Do I need to install a damper in the chimney pipe? Going into an existing 35 foot clay lined chimney. Draft is very good, I can feel the air leaving the basement and going up the chimney.
Question about Fisher Grandma bear install
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Yes.
During open door burning with screen in place, this becomes your only control.
Not sure what you mean by "you can feel the air leaving basement going up chimney". The only way for indoor air to go up chimney is through the two air intakes. With them opened a turn or less, this is very minimal.
Perhaps you don't have it connected yet and it's warmer inside than out, and you're feeling the rising air going up chimney?
If you have an opening allowing heat to rise up stairs, the rising heat will make a low pressure area in the basement requiring outdoor air to take its place. This will be in the form of drafts. If leaving heated air rise, you need a cold air RETURN back to the basement to be reheated to avoid differential pressure between indoors and out.
During open door burning with screen in place, this becomes your only control.
Not sure what you mean by "you can feel the air leaving basement going up chimney". The only way for indoor air to go up chimney is through the two air intakes. With them opened a turn or less, this is very minimal.
Perhaps you don't have it connected yet and it's warmer inside than out, and you're feeling the rising air going up chimney?
If you have an opening allowing heat to rise up stairs, the rising heat will make a low pressure area in the basement requiring outdoor air to take its place. This will be in the form of drafts. If leaving heated air rise, you need a cold air RETURN back to the basement to be reheated to avoid differential pressure between indoors and out.
And sorry about the confusion on the draft, I had the chimney pipe apart and meant I could feel the warm air rising through the chimney. Kinda goofy phrasing I used! Lol. And I will still install the damper, but this grandma will not be used as an open fire place. I don't even have the screen. Strictly being used to warm the basement when we are home. The Hitzer heats most the time.
Yeah, that doesn't mean much. You can have a poor drafting chimney with too large of a diameter and outdoors, but in the sun the masonry gets warm and drafts great disconnected.
You'll use the damper when first lighting. Cardboard and kindling will go so fast it can roar up the stack. Simply keep the draft caps open a few turns so it gets plenty of air and partially close the damper to slow the roar. Set it by sound, right where the roar stops. It keeps the heat in the stove to ignite the larger pieces. If you slow it by closing air intakes, depriving it of oxygen at that time is not going to get it going.
During the burn you're going to need to let a lot of heat out to keep that high of a chimney hot all the way up. You'll probably run wide open or close just a touch. You'll find out if it creates too much creosote towards the top when you close it too much. After repeated burns you should get a good coal pile and be able to close the damper to hold that heat and prolong the coals. (no smoke or creosote formation at this time) The other thing a pipe damper is good for is if you have a problem positioning a log and the doors are open too long. (You close it until smoke starts to roll in at the top and open it slightly. This is the setting for open burning with screen in place to slow the fire) It slows the fire, but you'll feel more heat dealing with the pesky log.
Like most that end up with a double door stove, you really needed a single door with 6 inch for heating. You've got a stove designed for fire viewing in the "Fireplace Mode" and we all know what a Fireplace does for efficiency.
You'll use the damper when first lighting. Cardboard and kindling will go so fast it can roar up the stack. Simply keep the draft caps open a few turns so it gets plenty of air and partially close the damper to slow the roar. Set it by sound, right where the roar stops. It keeps the heat in the stove to ignite the larger pieces. If you slow it by closing air intakes, depriving it of oxygen at that time is not going to get it going.
During the burn you're going to need to let a lot of heat out to keep that high of a chimney hot all the way up. You'll probably run wide open or close just a touch. You'll find out if it creates too much creosote towards the top when you close it too much. After repeated burns you should get a good coal pile and be able to close the damper to hold that heat and prolong the coals. (no smoke or creosote formation at this time) The other thing a pipe damper is good for is if you have a problem positioning a log and the doors are open too long. (You close it until smoke starts to roll in at the top and open it slightly. This is the setting for open burning with screen in place to slow the fire) It slows the fire, but you'll feel more heat dealing with the pesky log.
Like most that end up with a double door stove, you really needed a single door with 6 inch for heating. You've got a stove designed for fire viewing in the "Fireplace Mode" and we all know what a Fireplace does for efficiency.
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