# Better'N Ben's wood stove controls



## Smokey59 (Feb 5, 2016)

Greetings,

I am in need of a manual for an older Better'n Ben's woodstove.  I am having trouble finding one.  The stove face looks like this and I can't seem to figure out the air control nobs , it either burns too cold or too hot.

I also have a damper installed in the stove pipe which I am told should be left wide open during the burn cycle and closed only when stove is not burning.

Any thoughts ?


----------



## mellow (Feb 5, 2016)

Smokey59 said:


> can't seem to figure out the air control nobs , it either burns too cold or too hot



That is a given with these old stoves, if the stove has gaskets on the doors have you done the dollar bill test on them yet?


----------



## coaly (Feb 6, 2016)

If you have a large diameter and tall chimney, you may have to leave flue damper open to get enough heat up the flue to make the stove work. That decreases the usable heat from stove, so the more efficient the chimney, the more efficient the stove.

The damper adjustment depends on chimney, not stove. It is a control to slow too much draft which in turn affects the stove by slowing down what comes in the intakes. Unless someone that ran your stove or saw the installation to know the specifics of vent system told you, no one can tell you where to set it. It will change with outdoor temperature and weather as in low and high pressure areas moving over. Here's a thread that explains how the chimney makes the stove work. It is more important than the stove itself. Once you understand the basics, you'll know how to adjust it. . My post #15 here explains what you need to know;
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/100-new-to-woodstoves.148572/#post-1997087


----------

