should I add a damper

I'm burning the Englander 30 out of the basement and Have 4ft of stove pipe on the inside and 26ft of 6in. Stainless steal chimney on the outside. Today the weather was 40 degrees out. I loaded the stove with some ash and a couple of pieces of unidentified wood and once it got goin, I shut the air right off. The stove was runnin about 625-675 stove top,which is where I like it to run. But I was thinking that if It got too hot, there was no other way to shut it down since the air was already down al the way. So I am thinking I am gonna put a damper in the stove pipe, so if things get to hot. I will be able to shut it down completely, if needed. Any thought, one way or the other.

It is a simple peice of mind for a tall chimney. We have one that gets used once maybe twice a year let me tell ya there are times when its nice like in high winds or storms. There are even days where its just plain cold which can create a stronger than normal draft too. If you put one in make sure its a damper section not a drill to fit damper.


Pete

I'm going to add one too. I also had a fire recently keep climbing with the air completely shut. All I could do was sit there with a pail of sand and a fire extinguisher and hope it didn't go too high. Seems like a simple fix for a potentially dangerous problem.

Did you check your gaskets and door adjustment ? Cover the secondary hole if it is run away fire as well it will drastically stall the tubes and cool it down fast.

Pete

wingo- I have the same stove with just about the same install- basement with same pipe/flue length. I have decided to install a damper as well. Otherwise that 30 pulls like a freight train.
I've had success slowing things down using magnets to cover the doghouse inlets and the tube inlets, but I figure it'll be much easier to install one damper, turn it down when necessary, and let the stove run as designed for the most part.
I can achieve the same net result with the magnets (restricting the air on the inlet side as opposed to the outlet side with a damper), but it requires more fiddling.
I purchased a Chinese drill-to-fit damper but am going to chuck that and get the section damper that fits my double-wall stove pipe.

Also may want to check the ash pan door. If it is ajar a bit while looking like it is closed it could allow additional air in, especially if the center plug is not fully seated. A pipe damper is always a good idea for safety and if you find it overfires, try using less wood to attain your desired results.

I have a 28ft. interior chimney and also have a strong draft. I actually fabricated small metal inserts for the always open air intakes but the magnets are a much better idea, quick and adjustable. I just ordered a set of high temperature magnets this morning to do the task. Thanks for the great information on this forum.
Mike

We open the air back up after the fire starts burning down to help burn the coals down.

We don't have a lot of coals left, like after an overnight burn.

We could reload every 4-5 hours,, but unless its bed time or the wife is not around, we don't usually fill it like it all all the way.

The glass for the most part stays clean, we clean it once a week just to see the fire better, but it is never to the point we can't see in.

What is the problem with the drill in dampers? For $3 it seams like a lot cheaper route than the damper section. Then if I ever take it out ,one piece of stove pipe is cheaper than having to buy three pieces to install a section. just wondering.

Proper stove operation is not possible on my chimney without a damper that I leave full closed all the time. These EPA stoves were not designed for the draft of a tall chimney. Even with the ability to fully shut down my primary I still have to keep damper full shut. I'm all for dampers when they are needed. Just get the drill in kind. The damper adapters I've noticed have a large hole in the middle so they will only partially dampen.