Problems maintaining fire Bluebird Firefird inset stove

[BrendanMcFadden]

Hi and welcome from Ireland. We recently moved into a new property with a very old Stove in the lounge and we are having problems getting any heat and keeping the fire burning. We recently had the chimney cleaned so hopefully that’s not the issue. We have tried with dry wood and also coal. There are a couple of nozzles at the bottom, the middle one we can turn and the other one we pull out. We can only keep the fire going if we open the door, but it generates no heat (maybe because the heat is being sent up the chimney). Any help would be very much appreciated.

 

[begreen]

Just a guess, but I suspect that one controls start up air by feeding air under the fire, and the other feeds the air for continuous burn. Which does which I don't know but I would hazard a guess that the middle one is startup air and the right hand one is for continuous operation. That large rectangle appears to be the port that feeds the door glass air when the door is closed. Can you shine a light in that large hole and operate the right control to see when it is open and when it closes? It probably is just a simple slider valve.

I would vacuum out and clean the stove face where the gasket seals very well. Also, it looks like the receiving port on the door needs vacuuming out. The door gasket looks pretty ratty and probably needs replacing too, once the controls have been figured out.

 

[ManitobaSky]

I found a manual for a more modern version of the stove, it looks like both damper controls should pull out to open the damper.

https://firebird.uk.com/images/Downloads/Dry_Stove_Manual_2.pdf

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Could one of the rods operate a shaker grate or allow ash to fall away for coal?

 

[BrendanMcFadden]

Many many thanks for you help. We saw that manual and have tried with both valves out but still no heat at all, also if we shut the door completely, the fire will go out. The right hand rod is just a valve slider as below but not sure if the bottom one does anything ..We have tried every combination of valve rods open and closed, etc. do you think it may be something else we are not doing?

 

[moresnow]

Maybe go up town and rub elbows with the locals. Betting you're not the only homeowners with that style/model stove.
Actually looks like it's old enough to possibly consider updating! Dunno. Good luck either way.
Good to see an Ireland poster.

 

[ManitobaSky]

The center control is the primary/bottom air, I doubt you will get coal burning if it is stuck closed. How are you testing your wood for moisture? If you remove the ash pan and bottom plate can you see the slide for the center air control? I’m not convinced the stove is super old, the knobs on the air control rods appear to be plastic so old but not likely an antique.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Ok, that slider valve looks like it corresponds to a hole on the door. Does that channel to an air wash on the door?

 

[stoveliker]

The center control is the primary/bottom air, I doubt you will get coal burning if it is stuck closed. How are you testing your wood for moisture? If you remove the ash pan and bottom plate can you see the slide for the center air control? I’m not convinced the stove is super old, the knobs on the air control rods appear to be plastic so old but not likely an antique.

Bakelite was invented 120 years ago (with a century being the European threshold for something to be called antique).

 

[begreen]

On careful inspection, it should be possible to see how each control works. Usually these are very simple valves. Note that it's possible that attachment the control rods to the valve plate has rusted away. If so, nothing may move. If that is the case, some repair work will be needed to restore function.

 

[BrendanMcFadden]

Thanks so much for your help! I am not sure what I am looking at but the right slider valve does connect to a hole in the door.. I have attached pictures and looked at some holes around the door - is this the door wash? The central knob can turn in and turn out but regardless we have no heat ? I really appreciate your help, if you are ever in Ireland I will buy you a Guinness

 

[BrendanMcFadden]

Thanks so much for your help! I am not sure what I am looking at but the right slider valve does connect to a hole in the door.. I have attached pictures and looked at some holes around the door - is this the door wash? The central knob can turn in and turn out but regardless we have no heat ? I really appreciate your help, if you are ever in Ireland I will buy you a Guinness.

 

[begreen]

That appears to be the entry port for the door glass air wash. It mates with the large port above the right side air control. The holes at the glass appear to be where the air enters the firebox.

If you move the right hand control in and out, do you see any movement in the large port in the stove body?

PS: I would love to sit down and have a pint in Ireland someday. It's been on our bucket list.

 

[BrendanMcFadden]

hi again, when we pull the right hand lever it opens a valve at the bottom of the stove (see picture) but I cannot see any other movement in the stove body

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Is that an ash pan? Does removing it open up access to the area below?

You mentioned being able to twist the middle knob. Was there a cam or anything that would mechanically move a flapper behind it?

 

[Pinesmoke]

Tangent going here. A very old stove with a lot of thermal mass. It's hooked up to a flue that is probably large cross section and is not going to come up to temp fast. Could the old girl just be very cold blooded? Just not enough heat to pull a good draft? My current stove won't pull enough air unless there is an ember bed and a warm flue.

Thinking outside the box here.

ETA The air controls seem sorted out.

 

[ManitobaSky]

Is that an ash pan? Does removing it open up access to the area below?

You mentioned being able to twist the middle knob. Was there a cam or anything that would mechanically move a flapper behind it?
View attachment 334011

Yes it is an ash pan, it’s in the manual I linked earlier. The middle knob should pull in and out like the side one.

 

[BrendanMcFadden]

Hi the middle knob can be twisted but not pulled. Its difficult to find out what this twisting does? I cannot see any valve move. Under the dust pan is a removable grill and then a flat surface..

 

[begreen]

hi again, when we pull the right hand lever it opens a valve at the bottom of the stove (see picture) but I cannot see any other movement in the stove body

View attachment 333984 View attachment 333985

Good sleuthing. Now we know that this control pulled out delivers air to the airwash on the stove door. It still looks like this area and the stove door port need a good vacuuming out. Next pull out the ashpan and try to figure out what the center control does.

Is there a third control that we have not yet discussed?

 

[BrendanMcFadden]

Many thanks for your help! Cannot find any third valve at all.. Vacuumed and cleaned as much as I can. Still no luck I'm afraid. Do you think it might be worth the effort to completely remove the inset Stove and clean up and then reinstal?

 

[bigealta]

I'd bet your dry wood is not dry (seasoned to under 20% moisture).
If it's not dry enough even in these old stoves, the wood will not burn well and will not give off much heat.

 

[begreen]

What was the function of the center control determined to be? My guess is that it could be for start up air, but that's just a guess without seeing more details of what it connects to and how it operates.