Vermont castings resolute puffs smoke out glass door when damper is closed

[Herodotus]

I have a 40 year old Vermont castings resolute stove and it runs fine when the damper is open but when I shut the damper the stove puffs smoke out the top of the glass inserts on the stove- I swept the chimney this year and cleaned the single wall pipe up the back of the stove and cleaned the inside of the stove and installed new door gaskets ? Any ideas as to why my stove puffs smoke out the glass insert in the doors when I close the damper ? thanx

 

[begreen]

Is this the first season with the stove or has it been in this location for a long time? The first suspect is puffback due to poorly seasoned wood, but this could be a draft issue too.

 

[Herodotus]

I have used the stove for over 40 years so seasoned wood probably not the issue-This year I cleaned the chimney and pipe on the back of the stove-put in new door gaskets -cleaned inside of the stove-stove puffs smoke out the top of the glass inserts in the door -40 year old Vermont castings resolute-The handle does not seem to shut tightly though-could that be the issue since it puffs smoke out the top of the glass inserts near the handle -How does one adjust the handle for tightness and fir there appear to be two nuts on the inside of the handle and where would one order a new handle for a 1980 Vermont resolute and would that include the two interior nuts ? thanx

 

[begreen]

Thanks for the clarification. One thought is that the passages behind the fireback have filled up with ash. Have they been vacuumed out?

 

[Herodotus]

Are those passages the six or seven small holes on the low back inside of the stove ? How would one access therm to vacuum them out or just adapt vacuum hose to fit over small round holes ? Any suggestion where I could order another pawl or door handle in case that is the issue -thanx for the replies-Great stove-worked well for over 40 years -just puffs smoke out the upper part of the doors when the damper is shut -Does there happen to be a way to partially close the damper and not either totally closed or totally open ? thanx

 

[fbelec]

in order to max the efficiency for the stove the damper has to be closed. if the door is leaking smoke at the glass you'll have to do those gaskets. you might have some air resistance behind the in the passage the smoke takes it's turns and vacuuming that area might not be easy. if it is like my defiant it is accessed thru the smoke outlet.

 

[fbelec]

also when was the last time the cat was changed?

 

[Herodotus]

Great advice-just redid the door gaskets in the metal lower part of the door - I have a resolute II which is 1980's vintage -doors are metal on the bottom and glass on the top -no gaskets around the glass - I did take my crevice tool and vacuum and vacuum out round holes in back wall of stove -Does anyone happen to know how to get all debris out of area behind holes in the back wall of the Resolute > I just stuck crevice tool on vacuum in six round holes in back of stove not sure if there is a way to get behind the back wall of in inside of the stove-No cat on this vintage stove -still monkeying with the stove-will eventually. figure it out-thanx again- Peter from Minnesota

 

[Herodotus]

I did manage to get the screw/bolt out of the right fireback-several questions - In order to vacuum out any debris behind the back fireback on the resolute the one with the seven round holes near the bottom does one need to remove just the right fireback or the left fireback and back also ? As I said I did get the bolt out of the right fireback and wondering what kind of tool and what steps to port or remove there right fireback in order to clean out behind it- I have used a small pry bar on the right fireback and it moves a little but does not come completely loose -any chance that right fireback has some kind of adhesive making it difficult to remove ? wondering recommended tool and method to remove right fireback and how to reinstall it-thanx again