Confused about how to use the damper

[Pert86]

Hi! We just installed our first wood stove and today was the first day we’ve run it all day. I’m reading mixed things about the flue and am real confused. It’s all over the internet to never close the flue (is that the same thing as the damper?!) while the fire is going at all and only close it when the ashes are cool to the touch due to carbon monoxide poisoning? But then I thought (and have been doing today) that once it’s blazing you close the flue to make the fire last longer??? Which is it?! I don’t want to do do anything unsafe for my family but I also want the most effective heat for the my wood. Help a newbie?! It’s a drolet escape 1800 btw

 

[Woodsplitter67]

please read the manual that came with the stove. It should have operating instructions.. closing the stove damper will allow your secondary burn to happen.. closing the flue damper will close off the flue pipe not allowing the smoke to go up the stove pipe. By the looks of your install theres no key on the stove pipe so you do not have a stove pipe damper. These are 2 different dampers your inquiring about.. the stove damper runs the inside of the stove.. A flue damper is Inside the the pipe that is above the stove and is turned by a key or handle.. Hope I explained this well enough..

 

[brenndatomu]

Sounds like there may be a mixup between an open fireplace flue and a wood stove flue...a fireplace flue should never be closed until the coals are cold...a modern stove doesn't even need a flue damper...unless you have an extremely tall chimney.
The fact that a fireplace flue needs to be so large, and open so long, is why they are so inefficient.
I would just control the fire with the stove damper, leave the flue damper wide open normally.

 

[Crocks]

Your wood stove does not have a flue damper , only a primary air inlet valve/ damper .

After you have started a fire and burned down some small peices to coals. Load it up full. Atleast double what you have in picture. Let it run wide open for about 10 mins or untill it starts taking off. Slowly over the next 10 or so minutes close your primary air down completely. Enjoy the lazy flames and high heat output for hours. Try not to open the door unless you are reloading. Longbig loads are key