Installed Heat Commander with 26 feet of vertical double wall. There is a one inch diameter opening right under the door that lets in air to the front of firebox. When the stove is first lit, air flows into the stove but after a while it reverses and flows out! Called manufacturer and said I need a barometric dampener. Does not make sense since the dampener would only reduce draft. The stove burns well when hot, so there is negative pressure in the box to be able to draft. Thoughts?
Drolet Heat Commander issue
- Thread starter drivfour
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
brenndatomu
Minister of Fire
How long is the stovepipe (if there is one?) and does it have good rise to its run? Is it singlewall?
That "1" hole" is actually a 1/4" if you look back inside the pipe...it is just "boost air" to the base of the fire.
When the draft reverses, is this soon after one or both of the damper motors adjust down/closed? Like maybe right after the under fire air (grate) damper closes? How much draft do you have here? A manometer reading would help figure this out.
Have you tried cracking a nearby window open to see if that helps?
I agree a baro will not help this issue, but you will probably need one anyways, for proper opertion with a 26' chimney.
And I assume this "doublewall" chimney is the kind with a 1" layer of insulation between the walls...and it is 6" ID?
I am at 8800 feet-Outside air usually 30-40 . Not sure how to tell when the under grate damper closes. where is other air introduced? . I will measure chimney draft and report back. Issue is when this tiny hole exhausts in room you can smell a type of gas like nitrous oxide or something that stings your nose. That is how I found situation
Run is only a foot to a tee then straight up. 6 inch pipe single wall for 20 feet inside building , then about 6 feet insulated double wall.
I could measure temp of inside pipe but since its inside, its not cooling off that much I believe.
brenndatomu
Minister of Fire
Take a flashlight and look in the vent slots on the side of the metal box that covers the controls in the back (under the stove pipe connection) The one on the left (as you look at the back of the furnace) is the damper for the under grate air and will be wide open when the fire is first started...after the fire builds up you will hear the dampers start to adjust down (the grate air will close)
The damper on the right side is the primary air control...that air comes in through a slot right above the window, and that controller will stay open longer, at least partially, until the thermostat is satisfied, then it will close (or mostly close) unless the fire dies down too much, then it should open just a bit to keep the fire from smoldering.
I was curious if the draft reversal happens right after the damper(s) close.
Also, have you made sure your heat exchanger tubes are clear, and the baffle boards in the top of the firebox are properly in place? (centered, sitting flat, and pushed clear to the back)
The reversal seems to start when the blower turns on. I checked the baffles but then think the blower may feed the air tubes and the window wash. They seem to be connected to a manifold that ends up in the back center.
Anyone know the air system layout of this stove? Have not measured pressure in the stove pipe yet.
Anyone know the air system layout of this stove? Have not measured pressure in the stove pipe yet.
brenndatomu
Minister of Fire
They are not.
If the problem starts when the blower kicks on, then the issue is that you do not have adequate return air to the blower...open a door to the basement, the issue will immediately right itself.
turns out the many seams on this stove are not sealed. blower air, at fairly high velocity was blowing by the booster tube creating a vaccum. I have since sealed most of the seams including the one around the tube and the reversal stopped.
Similar threads
