# Resolute damper opens on its own. How to adjust?



## sandie (Dec 4, 2009)

OK, so the damper opens up all of a sudden, I put the handle down and sometimes it just slams open and scares the P--s out of me.  Is that an adjustment or ???  It is an older Resolute model 0042 I think with the two doors with glass.    IT can't be good for the damper or the stove for it to slam open.  It needs for me to push the handle down hard and even then occasionally it pops up about 29 min later.  The damper on the VC Resolute is one where it is either open or closed, nothing in between.  I also have Thermostat which can be opened or closed but that is an smooth operation of opening and how much.  That seems to work.


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## summit (Dec 4, 2009)

put a washer in behind the damper ramp to tighten her up a bit...


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## pen (Dec 4, 2009)

poltergeists, definitely poltergeists!  

hh: 

I have the opposite problem, my cat likes to rub her fat carcass against her best friend, the big-black-mysterious-heat-machine.   w/ the air control being an "in - out" rod on this Englander 30, the cat's friendly touch results in closing my primary air off!

At least my cat turns the stove down.  Sounds like your ghost would make the stove take off on you.  Be careful and good luck!

In the meantime however, keep your eye out for the following, just to be safe.












pen


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## fbelec (Dec 4, 2009)

next time the stove is cool see if you can checkout the damper. look to see if it is warped if it's warped a certain way it will be like it's not quite shut so any little movement of extra draft might put it over the edge and open it. take a good close look. if it's anything like my defiant it's oddly shaped to begin with. some of the edges are hard to see that it is mating with the other surface.


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## Dune (Dec 4, 2009)

On the resolute are you talking about the indirect draft, not the damper?


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## sandie (Dec 4, 2009)

I am talking about the damper that either is open or closed, handle on the left side that has the wire spiral at top of handle.  I push it down to close it and occasionally it pops up and opens.  IT does not shut down the fire but will allow the heat to go out the stove up the chimney, it is not the Thermostat that adjusts the amt of air coming into the stove.    The weight of the damper door should keep it closed one would think but seems it is on a spring that allows it to open  and to close it I push the handle way down and hope it stays there.


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## begreen (Dec 4, 2009)

It's been a very long time since I looked at this mechanism, but I believe it is sort of a cam action assembly. My memory is vague, but I thought there was some degree of adjustment for this.  When engaging the bypass are you pushing the handle all the way to the lock position?

I put a specific question in the title. That should help get more direct responses for this stove.


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## sandie (Dec 4, 2009)

Not sure what you are calling bypass.  I have a Damper which opens or closes no in between, I have a Thermostat that has a flap that can be opened and closed without stops so can be anywhere along the way and stay where I put it til the fire gets up and it will close down some on its own and open up when it starts to cool down so it keeps a evel heat.  It is the heavy damper that will pop up and slam from closed to open.  IT is almost like the damper ?spring is pulling on it too much and if the handle is not pushed down hard it pops up and scares the bejeepers out of me but now used to it but worried it will crack something banging open.


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## mikedengineer (Dec 4, 2009)

I know the device that you are talking about.  Be Green is right about the cam mechanism.  I don't remember about it having any adjustment, but it could be dirty and not letting it lock into position.  Make sure when you lower the handle it feels like it is locking into place.  This is technically call the horizontal burn mode when the handle is down and the "damper" is shut.  I would recomend taking that appart and cleaning it.  This is not that hard and you have to take a couple pieces appart to see everything.

Funny story.  When I first got my stove, which was very new at the time, the lever never stayed down.  I couldn't figure it out.  I ended up attaching a chain to the leg of the stove and had a hook on the other end.  I would lower the handle to the hook and this would hold the handle down.  I then posted this problem on this website and someone told me about the cam mechanism.  I simply wasn't pushing the handle down hard enough.  Now it just click/locks into place.

Hope this helps.

-Mike


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## begreen (Dec 4, 2009)

Sandie, that is the bypass damper. When engaged, it bypasses the direct exit of the flue gases from the firebox and routes them through the secondary chamber. Give the handle a gentle but firm push once it is engaged to see if you can feel it lock into place.


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## sandie (Dec 4, 2009)

there is not positive lock in place feeling just that it is at the end of its run or something so I get it down as far as it will go and then push on the handle a little more and usually it stays put but sometimes up it comes a few minutes later.
The manual calls it the Damper handle and Damper plate.  IT calls the primary air intake the "Thermostat" and then there is a third place which is a hole on the left side toward the rear that has a cover that it says to leave totally open at all times when burning but it the stove were to get out of control you shut them ALL including the little hole which is the secondary air (flap)  Can only tell you want the owners manual calls things.  Any rate you now know what I am refering to that slams open.  IS it supposed to have a catch that is felt like a click or something at the closed position?


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## summit (Dec 5, 2009)

is the damper handle a thin chrome rod that runs off the side with a spring handle, or is it a handle like a short stub w/ a solid handle? ... if the former, thats an older resolute, and those thin damper rods can twist under the heat over the years and not engage full all the time.


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## begreen (Dec 5, 2009)

Yep, know the stove. I just wanted to be sure that this wasn't a flue damper. You should feel a positive engagement of the damper when in bypass mode. 

Search back on old posts about the Resolute damper. There are some good thoughts there. Here are a few links:

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/25164/
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/33734/
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/6309/


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## sandie (Dec 5, 2009)

It is chrome handle comes out of left side of stove and opens and closes the damper to the stove pipe. It does not have a click or postive feeling that it is closed just press hard and it stays most times.  It is the handle with a spring like top to the handle.  I will look at the articles and thanks.


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## fbelec (Dec 5, 2009)

sandie did you check to see if the damper is warped?


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## BrowningBAR (Dec 5, 2009)

sandie said:
			
		

> It is chrome handle comes out of left side of stove and opens and closes the damper to the stove pipe. It does not have a click or postive feeling that it is closed just press hard and it stays most times.  It is the handle with a spring like top to the handle.  I will look at the articles and thanks.



Sandie, I have an old Vigilant and I am pretty sure you are talking about the handle that switched the stove from vertical burn to horizontal burn. Mine does it occasional also. You really have to slam it closed to get it to stay.


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## BrowningBAR (Dec 5, 2009)

pen said:
			
		

> poltergeists, definitely poltergeists!
> 
> hh:
> 
> ...




I was 10 when that movie came out and the scene scared the hell out of me when I first saw it.


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## fire_man (Dec 6, 2009)

The bypass lever on the Resolute needs to be pushed down until a very gratifying "CLICK" is heard. This can seem like a lot of force, but I have seen two Resolutes (mine and a friend's) that acted the same way. You push the lever down until feeling resistance and then push some more until you hear the loud "CLICK". There is some kind of cam action going on. It took me a while to figure this out on mine, the manual is NOT very clear on this point.


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## begreen (Dec 6, 2009)

considering this stove sat in a garage for quite awhile, it could be the assembly needs lubrication. Might be worth squirting some oil on the assembly when the stove is cold. Look at the provided links to see where this cam is.


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## sandie (Dec 6, 2009)

Mine is an older Resolute with two doors, it does not have a "click" at the end of the closed postion of the damper, press hard and no click.  I am not going to take it apart since will never be able to get back together and know nothing about taking it apart.  IT does not look warped at all.  The chimney sweep/installer is suppsed to come back put in the plate at bottom area of chimney so will see if he knows what to look at to see why it does not click closed.  the handle did not come up to 12 oclock for totally open so the chimney sweep helper bent it so it would be open at 12 oclock but now closed is about 5 oclock on a clock postions, I think the right way would be open the handle in 12 oclock postion and closed would be at 45 degrees down but this is almost 90 degrees down, not sure if that is a problem.  It makes it harder that the stove is placed between two stone walls so getting a good handle on the handle is hard but doable.


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