Throughout last year I could not get the stove top temperatures (and thus heat in my house) that I expected from my Drolet Escape 1500. I was getting very high temperature reading in my stove pipe. ( Over 1000 degrees) Late in the season last it was determined that I had excessive overdraft which caused these readings. I installed a damper assembly in my double wall stove pipe. This helped reduce my draft, but not enough. My manometer readings were still above the .03 - .05 that the manufacture recommended. I experimented with two key dampers in single wall stove pipe, and that helped even more. Since the season was ending and the weather was getting warmer, I felt that I was going to need three dampers along my stove pipe to control the draft. My plan was to purchase a 24" length of double wall stove pipe and a 12 - 18 " length of telescoping double wall. This would allow me to place my damper between the telescoping section and the ceiling adapter. Then I could install 2 key dampers in the solid 24" section along with my manometer probe and my thermometer probe. Manometer at 3" above stove top; key dampers at 7" and 12" above stove top and temp probe at 20" above stove top.
The manufacture suggest various method of slowing down the draft; dampers; restrictors in the secondary burn tubes; and covering part of the secondary air inlet with heat proof tape.
I tried the burn tube restrictors but felt that they were useless for a couple of reasons. 1.) they are washer like devices that are installed into the ends of the burn tubes. They can be installed in either or all of the 4 burn tubes. They are too thin to fit in the tubes without possibly rotating when the tubes are handled. 2.) they do not offer any adjustment when a fire is burning. They can only be modified with a cold stove.
I thought about the tape method, but that seemed to have it's own set of adjusting issues. Pull the ash drawer; add or remove tape under a hot stove in an ackward position.
So all summer I thought about ditching my long double wall telescoping stove pipe for the 24" and the smaller telescoping section. Then a came up with another option. From some metal I had laying around the house, I made a sliding door type device which fits in front of the secondary air intake under the stove. I drilled two small holes in the bottom of the air intake and bolted my door holder to it. I attached a control rod to the sliding door which runs through a hole I drilled in the pedestal base. Now I can adjust the secondary air flow by closing the door. I can do this while a fire is burning without getting burned myself. I placed markings on the control rod so that I can visually see the position of the door from a distance.
I think this will work out better than having three dampers in my stove pipes. I still will have the one damper installed on top. I look forward to keeping the heat in the stove (and in my house) and not going up the chimney. Perhaps this might be helpful to others with excessive draft issues.
![[Hearth.com] Secondary Air Flow Restrictor](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/282/282974-ebef482429e18e67b97a66acc74d84e5.jpg?hash=Z39FVvoQka "[Hearth.com] Secondary Air Flow Restrictor")
![[Hearth.com] Secondary Air Flow Restrictor](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/282/282975-52b3550c3d29e9ad99f48b7e8b8a5291.jpg?hash=YPsOyDuVQ8 "[Hearth.com] Secondary Air Flow Restrictor")
The manufacture suggest various method of slowing down the draft; dampers; restrictors in the secondary burn tubes; and covering part of the secondary air inlet with heat proof tape.
I tried the burn tube restrictors but felt that they were useless for a couple of reasons. 1.) they are washer like devices that are installed into the ends of the burn tubes. They can be installed in either or all of the 4 burn tubes. They are too thin to fit in the tubes without possibly rotating when the tubes are handled. 2.) they do not offer any adjustment when a fire is burning. They can only be modified with a cold stove.
I thought about the tape method, but that seemed to have it's own set of adjusting issues. Pull the ash drawer; add or remove tape under a hot stove in an ackward position.
So all summer I thought about ditching my long double wall telescoping stove pipe for the 24" and the smaller telescoping section. Then a came up with another option. From some metal I had laying around the house, I made a sliding door type device which fits in front of the secondary air intake under the stove. I drilled two small holes in the bottom of the air intake and bolted my door holder to it. I attached a control rod to the sliding door which runs through a hole I drilled in the pedestal base. Now I can adjust the secondary air flow by closing the door. I can do this while a fire is burning without getting burned myself. I placed markings on the control rod so that I can visually see the position of the door from a distance.
I think this will work out better than having three dampers in my stove pipes. I still will have the one damper installed on top. I look forward to keeping the heat in the stove (and in my house) and not going up the chimney. Perhaps this might be helpful to others with excessive draft issues.
