Should I install a damper?

[samaritan]

Hello all, I have a country hearth wood stove, purchased about ten years ago, it's a high efficiency model with the tubes along the top inside. I'm wondering if I install a damper in the flu, will I get more heat output? The manufacturer says it's not necessary, but I'm still wondering.

 

[aokpops]

A waste of money and time gets in the way when cleaning the chimney. Haven't used one in 35 years and do not miss a damper one bit. An old guy explained to me that if air can't get in it won't get out

 

[mijdirtyjeep]

The FIL has one on his EPA woodstove in the pole barn. He leaves for the winters now so I get to use the extra space to work on my larger projects. Every time I turn it to partially close off the pipe (about a 1/4 turn), it will stop the secondary burn tubes from igniting and if they are already lit, they will go out in a short time. Where it works well is when I go to leave. With a box full of hot coals from burning hard for 8-10hrs and not going to load it before I leave. I just close the damper down and open the air rod. This way all the coals burn into ash and it will keep some of the heat the coals are releasing from going up the pipe.

 

[Heat Maxx]

Absolutely, control of air flow is essential for a burn.

 

[husqvarna257]

With our OWB for our heat I don't use the wood stove often and it's not a newer one it's over 22 years old. I have a black stove pipe that's over 20' high and I use a damper when I first start it to build up coals and after I shut it down for the night

 

[lwmibc]

In an EPA-approved secondary-burn stove the required damper comes installed in the supply air channels, none is needed in the flu. My recommendations is no damper in the stove pipe. I second what aokpops said about getting in the way of cleaning; that is a much more important consideration than any possible benefit that something preventing it would provide.

 

[samaritan]

Thanks for all the response, no damper for me!