Air intake obstruction on an Avalon Rainer??

[ranergeo]

Hi All! I've recently upgraded my open fireplace with an Avalon Rainer insert I bought used. Chimney was checked and cleaned, I installed a 6" stainless liner to the top, and, worried about the "tightness" of my house, built a 1" square steel pedistal, with a fresh air duct from outside coming up through the old ash dump to the bottom of the stove. I can get a pretty decent fire started, but when I close the door, it seems to choke down quite a bit (not "out", but not really "going"). With that said, my only real comparison is an Avalon Pendleton stove my mom has at her camp in Maine, which seems to get a good roaring fire with the air control fully out. I do know this; once the fire is going, with full air, it seems to cut down quite a bit once the door is closed, yet opening the door only an inch gets it going nice and toasty again (which is why I'm thinking it has to be starving for air)!

I had the stove sitting in my garage for a season, as I didn't have the time to get to it last year, and I'm wondering if mice could have built a nest in there. Has anyone ever had this happen? Or does this sound like normal stove operation due to the intake size? Also, could someone please help me to understand how the air flows around the stove? I see the two tubes up top, which I think help transfer heat out to the room, and what seems to be another grate along the upper front of the door, which I assume is intake air (but it could all be reversed for all I know!)? There is also a small welded "box" inside near the center front botom (just behind and below the door) with a hole in it, if anyone could add what THAT is! If I need to figure a way to get a possible nest out, I just want to know I'm looking down the right passages, as it is a bear to see much of anything through the air intake opening!

I'll answer anything I may have missed, and thanks for all the help in advance!

 

[woodmiser]

I believe a good stove service person can measure your draft with a meter. It's not unusual to have to crack the door to get things going and it dying back some when closing the door. Have you had a good roaring fire with the door closed yet? Is your wood good and dry?

 

[snj2k2se]

I have a Rainer as well. I'm a little confused about the "welded box below and behind the door with a hole in it".
Are you talking about the hump just inside the door, centered in the stove? I don't have a hole in mine.
I also don't have an ash dump, so our stoves may be a little different.

Mine is a little cold blooded, you can't close the air down much until the stove top is over 450, and even then it's finicky depending on how good the wood is.

The insert was installed when I bought the house, with a direct vent (4' piece of flex through a block off plate). I had to leave the door open for a good 20 minutes after starting and reloading to get it going.
3 years ago I installed a full insulated 6" liner. That made a HUGE difference. I can close the door as soon as I light it up, and with a load of good wood can close the air down completely. I'm thinking it has something to do with your outside air setup.

 

[BrotherBart]

A frequent concern of people new to EPA stoves. Look here:

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/65174/

 

[DexterDay]

How long ago did you split or buy your wood? Wood does not season in a month.or two. You may have wet wood?

What type of wood?

When was it split?

Is it stacked? And for how long? In the sun? Covered with tarp?

Havinv unseaomed wood is the #1 killer of an EPA stove. If you are burning anything other than OAK (and a few other species) then the wood should have been split and stacked for at least a year. If you bought your wood. Buyer beware. Most firewood sellers split the wood just before delivery. Wood does not start to season until it is split and stacked.

Welcome. Hope you get your problem resolved.

 

[Beer Belly]

my only real comparison is an Avalon Pendleton stove my mom has at her camp in Maine, which seems to get a good roaring fire with the air control fully out.

This is a used unit....do you have the manual......with the Ranier, the "Air Control pulled out" will rob it of air.

 

[ranergeo]

Thanks everyone for the replies! To answer some of the questions:

The wood is seasoned wood I took from a friend who moved out of state, and had a cord of it in his basement. It's maple and has been sitting for just ovr a year. My own personal stacks are oak, but have only been cut and stacked (criss cross ways, to keep stability while improving airflow) for about 6 months. I was hoping o use them in a couple more months when I'm thinking the "dry" pile runs out! Thanks everyone for all the advice concerning the wood, it's good to know!

snj2k2se, that's the box, just inside the door! It looks like a drilled hole, with something I can only describe as an old PCV breather filter material you'd find in the air cleaners of older cars. I'm sorry for the confusion on the ask dump. The stove doesn't have one, but I used the one in the existing fireplace I installed into as a fresh air intake for the bottom port in the unit!

Thanks Admin for the link, as I've tried to narrow my searches before this, and couldn't do remotely as well as this!! The first post alone provided more information than I could ask for (and them some)... surprised to see that flue height and outside temp could have such an incredible effect on air pull bewteen door open and closed! I may need to figure out a way to increase my stack height!

I do have the manual, as Avalon posts them on their site! I also pulled the damper (completely) out so I could try to get a look up inside to see if there were any obstructions! I have been able to make a pretty good burn so far, but just noticed that when the door was open, it would really pick up! Again, I think everyone for their helpful input!

Doesn anyone know of a good site with a flue extender I can add to a 6" liner (within a terra cotta lined chimney) to raise my stack a couple of feet?