I have a medium size Dutchwest, probably 20 years old now. I’ve replaced the combustor a few times, they never seem to last. The last one lasted about 2 years and not even that good when new. It was an EBay aftermarket special. The original Dutchwest version lasted about 6 years. I was never a big fan of running on combustor being that I live high on a hill, and downdrafts while on combustor filled my home with smoke and set off my smoke alarms a few times in the middle of the night.
I recently bought 2 stove fans, those thermoelectric ones for the top of the stove. Well, they’re about useless! Because my stove has a combustor, that top chamber keeps the top of the stove from going over 200 degrees on a regular basis, and I burn almost every night 6-11pm.
Question 1, what’s the best course of action in my case when the combustor is dead? Do I pull it and that big block out and let the heat flow up through?
Question 2, in the summertime, even with the bypass damper and side air vent closed, I get a creosote smell in the house due to a backdraft. I’ve considered pulling the combustor out and laying a 6” x 1/2” steel disk in its place. Between that and the bypass damper being closed, it might help the smell. I could even leave it in there over the winter since my combustor is dead.
Before someone says why don’t you just buy a new combustor, there’s a reason. My gameroom is 12 x 24, if I get the stove hot enough to engage the combustor, it cooks us right out of the room, and we use that room every evening. That also satisfies the thermostat upstairs and the furnace doesn’t come on making my bedrooms freeze! I even have a floor vent just above the stove to try and let the heat up. I have a split entry home. I taped different lengths of thread to my downstairs doorway that proved that the cold air falling down the stairway airlocking the heated air in the downstairs gameroom.
Suggestions appreciated!
![[Hearth.com] Combustor question, Dutchwest](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/288/288388-a146f4e7f3a606b870ddcad358c94103.jpg?hash=A7Ddfj36Eu "[Hearth.com] Combustor question, Dutchwest")
I recently bought 2 stove fans, those thermoelectric ones for the top of the stove. Well, they’re about useless! Because my stove has a combustor, that top chamber keeps the top of the stove from going over 200 degrees on a regular basis, and I burn almost every night 6-11pm.
Question 1, what’s the best course of action in my case when the combustor is dead? Do I pull it and that big block out and let the heat flow up through?
Question 2, in the summertime, even with the bypass damper and side air vent closed, I get a creosote smell in the house due to a backdraft. I’ve considered pulling the combustor out and laying a 6” x 1/2” steel disk in its place. Between that and the bypass damper being closed, it might help the smell. I could even leave it in there over the winter since my combustor is dead.
Before someone says why don’t you just buy a new combustor, there’s a reason. My gameroom is 12 x 24, if I get the stove hot enough to engage the combustor, it cooks us right out of the room, and we use that room every evening. That also satisfies the thermostat upstairs and the furnace doesn’t come on making my bedrooms freeze! I even have a floor vent just above the stove to try and let the heat up. I have a split entry home. I taped different lengths of thread to my downstairs doorway that proved that the cold air falling down the stairway airlocking the heated air in the downstairs gameroom.
Suggestions appreciated!
