with draft. I've been sticking a towel in the opening or taping it shut when not using it. But the rest of the "seams" are also very leaky per the door blower test.

If you create negative air pressure in the living space (like in the blower test), air can be drawn down the chimney and through the stove. If it is coming through your doors, definitely sounds like time to put in fresh gaskets, but with your stove it will come out the intake pretty easily and you will hear every it time the flapper falls shut again. Other stoves without that flapper design might do the same, only silently. Keeping the bypass damper closed to force the air through the restrictive secondary combustion passages may help. If you don't want any air at all going through your air inlet flapper during negative pressure incidents, stuff newspaper into the flue during the off season. Just remember it's there before you light up first time in the fall.

Thank you. It sounds like you are saying that I'll have the problem to some degree with any stove.

 

[vvvv]

caulk tube of furnace cement can seal the seams, follow directions...vacumn created by blower door test is really intense!