Damper?

[PapaDave]

Now that I have the stove back and installed, I'm still having a little bit of an issue with controlling the air. I can control the fire better than pre-fixed stove, but not as well I'd like. I have some stove glass gasket on order to seal the air control plate, but I'm unsure if that will last.
My question is, will a damper help control the air and burn, or do I need to better control the incoming air first (as planned)? Seems like that might be obvious, but I'd like to hear opinions.
The flue drafts fine, even though I built the hearth up 12", but I'm also thinking I may add another 12-18" of class a. Total length is 13-14' from the top of the stove, straight up. I also went from 8" stove pipe, to 6" from the stove, to an increaser at the ceiling into the existing 8" class a.

I don't want to change too much at the same time, so that I know what works, and what doesn't, and really don't want to just throw money at it in hopes of finding a solution.
I know the real and more long term solution is a new stove, but that isn't happening right now.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[vvvv]

damper controls air & preserves coals. 85 stove? $5 damper?

 

[Dune]

I guess there is some debate about this, but I am so old school that I like having as much single wall pipe as possible in the room with the stove. This is under the possibly obsolete theory of radiant surface area of the stove pipe. If the existing stove air controll works correctly, you wouldn't need a damper, asuming you have an "airtight stove". If the stove controlls are insuficient a damper will help, and like pook said, it's cheap.

 

[begreen]

Something doesn't add up here. You are thinking of adding some pipe (increasing draft) on a choked (8-6") stove, but also considering adding a damper (to decrease draft)? Too many variables here. Add the damper if new gaskets don't solve the issue, but I don't see any need for more pipe.

 

[PapaDave]

BeGreen, nope, the stove isn't choked. The class A is 8". I put the 6" pipe in to match the stove collar. It had 8" from the stove to the cap. Draft was a little slow before, until the flue and stove got heated up. I figured with raising the hearth, the 6" should help and adding a little to the top couldn't hurt since the height isn't really ideal.
The problem I have is that I can't seem to keep the fire regulated the way I think I should be able to. When the back plate was leaking, I knew I had extra air coming in there, and now I've discovered that the plate that moves over the air intake hole doesn't make contact with the bottom of the stove. There's a slight gap between the plate and the stove bottom which I would like to seal. So much for an "airtight" stove.
I think this should give me better control over the INTAKE air, but I wondered if adding a damper might give me some extra measure of control to regulate the exhaust.
The whole idea being better control of the fire.

 

[begreen]

OK, got it. That makes is simpler. I haven't worked with an Ashley except for the really basic tin can barrel stove they sold in the 60-70s. With pre-epa stoves, a damper on the output can be helpful. Our old Jotul 602 needs one so that one has finer control with air regulation. If the stove wants to take off the moment you crack open the air intake a smidgen, then a butterfly damper in the flue pipe can help.