We have a 1983 "King" model blaze king that has the oval cat. The problem I'm having is that the fire dies shortly after I close the door. I always make sure I have a good bed of burning coals and then I load her up. I've tried this every way I could from the thermostat set to either 1, 2 or 3 to the draft door being fully opened to being barely cracked, but the fire always goes out. What am I doing wrong?
Fire always dies when I close the door on my Blaze King?
- Thread starter Cabin Fever
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Has it always done this or is this something new?
Does it do it with the cat engaged and in bypass mode?
Have you checked your chimney cap to make sure it isn't plugged?
How tall is your chimney? What diameter is it?
Switch to different wood that might not be as well seasoned?
pen
Does it do it with the cat engaged and in bypass mode?
Have you checked your chimney cap to make sure it isn't plugged?
How tall is your chimney? What diameter is it?
Switch to different wood that might not be as well seasoned?
pen
We just installed the stove actually so using a Blaze King is completely new to me. The fire dies whether the cat is engaged or in bypass mode, but as soon as I crack the door the fire catches right back up again only to completely die when I close the door.
How tall is the chimney?
How long has the wood been cut, split, and stacked?
If the chimney is too short and not providing enough draw, this can happen. Also, if the wood's moisture content is too high, you'll have these same symptoms.
Also, you might be interested in checking out some of the links in this thread https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...lem-stoves-air-is-restricted-faq-about.59225/
pen
How long has the wood been cut, split, and stacked?
If the chimney is too short and not providing enough draw, this can happen. Also, if the wood's moisture content is too high, you'll have these same symptoms.
Also, you might be interested in checking out some of the links in this thread https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...lem-stoves-air-is-restricted-faq-about.59225/
pen
I'm not sure how tall the chimney is, but I'll get back to you on that one. The wood is red oak that's been seasoned for well over a year now and is completely dry. The wood burns fine as long as the door is either cracked or fully open since there's a nice bed of coals in there. One thing I'd like to point out is that a few minutes ago I closed the door and for the first time I could hear the stove drawing air and the cat was glowing red. It put out amazing heat at that time, but then it stopped all of a sudden ten minutes later. Again, that was the first time I've ever heard it drawing air and during that ten minutes it seemed to work like a charm. At that time the damper was completely closed and the thermostat was set to fully open (3). I just don't know why it seem to work for those ten minutes.
Oak is one of the more difficult woods to season. In ideal conditions it will be ready in 2 years. If it's not stacked in single rows with good ventilation, expect 3 years.
Sounds like you are fighting your fuel source to me, so long as your chimney is 15 feet or higher with a straight shot above the stove.
Any tractor supply or similar stores around you that stock eco-bricks or other man-made solid fuels? Might want to give a few a try for a comparison, or else even a load of the grocery store pre-bundled / kiln dried (in many cases) wood to help narrow things down.
Sounds like you are fighting your fuel source to me, so long as your chimney is 15 feet or higher with a straight shot above the stove.
Any tractor supply or similar stores around you that stock eco-bricks or other man-made solid fuels? Might want to give a few a try for a comparison, or else even a load of the grocery store pre-bundled / kiln dried (in many cases) wood to help narrow things down.
The oak wood is from my brother-in-law who has burned it problem free in his Blaze King Princess all winter. At first I thought it was the wood as well, but that just doesn't seem to make sense at this point. We've always burned a wood stove during the colder months, but this is our first Blaze King and it's really thrown me for a loop that's for sure.
There's no hissing when I start the fire. The only thing I can think of is that the air intake that's controlled by the thermostat is clogged somehow since the fire dies completely when the door is shut. Does anyone know how to get to the air intake in order to clean it out?
Here's a quick update guys. I took the cover off the back and found that the little metal flap to the air intake that opens/closes when you turn the thermostat was stuck. Even with the thermostat set wide open the flap was completely closed. Anyway, I knocked it loose so it turns like it's supposed to and now the intake finally draws air and the stove burns just fine. I have a quick question though and this is probably gonna sound extremely stupid, but here it goes. When the fire gets going and you close the door and the damper all the way and just control the air flow with the thermostat, how does the smoke exit through the stack without the damper open?
Sounds like your starving the stove for air, check your air inlets to the stove.
Op, just read this. Yeah was thinking your air inlet is plugged or stuck, good deal.
because the ambient temperature inside the stove keeps it going, Aka the hot coals. Once the stove drops in temp, the bi metalic spring opens it up to bring more air in. Your exhaust gases should be free to roam, new stoves really don't need a flue damper, they are designed airtight, your regulating the air flow, with your automatic damper.
Dampers
Pipe dampers have holes large enough for reduced flow. Older ones have larger holes in the center, some newer styles have long narrow slots near the spindle shaft that clog easily.
![[Hearth.com] Fire always dies when I close the door on my Blaze King?](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/96/96977-1060d81d86709b18e46dd2d30b4a23ba.jpg?hash=wwUtPdPRDF "[Hearth.com] Fire always dies when I close the door on my Blaze King?")
![[Hearth.com] Fire always dies when I close the door on my Blaze King?](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/96/96978-23b00edd17aa41e2650fee468c46c453.jpg?hash=Is0J1NRDtq "[Hearth.com] Fire always dies when I close the door on my Blaze King?")
So these holes are metered for the correct amount of flow to allow air to be pushed into stove.
Heated gasses and air in stove are lighter than colder air outside chimney, so it rises through pipe and chimney. This creates a negative pressure in stove. Barometric air pressure is what forces air into the intake providing oxygen to fire. That is why atmospheric pressure changes how well it burns. On days with lower atmospheric pressure, it just doesn't want to go due to less pressure in the atmosphere rushing in to fill the void. So it tends to idle along. Those are the days you learn to open the damper more, allowing more heat up chimney, creating a larger differential in temperature between inside and outside of chiney flue. This lowers the pressure in the stove allowing the lower pressure of the atmosphere to fill the stove with combustion air.
Pipe dampers have holes large enough for reduced flow. Older ones have larger holes in the center, some newer styles have long narrow slots near the spindle shaft that clog easily.
So these holes are metered for the correct amount of flow to allow air to be pushed into stove.
Heated gasses and air in stove are lighter than colder air outside chimney, so it rises through pipe and chimney. This creates a negative pressure in stove. Barometric air pressure is what forces air into the intake providing oxygen to fire. That is why atmospheric pressure changes how well it burns. On days with lower atmospheric pressure, it just doesn't want to go due to less pressure in the atmosphere rushing in to fill the void. So it tends to idle along. Those are the days you learn to open the damper more, allowing more heat up chimney, creating a larger differential in temperature between inside and outside of chiney flue. This lowers the pressure in the stove allowing the lower pressure of the atmosphere to fill the stove with combustion air.
For a good many with a strong draft, one is necessary. If not a pipe damper, then other modifications would need to be done to reduce the amount of air the fire sees even with the air controls fully closed.
pen
Old stoves yes, there not airtight. New stoves that are designed airtight, do not need a Flue damper. You could have 100' of flue, and if your stove is still airtight, there will not be a problem. Most manufacturers these days don't want a flue damper installed. If your stove started out airtight, and starts to burn a higher amount of wood. Check for leaks. Find me a new stove with new clean burn technology, that states in it's instructional manual, that there needs to be a flue damper installed. I will bow down to you, promise. I bought A Daka furnace and i installed a damper in the flue, that was stupid of me. the two dampers fought eachother, and I lost. To each there own.
You do realize you're in the "Classic Wood Stove Forums Pre-EPA (prior to 1988) forum and answers in this thread are related to a 1983 Blaze King right??
Page 5 for this Cat equipped stove contains draft control information that includes a pipe damper to maintain .03 to .06 inches of water column. (draft)
(broken link removed to http://www.blazeking.com/PDF/Wood%20Stove%20TroubleShooting%20Guide.pdf)
Here's a link from current manufactured models that recommends the use of a secondary pipe damper. Last question in their Stoves Questions FAQ ;
(broken link removed to http://www.hitzer.com/faqs.php)
Manufacturer quote;
Is a damper in the stove pipe necessary?
A damper in the stove pipe is not a requirement, however, it is suggested. It is suggested because it eliminates excessive draft created by a hard pulling chimney. It will decrease the amount of warm draft up the flue, and allow more warm air created by the stove to be used for your home. The damper in the stove pipe regulates the amount of air flow to the flue and eventually up the chimney. There are two types of dampers to use in these situations: a manual damper or a barometric damper.
** The other reason for a pipe damper, even if you let it wide open all the time like most manufacturers recommend, is it becomes an emergency brake if some day your newfangled air tight stove that uses door gaskets should have one fall out , glass break, or something gets stuck in the door that you can't close it all the way. It will be the only throttle you have, and you will wish you had one.**
If nothing else, it separates the inside ambient air from the outside ambient air.
A good one will have an arrow pointing up so the smoke roaming around in there knows which way to go.
Both of my stoves are air tight and have clean burn technology and suggest the use of a damper for strong draft. I have a 52 ft chimney and I use the damper for long overnight burns. Page 12
http://www.wood-stove.org/assets/Dutchwest-Federal-Airtight-Manual.pdf
good luck
I have a flue damper on my pipe (for a Johnson Energy Systems Wood Furnace) and I keep it wide open all the time.
In fact I have a crescent wrench (acting as a weight) hanging from handle to ensure it remains open. Like Coaly said, it can operate as a "brake" if you need it.
I installed this stove, I think, in 1985, and misplaced manual so don't know if manual recommended flue damper, or if I just did it on my own. That section of pipe has been replaced several times and I always installed new flue damper.
I also have a Daka (same as Alex), but it is installed in my garage. I leave damper wide open on that also.
So for actual operation I guess flue damper is not needed, in my situaltion anyway. It actually gets in the way for chimney cleaning. Then I have to come up from the bottom of chimney with a smaller brush (and that's messy).
In fact I have a crescent wrench (acting as a weight) hanging from handle to ensure it remains open. Like Coaly said, it can operate as a "brake" if you need it.
I installed this stove, I think, in 1985, and misplaced manual so don't know if manual recommended flue damper, or if I just did it on my own. That section of pipe has been replaced several times and I always installed new flue damper.
I also have a Daka (same as Alex), but it is installed in my garage. I leave damper wide open on that also.
So for actual operation I guess flue damper is not needed, in my situaltion anyway. It actually gets in the way for chimney cleaning. Then I have to come up from the bottom of chimney with a smaller brush (and that's messy).
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