flue control question - older standard fireplace

[andrewjoseph]

Hello all,
I've gotten a lot of help on here after moving into our new house. Its our first wood burning fireplace and we are enjoying it quite a bit. Its an older model, mid 80s, and I haven't been able to locate a manual. So almost everything I know about operating it and woodburning practices in general I have learned on here.

When using the blowers, and running the overhead fan, it heats the house up fast. Puts out great heat, but not for long periods obviously because its just a fireplace with glass doors.

There is a dial to control the flue, and I've been running it open or shut. But there is one other very well defined point in between which looks to be another setting. Half open/shut.

When would a person use this half open? Are there any benefits at all? This may be too basic a question, but when I run a search on here I get way to many results to pull the needed info on.

I'm attaching a photo of my fireplace and the dial.

Thanks for any help

 

[begreen]

It looks like that is a damper for a convective heat system tied to the fireplace system. This looks a bit like a Heatilator competitor. I'm not sure why it has to "Open" settings. You may need to experiment if you can't contact the mfg.
210 South Main
Commerce, OK 74339
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T: 918-675-4355

 

[OldLumberKid]

I'm running a standard woodburning fireplace. One where you have to reach in with a heavy glove to adjust the damper rod that has 4 or so notches. Usually if I adjust halfway, or even just a notch, it's going to dampen, or tame down, a fire that's burning too quickly/strongly.

I figure it's a little like my Weber charcoal grill, where I can adjust the temperature and speed of the burn, i.e. the amount of air/oxygen coming in by half-closing the vents in the intake (bottom of the Weber) and the outflow (lid), so that I don't nuke the food to fast.

But reading the post above, your case may be different, I have no idea how yours might work with some alternative convective heat system.

Hope others will feel free to add insights, as I'm a relative newb, too.