Help, can’t figure this stove out!

[mississippimud]

I have experience with an older non epa stove (no air intake control and had a damper in the flue) but I’m having trouble with my new one. I bought it in 2020 from an Amish hardware store. I can’t find a brand name on it. It’s square with the glass front door, heats up to 1200sq ft. It has what I’m just discovering on this forum to be an air intake control that’s located at the bottom of it. My problem is I can’t control my fire in this thing. It’s like it has two settings,,, hot and hellfire! I’m exaggerating a little but seriously once it gets a good coal bed, it’s gonna burn whatever I put in there no matter if the air intake is open or closed. I can’t make it smolder. I wake up freezing in the early hours of the morning because my fire has burned to powdery ash and I’m going through my firewood pretty quickly. I can literally burn one to two small pieces and it feels comfortable but it burns them up so fast that I’m constantly feeding it. Can I just add a damper in the flue to fix the problem? It also smokes really bad but I think I need to add another 3ft piece of outside stovepipe to help with the draw. Can y’all please advise me? This is not my permanent residence, it’s my off grid place but I still need it to work. It’s gonna be really cold when I go back in January.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Is there a tag on the back?

EPA stoves are made not to smoulder. How tall is your chimney? When you light your stove, when do you start turning down the air?

 

[bholler]

I have experience with an older non epa stove (no air intake control and had a damper in the flue) but I’m having trouble with my new one. I bought it in 2020 from an Amish hardware store. I can’t find a brand name on it. It’s square with the glass front door, heats up to 1200sq ft. It has what I’m just discovering on this forum to be an air intake control that’s located at the bottom of it. My problem is I can’t control my fire in this thing. It’s like it has two settings,,, hot and hellfire! I’m exaggerating a little but seriously once it gets a good coal bed, it’s gonna burn whatever I put in there no matter if the air intake is open or closed. I can’t make it smolder. I wake up freezing in the early hours of the morning because my fire has burned to powdery ash and I’m going through my firewood pretty quickly. I can literally burn one to two small pieces and it feels comfortable but it burns them up so fast that I’m constantly feeding it. Can I just add a damper in the flue to fix the problem? It also smokes really bad but I think I need to add another 3ft piece of outside stovepipe to help with the draw. Can y’all please advise me? This is not my permanent residence, it’s my off grid place but I still need it to work. It’s gonna be really cold when I go back in January.

View attachment 302914

What is your chimney setup like

 

[john26]

Looks like a Vogelzang or something by USSC https://www.usstove.com/stoves/wood-stoves/1200-sq-ft-pedestal-wood-stove-2020-epa-certified/

 

[clux]

Does it have a firebox plug leading to that ash pan?

It's probably leaking air.

 

[bholler]

Does it have a firebox plug leading to that ash pan?

It's probably leaking air.

Definitely a possibility nice call seeing the ashpan

 

[mississippimud]

Does it have a firebox plug leading to that ash pan?

It's probably leaking air.

I have experience with an older non epa stove (no air intake control and had a damper in the flue) but I’m having trouble with my new one. I bought it in 2020 from an Amish hardware store. I can’t find a brand name on it. It’s square with the glass front door, heats up to 1200sq ft. It has what I’m just discovering on this forum to be an air intake control that’s located at the bottom of it. My problem is I can’t control my fire in this thing. It’s like it has two settings,,, hot and hellfire! I’m exaggerating a little but seriously once it gets a good coal bed, it’s gonna burn whatever I put in there no matter if the air intake is open or closed. I can’t make it smolder. I wake up freezing in the early hours of the morning because my fire has burned to powdery ash and I’m going through my firewood pretty quickly. I can literally burn one to two small pieces and it feels comfortable but it burns them up so fast that I’m constantly feeding it. Can I just add a damper in the flue to fix the problem? It also smokes really bad but I think I need to add another 3ft piece of outside stovepipe to help with the draw. Can y’all please advise me? This is not my permanent residence, it’s my off grid place but I still need it to work. It’s gonna be really cold when I go back in January.

View attachment 302914

My chimney runs 3ft above the edge if my roofline. I don’t know about a plug near the ash pan I’ll look when I get back. As far as turning down the air, I thought it was a damper so I turn it down when the fire is burning hot with a good coal bed. I was trying to get it to smolder. I didn’t know epa stoves didn’t smolder. Other than the smoking, is this stove acting like it’s supposed to? Im not loving it but I’ll get used to it I guess.

 

[Eman85]

It most likely is leaking air, it takes 3 to make a fire fuel heat and oxygen. If you can't control the air that is your problem. You can put a damper in the stove pipe also.

 

[bholler]

My chimney runs 3ft above the edge if my roofline. I don’t know about a plug near the ash pan I’ll look when I get back. As far as turning down the air, I thought it was a damper so I turn it down when the fire is burning hot with a good coal bed. I was trying to get it to smolder. I didn’t know epa stoves didn’t smolder. Other than the smoking, is this stove acting like it’s supposed to? Im not loving it but I’ll get used to it I guess.

How tall is your chimney and what type and size?

What type of wood are you using and how full are you loading it?