New to Earth Stove--help!

[BarbaraGay]

My husband and I recently moved into an old house which has a wood stove (which we love), but it's an Earth Stove, which neither of us have ever had or know anything about. Can't tell what model it is; looks like the sticker on the back burned up at some point--it's there, but black. It has a screen that you can put over the front, I guess to use it like a fireplace? It does not have a damper or flue on the chimney at all, which is a straight pipe going up, so that's something I have no idea how to deal with . . . looks like it's gonna just burn up the wood before it has a chance to heat the house? Anyway, any and all advice would be greatly appreciated! I can send pics if needed. I did notice that it has some pipes inside on the back wall? Thanks in advance for any feedback.

 

[begreen]

The old Earth Stoves had a great appetite for wood, but could heat pretty well. Modern stoves do the job much better with less wood. The stove and especially the entire flue system should be inspected for integrity and safety before burning by a certified professional sweep. If you can post a picture of the stove here we may be able to identify it.

 

[Gregor]

My husband and I recently moved into an old house which has a wood stove (which we love), but it's an Earth Stove, which neither of us have ever had or know anything about. Can't tell what model it is; looks like the sticker on the back burned up at some point--it's there, but black. It has a screen that you can put over the front, I guess to use it like a fireplace? It does not have a damper or flue on the chimney at all, which is a straight pipe going up, so that's something I have no idea how to deal with . . . looks like it's gonna just burn up the wood before it has a chance to heat the house? Anyway, any and all advice would be greatly appreciated! I can send pics if needed. I did notice that it has some pipes inside on the back wall? Thanks in advance for any feedback.

I love my Earth Stove! Earth Stoves come in many styles and models. Mine is a 2800HT (High Tech) non-catalytic fireplace insert. You might be able to find your model on WoodHeatStoves.com. They have an Earth Stove Brochure posted on their web site with pictures of many different models. There's also a page in the brochure that explains how their catalytic and non-catalytic stoves work. As you noticed, they don't have chimney dampers. Their air flow is controlled by the intake vent and it's so air tight that closing the vent will stop the air flow and put out the fire. Opening the vent all the way lets the fire burn hot enough to clean the glass and display the fire. My stove has a thermostatic control on the intake vent; maybe they all do. This lets me adjust the stove temperature with the vent handle while the thermostat continuously adjusts the air flow. The good news is that I don't have to adjust it once it's set where I want it. The bad news if you're a control freak is that you only have indirect control over the air flow.
I find that lighting the stove is a little tricky. Like any other wood stove, you have to get the chimney warmed up to get the draft going. You start your fire with the vent set to open and the thermostat will open it since the stove is cold. My model also has an auxiliary vent that says it should be kept closed except when starting the fire. Even with that, I find that I sometimes have to release the door latch to let more air in until it's warmed up a little (usually just a couple minutes). During warm up, I can tell that the thermostat is hunting back and forth for the right setting,and it can smother the fire if when it warms up (and shuts the vent) before there's a good draft up the chimney.

 

[FishKiller]

would need a couple pictures to help you out further. its not uncommon for stoves to not have a damper on the stove pipe at all. if your running it with the screen on the front, then yes, you have no air control and your pumping your heat up the stack. if your running it with the doors on, then you can control the fire and pump more heat into the stove. i have a cat model earth stove cranking away right now in the basement. loves to eat wood, but really throw some heat, i need to put a fan on it too keep things cool enough for me to be comfortable with... if i don't, then i peg the thermo around 850-900. that being said, i would quickly replace mine with a newer more efficient stove. but if its what you got, and you maintain it, and its running well... then keep it.