2 damper solonoids in 3 weeks

[Red97]

Kind of a rant, Background story, I build my outdoor wood burner last year and burned all season long natural draft. The last month of the season I decided to add a blower to the door and worked fine for the rest of the heating season.

I fired up the stove about a month ago, and 1 week after I fired it up my damper solenoid went out. Ok, it lasted a year, not very long but long enough, went to grainger and ordered 2 more.
Dormyer 2005-m1 Installed the new one, It lasted 3 weeks then died thursday.

I cleaned out the stove and chimney and proceded to install my last spare solenoid, got a whole 3 days out of it. Now I have to nurse the stove all weekend manually adjusting the damper for a constant burn. The store isn't open until Monday.

I believe the problem is the way I have my blower mounted It is a 2" outlet into a 4x6 damper door, when the blower is running it is pushing heat into the solenoid and frying it, so I guess I am going back to a natural draft set up.

Rant over

Anybody else have damper/solenoid/ nursing a stove story to share to make me feel better?

 

[ttyR2]

Can't you offset the solenoid or connect it mechanically so it was a cooling air gap?

 

[cantoo]

Yup sounds like an overheating issue. Just take a look at how some of the manufacturers do their and redo yours. Make a lever setup and move the solenoid? Maybe even a heat shield over it to deflect the hottest air?

 

[Poston5]

Add a chain or cable to it to get it away from heat. Make sure the flapper can't swing past center and stay open. Solenoids open with a lot of force, build it tough.

 

[Red97]

This is how I have it mounted. Their is a air gap of about 3" off of the door and about 6" above the damper door.

 

[Poston5]

The picture would represent the closed position, in this position there is no strain, but in the open position your linkage could probably be binding a little bit. I would switch to a chain and get rid of the linkage to see it that helps. The door also looks pretty heavy. Is it 1/4 inch thick?

 

[Red97]

The door is less than 1/8" thick the linkage is loose, no binding, I think the problem is heat related. The solenoid is rated for 120 oz 100% duty cycle

 

[Poston5]

It is mounted to the water jacket? Mine is mounted outside of the insulation but still inside the stove with all pex pipes. Seems to be the same application.

 

[Red97]

Mounted on the loading door. The door has a waterjacket around the opening I just think with the blower on it is pushing out too much heat from the fire box into the solenoid area and damaging it. I am just going to go back to natural draft setup.

Thank you for the help

 

[timberjak]

If your using a blower could u use just a forced air type damper.

When blower is on flap opens. Pushed open by the air force.

When blower is off the flap is shut


Timberjak

 

[merr6267]

From that angle, it appears that when open, there is a lot of side loading on that solenoid.

The solenoid should last longer of its not constantly being pulled sideways be the weight of the door, but rather straight out.
The armature is unable to seat fully when the load is pulled so sideways.

With that said, have abandoned the solenoid all together and I went with a draft door motor and a linkage setup.

See the bottom of this thread for info about what I did for a draft door actuator motor. It may or may not interest you.

http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/owb-overheated.247477/#post-4578429

Take care,
Phill

 

[Red97]

Thank you, I will look into that.