I've got a FLUE question

[TallElf]

ok, so when I installed my Hearthstone II, the book says to install pipe without a flu damper.

My father living in the land of potbellies and the like has always had a flue damper. I have run it for about a year and a half without and it seems to run fine but there are times when i have to cut the secondary intake down after I have already closed off the primary intake because the stack temp is getting over 450. I know that I can run them up to about 700, but that would run me out of my house (HOTTER THEN :censored: )

Is it a good thing or a bad thing?

 

[dwinch53]

Well first of all if it is air tight you should not need one...you should check the owners manual or call the main company up and tell them youe model # and see what they say...DW

 

[Crofter]

The old non air tight stoves often needed a pipe damper to hold them back but not so needed on the newer stoves. It is true that there is usually no control on the secondary air supply {I had to look really hard to find where it was} and if you load them up with wood to get a long burn they can be putting out more heat than you want. I think the idea of not having that control is to prevent them from being shut down and making smoke. EPA compliance I guess. I have thought about putting adjusters on the openings but there are two and are underneath the rear of the stove. The patent pipe dampers have two holes and fit loose enough that they still might not shut down enough for you unless you made a custom one. There are draft compensators that let in room air to reduce the pull on your stove and temper the flue gas temperature but not sure how involved or pricey they are or whether they have their own problems.