NC-30 Super Sucker Draft

[ddown]

My NC-30 Has been Burning great in fact to great. I have a severe draft problem. I went through a couple other stoves thinking this was the probem. After getting my 30 I was getting max 3-4 hourd burns with good dry Black Walnut. No creosote problems but my Chimney is 38 to40' tall. Read all about the Bungalow syndrome. As it got colder here in Michigan the effect increased expotentially. I Checked with BB and other here and put in a Pipe-Damper and it improved greatly however I leave the plate vertical and onloy engage the draft control after I achieve secondary burn. Is this the best I can do. Or would a better choice be a sliding cover on the intake on the back. This article by john Gulland explaine my problem just looking for the best solution. Have thought about CATs as they are said to work better with higher draft leverl. Have also seen the damper /cat adapters thinking that might slow down draft while creating even cleaner burn. Any advice would be appreciated. Tried Sending ESW PM Full and Bounce bac from emails in signature.

So any opinions appreciated.

Merry Christmas.

Tom Roberts
DDOWN

http://www.gulland.ca/florida_bungalow_syndrome.htm

 

[LLigetfa]

I and some others have found that restricting the zipper (doghouse) air works well to control burn with excessive draft. If you have a dedicated OAK, it could also be supercharging the air supply.

 

[ddown]

no oak just the round tube at the back of the stove

 

[BrotherBart]

Yeah you can get you a couple of magnets and first try putting one over the zipper air feed hole in the bottom of the firebox right behind the right leg and then try putting one over the one behind the left leg also and see if one or both helps. I ended up covering both, removing the doghouse and filling the space in the air distribution plate with a piece of stainless. It gives control of all of the primary air, distributes it evenly into the fire across the whole front of the load and since all primary air is then drawn down the glass I haven't had to clean the glass yet and have been burning since October. Because the damned doghouse air isn't slamming into the splits and ricocheting back into the glass and hazing it up.

What has to be remembered when doing this kinda stuff is that you can no longer totally damp down. You will be in control of all but the secondary air so you have to learn how to give it the right amount of air to maintain a burn instead of letting the stove designer and the EPA do your thinking for you. I load it between seven thirty and eight each night level it out at 550 degrees and when I get up the next morning around eight it is sitting between 250 and 300 with just enough coals to load up and do it again. After the mod the sweet spot for mine and my chimney setup is with the tip of the primary air spring handle exactly even with the front of the ash lip. I don't know how it would do with E/W loads this way because I got tired of messing with them a long time ago.

The stove is now a pure delight to burn in. And my fingernails have grown back out.

 

[ddown]

Thanks for the help I'm on a Pedastal do I have to put in the other cast legs to gain access to these openings?

 

[dave11]

Thanks for the help I'm on a Pedastal do I have to put in the other cast legs to gain access to these openings?

Based on a prior discussion here, I'm pretty sure the answer is Yes. I don't think you can get a clear shot to cover them with the pedestal on. Can't tell you for sure, as mine is on legs. The holes are at the very front corners on each side. If you can't get magnets in there, maybe you could gently screw in a bolt.

 

[BrotherBart]

To try it just put an appropriate sized bolt in that hole in the doghouse. It won't stop all of the air but it will stop most of it. It will let you know if you want to go farther. I have never seen one of the stoves on a ped so I don't know. Some people like the mod and some don't. Most that don't didn't do the whole job or still want to be able to shove the primary rod all the way in. The mod is for people that want to set a good balance between primary and secondary air for an even burn. Not folks that want to shut off primary and watch the fires of hell roll on top of the wood.

You will still get that during initial out-gassing of a new load but then you settle it into a long consistent burn.

With that tall a pipe you need to do something. It is a wonder that stove isn't sucking splits up the chimney. :lol:

 

[ddown]

It's amazing to me that a stove dealer would do my install and then just say everythings OK 1st my Quad and then a messed up Homestead, Well thanks to the Forum I burning better everyday

 

[LLigetfa]

A dealer would not be allowed to make such modification to the stove. The best the dealer can do is to try to match the stove to the install. Of course they are torn between what they have in inventory, what the buyer wants, and what they think is best.

It's too bad the stove manufacturers don't allow for variations in draft and provision for different "porting" to compensate. They make a stove that is a compromise and then expect the owner to tolerate how the stove performs if it is plus/minus the norm.

 

[stoveguy2esw]

are you shutting the primary control all teh way , you can it will not shut the stove all the way off

 

[carinya]

my 13 is on the pedestal so at the moment I have stuck a couple bolts in the doghouse (tertiary air supply). This has worked great. I agree with BB that it gives you far greater control over the burn. I can almost control how much in the way of nice coals I have at the end of a burn.

It would be interesting for Mike to (anonymously ?) ruminate on the pro's & con's of messing around with the original specs.

 

[ddown]

Well after fooling with Allen wrench in Doghouse port things have quieted down with the stove. Even with Pipe damper Horizontal got 900+ on flue. With doghouse can control everything with no damper at all 4 hrs now with 600 pipe 500-550 stovetop I think i'm finally in the zone thanks to all.

 

[Wiseguy13]

I also have a 13 NC, exactly where are the bolts supposed to go? I have been having many may problems with it this year and I am willing to try anything at this point.

James

 

[BrotherBart]

With doghouse can control everything with no damper at all 4 hrs now with 600 pipe 500-550 stovetop I think i'm finally in the zone thanks to all.

:coolgrin: