New Heritage, Flue Damper Needed?

[Nazgul]

Ok so after MUCH trials and travails I've finally gotten my new Heritage installed in my fireplace, well in front of it really. My chimney is quite long, about 25 ft with two 45 degree angles. I did the break-in fire like the manual suggested and then had a real fire, which went very well. It was roaring in no time, even with the primary air shut "off".

I've read that even at "off" it still lets air in which is fine. I filled the firebox to the max, shut off the primary air and went to bed and when I woke up about 8 hours later there was nothing but coals and ash left. I have the Outside Air Kit hooked up so guessing that helps. My question is given how hot it seems to run and how quickly the wood burns do I need a flue damper to control the draft better? I don't know how much moisture the wood has since my moisture meter won't be here till today. If anyone has any recommendations how to burn the Heritage, i.e. flue damper, primary air % please feel free to chime in. Thanks.

Oh also does anyone who has a Heritage have a recommendation for what thermometer to use on top of the soapstone? Says to put it on the center top stone.

 

[Stump_Branch]

Search getting a hearthstone up to 600. Browning wrote a nice write up, and he advocates the use of one. I think his chimney maybe similar as well.

Standard magnetic surface hermometer works. Condar makes them, rutland too. Tel-tru makes some as well a bit more sensative and pricey.

 

[Huntindog1]

I would put one in for safety reasons in case you ever need it to slow things down then you can play around with it to see if it improves your stoves operation.

 

[DAKSY]

Your chimney height is right about at the area where a damper
is probably recommended. If you install it & it doesn't make
a difference, you can always leave it in the full open position.

 

[Nazgul]

Ok well I gotta move out the stove next year to get it inspected/cleaned so I'll install one then. Thanks for the help!

 

[firecracker_77]

I'm burning in a Heritage. I don't have a damper, but I have thought about it. Shutting down the primary air is a good control, but I wonder when she's burning super hot with secondaries how much heat could be saved.

 

[Nazgul]

I'm burning in a Heritage. I don't have a damper, but I have thought about it. Shutting down the primary air is a good control, but I wonder when she's burning super hot with secondaries how much heat could be saved.

Yeah I filled it up and within a couple hours it was almost at 600 without even trying, had to dial it back. I may install a damper sooner if it keeps burning as crazy as it does.

 

[Highbeam]

Yes, you need a damper. I wish I had one on my minimum length 14 foot chimney. I can't keep the flue gasses below 850 with the intake shut to zero. The owner's manual actually tells you how to determine whether you need a damper but at 25 feet you are there.

Any surface temp reading meter is fine. How do you know you hit 600 without one? Anyway, I started with a rutland and swapped it to a nicer looking condar and when it self destructed went back to a rutland. All were originally intended to be magnetic and stick to a metal surface but I just set them on the stone per the manual.

There is really very little control over this EPA stove, it is either hot near 500 or out of fuel. The only time you will really mess with the air control is when starting or reloading the stove, then you will be running at somewhere between 1/2" open and completely closed.

 

[firecracker_77]

Yes, you need a damper. I wish I had one on my minimum length 14 foot chimney. I can't keep the flue gasses below 850 with the intake shut to zero. The owner's manual actually tells you how to determine whether you need a damper but at 25 feet you are there.

Any surface temp reading meter is fine. How do you know you hit 600 without one? Anyway, I started with a rutland and swapped it to a nicer looking condar and when it self destructed went back to a rutland. All were originally intended to be magnetic and stick to a metal surface but I just set them on the stone per the manual.

There is really very little control over this EPA stove, it is either hot near 500 or out of fuel. The only time you will really mess with the air control is when starting or reloading the stove, then you will be running at somewhere between 1/2" open and completely closed.

A tall chimney creates wonderful draft Mine is probably about 25 feet. As the Woodstock brochure points out, your stack is the engine and the taller the stack within reason, the better the draft.

 

[Highbeam]

Unfortunately for us and our non-cats, that high draft equates to a runaway stove. For a woodstock it is a good thing since they are all cat stoves with intake air controls that actually shut down the air supply almost completely. With a strong chimney and controllable intake you can choose the rate of burn and that it wonderful.