Older Fabco stove. Damper is wide open but the fire acts as if it's closed. Clogged?

[Fishnaked]

I purchased this stove used last year to replace a smaller stove. I've used many wood stoves over the years and could any of them as hot as I wanted. This one burns lazy though. In fact, I have to leave the door unlatched much of the time to keep the fire going, as seen in this pic. When latched, it's as if the damper is mostly closed. The fire, starved of oxygen, will shut down and the wood just smolders.

I'm guessing there's a clog some where...but I can't figure out where the air from the open damper enters inside the stove.

Is there a clog...or is it something else? Doesn't seem like this should be rocket science but I'm stumped. Anyone?

 

[begreen]

Could be weak draft. Describe the flue system including how tall, elbows, tees, etc.. Does it burn lazily if you burn just dry construction cutoff 2x4s?

 

[Fishnaked]

Could be weak draft. Describe the flue system including how tall, elbows, tees, etc.. Does it burn lazily if you burn just dry construction cutoff 2x4s?

Thanks. It's outside in that pic, but, when it's inside my house, there's 8' of single wall and 12' of triple wall. There are no trees in the way and the cap is well above the recommended "2' above roof withing 10 feet" rule.

There's two elbows at the top of the single wall....but they are very slight...maybe 10 degrees, at the most. The wood stove I had prior to this one drafted fantastic with this same pipe/chimney configuration.

It burns lazy regardless of type or size of wood I put in it. And I only use well seasoned wood.

 

[jatoxico]

Reiterating BG's question about the wood, does it burn well on construction scraps or kiln dried wood? Don't know the stove but maybe there's a ceramic wool blanket or other baffle system that's not correctly in place?

 

[begreen]

Should draft well with that amount of flue. If the wood is seasoned maybe start checking for the unusual like a mouse or bees nest in the air intake ducting? Or maybe it's just a poor design?

Is that top center control knob for a bypass or the air control?

 

[begreen]

Some stoves have a long duct path for their air control. They need a stronger draft than other stoves to pull air through the ducting. Multiple 90 deg. turns add resistance. High altitude also means thinner air and more chimney height needed to compensate. What altitude are you at?

Look under the stove carefully with a bright light and mirror, especially near the end of that lower right control rod if that is the air control. If it is there should be a simple valve regulating the air intake port.

PS: If that top control is the bypass are you starting the stove with the bypass open?

 

[Fishnaked]

Thanks for the replies, everyone.

Re the type of wood...it doesn't matter. Kiln dried scrap lumber, old cedar shakes, cedar scraps...all manner of wood sizes and species, hardwood and softwood. I can not get a good fire in this thing when the door is latched. With my old stove, I had to be careful. It was easy to get a raging fire...easy to get the top red hot.

I can understand that it would sound like a flue or perhaps a wood issue. I can guarantee that it is not due to the wood having too much moisture.

My house sits at 3700'.

The upper center knob controls a thin plate in the top....tilting it up and down, reportedly adjusting how many flames are kept within the box as opposed to going upward (that's how it was described to me). I've moved it all around and it seems to have little to no effect on the fire.

I've looked underneath. In fact, after I took it outside, I turned it over to get a better look. That handle slides a plate over the intake hole to dampen it down. I know that it's open, all the way. Initially, I thought the issue was that the existing intake hole wasn't large enough for some reason....so I drilled 3 additional holes which would have doubled the amount of air. It did absolutely nothing to the performance of the stove though. That's why I'm wondering if there's not something up inside blocking air passage. The problem thus far is that I can't figure out where the air enters the firebox. Shouldn't be difficult. I'm going to step out and take another look.

The stove was made in 1987...so I don't know if there's a ceramic wool blanket. Where would it be anyway? There's no other baffle system that is obvious in the newer stoves. It appears to be a simple design. Firebrick against metal. A thick metal plate blocking the flames from going up the pipe...and the other thinner aforementioned adjustable plate

 

[Grisu]

With that large glass door it may have an airwash. Thus, the air should enter from over the door.

If there are no burn tubes in the top it won't have a baffle/blanket etc. Does the handle still move the damper at the flue outlet?

 

[BKVP]

We purchased Fabco many years ago. If you tell me the model, it appears to be a Briarwood XE, I can look for an original manual or parts description. I suspect, if still in place, your self proclaimed high draft is lifting the blanket and effecting performance.

I'll try to help if I can.....

 

[begreen]

If there is a blanket above the baffle could it be bunched up toward the flue opening?

 

[Fishnaked]

Thanks again, everyone! I appreciate the speedy responses and willingness to help!

Since my last post, I took another and more careful look. Grisu is correct. It was pretty obvious once I took another look. Anyway, the air comes in on the top just above the glass.

I turned the stove over and put my leaf blower against the intake on the bottom hoping that it would dislodge something. Nothing came out but air. I then put a metal coat hanger in and wiggled it around as best I could. As far as I can tell, there's no blockage.

There is definitely no blanket of any kind inside this stove. Nothing is blocking flue opening.

I took out the aforementioned adjustable plate. I'm going to see if that makes any difference. I know it has been worked on by the previous owner who never used it (he buys & sells stoves as a hobby). Maybe he didn't get something right...

I also had this thought: Even though I doubled the size of the intake by drilling additional holes, perhaps I'm seeing no benefit because it is not drafting properly due to only using 6' of single wall pipe on these test burns. Due to it being so heavy, I didn't want to move it back inside my house until I finished working on it (I painted it and installed a new glass gasket). Maybe.....maybe once I move it back inside and hook it up to a flue configuration I know drafts well, I will see the benefits of enlarging the intake....

BKVP - Yes, I believe it's a Briarwood...but don't recall for sure. The original tag, which was on the ash plate just below the handle, was peeling off last winter so I removed and tossed it.

 

[Grisu]

Stupid thought: Is the flue clean? And what are your outside temps right now? Maybe it is sluggish because it is still pretty warm outside.

 

[Fishnaked]

Stupid thought: Is the flue clean? And what are your outside temps right now? Maybe it is sluggish because it is still pretty warm outside.

Yes, it's clean. Outside temps have been warmish...high 70's. But, it burned like this all of last winter, even in below zero temps.

 

[Grisu]

Did you see any air coming in from the bottom when testing with the leaf blower? If the air only comes in from the top, is there some kind of shield that directs them downward over the door? Here would be an example from the Super firebox:

I mean the black part just behind the top door opening. Without that the incoming air won't really go down to feed the fire before exiting around the baffle. Maybe that piece is missing or it was never there to begin with. Could be that at that time they did not have figured out all the intricacies of modern stove design. Maybe BKVP can shed light on that if he can locate a manual.

 

[Fishnaked]

Did you see any air coming in from the bottom when testing with the leaf blower? If the air only comes in from the top, is there some kind of shield that directs them downward over the door? Here would be an example from the Super firebox:

I mean the black part just behind the top door opening. Without that the incoming air won't really go down to feed the fire before exiting around the baffle. Maybe that piece is missing or it was never there to begin with. Could be that at that time they did not have figured out all the intricacies of modern stove design. Maybe BKVP can shed light on that if he can locate a manual.

Hi Grisu,

Not sure I understand your question but here's what I did: I stuck the leaf blower against the intake on the bottom and felt air coming out of the exit at the top. That exit is heavy metal and angled down so the air goes against the glass. The photo you posted is too small for me to see what's going on. I think my explanation explains it though.

 

[Grisu]

Yes, you answered my question which was if there is some kind of diverter over the door that would direct the air down along the glass before it takes a 90 degree turn to fan the fire in the bottom of the firebox. I guess that is not the problem then. Maybe BKVP can come up with something. Ever thought about just buying a new stove?

 

[BKVP]

Most of the Fabco product had a blanket to help firebox temps and decrease emissions. Sweeps (no one take offense here) have been widely know to sweep a stack onto the top of the blanket and just pull it out and toss it. This comes from hundreds of Fabco owner testimonials. As well as other stoves with a blanket that is easily accessible.

With the blanket missing and the new larger air holes you created, good luck trying to nail down the unit to OEM performance. If you can take some good images and pm me, I will see if I can I.D. the unit and get some drawings or a manual for you.

 

[Fishnaked]

Yes, you answered my question which was if there is some kind of diverter over the door that would direct the air down along the glass before it takes a 90 degree turn to fan the fire in the bottom of the firebox. I guess that is not the problem then. Maybe BKVP can come up with something. Ever thought about just buying a new stove?

Well, I got the stove back inside over the weekend. The outside temp felt autumn-like crisp this morning...so I lit it up. After getting the fire established, I placed a combination of split kiln-dried fir 2x4s, split pine the size of my wrist, which had been cut two yrs ago, and some wrist sized aspen that had died 3 yrs ago. In my old Regency (made in 1989), this would have produced a raging little fire that could have gotten the top red hot.

Any way, this Fabco works marginally better than it did prior to the extra holes and removing the thin adjustable plate up top. It heated my house last winter and it'll heat my house this winter even better. Still disappointing though. Given that the fire never burns fast, it takes a while to start throwing off any meaningful heat....and I'm sure I'll have to clean my chimney more frequently. The glass blackens quick too.

Perhaps it's just the nature of the design....or the previous owner monkeyed with it enough that it simply doesn't work the way it was intended. I think you're right though that this stove never had a blanket.

Re a new stove...yes, I'd love to do that. I'm mostly retired though and trying to pinch every penny I have so I can afford to build a new home with the money I have saved.

 

[Grisu]

The Englander Madison or 30NC are ~$900 new and very capable heaters. Not sure if it makes sense to freeze yourself to death before you can even build your new home.

 

[Fishnaked]

The Englander Madison or 30NC are ~$900 new and very capable heaters. Not sure if it makes sense to freeze yourself to death before you can even build your new home.

Thanks. This stove kept us warm enough last winter and works a bit better now so we won't be freezing. ;-) I'll just put that money towards a really nice stove for the new place.