using draft inducer during startup?

I have an eko 40. Everything works great. I am just curious though if anyone has had any luck with using a draft inducer or a draft booster for controlling smoke during loading. I know the best is to avoid the temptation to look during the burn once its up and running. However sometimes during the burn, it is nice to have the option to poke or adjust the wood and such.

I have the draft inducer. While it does lessen the smoke, it does not eliminate it completely during loading or, as you point out, during those times when you need to open the door during a burn. Also, it introduces its own problems. Mine leaks smoke from the joints and is difficult to clean. The impeller itself is made of thin steel, which warps if heated too much, then rubs on the inside of the housing. I'm still not sure the cost was worth it.

Ryan

save your money!!.......search vent hood and go that route.


Rob

We like the one shipped with the Biomass60. Still lets go a bit of smoke. I'm sure it has its advantages for natural aspiration gasifiers (without blowers pushing in the primary and secondary).
Cant see how you run a gasifier without any blowers (negative or positive blowers...)
Cheers,
Trex83

That was the primary reason for me buying what I did, no juice required - just needed 30ft of chimney.

Haven't fired up yet to see for myself, but it is getting tantalizingly close.

This.

You can build one pretty easily with an old kitchen stove vent hood powered with a $20 vent fan from Home Depot.

I don't see a problem if you can get a draft monitor on the chimney and check that you have enough draft.
I'm not sure if Dwyer still makes them.
These fans do suck some juice, you are right.
Cheers,
Trex

I've got a Dwyer that I used to check my draft with before I ordered the boiler - it will be a permanent fixture.

Save your money and your time. I have an inducer on my EKO 40. I initially thought it was pretty great but after using it a while I realized it was all in my mind. I convinced myself it HAD to be helping since I spent the money on it.

I think it might help get a fire going a little quicker on those days when draft may be a problem (sub zero outside temp for me). I also think it might help to pre-heat the chimney when loading a cold boiler but again, this is likely all in my mind. It definitely does not enable you to open the boiler door mid-fire without smoke. And you will have to seal any chimney joints that are in the house because the inducer will force flyash out of those joints.

A few cases of good beer and a good blower fan with a hose from Amazon is a much, much more sound investment. Heavy on the good beer.

Stee: It's funny how we can "convince" ourselves that something we bought (expensive) actually does what we intended it would, just because we spent good $$$ on it.

Has anyone tried adding hinged a metal flap on the top of the firebox? Growing up my parents had an old Benjamin Dutch oven style wood boiler (still there actually) it had this said smoke flap, don't know if it did anything other than make a clanging everytime it was loaded with wood. I've thought of welding one in my Attack as the top of the firebox has a flat ceiling all the way to the door. I'm going to do some expierementation first.

TS

My Benjamin has the flap. It works at keeping smoke from spilling out, if you can work around it when you're firing. There's been a few times I've had the thing almost full and the last stick got hung up half way out the door jammed by the flap - about then the fire was really getting to going & there was smoke & flame going about everywhere.

I will be adding a press fit metal extension around my door openong to see if i can make the door sealing surface wider. I also will try a hinged flap to see if it helps.

Rob

Taylor, there have been several attempts to install the smoke flap. See here for some of the search results. Opinions of their effectiveness vary.

How much space is there between the top of the door and the top of the firebox on an eko?

My biomass has an arched opening and some space between the door and the top of of the firebox which allows the smoke to 'pool' at the top of the chamber. If your door is right at the top of the chamber I could see a smoke flap being helpful.

Yeah its a straight shot so the smoke hits the top of the fire box and rolls right out.