Consolodated Dutchwest FA264CCL - Very little air coming out of top vents

[beatle78]

I have the damper gasket all chiseled out. I think it's pretty decent. I sealed all the inner seams of the cat chamber with furnace cement last night. It was still pretty softmoist in most areas this morning. Some had setup pretty good, dry & hard.

It's 3/8" rope gasket for the damper & all the doors on this stove, right? The guy before me used 1/2" gasket on all the doors.

I think he used the right gasket.. Earlier in this post I posted a link to the PDF manual for your stove it has all the info about what size gasket and where to use and how much you need.. Save this manual to your PC for reference.. I am pretty sure the doors are 1/2" and the bypass is 3/8" but read the manual to be sure..

Ray

Thanks! I just read that manual and it is 1/2"!

 

[beatle78]

update: The new damper gasket is in, the channels are the inside of the cat chamber and air duct chamber have been sealed. (see pics)

Tonight, I'll be cementing the top back on and redoing the door gaskets.

 

[raybonz]

update: The new damper gasket is in, the channels are the inside of the cat chamber and air duct chamber have been sealed. (see pics)

Tonight, I'll be cementing the top back on and redoing the door gaskets.

You're getting there! I also suggest you use furnace cement to seal the cast iron flue pipe adapter to the stove as there is no gasket there.. I advise you be careful to NOT get furnace cement on the bolt threads to the cast iron adapter because it's hard to get the bolts out.. Get rid of those lousy flat head screws while you're at it (they are a b!tch to remove if and when the slots get chewed up and they will)and replace them with Allen cap bolts with flat washers and be sure to use NeverSeize on the threads.. I speak about all of these things from experience..

Ray

 

[beatle78]

The top is back on. I thought I put a lot of furnace cement in the grooves, not I'm wondering if I put enough! I hope so.

I put cement around the flu connector piece. I didn't take it off.

Next is the door gaskets!

 

[raybonz]

Great you'll be burning soon! People bad talk these stoves and they can be a PIA to learn but they last forever if treated properly.. The CDW is a nice looking stove but I found my PE Alderlea T-5 much easier to learn plus it makes more heat and gives long burns too..

Ray

 

[beatle78]

Thanks for the help Ray! I love the looks of these stoves. We had the 224 growing up(my dad still has it stored away). I have the bug now & I'm already thinking of burning this and looking for a 2461 in the future!

All the gaskets are done. I'm going to let this cure overnight and start a small non cat fire in the morning(directions say to use a small fire to help the cement cure)

 

[raybonz]

Thanks for the help Ray! I love the looks of these stoves. We had the 224 growing up(my dad still has it stored away). I have the bug now & I'm already thinking of burning this and looking for a 2461 in the future!

All the gaskets are done. I'm going to let this cure overnight and start a small non cat fire in the morning(directions say to use a small fire to help the cement cure)

Glad I could help! Look forward to the pics we will be looking for them

Ray

 

[beatle78]

pics will be up shortly!

I'm thinking of taking out the new 1/2" side door gasket and replacing it with 3/8". I can't get the 1/2" to squish enough on the hinge side to make a tight seal on the latch side. There a noticeable air gap on the corner and going down the latch side. I have to put all my weight against the door to get it to appear to seal.

 

[raybonz]

pics will be up shortly!

I'm thinking of taking out the new 1/2" side door gasket and replacing it with 3/8". I can't get the 1/2" to squish enough on the hinge side to make a tight seal on the latch side. There a noticeable air gap on the corner and going down the latch side. I have to put all my weight against the door to get it to appear to seal.

I used what the manual recommends.. Make sure you're using the standard density and NOT the high density rope or you will have trouble.. Your door latch is adjustable and may require adjustment with a new gasket..

Ray

 

[beatle78]

Thanks, I adjusted the latch a bit and put some weight behind closing it & it appears to have sealed now.

I'm getting cement bubbling out of the front on top. That can't be good. I choked the fire so it would die down. I didn't engage the cat yet to keep temps down.(see pic)

 

[raybonz]

Thanks, I adjusted the latch a bit and put some weight behind closing it & it appears to have sealed now.

I'm getting cement bubbling out of the front on top. That can't be good. I choked the fire so it would die down. I didn't engage the cat yet to keep temps down.(see pic)

I wouldn't worry about as long as the cat chamber is sealed you should be OK.. You can clean off the excess furnace cement.. The "bubbling" you're seeing is the moisture being driven from the furnace cement and that will stop pretty quickly..

Ray

 

[raybonz]

Thanks, I adjusted the latch a bit and put some weight behind closing it & it appears to have sealed now.

I'm getting cement bubbling out of the front on top. That can't be good. I choked the fire so it would die down. I didn't engage the cat yet to keep temps down.(see pic)

Just wondering how the stove is coming along there..

Ray

 

[beatle78]

Ok, the stove seem to be running really well. I need to get a new t-stat for the cat so I can tell exactly what temps I'm running. By my estimations I think I'm consistently running between 800F-1200F.

The stove radiates a ton of heat, but I feel like I don't get a lot of convection air out of the top air outlets. I blocked off the bottom air outlets with sheet metal when I first bought it. The fan has been oiled and appears to be running just fine. My dad thinks that his stove never put out a ton of air so maybe it's the design of this stove. I couldn't try his fan b/c the fan was frozen from sitting for so long in a moist environment.

The stove that I just got rid of pushed much more convection air out of it. I need the convection air to get the air moving in my setup, otherwise the heat just seems to sit around the stove.

Thoughts?

 

[raybonz]

Ok, the stove seem to be running really well. I need to get a new t-stat for the cat so I can tell exactly what temps I'm running. By my estimations I think I'm consistently running between 800F-1200F.

The stove radiates a ton of heat, but I feel like I don't get a lot of convection air out of the top air outlets. I blocked off the bottom air outlets with sheet metal when I first bought it. The fan has been oiled and appears to be running just fine. My dad thinks that his stove never put out a ton of air so maybe it's the design of this stove. I couldn't try his fan b/c the fan was frozen from sitting for so long in a moist environment.

The stove that I just got rid of pushed much more convection air out of it. I need the convection air to get the air moving in my setup, otherwise the heat just seems to sit around the stove.

Thoughts?

I had a 3000 rpm blower on my CDW and it didn't move anywhere near as much as my T-5 plus it's much quieter.. Just how it is, I also find the T-5 is much better at convection than the CDW..

Ray

 

[beatle78]

I wonder how the CDW 2461 is? I really like these stoves, but it may not work for my application.

My dad has the 224. If that has the same CFM fan it would push much more heat than my 264 b/c his air chamber is smaller than mine.

Is the T-5 a front load only? It looks nice! I can't stand how contemporary the Blaze Kings look.

 

[raybonz]

I wonder how the CDW 2461 is? I really like these stoves, but it may not work for my application.

My dad has the 224. If that has the same CFM fan it would push much more heat than my 264 b/c his air chamber is smaller than mine.

Is the T-5 a front load only? It looks nice! I can't stand how contemporary the Blaze Kings look.

The 2461 is similar to your stove with slightly higher BTU output and a bit more refined.. It is made in USA and is a wood only stove.. I looked at them when i was stove shopping and thought they were well made and a good value but I felt they would lack the punch the T-5 provides. I don't know what they use for a blower but suspect it would be similar to what you have now? http://www.cozycabinstoveandfireplaceparts.com/cgi/display.cgi?item_num=0009973 Try posting in the hearth room as there are people that have those stoves there..

As for the T-5 yes it is front loading only but this is an advantage when it comes to convection heating because the sides have an air space on the sides and also the back.. I find they distribute the warm air in many directions and not just the front so the room and house heat very well as a result.. Blaze Kings are good heaters but they are not my style.. People here love them so they are good stoves..

Ray

 

[beatle78]

Thanks! I opened up the side door a bit more yesterday and I got it cooking a bit more. It seemed to be putting out more heat. I'll stick with this for this winter & just start doing research on other types of catalytic stoves.

 

[beatle78]

FYI, Above I meant to say side door AIR, not the actual side door, lol

 

[raybonz]

FYI, Above I meant to say side door AIR, not the actual side door, lol

Yup I understood that Like I mentioned that stove, at least for me ran best with the ashbin full and only used the side door and cat air to control the stove.. Compared to my T-5 it's much trickier to run.. The T-5 is ridiculously easy to operate and the learning curve very short..

Ray

 

[beatle78]

Thanks, I've been doing what you suggested. I only open the ash door to get the fire going. Once it's been roaring for about 10 minutes, I shut it down and only use the side door air. I haven't figured out when to use the cat air yet. Any advice on that?

Maybe I need that when I close the side door air down for the night time burns?

Are you lost with no controls to tinker with every day? lol

 

[raybonz]

Thanks, I've been doing what you suggested. I only open the ash door to get the fire going. Once it's been roaring for about 10 minutes, I shut it down and only use the side door air. I haven't figured out when to use the cat air yet. Any advice on that?

Maybe I need that when I close the side door air down for the night time burns?

Are you lost with no controls to tinker with every day? lol

LOL not lost just so much better One lever controls primary and secondary air.. On the 264ccl I do NOT advise to use underfire air as you could overfire and cause stove damage or worse.. Keep the ashbin door and its' damper closed and control the fire with the secondary side door air.. Cat air leave open just a crack and for longer overnight burns close the cat air damper and crack open the secondary air.. The problem I encounterd with the 264ccl is the wife would have the friggin stove smouldering for hrs. because the cat never got up to temp so I'd load up with creosote, not a good thing.. As long as she was warm she figured all was well but it wasn't!! This was one big reason for a new stove and the simpler the better.. I have no regrets with this stove and if anything it gets too warm in here now lol.. Last night I loaded up the stove at 9PM and 8 hrs. later I had a big pile of glowing coals that easily would have relit the fire but it was still 75 degrees throughout the house and the blower kept running until 10AM! The outside temp here was 28 degrees and I let the house cool off lol.. To think I was concerned if this stove was big enough..

Ray

 

[beatle78]

lol, that's awesome! We like our house around 75F, but in our new much bigger house, I would go broke trying to keep it at that temp.

Just to clarify, I open up the ashbin door when lighting the fire only. Once it's going, I shut it down completely in the front. I only use the side door air from there. Thanks, I'll try playing with the cat air based on your recommendations above.

Congrats on the new stove! Sounds like a gem

 

[raybonz]

lol, that's awesome! We like our house around 75F, but in our new much bigger house, I would go broke trying to keep it at that temp.

Just to clarify, I open up the ashbin door when lighting the fire only. Once it's going, I shut it down completely in the front. I only use the side door air from there. Thanks, I'll try playing with the cat air based on your recommendations above.

Congrats on the new stove! Sounds like a gem

Things will be different there so you need to find what works best for you..

Ray

 

[beatle78]

Update: I've been getting quite a bit of heat out the stove. I was in the teens this morning and is only ~30F here right now. My large living room is almost 75F, the other downstairs rooms are mid to upper 60s.
Now this is the stove that I remember growing up. I think the only thing that changed was that the wood is dryer. The wood is very seasoned, but can be damp, sometimes wet. I lay the wood around the stove to dry it out before I burn it. I always have a supply of really dry wood to put in the stove.

I have all the air shutdown right now and temp temp gauge is 180 degrees around(there are no numbers, so I'm guessing it's around 1200F based on the image on this picture. (broken link removed to http://www.blackswanhome.com/product/th3-probe-thermometer-consolidated-dutchwest)

If anyone comes across a 264 that being sold for parts, I need the two plates that block the bottom air intake in the front. I used sheet metal for now, but I would love to get my hands on the actual cast plates that go there.

 

[geoxman]

I don't know how many CFM your fan is pushing now but I bought one of these for $40 on the larger 288 and it pushes out plenty of air and is about 1/6 the price of the CDW fan. You might want to give it a try for $40. good luck

http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?catname=&item=16-1404