Country Performer S210 questions

[Sister]

Hi everyone. I'm new here. Thank you, Moderator, for including me.

I'm having draw issues and am stumped.

I have a wonderful CountryStove that I believe matches the picture of the Performer S210 (though I don't have a blower).
We had an insert installed 15 years ago. Working great. We don't use the stove to warm our home but, rather, to enjoy a fire.

1. Both chimney sweep inspections (2 years ago and again this month) show no obstruction and both said the liner is in good condition.
2. During Christmas 2024 (3 months ago), we enjoyed a great fire.
3. Suddenly, beginning in January 2025 (2 months ago), we can't get draw. We can barely get a Duraflame lit (and have tried many brands) ---- A Duraflame fizzles out whether the door is open, the door is closed, the two flue bars are closed/open or open mid-way in any combination. I thought maybe a nest or something had created an obstruction, so called a ChimneySweep.

This month, Chimney sweep 'James' said the stove was so clean that I didn't even need a sweep, but he did a full inspection. Still, James couldn't give any reasons for lack of draw.

He came back yesterday to put a new cap on but still had no idea about the lack of draw. So, while James was present in my home to install the cap, I spoke with another Chimneysweep via the phone who suggested that lack of draw could be due to:
(1) that the 'blanket' could be either positioned incorrectly and needs to be repositioned - or is filled with debris and needs to be cleaned
or
(2) Air tubes could be clogged. so we should 'hit the channel locks to take the tubes out and clean them."

Hearing this other person's suggestions, James (Chimneysweep) reluctantly looked inside my stove. He said there was no blanket - and that the only way to clean the air tubes would be to cut open the metal tube and look (the pin holes were barely visible - but he thought these looked clear).

Since the stove stopped creating draw rather suddenly, we can rule out barometric pressure and the pipe length (the stove worked well for 10+ years with the current pipe size).

Any thoughts? Thanks!

 

[begreen]

Moved posting to it's own thread

The air tubes don't clog unless they are coroding inside, which is really rare. The insulation blankets position check is a good recommendation. The baffle should be removed to also check for accumuation on top of the baffle at the flue exit.

If that doesn't solve the issue, then someone needs to drop a camera down the flue system to check for a breach or separation of piping. And if nothing is found there then the air control operation needs to be checked to make sure it is working correctly.

PS: Don't burn DuraFlame logs in a wood stove. They are only meant for open fireplaces.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Did you make any other changes in the house to tighten it up? Windows, insulation, bathroom or kitchen fans, furnace?