Damper on chimney stack

[HighHeat22]

This is my second year of burning even though we burned when I was a kid growing up but we had none of the luxuries of the new type stoves then. My question is I have a damper on my 6" chimney pipe about 3 feet above my stove should I be using this at all. I have not used this damper I just use the air damper on the stove itself. This piece of pipe came with the stove and previous owner told me to use the damper since he did, the rest of the chimney is all new pipe. Just wondering if any one does use a damper on their chimney pipe and how should it be used.

 

[Heater Helper]

If your stove is the newer EPA version for low emmisions and higher efficiencies it's not required. Dampers in pipes were used years ago to slow the heat escaping up the chimney. The newer stoves reburn the smoke and particulates...turning it into usable heat in the home. A damper in the pipe is not required..nor reccommended. Hope this helps.

 

[spirilis]

If you have excessive draft you can use it, otherwise I'd keep it wide open at all times. Shouldn't be any harm in keeping it in there, and if you have one of those excessively windy days when the stove feels like it's running away from you... well it may come in handy.

 

[firefighterjake]

+1 to what heater Helper and Spirilis said . . . since it's there already I probably wouldn't yank it out . . . especially since you could use it to slow down things in case things are getting a little rowdy for you . . . or you have a chimney fire . . . but otherwise I wouldn't mess with it and would leave it wide open. Control the heat in your stove with the fire load . . .

 

[tcassavaugh]

While not necessary, i like having it as an additional air controler. Also, it can help close down the stove in the event of a runawy. It may not be necessary, but it gives me piece of mind having it there and i do use it to help control the burn on the little Jotul F 3B i have for longer night time burns.

cass