how to open damper on wood burning stove

It can be put back in place - this is not fun when the stove is running hot and you are using the fire poker, gloves and a flashlight to try to get the door back in place. He spent more than 15 years as a third-generation tile and stone contractor before transitioning into freelance writing. If the damper is more than halfway open there will be too much airflow to produce heat, but it will keep a flame raging and consuming wood. 79. The only time you want to keep the damper open more than one-fourth of the way is if you are starting a fire or need more flames and heat. ... take advantage of the damper at the top of the wood stove which regulates air intake. If one is broken the door can come out of the tabs and not close right. 2. Orient yourself with the damper handle on the outside of your flue pipe or the exterior of your stove. If you have a throat damper, you can tell if it is closed if you see a barrier above your head. Tim Anderson has been freelance writing since 2007. Even high heat can cause your damper to warp over some time. This allows maximum airflow into the firebox, helping the flames from your newspaper or starter log to burn sufficiently to set the wood afire. When you want to be able to adjust the damper on your wood stove to get the highest heat output possible, the steps are easy. It would be best if you let the fire burn for a couple of minutes, and then you can adjust the damper. This will allow air to move freely in the fireplace and for smoke to escape to the outside. It Should Be Cold to the Touch. So if you're wondering if you need to keep your wood burner vents open or closed, they should be open. This keeps smoke and air flowing through the firebox and out the chimney. Monitor the fire and if it’s still blazing, close the damper a little more (about two-thirds). As the name implies, rotary damper work on a rotating system, with long, screw-like rods that move the damper. Open the fuel door, slowly add wood in a north-south direction and close the door. First, get yourself a flue thеrmоmеtеr.This is the еаѕiеѕt wау fоr a bеginnеr tо obtain thе рrореr dаmреr ѕеttings.There аrе generally 2 tуреѕ of fluе thеrmоmеtеrs on the market. The damper can be halfway closed, but you have to check to see how it affects your fire. Here are our top tips on how to use a wood-burning stove: ... Keep the Controls Open. … If you keep the damper open, the fire will build and the smoke and soot will vent through your chimney. If you have a wood stove damper, it's not enough to have it properly installed. Individual stoves vary. Typically you do not as the current wood burning stoves are able to control the flow of air into the stove with air vents. 5. I will expand on this in the article. A damper is a movable metal plate designed to inhibit the flow of smoke and gases. ... you should open the controls or damper to allow air into your fireplace unit. There are two tabs, one on each bottom corner of the damper door, that hold the damper door in place. Make sure your air intake system is on high for extra circulation. Let the fire burn for a few minutes then adjust the damper so that it is partially closed (about half way) to see how it affects the fire. The best way to get a fire going in a wood stove is to start with small pieces of … It allows this heat to dissipate into the area being heated by the woodstove. Break dry twigs into smaller pieces. A wood stove damper is a plate that is inside of a wood stove's flue. It regulates draft and prevents the loss of heat up the chimney. According to Northeastern Chimney, if you want to use the fireplace damper to control the fire, first, you need to make sure that the fireplace damper is opened all the way when you're starting a fire. Turn off all fans near the stove: Your wood stove’s blower fan, kitchen fans, and even bathroom fans … Stovepipe differs from chimney systems. Generally the appliance consists of a solid metal (usually cast iron or steel) closed firebox, often lined by fire brick, and one or more air controls (which can be manually or automatically operated depending upon the stove). This downdraft will force the heated air back into the fireplace, which is what will heat your room. Then start the fire and let it build up and burn for about fifteen minutes. According to Northeastern Chimney, you should keep the wood stove damper open when there is a fire in the fireplace. Wood burning stoves and fireplaces can instantly add a warm, ... Keep your damper clean. Only close the damper when the fire is extinguished, and you want the room to remain heated. Not only can it be a fire hazard, but you can also become susceptible to carbon monoxide poisoning. Build the fire and light it. The original Ashley company was purchased in the late 1970's by Martin Industries who produced the stoves until the 1990's when they were bought out by the United States Stove Company. Closing the damper restricts the airflow, releasing exhaust smoke and heat. Flue dampers can therefore typically be opened and closed by turning the damper controls either to … This is to allow the fire to become established. Besides, do you need a barometric damper on a wood stove? Once you understand how to use it, you'll be able to heat your living space efficiently. I’ve explained below where the flue is located and what it looks like on both our wood burning and multi fuel stoves. Step 1 . If you can see up into the flue, the damper is open. Close the damper about two-thirds of the way as the fire begins to catch and coals start to form. Kindling splitters are handy tools to cut kindling quickly. Install the Barometric Draft Regulator as close to the stove as possible. • Rotary dampers. Reloading & Overnight Burning Anytime you open the loading door to add more wood to the firebox you must first position both the bypass handle and damper lever down before you open the door. To start a fire, you must have the damper in the full-open position. There will be a “key” style device in your fireplace wall. By opening and closing the damper, you can exert some level of control regarding to how fast and hot a fire burns. When air comes through, the wood stove damper controls how quickly your fire will burn. Make sure the damper is fully open. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Let’s jump into the art of making a fire in a wood burning stove. The damper retains heat that escapes up the chimney or flue. Installation and Usage Tips for a Wood Burning Stove. Splitters are handy tools to cut kindling quickly a flashlight, poke your head inside the fireplace, is... 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