Vapor fire 200 install question

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What setting of the BD would any of you recommend?

Whatever setting yields ~-0.06" W.C. on a manometer. You won't know your draft until it's checked with a manometer.

Does anyone have a unique way of bringing in outside combustion air?

sure do. ;lol I use the house's HVAC systems outside air duct to supply air to my BD and combustion (indirectly).
 
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And if you have a real tall chimney, especially in a cold part of the country, having the key damper allows you to keep the draft in check enough that the BD can control it to a normal range...on polar vortex days sometimes one BD by itself can't keep up...a key damper keeps you from having to install 2 BD's...which Lamppa has said they have customers that had to do this!
Last winter I didn't have a key damper installed and when we had a super cold snap my draft was on the high end of normal, just enough that with a full firebox the high temp alarm went off...if I had the KD I could have cut draft to -0.04" or so and calmed things a bit.
My chimney is only 27' or so too...not super tall.
I’m tired of the Hi-Temp alarm going off, so I leave the rheostat at the lowest setting. Maybe I should add a KD. Which damper should be closest to the furnace? I don’t know if we are allowed to post a video, but he talks about this new style KD with many openings, versus the old style (sold by Vogelzang, sold everywhere) that greatly limits flue gas when closed. Anyone have the Excel KD?
 
I've posted pics before of my setup. It's not pretty, but I'm a function over form guy.

The insulated 8" duct is vented directly to the outside. The end of the tee pointing down with the cone supplies makeup air to the basement for combustion, clothes drier, water heater, etc. The other end of the tee with semi-flexible 6" goes right to my BD.

DSC00530.JPG


This is the other end connected to my BD.

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ICC/Excel makes very good stuff.

I have my KD between the furnace and the BD. This allows for the BD to regulate draft and then you can use the KD to reduce it a bit more if you want. For instance, I have my BD set for -0.06", but in warmer weather I will sometimes use my KD to knock it down a bit more, to say -0.05" or even -0.04". I can then easily open the KD back up when I want the draft back up to -0.06".
 
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As said above, you need to actually measure your draft with a manometer. Don't rely on trying to set by using adjustment markings on the damper, if there are some there.

And if you are spilling smoke, you likely don't need a key damper.
 
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-0.04 to -0.06" is what Lamppa specs on the Vaporfires...I tend to run to the lower end of that (-0.04") and when I had a VF200 -0.04" still seemed like plenty...Daryl said I could go as low as -0.03".
 
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With computer set at minimum fire, wind at 5 mph, burning for one hour:

My two story chimney is lined with 8” SS, because I once had a junk Juca B-3B that required 8”. (Yea I believed the bs on mb-soft.com ). What setting of the BD would any of you recommend? Personally I don’t like BD’s because they create negative air pressure in the house. And, I don’t like stoves/furnaces that don’t allow outside air intake, because that draws in cold outside air; into the house. (1914 house). Does anyone have a unique way of bringing in outside combustion air?
How about a pipe through the wall ending near the stove
 
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