Earth Stove questions for MH

[Kingofthewoods]

I recently purchased a used Earth Stove model 901/ 905 manufactured for mobile homes. This stove has a large hole in the bottom for a hole in the floor for fresh air intake(?), and has a 1 1/4 inch pipe that goes up the chimney. It also has no air flow control externally other than the door which, when closed, appears to be airtight.
I have not installed it yet, but started a fire in it outside to try and figure out what the hole in the bottom was for and what the pipe in the chimney was for. Neither one seemed to have any impact as far as I could see, and when I shut the door, it always immediately began to smother the fire.

Can anyone explain to me what these features are, how they work, and whether or not I MUST cut a hole in the floor or if I can find another way of having sufficient air intake.

 

[Dave_1]

There is a similar thread about installing a wood stove in M.H. at:

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/27101/

The links I posted to help Gene should help you as well.

Check em out & good luck with it.

 

[crazy_dan]

there should be an air control on it that has L M H it has a BI-metal coil in it and is controlled by how hot it gets, the pipe in the bottom is probably a fresh air intake an early version of an OAK (outside air kit). the 1 1/4" pipe going in to the chimney is so that when it is smoldering and the air is shut down it can still draw air to clear out the chimney so you get less creosote in theory. I had an Earth Stove before getting my Summit. It worked good but it did eat more than my new stove.

 

[crazy_dan]

the air control looked like this on mine yours should have something similar.

 

[Kingofthewoods]

crazy_dan, thanks a lot! That is definitely the stove! Since the hole in the bottom is an early version of an OAK, I don't need a hole in the floor? I gather it just takes in air from the room- my mobile isn't exactly air tight

Dave, thanks for the links. I will check them out.

 

[crazy_dan]

on mine there was a flap that needed to be opened so it could draw air in to the fire it had a wire that held it open and you can see that wire in the 1st picture twords to top of the of picture.
you can see the flap in the second picture just above the air control knob.

anyway here is a picture of the front of the stove