Who uses an in-line damper w/ their EPA stove?

[albertj03]

I have a very tall masonry chimney (probably 40 feet) with an 11x7" clay lined flue. My stove is in the basement and I believe that the large diameter flue and length of the chimney are sometimes causing too strong of a draft. I suspect this because sometimes the stove will go nuclear, eating a load of wood in half the time it usually takes and throwing off some major heat. I don't think it's severe since the stove pipe nor stove have ever turned red. Baffle isn't warped and everything is in good shape. I don't remember exactly but i think the external pipe temps might be in the 500 - 600 degree range and stove top maybe 800 - 900 degrees.

This doesn't happen a ton but when it does I'd like to be able to slow the stove down. I was told I should instal an in-line damper so I'm wondering if others here have had this type of problem and how they've handled it. Also, are there any issues with using an in-line damper on an EPA stove?

 

[shawneyboy]

Albert,

I have an inline damper on my stove. I have never truely "needed" it but for the nominal expense I look at it as an insurance policy against the stove going nuclear. At such a nominal cost I figured it was well worth it Better to have and not need than need and not have. An inline damper, does slow the flow a slight bit, even when fully opened. It also will not completely stop the flow when closed, since they actually are not a solid piece but have holes drilled in them.

Shawn

 

[DexterDay]

Albert,
.... I look at it as an insurance policy against the stove going nuclear.....Better to have and not need than need and not have......

Shawn

Yep. Thats the way I look at it also. I will be buying/installing 1 pretty soon.

 

[certified106]

I just put one in a week ago even though I'm not sure I need it I would rather have it there if I need it.

 

[albertj03]

Thanks guys. Is it best to just get the damper and install it in the existing pipe or get one that comes already mounted in a short piece of pipe, trim the existing pipe and install the new piece? Also, does it matter how far up the pipe it is installed?

 

[shawneyboy]

Mine is the one piece job. Well you buy it in one piece. I am unsure if it makes a huge difference how high up the pipe it is installed, mine is the first piece above the collar.

Shawn

 

[albertj03]

Is this a good one to get? The holes look kind of big on it.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000YYKNWM/ref=mp_s_a_9?qid=1315484733&sr=8-9

 

[Rob From Wisconsin]

We also installed an in-line damper on our lined chimney.
When drafting conditions are strong, we turn the air down
all the way AND close the in-line damper. Our firebox explodes
into an incredible firestorm & we get longer, cleaner burns than
normal (when drating conditions are right).

 

[certified106]

I have the Duravent double wall damper and it seems like it was fine so I would think the single wall Duravent would be fine also.

 

[pen]

I hate cutting stove pipe. Drilling the 2 holes and installing just the damper is a lot easier in my opinion.

I have a damper on my epa stove. I think I've used it 2x in the last 2 winters because of draft conditions. My wife uses it a bit more. To her it's an emergency brake :-S

pen

 

[charly]

I'm wondering if I should install a damper. My QuadraFire 5700 will have a stove top temp of 450 and I'll be showing 600 on the flue temp gauge. Am I wasting heat? I have a masonary chimney, 22 feet high with an insulated liner on the outside of the house.

 

[tfdchief]

I put one in my double wall (the already made up section with the damper in it) just in case I needed it. After having ordered and installed it, I see no reason why you couldn't just order the damper and put it in your double wall your self....cheaper for sure.

 

[pen]

I'm wondering if I should install a damper. My QuadraFire 5700 will have a stove top temp of 450 and I'll be showing 600 on the flue temp gauge. Am I wasting heat? I have a masonary chimney, 22 feet high with an insulated liner on the outside of the house.

The damper will not hold heat in your modern stove, it will only slow the draft changing the burn characteristics of your stove.

pen

 

[tfdchief]

The damper will not hold heat in your modern stove, it will only slow the draft changing the burn characteristics of your stove.

pen

Pen, do you think it helps hold the heat in a pre-EPA stove?

 

[charly]

I'm wondering if I should install a damper. My QuadraFire 5700 will have a stove top temp of 450 and I'll be showing 600 on the flue temp gauge. Am I wasting heat? I have a masonary chimney, 22 feet high with an insulated liner on the outside of the house.

The damper will not hold heat in your modern stove, it will only slow the draft changing the burn characteristics of your stove.

pen

What would I see with the damper partially closed , longer burn times with more secondary burning?

 

[pen]

In my old fisher the damper basically kept the flames from shooting 4 feet up the chimney! I built a home-made baffle for that stove and once I did I no longer used the pipe-damper as it wasn't needed.

All a damper does is slow things down by reducing draft. In a pre-epa stove w/ direct openings (the knobs) on the front of the stove the air has basically no restriction so using a damper helps slow the active burning phase but really doesn't affect the air that is needed later in the burn since that air has so little restriction getting into the stove. Without the damper in that old stove, I'd have to come back to the stove about 2.5 hours after loading and open the air up a bit. With the damper, I could set the draft openings a bit wider and let it run its course.

On an EPA stove, the air has to really work to get where it is needed (which means you need a strong draft to pull it into where its needed). This is why so many people with marginal wood have problems with modern stoves. With this setup, even with well seasoned wood, a damper can adversely affect how the secondary air gets its air and as a result could actually make you burn less efficiently.

I have one on my stove because I know my wife and I know that there will be times when she needs a little more brakes than the stove can supply. As soon as she gets things back in shape it gets opened back up. I have only HAD to use it 2 or 3 times in the last 2 years because of a combination of ultra cold / ultra windy / wind out of the right direction that the stove just wanted to go thermo-nuclear.

Bottom line, trying to use one to save fuel or heat just won't work with these stoves.

 

[certified106]

I should probably add that one of the reason I installed my damper has to do with the fact I have almost 26ft of double wall and class A chimney and it's a straight shot up. My stove can draft like a locomotive at some points in the winter and thought it would be beneficial to have should I need it. I really hope I have no need for it at all and so far I haven't seen a need for it. I would not recommend using a damper to try to damper an EPA stove down for longer burns and would only use it to help slow it down should you have a problem or an overdraft situation.

 

[albertj03]

This is the only reason I'm adding one. With such a tall chimney I've had a few times where the draft was super strong and caused the stove to burn more intensely than normal. It will be nice to have more control over these situations and not have to worry about it.

Looks like I can pick up that DuraVent damper section right at Home Depot cheaper than i can order it online. I'll be making a stop in there today.