Q&A Novice with Old Stove

Question:

Recently we purchased a home with an old barrel shaped woodstove... the only name on it is "Double Star". The stove has two doors (one in the stove and one in the ashbox below the stove) with each door having a round opening which can be opened and closed with a screw type plate. We purchased some dried oak wood, but it seems the stove burns alot of wood without producing too much heat. My father-in-law insists that there should be a damper in the Chimney which can be closed down once the fire is burning to prevent the heat from escaping out the chimney... Is this true?



Answer:

You can install a cast iron "turn damper" into your stovepipe which will slow the draft down a bit and produce more heat for you. Also, use black furnace cement (available in stove or hardware stores) to seal any leaks in the seams of the stove.