Using 2 Dampers

[DianeL]

I bought a new wood stove that I absolutely hate and unfortunately, am stuck with for awhile.
My biggest issue right now is the built in damper. Even when I close it completely, I am getting too much air flow and can not always control the fire. Frankly, it scares me.
The other day I added a 3rd piece of wood. The fire got too hot and I closed the damper all the way and it still took about 50 minutes before the flames started to die down.
My question is, can I put a damper on the stove pipe and use that instead? I thought maybe I could keep the built in damper open all the time and just use the one that would be added to the stove pipe. (Note, I've never used one on the pipe before, so any advice on that would also be appreciated.)

 

[blades]

yes but in conjunction with the stoves unit think of them as fine and course adjustments

 

[bholler]

I bought a new wood stove that I absolutely hate and unfortunately, am stuck with for awhile.
My biggest issue right now is the built in damper. Even when I close it completely, I am getting too much air flow and can not always control the fire. Frankly, it scares me.
The other day I added a 3rd piece of wood. The fire got too hot and I closed the damper all the way and it still took about 50 minutes before the flames started to die down.
My question is, can I put a damper on the stove pipe and use that instead? I thought maybe I could keep the built in damper open all the time and just use the one that would be added to the stove pipe. (Note, I've never used one on the pipe before, so any advice on that would also be appreciated.)

What stove is it what type of chimney and how tall is it?

 

[DianeL]

What stove is it what type of chimney and how tall is it?

I really don't know. I'm guessing the chimney is 15 feet. This is my 3rd woodstove in 20+ years and I've never had a problem before now, so I think it has to be the stove, not the chimney.
This is the stove:
(broken link removed)

 

[bholler]

I really don't know. I'm guessing the chimney is 15 feet. This is my 3rd woodstove in 20+ years and I've never had a problem before now, so I think it has to be the stove, not the chimney.
This is the stove:
(broken link removed)

What pipe temperatures are you running?

 

[DianeL]

What pipe temperatures are you running?

I have a magnetic temperature gauge. It hasn't got to 500 yet due to my smoke alarm going off (not from smoke, from heat I guess. The alarm went off at 475). I was trying to season the stove when I first had the trouble. That was my 3rd fire, the first 2 were at 250 degrees.
I've since had a small fire for the day, but I have been keeping it under 450 since I can't control it if it gets hotter than that and I don't do a fire at night due to this.

 

[bholler]

I have a magnetic temperature gauge. It hasn't got to 500 yet due to my smoke alarm going off (not from smoke, from heat I guess. The alarm went off at 475). I was trying to season the stove when I first had the trouble. That was my 3rd fire, the first 2 were at 250 degrees.
I've since had a small fire for the day, but I have been keeping it under 450 since I can't control it if it gets hotter than that and I don't do a fire at night due to this.

You should pretty much always be keeping it under 450. And you would only run it up when you first start up after that you should shut it back. That is for pipe temps 18" off the stove

 

[begreen]

Are these stove top temperatures or stove pipe temps? A new stove's paint needs to bake in. This will create some smoke that can trip smoke alarms. The paint starts baking in at 450-500º - stove top temperature. Take the stove top up to 550-600F, open the windows and go through a burn cycle. After that each burn cycle should be better and after a few burn cycles there should be no paint smoke.

 

[DianeL]

Are these stove top temperatures or stove pipe temps? A new stove's paint needs to bake in. This will create some smoke that will trip smoke alarms. The paint starts baking in at 450-500º - stove top temperature. Take the stove up to 550-600F, open the windows and go through a burn cycle. After that each burn cycle should be better and after a few burn cycles there should be no paint smoke.

The 475 was the stovetop temp. They said to make the 3rd (and final curing) fire be 500 for at least 45 minutes, but my smoke alarm set off before that and when I tried to cut the fire back with the built in damper, that's when I discovered that it doesn't close down like my old ones did.

 

[bholler]

The 475 was the stovetop temp. They said to make the 3rd (and final curing) fire be 500 for at least 45 minutes, but my smoke alarm set off before that and when I tried to cut the fire back with the built in damper, that's when I discovered that it doesn't close down like my old ones did.

Well then the temps I gave you are meaningless. When you shut the air intake did the temps drop? Did they stabalize?

 

[DianeL]

Well then the temps I gave you are meaningless. When you shut the air intake did the temps drop? Did they stabalize?

I closed the air intake all the way down and it took 50 minutes for the temp to drop and the flames did not die down, which is what scared me. On my other stove (it also had a built in damper) if I closed it down, you could see the flames die down within a few minutes, which is why I am wondering about installing a damper on the stove pipe instead and just use that.

 

[begreen]

Put a fan in a window to suck out the fumes. Once the break-in is done it will be fine. Stove top temps of 5-600F are common with a steel stove. Modern stoves are designed to burn cleanly and do not restrict secondary air. What you saw is normal. It will take some adjusting, but I think you will like using less wood and getting more heat.

 

[bholler]

I closed the air intake all the way down and it took 50 minutes for the temp to drop and the flames did not die down, which is what scared me. On my other stove (it also had a built in damper) if I closed it down, you could see the flames die down within a few minutes, which is why I am wondering about installing a damper on the stove pipe instead and just use that.

I read that but what did the temperature do? Did the fire change at all?

 

[DianeL]

I read that but what did the temperature do? Did the fire change at all?

The fire did not appear to change at all as I kept watching it the whole time. The temp did drop about 20 degrees after 50 minutes and my smoke alarm then quit going off.

 

[bholler]

Out of curiosity what were your other stoves

 

[DianeL]

Put a fan in a window to suck out the fumes. Once the break-in is done it will be fine. Stove top temps of 5-600F are common with a steel stove. Modern stoves are designed to burn cleanly and do not restrict secondary air. What you saw is normal. It will take some adjusting, but I think you will like using less wood and getting more heat.

If I can't seem to close the air flow off, I'm afraid to even leave the stove. I've been having it burn out long before bedtime whereas I used to close the damper and leave a small fire overnight.

 

[bholler]

The fire did not appear to change at all as I kept watching it the whole time. The temp did drop about 20 degrees after 50 minutes and my smoke alarm then quit going off.

The smoke alarm was going off because of the paint curing that is perfectly normal. And at those stove top temps I see nothing to be concerned about. You could put a damper in the pipe but I would try to learn the stove first before doing that.

 

[DianeL]

Out of curiosity what were your other stoves

One was an old cast iron stove. The other was just 6 years old (Country Hearth was the brand) and I didn't know about baffles and replaced the stove due to a hole in the top, which turned out to just be the baffle. Yes, an expensive lesson. I seem to have a lot of those! haha

 

[begreen]

You'll be ok. Practice full burn cycles during the daytime when you can watch them. To slow down the fire a bit more, turn down the air sooner and use thicker pieces of wood.

 

[ghstark40]

l would personally remove the built in damper completely.I've been burning wood for at least 30 years and have always used a damper in the pipe.l drill a hole about 10 inches above the stove where the pipe goes on stove.You have complete control of airflow and burning time.I have a old j.c.pennys woodstove and a full stove will burn at least 10 to maybe 12 hours putting out great heat the whole time.l position the damper at half to 3 quarters closes to get the most out of my stove.Ofcource each stove is different but l think if you do remove the build in and replace it with a damper in the pipe you'll come to find that spot that makes your stove the most safe and efficient

 

[begreen]

l would personally remove the built in damper completely.I've been burning wood for at least 30 years and have always used a damper in the pipe.l drill a hole about 10 inches above the stove where the pipe goes on stove.You have complete control of airflow and burning time.I have a old j.c.pennys woodstove and a full stove will burn at least 10 to maybe 12 hours putting out great heat the whole time.l position the damper at half to 3 quarters closes to get the most out of my stove.Ofcource each stove is different but l think if you do remove the build in and replace it with a damper in the pipe you'll come to find that spot that makes your stove the most safe and efficient

NO, that is bad advice and not appropriate for this stove. What is being called the damper is the air control. It is not removable and shouldn't be tampered with. So far there has been no evidence of a need for a flue damper. A flue damper is often appropriate for an old stove, but this stove (and most modern stoves) do not run like an old stove.

 

[DianeL]

NO, that is bad advice and not appropriate for this stove. What is being called the damper is the air control. It is not removable and shouldn't be tampered with. So far there has been no evidence of a need for a flue damper. A flue damper is often appropriate for an old stove, but this stove (and most modern stoves) do not run like an old stove.

Yes, it is the air control and I wouldn't attempt to mess with it.
I'll keep playing with it during the daytime while I learn it, and hopefully someday I'll be able to actually run it overnight.

 

[weatherguy]

Yes, it is the air control and I wouldn't attempt to mess with it.
I'll keep playing with it during the daytime while I learn it, and hopefully someday I'll be able to actually run it overnight.

Theres a learning curve with a new stove, it does sound like your wood is good and dry.

 

[kennyp2339]

Any new epa secondary air tube re-reburn stove will have a primary air control (that is purposely built not to allow all the primary air to be cut off) and more than likely unrestricted secondary air (air that gets sucked into the air tubes inside the stove) that has no controller what so ever.
But for what its worth, everything the OP has said so far seems like the stove is functioning normally.

 

[Ludlow]

I think a description of wood species and size and seasoned time is called for. Some wood types and sizes will burn like a mother no matter what you do to the controls. Even said, those temps werent high IMO. I took my STT to 668 and it filled the place with smoke from the paint as expected.