Hi, I was doing some repairs yesterday (new back burn plates, new catalytic element, etc.) and I noticed that the stove's damper doesn't close all the way, there's still about 1.5" of opening when the damper control rod is pushed to the closed position. I know that completely sealing the damper can sometimes cause back-puffing, but my question is, did they do that on purpose so it won't close all the way? Maybe to avoid backpuffing, or to control the mix of air to the catalytic element? Maybe the lawyers or the EPA made them do that? Or a manufacturing error? Since it's a catalytic, even with the damper closed completely, gases can still vent through the catalytic, so you'd think it's supposed to close completely, or more than it does, to allow the catalytic to do it's thing. The way it is now, with the damper in closed position and air intake 50% to 100% open, most of the flame and gases seem to go out through the damper, and virtually no visible flame/gases are going to the catalytic. Or maybe that's the optimum for the stove design?
I noticed this right away, before I took it apart, so it's not that i installed something incorrectly. And it's easy to see why it won't close. There are 2 main parts... a damper control rod that's just a push rod from the front of the stove. It connects with a cotter pin to a pivot arm that's on the end of a 2nd rod, which is essentially the hinge rod for the damper. It's wierd, because what's stopping it is the pivot arm of the hinge rod ... it's welded onto the hinge rod. In other words, it sure looks like it's made that way, and there are no other possible "adjustments" or ways to change it, at least not that I can see. If I disconnect the control rod and operate the damper on it's own, the pivot arm hits a part of the stove itself. BTW the damper has a gasket, so it sure looks like it's meant to be closed all the way.
I'm fairly competent with mechanics, and this is such a simple mechanism, I'm really scratching my head over this one. I checked the hinge rod completely, and the welds aren't bad, it's solidily connected to the damper through other welds. I'm stumped.
It's 1995 Jotul Series 8AP, catalytic. Thanks for the help!
I noticed this right away, before I took it apart, so it's not that i installed something incorrectly. And it's easy to see why it won't close. There are 2 main parts... a damper control rod that's just a push rod from the front of the stove. It connects with a cotter pin to a pivot arm that's on the end of a 2nd rod, which is essentially the hinge rod for the damper. It's wierd, because what's stopping it is the pivot arm of the hinge rod ... it's welded onto the hinge rod. In other words, it sure looks like it's made that way, and there are no other possible "adjustments" or ways to change it, at least not that I can see. If I disconnect the control rod and operate the damper on it's own, the pivot arm hits a part of the stove itself. BTW the damper has a gasket, so it sure looks like it's meant to be closed all the way.
I'm fairly competent with mechanics, and this is such a simple mechanism, I'm really scratching my head over this one. I checked the hinge rod completely, and the welds aren't bad, it's solidily connected to the damper through other welds. I'm stumped.
It's 1995 Jotul Series 8AP, catalytic. Thanks for the help!
