Hi,
This fall I relined an existing 25' masonry chimney with a 8" SS flex liner (insulated) and installed a Kuma Sequoia insert. This thing drafts like crazy and I have been been experimenting with restricting the intake in order to get the draft under control. A damper isnt really an option for me due to the insert installation. Also, a damper would just be another knob my wife would have to remember to use when she runs the stove, so this is to be avoided.
One thing I have noticed, is that I basically have to burn the thing with the primary air totally closed (or open like 1/8") to get reasonable cat temps in the 900-1000 or so range on the condar cat temp probe. If I open up the primary more it appears that the cat temps get cooler not hotter even though I get more flames in the box. I assume this is because the draft is pulling all of the heat out of the box. It seems then as the load burns down I need to open the primary more to get the temps back up.
I've spoken to the folks at Kuma and they have been helpful but I am interested in more opinions. One thing they did was send me a cat baffle with slight smaller holes to help protect the cat from flame impingement and I assume slow down the draft, but I haven't noticed much change with that.
Does this make sense, and is it normal to get higher cat temps with the stove turned down? I've owned other cat stoves but never had one with a cat temp probe so Im not used to this type of measurement.
Thanks
John
This fall I relined an existing 25' masonry chimney with a 8" SS flex liner (insulated) and installed a Kuma Sequoia insert. This thing drafts like crazy and I have been been experimenting with restricting the intake in order to get the draft under control. A damper isnt really an option for me due to the insert installation. Also, a damper would just be another knob my wife would have to remember to use when she runs the stove, so this is to be avoided.
One thing I have noticed, is that I basically have to burn the thing with the primary air totally closed (or open like 1/8") to get reasonable cat temps in the 900-1000 or so range on the condar cat temp probe. If I open up the primary more it appears that the cat temps get cooler not hotter even though I get more flames in the box. I assume this is because the draft is pulling all of the heat out of the box. It seems then as the load burns down I need to open the primary more to get the temps back up.
I've spoken to the folks at Kuma and they have been helpful but I am interested in more opinions. One thing they did was send me a cat baffle with slight smaller holes to help protect the cat from flame impingement and I assume slow down the draft, but I haven't noticed much change with that.
Does this make sense, and is it normal to get higher cat temps with the stove turned down? I've owned other cat stoves but never had one with a cat temp probe so Im not used to this type of measurement.
Thanks
John
