Flue damper, what's it for?
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Doc C
Minister of Fire
I think once someone that works with wood stoves being used as inserts verifies this install as needing a block off plate I would pull your trim and look up inside and see if you have one and then install one. I would be willing to bet you do not have one. Also it seems that it would be a good idea to insulate around your stove with Roxul Safe and sound insulation.
When you say insulate around the stove, are you meaning this is something to install onto the masonry behind the stove?
Doc C
Minister of Fire
Quote from @begreen "If there is room behind the insert, roxul batt insulation is fine and much less expensive. It's also good for stuffing around the liner on top of the block-off plate. Micore can also sometimes be salvaged from office cubicle dividers. It's used as sound proofing."
I would take that to mean fill the space between the stove and the masonry.
So, i wonder if they are using it to pack the space to where there is no open space behind the stove...
Do you have a stovepipe thermometer 2' above the stove to determine the temp of the exhaust? Guessing how hot it burns is tricky at best, even for those of us who think they know what we're doing.
Sprinter
Minister of Fire
I'm not sure if this has been brought up yet, but stoves designed as inserts have a blower to get the heat out of the fireplace opening. That is quite necessary, or most of the heat will never get out into the room. If the bulk of the stove is trapped inside the fireplace, too much heat will never make it out. I would much rather see this stove out away from the fireplace with an insulated flue connected and the opening sealed off. It just seems very inefficient this way.
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Sprinter
Minister of Fire
Well, it was worth a shot. Have another beer on me.
That thing should be hot as my .357. You're burn pics look good, sounds like good wood, you're losing heat up that chimney some how. Unless the house is drafty as some are, or just inadequate insulation.
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Wonderful. Its to cold to shut down the stove right now. All i have for heat is a heat pump, no electric backup in the air handler, so ill jave to wait until it warms up to switch to that.
From what im seeing people are just making block off plates with sheet metal, is that correct?
From what im seeing people are just making block off plates with sheet metal, is that correct?
Yes. There are some examples of block off plates at the end of this wiki posting.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/wiki/why-damper-seal-is-needed/
If you’re getting 600 on the face, you’re burning just fine, maybe on the border of too hot even. We just need to figure out where that heat is. Insulating the fireplace and a block off plate help, but marginally. You should still be putting out a significant portion of the heat to the room. You’re not losing all of your heat that way.
I’m not familiar with the 94 but looking at your picture, I don’t see where air is pulled in by a fan and then expelled into the room. I assume that isn’t blocked by anything and you’re feeling the air movement?
I’m not familiar with the 94 but looking at your picture, I don’t see where air is pulled in by a fan and then expelled into the room. I assume that isn’t blocked by anything and you’re feeling the air movement?
Yeah, it pulls it in from the bottom somewhere. The room its in only gets to about 75 or so. Ive measured the air coning out of the fan at over 200* at times, but its on average 100-120
Hmmmm. Well the fan seems to blow. I wouldn't know what to do or look for as far as an obstruction. It doesnt seem to blow less than before but i cant say for sure
Sprinter
Minister of Fire
As begreen said, that's not going to cut it. I'm still betting that you're not getting the heat out of the fireplace for some reason. Either the fan is not strong enough, or it's not circulating well enough or too much heat is lost before the fan can grab it.
It may be that the fan is actually pulling some cold air out somewhere. The fan would have to get all its air from the room and heat it before expelling to the room. Also, If it's the fan that comes with the stove, it may not be strong enough or placed properly for insert duty. IDK, but I think this is getting close to the problem, plus any flue or internal insulation and block-off that it may need.
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![[Hearth.com] Flue damper, what's it for?](/talk/data/attachments/220/220115-f8949a8662d1e18c50906909730d4ef4.jpg?hash=UOImVZ69Ex)
Well color me confused.... I must have jumped an entire page in this discussion and missed the fact that it's an insert. Definitely grab a mirror and see if you have the damper sealed off. Is it possible that there is an ash dump under the stove that goes to an exterior cleanout door that may be open and allowing the blower to draw cold air? That would cool down the air coming off the stove.
Is there a hole in the floor of the fireplace that admits outside air for combustion?
Jan Pijpelink
Minister of Fire
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