Draft control mechanisim removed from Earth Stove 1400HT, repairable?

[aakoller]

Bought our home with an Earth Stove 1400HT insert in stone fireplace, stove installed in 1989 or so. It's inefficient and we didn't understand why the stove doesn't have a damper. Then discovered there is a draft control mechanisim and that it has been completely removed by the previous owner. We can see where the draft control knob would be but have no parts for it and no idea how the system even works. We can't find any diagrams explaining how it works, the manual we found proves useless for this situation.

Does a diagram even exist for the draft control system? Is it something that can be repaired? Would having the draft control make the stove more efficient by "turning the fire down", such as a damper would? Or is the draft control there just to help get the fire started?

I do understand that the stove has been discontinued and contacting maufacturer deems tricky, Earth Stove was bought by Lennox then Lennox merged with another company and there I stopped researching, frustrated and now I'm here.

 

[begreen]

The stove is dangerous to run without a proper air control. Given the age of the stove you would be better off with a newer stove in good condition. It will use less wood and burn cleaner.

That said, most air controls are simple assemblies. Often they are just a pivot damper that covers the air intake hole.

 

[aakoller]

Thank you for your advice.
What is your advice on baffle brick replacement? The manual I have just says they're firebricks, the part list says baffle brick are a special denser brick. do not substitute with FB-2. Do you know what these special baffle bricks are made of? Or what they're actual name is? My stove is an Earth Stove 1400HT.
Also should I replace cracked firebricks that line the inside of the stove?

 

[begreen]

Standard firebrick would be better than nothing if the baffle brick is missing. Replace badly cracked and crumbling or eroded bricks.