I have a damper that is set at about 45 degrees, do you think I should open that all the way up?

[DriftWood]

PM Question and Answer

Hearthstone Heritage question; buckeye wrote

I was reading about raking the coals to the front of the stove and you mentioned to get a good flame and turn down the primary air. how far down are you talking?
Im trying to get an idea on this air control, do you have a damper as well, or do you use the air control on the front for all your air flow?
I have a damper that is set at about 45 degrees, do you think I should open that all the way up?
I hope you dont mind me picking your brain a little

My stove is has no vent damper. The vent pipe is only about 18 feet tall and over draft is no problem.


Why do you have one in your vent?

I would leave the damper open and learn to use the primary air control first. Shutting the damper dose just that lowers the flue gas pipe volume and thus lowers the total air intake volume available to the secondary burn. You want as much secondary air volume as possible.

Primary air control in front will not shut off all air flow to stove, just most of the primary air flow. Secondary air comes out the stainless tubes at the top of the fire box below the baffle. Air is drawn through these tubes into the firebox adding super heated air the the flame increasing combustion, heat, and thus efficiency.

So you want these tubes drawing as strong as possible. Turning down the primary air flow with the front lever dose this. I shut it down or off if I can as soon as possible. This was recommended to me by a hearthstone factory teck during a phone conversation he said " get a hot fire going as fast as possible, and a secondary burn going by adjusting the primary air flow or you are just making creosote"

 

[buckeye]

my pipe is about 38' and when I was having problems with the insert that I first had installed they thought that I may be losing alot of heat out the pipe and installed a damper in hopes that would help......NOT. thats another story. So, anyway, I was wondering about the air control. I keep hearing people talk of having a "sweet spot" and I wanted a little insight from someone who is running the same stove that I am. I realize weather conditions and wood have alot to do with it as well.

 

[elkimmeg]

Dampers should be open for starting a fire and closed down if having problems controlling the burn.

leaving it at 45 degrees will retard the start up the point where the most smoke is produced.

One may have to open the damper at re-load time again to establish the burn and to help the exhaust smoke leave..

almost 30 years I worked to fine the sweet spot in the various stoves I used some days I could dial it in others I fiddled and diddled the controls.

then I found thematically controlled secondary air and a cat combustion chamber designed to the job. They worked so well in concert
they almost dial themselves in very little fiddling and diddling with my two stoves and more time to help other on the hearth