US Stove Hotblast is too Finicky

[Racerboy832]

I have the 1537 Hotblast. Everytime I think I have it dialed in it changes. If the beginning of the season I was able to leave the door air open all the way and close the bottom. It worked great and long burns. Then it didn't work. I had to open the bottom and close the top. I have been playing with my Baro dampner too. I don't have a Manometer to check the flow. I have a glass window So i can watch the fire. What am I looking for? I have a great draft and that was the reason for the Baro. My dad has the same thing but 20 years older, his blairs heat out of it and never messes with anything. I'm constantly screwing with it. Any tips out there?

 

[laynes69]

Without having a manometer, theres no way to know if the draft is great or minimal. I thought our chimney without the liner drafted great until I purchased a manometer and found out the draft was too low for our furnace. I lined the chimney and those problems went away. As far as the furnace performing different, barometric pressures outside, and temperatures can make things perform differently. As weather changes so wil draft. Basically you want a somewhat lazy fire with bright flames. That will slow the fire some and hopefully help burn more of the smoke. You can pickup a manometer online for around 35.00. Thats your best bet to verify instead of guessing. Plus its another tool that you can play with.

 

[Racerboy832]

Yea I need to pick a manometer up. My chimney is 25 foot with a stainless liner. If you stike a match 1 foot away from the door it will suck the smoke into the stove. I wondered if i'm better off with a damper so it doesn't cool the smoke so much as with a baro running wide open. I checked the chimney cap it it looked like it was dripping creosote.

 

[Tesen]

I have an exhausto RS009 on top of my flue which keeps a constant draft. I need it due to stack effect issues. I run my hotblast 1557 with ash door damper only and it run reliably every time. Once the box is upto temp, the only adjustments I need to make depends on how cold it is outside and how much wind is blowing and then I do it at half turn increments and no matter what, shut it down to 1/4 turn for long night time burns.

To bad I really don't have a lot of wood for this season Gah. Work, school and family have been way to busy. Been able to get some camping in with the family this year, but it is not the same as being in the woods, saw in hand hunting for fallen limbs and other things to cut up and haul...

Sorry, don't mean to whine, just miss loading the thing, enjoying the constant warmth... is that nuts?

Tes

 

[Racerboy832]

Any good places to pick up a manometer @? I use this as my primary source of heat so I need to get it right.

 

[laynes69]

http://www.drillspot.com/products/67993/dwyer_mark_ii_25_molded_plastic_u_inclined_manometer#

This is where I bought mine.

 

[zipper1081]

I have the 1537 Hotblast. Everytime I think I have it dialed in it changes. If the beginning of the season I was able to leave the door air open all the way and close the bottom. It worked great and long burns. Then it didn't work. I had to open the bottom and close the top. I have been playing with my Baro dampner too. I don't have a Manometer to check the flow. I have a glass window So i can watch the fire. What am I looking for? I have a great draft and that was the reason for the Baro. My dad has the same thing but 20 years older, his blairs heat out of it and never messes with anything. I'm constantly screwing with it. Any tips out there?

You took the words right out of my mouth. I fell the same way about mine. can you post some pics of how you put in your baro damper. I have one just have not put it in yet. I also need to pick up a manometer.

 

[DHIBBS75]

The problem Im having with mine this yr 1557 is it likes to huff and puff at me shortly after putting season wood 1 half dry under roof..... I have extremely long flue and 3 90s...... I just insulated my flue thanksgiving..... It drafts better but seem to make the puff worse on loading.. My thermostat on door spring broke for the third time.. so i put screws in the door to hold flapper shut..... I only use the ash door draft...... open usually no more than 1\2 to 3\4 open turn open......at night closed.... depending on temp....... If i open it 1-2 rounds it will stop puffing........


the stove is in the basement flue is 90degree out then up with damper up 3 ft then 90 to the right out 4 ft through window to chimney. then pipe is welded to vertical pipe 1/4 inch pipe up 28 ft 10 ft from peak and 2 ft higher than peak..... clean out at the bottom below the intersection... and a standard chimney cap.... The pipe is insulated from top to the window..... been working for 6+ yrs..

sorry so long any input is better than none...:chainsawguy:

 

[Racerboy832]

My Stove says it's suppose to run .05-.07 Does that seem about right. Can the -.05-3 Mano make it easy enough to see or should I be looking for one that only goes up to 1.

 

[laynes69]

You need one that I posted. The flue speeds for a wood stove you need a manometer that reads tenths of an inch. An inclined manometer is needed, not a u tube manometer.

 

[Racerboy832]

sounds good i'll order one up.

 

[Racerboy832]

Ordered the Mano. Stove was acting up again tonight. I closed the bottom damper, Opened the feed door and poof big orange flames, so they just to try I opened the baro all the way, little smoke came into the room, I closed the door with the top vent ( Different then stock) all the way open. Now I have a bright blue flame dancing all over the place. It's neat and make lots of heat. It looks like wood gases being lit off.

 

[pook]

Is the gas building up with an active flame in the firebox?

 

[vwboomer]

I bought a manometer last year. I haven't hooked it up yet as I haven't gotten fittings that wouldn't melt, could be capped, and wouldn't melt the rubber manometer hoses. What are you guys using?
Not real concerned about it though as I have a thermocouple in the flue pipe before the chimney and can adjust the damper by looking at that.

It does change depending on weather, wood, and creosote buildup on the baro damper however.

 

[laynes69]

I never keep my manometer hooked into the pipe. Its not rated for that usage. I have a 5" long copper tube that connects to the rubber hose on the manometer that I stick into the flue for a few seconds to verify my settings.

 

[Racerboy832]

On the back of my stove I have the baro directly onto the back of it, then the flexible liner goes straight into the wall. Will I get an accurate reading if I put the hose nipple on the stove side of the baro?

 

[laynes69]

No, you must take readings before at the exhaust outlet of the furnace, before the baro.

 

[sawkiller]

The problem Im having with mine this yr 1557 is it likes to huff and puff at me shortly after putting season wood 1 half dry under roof..... I have extremely long flue and 3 90s...... I just insulated my flue thanksgiving..... It drafts better but seem to make the puff worse on loading.. My thermostat on door spring broke for the third time.. so i put screws in the door to hold flapper shut..... I only use the ash door draft...... open usually no more than 1\2 to 3\4 open turn open......at night closed.... depending on temp....... If i open it 1-2 rounds it will stop puffing........


the stove is in the basement flue is 90degree out then up with damper up 3 ft then 90 to the right out 4 ft through window to chimney. then pipe is welded to vertical pipe 1/4 inch pipe up 28 ft 10 ft from peak and 2 ft higher than peak..... clean out at the bottom below the intersection... and a standard chimney cap.... The pipe is insulated from top to the window..... been working for 6+ yrs..

sorry so long any input is better than none...:chainsawguy:

Before I open the door on mine I open the flu wide open and open the ash door and let it get burning real good and this eliminates the puffing for me. I have a friend that bought one the same time I did and did not install the smoke flap in front of the door his smoked terribly!

Most of the issues of controlling temp on these units are door seal problems in my experience. I can close the air intake on the ash door and feed door and almost put my fire out if I want to. If you can't control the heat build a real good fire and turn out the lights with the doors closed and look real good around the seals for light. Some times I run a cigarette around the door seals to make sure they are not pulling any extra air.

 

[Racerboy832]

Can I drill a small hole in the Baro for the Mano just to the left of the Flapper if your looking straight at it. My baro is the connector between the stove and chimney pipe so space is limited.

 

[laynes69]

Not sure, but I don't think so. To me that would be too close to the barometric damper. Those manometers are very sensitive to the slightest draft.