Napoleon 1402 Air Intake Issue?

[bobonuts]

First time posting, long time lurker. Great forum.

I had a napoleon 1402 installed 2 winters ago and up until this last spring have been very happy with it.

I started noticing towards the end of the last season fires would almost seemed choked when I closed the glass door. No more secondaries lighting off on the top of the stove. Also if I started a newspaper fire to get a draft going, as soon as I close the door, the fire would go from raging inferno to smoldering half burnt paper.

At first I assumed I needed a chimney clean in the worst way, but I just had the chimney swept last week and decided to start a test fire yesterday, same thing happened, smoldering mess once the door was shut.

Now I think it has to do with the intake, the napoleon's intake is somewhere on the bottom, im not sure if the secondary air shares the same intake as primary or not. But now i'm pretty convinced this is my issue. We have two cats so I suspect over the last couple years the bottom of the stove might look like the bottom of my refrigerator after a year, dander and fur clogging everything. Just a theory.

Has anyone here had this issue? Does anyone here have a good technique or have tried to clean the air passages on the inlet side of this stove? I thought about blowing compressed air down the primary air passage, but this wouldnt do much for the secondary passage (I assume).

As a last resort, ill decouple the stove from the flue pipe and tilt it back with a crowbar...not sure what I'll find under there. Also i notice this stove sits very low to the ground, you can just barely slide one of those cheap wood rulers they sell at home depot underneath it, should I elevate the stove a bit with some metal bar stock for better air flow?

Thank you.

 

[begreen]

Greetings. The Napoleon needs good draft. If the flue on this insert is not drawing strongly enough the stove may perform poorly during milder weather, especially if there are windows or attic vents open on the floor above. The other possibility is that you've run into a batch of greener wood.

As a last resort, ill decouple the stove from the flue pipe

Is the insert connected to an insulated 6" liner in the chimney? How tall is the liner? Does it go to the top of the chimney?

There is also a chance that the air control lever has come detached from the air control valve. If it has the air control should feel much looser and sloppy compared to a year ago.

 

[bobonuts]

Greetings. The Napoleon likes good draft. If the flue on this insert is not drawing strongly enough the stove may perform poorly during milder weather, especially if there are windows or attic vents open on the floor above. The other possibility is that you've run into a batch of greener wood.

Is the insert connected to an insulated 6" liner in the chimney? How tall is the liner? Does it go to the top of the chimney?

There is also a chance that the air control lever has come detached from the air control valve. If it has the air control should feel much looser and sloppy compared to a year ago.

My 6" liner is coupled to the stove using a 45 degree connector piece. My flue is 22ft tall and completely lined. I got a good draft going with some very dry kindling wood, but once the door closes, the fires just go completely out.

Ill check the air control lever to make sure its not detached however the secondary air when i first got the stove was enough to keep the wood burning to some degree, not anymore.

 

[begreen]

It will take checking out each system. Checking for a lot of cat hair in the air intake is a good place to start. You can check the action of the air control at the same time. Another possibility is that the liner has been compromised by aggressive brushing or if the liner is 2 ply smoothwall, possibly by delamination.

 

[Oldman47]

That insert gets its combustion air at the bottom. The control you use for primary air also controls secondary air although each air path has its own entry hole. Basically the sliding control uncovers 2 separate holes below the firebox.

 

[Deviosity]

Greetings. The Napoleon likes good draft. If the flue on this insert is not drawing strongly enough the stove may perform poorly during milder weather, especially if there are windows or attic vents open on the floor above. The other possibility is that you've run into a batch of greener wood.

Is the insert connected to an insulated 6" liner in the chimney? How tall is the liner? Does it go to the top of the chimney?

There is also a chance that the air control lever has come detached from the air control valve. If it has the air control should feel much looser and sloppy compared to a year ago.

I am almost sure my air control lever has come unhooked ..is there a diagram to show how it should look or a way to repair it ? am desperate to fix it .

 

[begreen]

I think I recall vaguely that the Napoleon uses a pivoting valve but could be confusing it with another stove. The best thing to do may be to inspect the underside of your insert or visit a Napoleon dealer and look underneath a freestanding Nappy to see how it works. Use a mirror and a flashlight to make it easier.

 

[Oldman47]

My Napoleon stove, not insert, uses a sliding shutoff for the air but primary and secondary air are on a single control lever.