PE Alderlea T5 air intakes

[SkidKid]

Hello all.

I was curious if anyone knows on the newer 2020 Alderlea stoves where the secondary air comes from? I see there is a square metal tube in the back of the stove that feeds the baffle but I am not sure where the air is coming from. Seems like on the older models, the lever on the front of the stove was connected to the secondary air. The new model does not do this. Under the ash pan there is two holes. One is the "boost air" which sends air at the front bottom of the stove. The other hole I have no clue. I am thinking the other hole sends air to the same spot as the primary air controller, they just had to put it in to meet the new epa stuff.

I have my boost air hole blocked, and I am thinking about blocking the other hole next to it. When I shut my stove down, temps are still high and there is always a lively flame with the wood. Never just secondaries going. I wonder if there is some other hole that connects to the square tube in the back that I can partially block as well.

Thanks

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Maybe an older stove can give you a clue. At the beginning you can see the the primary air closing off at the bottom of the stove. Then you can see the lever moving the black bar running back to the center in back. I’m not familiar with the EBT system on the newer T5.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

How tall is your chimney?

 

[SkidKid]

How tall is your chimney?

Hmm when I look underneath its hard to see but I think that square tube goes into the EBT2 thingy which access to is very hard. Cant even really see it.

My chimney is not that tall. I do not know exact length but I assume somewhere around 18-20 feet. Single story home, 10 foot ceiling where stove is, and not a steep roof. Located in northern California foothills so it does not get that cold. I cant imagine I have a super strong draft.

 

[begreen]

The stove is likely fine. I would adjust burning habits rather than closing off more holes than the boost air. That should suffice. Consider burning thicker splits and shutting down the air sooner for a slower fire.

Note that if you are burning softwood, the secondary display may be less dramatic, but it's there. The fire should never choke down completely.

 

[SkidKid]

The stove is likely fine. I would adjust burning habits rather than closing off more holes than the boost air. That should suffice. Consider burning thicker splits and shutting down the air sooner for a slower fire.

Note that if you are burning softwood, the secondary display may be less dramatic, but it's there. The fire should never choke down completely.

Here is a little backstory.

Brand new stove 2023 alderlea t5 installed in brand new home. First season I had no clue what temps were as I did not have a flue gauge. Id load the sucker full of oak and let er rip. Tons of heat, and an odd smell inside and out that I passed off as the paint curing. It would sometimes set my smoke alarms off. Id get secondary flames, but also roaring fire from the wood still. Didn't think much of it.

Fast forward this winter. I cleaned the flue over summer top down and didn't get much soot. I installed a midwest brand probe 18" up in my double wall straight shot flue. Loaded her full and got quite the surprise of the probe hitting 1200- 1400 degrees and maintaining. Smell would come back. Fire would not come down even with air closed off. I checked door gasket with dollar bill and all seemed well.

I blocked boost hole, loaded her up and let it rip. Temps climbed and climbed 1200 degree no problem. Secondaries and main flames blazing even with lever all the way down. Blocking the hole did slow down the flames a little bit. But still seemed out of control. Ive tried multiple times reducing the air way early in the burn. But when things finally kick off there was no stopping the temperature increase.

I now never put more than 2 pieces of oak in it because that is the only way to control the temp. Which is frustrating because I feel like I burn through wood fast and I want to be able to load it up and get long burn times.

Last week I had tried the smoke test around the door gasket with fire going and it definitely pulled smoke in through the door hinge side. I find it odd that the gasket would be bad on a 2 year old stove so I never thought of fully investigating the potential gasket leak. The gasket looked fine. I got supposedly an oem one from stovepartsforless which I installed with bead of red rtv after cleaning the channel out. Maybe I did it wrong because it is still pulling smoke in. I just ordered another one and I will try it again. I even adjusted the door hinge back a little so that the seal would be tighter.

This morning I covered the other hole next to the boost hole and put a couple pieces in. Fire seemed more controllable and could get secondaries going with out the flame show from the wood. Flue temps around 800 then cruised at 700. Smoke test still showed smoke being pulled into the door gasket.

My next trial is to put more wood into it with both holes blocked and see what happens. All these trials and errors have put a bad taste in my mouth about the stove. Maybe its me or maybe its the stove I do not know. I have another door gasket on order and will see if I can stop the gasket leak. Someone on this forum said that "bunched" the gasket together when they installed and fixed their problem. I made sure I didnt stretch the gasket when I installed it the other day.

Ive considered getting a damper to hopefuly lower temp but not sure that draft is my issue. Sorry about the long post haha.

 

[begreen]

It's good that a stove pipe thermometer has been added. This sounds like the stove and stove pipe have been overfired for a season.
These stoves are easy breathers. They need the air turned down quickly.

What thickness are the wood splits that are being burned?

 

[SkidKid]

It's good that a stove pipe thermometer has been added. This sounds like the stove and stove pipe have been overfired for a season.
These stoves are easy breathers. They need the air turned down quickly.

What thickness are the wood splits that are being burned?

Oh the splits are around 4 inch thick. I just measured at 10% moisture.

 

[begreen]

4" is ok, a little slim for long burning but not bd. If they are reading 10% on a fresh exposed, interior face after being re-split, then that is very dry wood.

Sounds like a key damper in the stove pipe would help.

Do you hear the EBT2 working. It's subtle, but it make a little tic noise as it closes. Sometimes this is more noticeable in windy weather.

 

[SkidKid]

I could re split it and see if it’s different. I just stuck the probes on the end and also in the middle. Wood was split awhile ago.

I’ve tried listening, but I wasn’t sure if I’m hearing the ting of the stove heating up or the ebt2 going off. I’ll see if I can hear it.

 

[SkidKid]

Begreen, does your glass dirty fast? I feel like mine gets dirty fast. Especially turning down the air early to try and be ahead of it.

 

[SkidKid]

Attached is a video if it worked. I put 2 bigger splits in with two smaller ones. Turned air down early. Both holes blocked and lever all the way closed. Temp slowly climbing in flue. Secondary burn flames only. Maybe it’s still getting air through possible gasket leak or I think my next step is a damper after I replace gasket again.

 

[begreen]

I could re split it and see if it’s different. I just stuck the probes on the end and also in the middle. Wood was split awhile ago.

I’ve tried listening, but I wasn’t sure if I’m hearing the ting of the stove heating up or the ebt2 going off. I’ll see if I can hear it.

That's not how wood moisture is tested. To do it properly, re-split some of the thicker splits to be tested in half. Then, test for moisture by pushing the probe pins very firmly, into the middle of the freshly exposed face of the wood. The pins should be parallel to the grain. Ideally, the wood should be at room temperature, but that may not be possible if checking out a fresh delivery of wood before the load is dropped. In that case, take a few random thick splits off the truck to test.

 

[begreen]

Begreen, does your glass dirty fast? I feel like mine gets dirty fast. Especially turning down the air early to try and be ahead of it.

No, our glass stays quite clean usually but it can dirty up if the splits are long and too close to the glass.

Is this double-wall stove pipe on the stove?

 

[begreen]

There seems to be a lot of secondary burn at the rear, too much. Is there a baffle gasket around the secondary feed tube? Is the locking pin installed at the rear of the baffle?

 

[SkidKid]

There seems to be a lot of secondary burn at the rear, too much. Is there a baffle gasket around the secondary feed tube? Is the locking pin installed at the rear of the baffle?

Good to know about how to test the wood properly, I did not know that. Yes it is double wall pipe.

I just installed brand new gasket at the rear tube last week. Maybe I should double it up? Locking pin is in. I just ordered a new baffle material kit for the sides and inside the baffle. Maybe they got damaged from over fire... I wonder if a brand new house and being pretty air tight can affect the stove. I know if we turn on the laundry exhaust fan, or the kitchen vent hood over the stove we have to open a window or smoke will start coming out the wood stove.

 

[begreen]

I wonder if a brand new house and being pretty air tight can affect the stove. I know if we turn on the laundry exhaust fan, or the kitchen vent hood over the stove we have to open a window or smoke will start coming out the wood stove.

The stove might benefit from an outside air supply via an OAK. Is there an ERV (or HRV) installed for fresh air exchange in the house? If so, it might be putting too much positive pressure in the room.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I have 2 manifold gaskets on mine. They’re only like $1.50 each if I remember correctly. It’s been long enough they may be 3 each now, lol.

Somewhere there are instructions on how to make your own gasket from rope.