Question on NC-30 Englander

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GordonShumway

Member
Dec 14, 2010
102
Nebraska
So I decided to fire up the englander today with a warm up fire. Toward the end of last season it was becoming more and more difficult to keep a fire going. Yesterday I went ahead and swept the chimney 3 time to make sure it was clean and took a wire brush to the black stove pipe to eliminate the creasote left over from last year. For the warm up fire I used lath from this 125 year old house so if that isn't seasoned wood I don't know what is. The fire would only burn with the door left open. So I began to think if there were some way for the fresh air intake to become clogged. I grabbed my air hose and cranked up the psi on it. Next I shot air into the OAK intake, my wife was in front of it and told me while I was doing that the fire just continued to die down with the door closed. This was something I tried doing last year also. At that time I had the pedestal base on. This summer I removed that and put the legs on (IMO much better appearance). While I was down there shooting air into the OAK intake I noticed a small square cut out on the bottom side of stove just below the OAK intake. I decided to spray air in there and I got a lot of metal beads that came out at that time. But the fire begin to light up again at this point. I also noticed that the air control was a lot more sensitive to it's settings. My question is, does anyone know what that square hole is under the stove, and is it possible that that is also an air intake and that somehow it became plugged? I have no idea about the layout of this stove and how the air is actually delivered to stove other then the inlets and the outlets (meaning I can't tell the path the air actually takes).
 
The square hole is the air source for the secondary burn tubes in the top of the firebox. ''

Secondary combustion air comes in that square hole and goes up through that metal rectangle in the center back of the firebox to the manifold that runs down both sides up by the baffle to the tubes. Primary combustion air comes in through the round inlet in the back and travels through a manifold under the floor of the firebox to the two risers in the front on either side of the door and then up to the top where it washes down over the glass and then is directed back into the fire by the plate at the bottom of the door opening.

Boost air enters through a hole behind each front leg of the stove and feeds that thing sticking up in the center front of the door opening.

The air control only controls the primary air coming in through the round opening in the bottom rear of the stove. The other two sources are unregulated.
 
So there is probably no way that the square hole became plugged. Is it possible for the outlet air hole on the front inside of the stove on the bottom of the door frame to become clogged with ash and would that hole be attached to the OAK intake or the square hole? Thanks BrotherBart for the help.
 
I updated my post with the sources and airflow. If it ain't burning right it is the chimney draft.
 
My stove does exactly that (only burns with the door open) WHEN THE FLUE IS COLD. Once the flue warms up it a little and starts to draw you can close the door.
I have a tall chimney with good draft but the chimney must be warm for the draft to develop. Also when its warm outside(like it is now) its that much harder to start a good draft. My coal stoker wont even stay lit if its above 60 degrees outside. And thats fan forced.
 
Thanks Trump and BrotherBart. It is nice to know about the different air sources. Right now it is 55 degrees out and that could be causing a draft issue. I gave the stove a good 20 min warm up to help eliminate the draft issue, but from the sounds of it it is still a little warm out for a good draft. Chimney is roughly 20' from stove pipe to chimney cap. Tonight it is suppose to get down to 35 so that should start to give me a better idea.
 
I find it odd that this stove has an outside air connection that only supplies one of the three or four air sources. I planned to do a garage installation with one of these but I want to get a positive outside air supply. Looks like the OAK is just for decoration.
 
Highbeam said:
I find it odd that this stove has an outside air connection that only supplies one of the three or four air sources. I planned to do a garage installation with one of these but I want to get a positive outside air supply. Looks like the OAK is just for decoration.
I could be wrong but i think most stoves of this kind are like that. But the primary air feeds the most CFM into the stove so that would be the one you would want to supply with outside air. Also air for the secondaries needs to be very hot ,so air from the room would be hotter than air from outside.
 
Highbeam said:
I find it odd that this stove has an outside air connection that only supplies one of the three or four air sources. I planned to do a garage installation with one of these but I want to get a positive outside air supply. Looks like the OAK is just for decoration.

OAK only works on the 30 if you use the ped. Then all the air comes through the OAK hole in the ped and feeds primary and secondary inlets.

Of course every EPA non-cat out there has un-regulated "EPA" holes that are gonna use room air no matter if you have an OAK or not.
 
I have the same issue when my Quad is VERY dirty, The air inlet does get clogged up w/ash. A quick hit w/the Shop vac and we/re off to the races again.
 
BrotherBart said:
Of course every EPA non-cat out there has un-regulated "EPA" holes that are gonna use room air no matter if you have an OAK or not.

This is false. My Hearthstone takes 100% of combustion air from a 3" nipple on the rear of the stove. There are no other air entrances.

I propose that the secondary air manifold uses the majority of the combustion air when the primary air is shut to its lowest setting.
 
Highbeam said:
BrotherBart said:
Of course every EPA non-cat out there has un-regulated "EPA" holes that are gonna use room air no matter if you have an OAK or not.

This is false. My Hearthstone takes 100% of combustion air from a 3" nipple on the rear of the stove. There are no other air entrances.

I propose that the secondary air manifold uses the majority of the combustion air when the primary air is shut to its lowest setting.

Where does the air for that "zipper" in the front come from?
 
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