Plugging your boost air oulet

[Trevor Tahclep]

If you are like me have a tall chimney that overdrafts because of its height you may have already plugged or want to plug your boost air hole(s) with a bolt or something else, in my case because of the welding at top and bottom of 1/2 inch boost air hole a bolt was not really air tight so my final solution was to remove the bolt and replace it with a 6 inch length of door seal which works beautifully.
I wrapped a few turns of the 12 inch length of wire around one end of the 5/8'' door gasket to pull the gasket through the 1/2 inch hole, the gasket is very flexible so it narrowed down going through the hole and once in it expands and fully closes the hole, I have a bout 2 inches hanging under the stove air boost air diffuser and about 2 inches hanging in the ash dump tray. It is really air tight and real easy to pull back out if and when ever needed.

Hoping this may help someone else with the same problem.

 

[Woodcutter Tom]

Do you have any pictures of this installed? Based on your other thread, I thought you wanted to open your air boost inlet to a 1/2' hole from something smaller. I did not realize you wanted to close it. On my stove I have one inlet that is about 1/8" diameter; It is only open when the primary air is totally closed. There are three outlets into the firebox that are about 3/16" diameter each.

How do you feel this will help you?

Also what stove do you have? I do not see it listed in your signature.

 

[Trevor Tahclep]

My other thread is out of curiosity to basically inquire on how this is affecting owners of various stove models with tall chimneys.
I do not have any pictures and it is -10° here today and getting colder down to -27° over the next few days so the stove will be burning 24 hours a day therefore will not be taking photos for a while. I own a 1999 manufactured PE Spectrum Classic installed in April 99 ( it is now renamed the Super Classic by PE ), this stove has a unrestricted 1/2 inch boost air outlet always opened. As stated above the door gasket works better than a bolt at stopping free flowing air from the boost air outlet, the end result in having less air offers me better control over max. stove temp, a little better control.

 

[MR. GLO]

I have a 2022 Summit and here is a photograph of the bottom which hole is considered the boost hole. Look like 3 holes.
I know the large one with the moving cover is the air inlet. Then there are two other holes and guessing one is the boost and one is for air wash?

 

[Trevor Tahclep]

I have a 2022 Summit and here is a photograph of the bottom which hole is considered the boost hole. Look like 3 holes.
I know the large one with the moving cover is the air inlet. Then there are two other holes and guessing one is the boost and one is for air wash?

View attachment 289768 View attachment 289769

I have only one hole in mine it is a 1/2'' in dia. with welding on top and bottom so a bolt can not fit squarely on top of it to seal, therefore the use of 5/8'' door gasket to seal it fully and that works well.

 

[Trevor Tahclep]

I have a 2022 Summit and here is a photograph of the bottom which hole is considered the boost hole. Look like 3 holes.
I know the large one with the moving cover is the air inlet. Then there are two other holes and guessing one is the boost and one is for air wash?

View attachment 289768 View attachment 289769

I managed to get a couple of photos from underneath with the ash pan removed.

 

[john26]

Here is my air boost I can open and close on a PE Insert series D

 

[davidmsem]

I have a 2022 Summit and here is a photograph of the bottom which hole is considered the boost hole. Look like 3 holes.
I know the large one with the moving cover is the air inlet. Then there are two other holes and guessing one is the boost and one is for air wash?

View attachment 289768 View attachment 289769

Just discovered this tonight on mine. @begreen , I've found the holy grail. Will report back to see how this affects burn.

 

[begreen]

Good quality, metal duct tape or a good magnet will cover the hole too. This would seem to be less leaky than the gasket rope. This should only be done on stoves with a strong draft issue.

 

[Jeanbean]

I have the same issue did you figure out which one is the air booster? Is it the one in the middle or the last one on the right?

I have a 2022 Summit and here is a photograph of the bottom which hole is considered the boost hole. Look like 3 holes.
I know the large one with the moving cover is the air inlet. Then there are two other holes and guessing one is the boost and one is for air wash?

View attachment 289768 View attachment 289769

 

[begreen]

It is at the bottom front, in the middle, just past the ashlip.

 

[Jeanbean]

It is at the bottom front, in the middle, just past the ashlip.

Thank you very much! Just attaching a photo to double check after I taped it but this is correct right? Thanks again!

 

[begreen]

I think it is the one to the right that is still open, but I need to get under a new stove to verify. This has changed from the older stoves.

Remove the boost air manifold from inside the firebox temporarily so that you can see and feel the boost air hole in the firebox. Then blow some compressed air or smoke into the far right hole to see if it comes out of the boost air port in the firebox.

 

[Jeanbean]

I think it is the one to the right that is still open, but I need to get under a new stove to verify. This has changed from the older stoves.

Remove the boost air manifold from inside the firebox temporarily so that you can see and feel the boost air hole in the firebox. Then blow some compressed air or smoke into the far right hole to see if it comes out of the boost air port in the firebox.

I think it is the one to the right that is still open, but I need to get under a new stove to verify. This has changed from the older stoves.

Remove the boost air manifold from inside the firebox temporarily so that you can see and feel the boost air hole in the firebox. Then blow some compressed air or smoke into the far right hole to see if it comes out of the boost air port in the firebox.

I ended up testing each one, the right one is connected to the manifold you were right about that and the one that I had covered in the centre is connected to the primary air which I find a bit odd because doesn’t that kind of defeat the purpose of the plate that closes and opens the primary air?

 

[davidmsem]

Thank you very much! Just attaching a photo to double

I managed to get a couple of photos from underneath with the ash pan removed.
View attachment 289788View attachment 289790

Thanks. I did the same based on your photos.

 

[davidmsem]

I have the same issue did you figure out which one is the air booster? Is it the one in the middle or the last one on the right?

I don't think there are a total of three holes as shown in your picture. I have one large shape hole that is covered up by the air inlet lever, and another hole adjacent that is perfectly round that I call boost air now. I will double check but I don't see a third hole. My unit is a Pacific energy summit le insert.

 

[Jeanbean]

I don't think there are a total of three holes as shown in your picture. I have one large shape hole that is covered up by the air inlet lever, and another hole adjacent that is perfectly round that I call boost air now. I will double check but I don't see a third hole. My unit is a Pacific energy summit le insert.

That’s really odd mine definitely has three holes, I’ve been hearing people only have two, one for the primary air that is controlled by the air inlet level and a hole that goes into the manifold, I have an extra hole beside the primary air that is constantly open that actually connects to the primary air and Isn’t effected by the air inlet level no matter where you set it to, it’s just open no matter what even if you close the main hole off all the way the air inlet plate doesn’t even touch it.

 

[davidmsem]

That’s really odd mine definitely has three holes, I’ve been hearing people only have two, one for the primary air that is controlled by the air inlet level and a hole that goes into the manifold, I have an extra hole beside the primary air that is constantly open that actually connects to the primary air and Isn’t effected by the air inlet level no matter where you set it to, it’s just open no matter what even if you close the main hole off all the way the air inlet plate doesn’t even touch it.

Do we have the same unit? Perhaps there is another hole in mind. The whole I do have goes into the same area as the primary air inlet. I do not see a hole or have not discovered one that goes into the manifold so to speak. I'm assuming the manifold is the tubes running around the fireplace. My Pacific Summit Le insert was purchased in May or April of this year.

 

[davidmsem]

Thank you very much! Just attaching a photo to double check after I taped it but this is correct right? Thanks again!

View attachment 300803

So back to this picture. I felt under my unit today and indeed there are two holes in the area where you have the tape on your unit. I reversed which hole was plugged, the hole on the left is opened on mine, probably feeding the manifold as indicated by @begreen , and the hole on the right is the one I plugged as that goes into the primary air chamber. I was able to determine that by shining a flashlight through from the primary air chamber and saw it come out on the floor. That is how I selected which hole to plug.

@begreen , just curious the path of the year that you say is into the manifold. Does that feed the pipes and Chambers surrounding the firebox? If so just curious where that exits. Thank you.

 

[begreen]

AFAIK, the boost air feeds the boost air manifold at the bottom front of the firebox exclusively. The primary air is ducted up to the top front as the airwash. The hole right next to the air control is new to me. You indicated that the air control blade completely covers the intake air hole when closed. If so, I would speculate that this 1/2" sized hole is the bypass to ensure that the fire always gets some air so that it doesn't smolder. In older PE stoves this was regulated by a stop on the air control that prevented full closure.

 

[davidmsem]

AFAIK, the boost air feeds the boost air manifold at the bottom front of the firebox exclusively. The primary air is ducted up to the top front as the airwash. The hole right next to the air control is new to me. You indicated that the air control blade completely covers the intake air hole when closed. If so, I would speculate that this 1/2" sized hole is the bypass to ensure that the fire always gets some air so that it doesn't smolder. In older PE stoves this was regulated by a stop on the air control that prevented full closure.

Wow....I'm so confused.

Let me say the following about my unit (new spring of 2022).

It has 3 holes above the ashbin.:
1) Primary Air Control? Odd shaped hole that is completely covered by the air lever.
2) Unidentified Purpose Round 1/2 hole next to Primary Air Control (to the right when facing the unit). This hole I DID NOT plug since it does not feed the chamber at the front of the firebox where the "lever controlled air" enters. Note that when a fire is burning, and dialed back, covering this hole DOES NOT affect the burn as best I can tell. Hence my question "where does this air go"?
3) Boost Air? Round 1/2 hole to the right of (facing the unit), hole number 2 above. This hole connects into the same chamber that item 1 (the lever controlled air) empties into.


To get terminology correct, I think item 3 this is what you refer to as "boost air". And yes, I had the same thought, when the air controlled lever is fully closed, the unit can not smolder.

Sincerely, confused in CT.

David

 

[begreen]

Sounds right. Where is the confusion?

 

[davidmsem]

Sounds right. Where is the confusion?

Okay, I've got it then. Just want to be on the same page as you.

Thanks.

David

 

[Split]

I posted this in another thread but I just plugged my classic le with some steel wool. My dealer recommended it. It still ran high (800°) but that still in the safe zone. Might try more or cover with a magnet. I'll experiment.

Side note - where does the 'welded hole' go? What is it?

Thanks

 

[davidmsem]

I posted this in another thread but I just plugged my classic le with some steel wool. My dealer recommended it. It still ran high (800°) but that still in the safe zone. Might try more or cover with a magnet. I'll experiment.

Side note - where does the 'welded hole' go? What is it?

Thanks

Are you sure you plugged the correct hole?

I used to the rope material that makes a seal on around the door. Pulled the rope through. Really changed things.