Englander NC30 Doghouse Clogged?

[BigDaddyJ]

Hello all,
I was hoping I might be able to benefit from the vast knowledge that you guys have. Here is my issue. I have been running an Englander NC30 for about 4 years now and it has performed flawlessly and does a great job of heating my home. That being said, recently I have been having an issue. Starting about a couple of days ago, I noticed that when starting a new fire, it is taking longer to get going and the fire itself does not seem to be responding to changes in damper setting. At first, I didn't think much of it and thought it might be some wood that I was using from a different rick. Anyway, I tried starting fires with some wood that is bone dry and never fails to light up instantly. Even with the dry wood, I struggled to get a fire started and it would never really take off like it should. This made me start thinking that it could be an oxygen issue. As an experiment, I placed a fire starter on a piece of wood directly in front of the doghouse. Regardless of damper settings or how much I have the door cracked, you can tell that the doghouse is NOT blowing out air onto the fire. The flame from the fire starter is not moving. I've ran this stove long enough to know that this is not normal. My question, can these doghouse inlets become blocked or clogged? If so, what would be the procedure in cleaning them. My stove has the pedestal base so I cannot access the inlet holes on the front bottom of the stove. Your help in trouble shooting this issue is greatly appreciated.

Jeff
Middle TN

 

[ckr74]

You won't get any air from the doghouse if the door is open. There are two screws on the bottom of the doghouse so you could take it off and inspect it. They are on the bottom and likely covered with ashes. I'd spray a little lube on the screws before taking them out. Be careful so you don't shear the heads off.

 

[BigDaddyJ]

You won't get any air from the doghouse if the door is open. There are two screws on the bottom of the doghouse so you could take it off and inspect it. They are on the bottom and likely covered with ashes. I'd spray a little lube on the screws before taking them out. Be careful so you don't shear the heads off.

Thank you for the reply. Normally, when starting a new fire, I crack the door about an 1/2 inch or so and the area in front of the doghouse looks like a blast furnace. Enough that it will sometimes blow the fire starter out if I don't let it burn long enough. So, something is definitely different. Also, I just recently cleaning my chimney and when attempting to start a fire, I'm getting zero smoke entering the room so I'm inclined to believe that it is not a draft issue. I'll try taking the doghouse off and inspect it.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Have you checked the chimney?

 

[Highbeam]

I would just blow air into the hole. I doubt it is plugged but if it is, blasting the hole out backwards will clear it. You can also suck on the doghouse hole with a shopvac hose.

 

[BigDaddyJ]

Have you checked the chimney?

Other than when I cleaned it three weeks ago, I have not. I will likely run the brush down it again just to rule that out. However, when you light a napkin inside the stove, you can clearly see the smoke being pulled to the rear of the stove.

 

[BigDaddyJ]

Update: I was able to run a long pipe cleaner quite a ways down into the doghouse hole. Does not appear to be any obstructions. I just tried placing a lit napkin in front of the doghouse and there does appear to be some airflow, just not as much as it normally has. Does anyone know what/where the air supply to the doghouse is located? Perhaps there cold be a blockage somewhere else in the system? Thanks for your help.

Jeff

 

[blades]

it has happened that various 8 legged critters have constructed a home. during the non use period. Also, it is possible that the sliding plate is perhaps disconnected from the adjustment rod for the primary air. the holes underneath in the front inside the pedestal each corner are for the air wash. the small rectangular intake on the back is for the secondary air. 3" round is the main air intake which feeds the dog house. exhaust should roll to the front passing the first secondary air tube exiting into the top chamber above the insulation boards. your statement of smoke going to the back and up says to me that the insulation boards are not properly located. Webs are hard to dislodge even with a goodly burst of high pressure air. I never have had to attack the damper plate/control rod system, so I am not sure if it is accessible for viewing above/ through the ash drawer area. My 30 is way too hot to go poking around under there at present. The damper plate does not give much control (from a visual standpoint) until it is in its last 3/8" or so of travel

 

[BigDaddyJ]

it has happened that various 8 legged critters have constructed a home. during the non use period. Also, it is possible that the sliding plate is perhaps disconnected from the adjustment rod for the primary air. the holes underneath in the front inside the pedestal each corner are for the air wash. the small rectangular intake on the back is for the secondary air. 3" round is the main air intake which feeds the dog house. exhaust should roll to the front passing the first secondary air tube exiting into the top chamber above the insulation boards. your statement of smoke going to the back and up says to me that the insulation boards are not properly located. Webs are hard to dislodge even with a goodly burst of high pressure air. I never have had to attack the damper plate/control rod system, so I am not sure if it is accessible for viewing above/ through the ash drawer area. My 30 is way too hot to go poking around under there at present. The damper plate does not give much control (from a visual standpoint) until it is in its last 3/8" or so of travel

Thanks for that good information. It is important to note that whatever the issue is, it just began. I have already been running this stove this season and up until a day or so ago, it was functioning perfectly. That's what is so strange about this situation.

Does anyone know how to access the damper plate/control rod for an Englander NC30?

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Other than when I cleaned it three weeks ago, I have not. I will likely run the brush down it again just to rule that out. However, when you light a napkin inside the stove, you can clearly see the smoke being pulled to the rear of the stove.

It's going around the baffle, right?

 

[BigDaddyJ]

It's going around the baffle, right?

I'm not sure. The reason I say that is typically I sweep my chimney from the roof and run the brush down until it won't go down any further. I can hear from the sound and the way it feels that the brush has entered to single wall stove pipe directly attached to the stove. This usually results in a handful of creosote that falls down into the stove box.

Is this correct or should I be doing something different? I guess I'm not sure where the baffle is.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Take a pic of the inside of your stove. There should be 2 white panels on top.

 

[BigDaddyJ]

Take a pic of the inside of your stove. There should be 2 white panels on top.

I'm sorry. I initially misunderstood what you were asking. Yes, the two baffle boards are in place, undamaged as of yet, lying flat on the burn tubes and slid against the back of the stove. I may have misspoke about the smoke being sucked to the back of the stove. I was trying to imply that the draft seemed adequate and that no smoke was back drafting into the room. Again, up until a day or so ago, this stove was functioning perfectly. I am now wondering if perhaps the adjustment control rod/damper plate may have come loose.

 

[ckr74]

Take a flashlight and look in the 3" hole on the back of the stove. You have to look up at an angle but you will be able to see the draft plate. It will probably take two people, one to pull the rod and one to look at the plate movement or you can move it a little and take note of it's position. Hope it's not broken because that would be a tough fix.

 

[Highbeam]

the holes underneath in the front inside the pedestal each corner are for the air wash. the small rectangular intake on the back is for the secondary air. 3" round is the main air intake which feeds the dog house.

I think you have this wrong Blades. The two holes in front feed the horizontal tube under the door which feeds the doghouse hole. The air intake control and 3" hole regulates the airwash supply. People have completely plugged the doghouse hole or removed the doghouse yet maintain adjustability in burn rate because the air wash is the only adjustable air intake. That doghouse hole is full throttle all the time.

 

[Highbeam]

I think you have this wrong Blades. The two holes in front feed the horizontal tube under the door which feeds the doghouse hole. The air intake control and 3" hole regulates the airwash supply. People have completely plugged the doghouse hole or removed the doghouse yet maintain adjustability in burn rate because the air wash is the only adjustable air intake. That doghouse hole is full throttle all the time.

Replying to myself. I take it back Blades. Just spent some time under the NC30 and found some interesting things. First, the intake slider allows complete closure of the slot being fed by the 3" OAK snout on the rear. Weird, this means the two other holes up front provide the minimum EPA air to something when the intake is shut. Secondary air is fed by the square hole unregulated in back. That adjustable primary slot feeds an intake manifold that runs up to and underneath the doghouse where the manifold feeds all or a part of a large internal channel that runs under the doghouse, doorframe, and up the sides of the doorframe to the airwash. That large channel running around the doorframe appears to be also fed by the two air holes under the front corners of the stove.

So now I'm thinking that the airwash and doghouse are both just part of the primary air system which fed by both the holes up front underneath and the adjustable slider.

Plugging the underneath holes will allow total control of primary air with the slider. Plugging the doghouse hole will just provide more air to the airwash.

Either way, to the OP, your doghouse hole is not very important.

 

[ckr74]

I'm pretty sure the doghouse and primary are separated. You can plug the holes underneath and shut off doghouse air. It's a far reach but it can be done with the pedestal on.

 

[FPX Dude]

I don't want to derail the OP, I'm following along because I like to learn, and help if possible, but can someone please tell me what a "doghouse hole" on a stove is what it's function?

 

[EatenByLimestone]

On the OP's stove, there is a box that sticks up in the middle, just behind the glass. It shoots out a jet of air during the burn.

 

[blades]

that is what we call the dog house.

 

[MAD MARK]

Any follow up on this @BigDaddyJ ?

I also just 3 days started having issues exactly like he described. Bone dry wood not catching and staying lit like it would 4 days ago.

Checked the chimney nice and clean. Cleaned the back of the stove and checked all the holes. Seems like the dog house isn't blowing much as I always build a fire to feed the "tunnel of love".

 

[BigDaddyJ]

Any follow up on this @BigDaddyJ ?

I also just 3 days started having issues exactly like he described. Bone dry wood not catching and staying lit like it would 4 days ago.

Checked the chimney nice and clean. Cleaned the back of the stove and checked all the holes. Seems like the dog house isn't blowing much as I always build a fire to feed the "tunnel of love".

As a follow up, my stove is functioning fine now. I believe my problem was related to some less than optimal wood being stored in the same stack as my more seasoned wood. I had a dead red oak fall last year and believing that parts of it were properly seasoned, had stacked that in with some other wood to fill out a rick. Upon further examination, the red oak did not have the optimal moisture content. As with so many problems that arise on this forum, many can be traced back to burning wood that has too high a moisture content.

I have noticed that on a cold start, the doghouse does not seem to blow as much air. However, once things start to heat up inside the stove, the doghouse seems to kick in more aggressively. FYI, I did take a really long pipe cleaner and ran that down through the hole in the doghouse. Whether this helped anything I am not sure as it did not feel like there were any obstructions in the doghouse. I hope you find resolution to your problem.

 

[blades]

Wood moisture and Mother Nature - the bane of heating with wood. as you start a burn flue heats up inducing greater draft. More draft more pull on the intake hence more air from the dog house- Don't believe me - take a hair dryer and feed the main intake with it watch happens at the dog house. So if it is cold out and a cold flue and dead still air it takes a bit for the flue to warm and create more draft. on the other had a howling wind can cause an over drafting problem at times. not unique to the nc30 applies to all non powered venting items One of the reasons a good cap on the flue pipe that prevents a straight blow over is needed. to give an example - back when I was installing my 30 I had the pipe all set to go including cap. We had some small tornadoes go through ( 14 in one day covering 4 counties). Any way , one bounced over my place( yea) but the suction on the pipe sucked the wad of plastic bags I had in the end of it( inside) right up to the top inside the cap.