Very detailed/specific Homestead question...

[Dakotas Dad]

OK, so my primary air control has always been "stiff/sticky" feeling in the last third of travel closing since new. I was at the dealer today and played with their floor model, it was very smooth. So since it was in the mid 40's today and I had let the stove cool way down, when I got home I got out my flashlight and a mirror.. then a screwdriver and allen wrench. Pulled the "primary air control slider" off, it was bent, fixed it put it back on, all is good now. But I noticed..

It is impossible to close the primary air all the way, by design.

THE QUESTION...

Where does the Hearthstone Homestead get it's secondary air? It does not appear that there is a split manifold or anything inside the primary air manifold, so..

1) why not be able to shut primary air all the way down, and

2) where is getting secondary air if not through the hole I can't close? (which I thought was the whole point of primary/secondary air inlets)

I can't find a parts break down or schematic anywhere...

 

[DAKSY]

Does this help?

http://www.hearthstonestoves.com/assets/files/document_library/Homestead8570Parts.pdf

 

[Todd]

If I remember correctly the secondary air is a hole in the lower back of the stove. I had the same problem with the air control and did the same thing as you, also thought about grinding that stop out of there to be able to close it all the way down if needed. Another problem I had was a bolt in the way that didn't alow me to open the air slide full, so I cut the bolt down and out of the way.

 

[Dakotas Dad]

Does this help?

http://www.hearthstonestoves.com/assets/files/document_library/Homestead8570Parts.pdf

Very much sir. Printed off to put with my manual.

I see how it (air) comes in from the back bottom, up the riser into the manifold. Next time the stove is cool, I will pull the blower and heat shield and see how that secondary opening is actually situated. Probably will mod that primary air control to be able to close it fully, "just in case". Think I will also add a thin "bent washer" under the primary air control lever pivot, now it feels "to loose", lol.


Edit:
After thinking about it, the primary air control slider is probably designed to be open a little no matter what, for air wash on the glass.

 

[Wood Heat Stoves]

1) why not be able to shut primary air all the way down, and
.

it would never burn clean to pass epa if you could kill all air to the firebox

 

[Dakotas Dad]

1) why not be able to shut primary air all the way down, and
.

it would never burn clean to pass epa if you could kill all air to the firebox

Yes, IF you could shut all the air down I could see that it wouldn't pass EPA, but since YOU couldn't, even if you could turn off all primary air, the secondary air is totally different, and with out user control..

If what makes it burn EPA clean is the secondary air, my question was why not be able to shut primary all the way down and just let the hot stove run on the uber-clean secondary burn?

 

[Wood Heat Stoves]

well, its about the 3 t's of burning
in this case its the root of the required turbulence