Stove installation questions...

[ErnieG]

So I installed a wood stove in my garage and I have a few questions.

I'm having some draft problems when it's dampened down with a lot of moisture running down the stove pipe...on the inside and outside.
The woods been split and drying two years now so I would think it's plenty dry....what can be causing this ?
Also while the stoves burning the draft holes on the front of the stove make for lack of better terms a "helicopter" noise ...kinda like a poof poof poof noise while drawing in the air ..what would cause this ?
I'm thinking I may possibly need another piece of pipe added to create a better draft ....it drafts really good when it's burning hot but not so good when it's dampened off .

Thanks for any help!
Ernie
.

 

[ErnieG]

Here are a few pics of my set up ...

 

[farmer steve]

Hi Ernie. How does it burn if you leave the damper open? Do you have a better pic of the draft knobs. I have an older stove similar to yours. I get the puffing when I leave the draft knobs open but it subsides when I close them. Very possible the moisture running down your pipe is condensation from the pipe cooling towards the top. Where are you in Pa? York Co here.

 

[ErnieG]

It's doesn't seem as loud sounding with the damper open and I do get some smoke coming back in when the dampers half closed with the stove door closed .

 

[farmer steve]

It's doesn't seem as loud sounding with the damper open and I do get some smoke coming back in when the dampers half closed with the stove door closed .
View attachment 1058684

You may need another section of pipe for better draft. I eliminated the damper on my stove because of smoke coming back through the draft knobs when it was partially closed. Does burn a bit more wood though.

 

[ErnieG]

That's what I'm thinking also...I get a puff of smoke out the vents every once and awhile also ..and even with the damper wide open I still get that sound .

Ernie

 

[ErnieG]

Hi Ernie. How does it burn if you leave the damper open? Do you have a better pic of the draft knobs. I have an older stove similar to yours. I get the puffing when I leave the draft knobs open but it subsides when I close them. Very possible the moisture running down your pipe is condensation from the pipe cooling towards the top. Where are you in Pa? York Co here.

I'm in Luzerne county

Ernie

 

[farmer steve]

That's what I'm thinking also...I get a puff of smoke out the vents every once and awhile also ..and even with the damper wide open I still get that sound .

Ernie

I usually get that puffing sound on start up with the air controls wide open with kindling or small wood. It will do it with big stuff if I let them open long enough to get the fire roaring. Good luck with it.

 

[dave_dj1]

Sounds to me like you are shutting the stove down too much and too soon. What stack temp are you running? Stoves need air. Try putting less wood in and leave the drafts open some more for longer periods. Keep an eye on it of course.

 

[ErnieG]

Sounds to me like you are shutting the stove down too much and too soon. What stack temp are you running? Stoves need air. Try putting less wood in and leave the drafts open some more for longer periods. Keep an eye on it of course.

It does it even after an extended period of burn .
I'd have to check the temp with my temp gun because I don't trust the thermometer.
I get the puff backs even when the fires burning hot ...seems to be worse then when it's hotter then dampened down .
I got another piece of pipe to add to the top and see if that helps .

Ernie

 

[ErnieG]

So I added a 3' piece of pipe and it seems to help it a lot .
I can close the damper a little and it's not puffing smoke back in ...but it's still making that puff sound when the vents are open a lot
I have them just cracked now and the stoves burning very well ...my stack temp just above the stoves around 325-350
We'll see how it does with the moisture issue.

Thanks
Ernie

 

[ElevatorGuy]

Why is the dampener in the flue to begin with?

 

[ErnieG]

Why is the dampener in the flue to begin with?

I'd say it holds back some heat with these older non-epa stoves as compared to the newer epa stoves that don't need the damper .
Do you think it's not needed ?

Ernie

 

[lwmibc]

My personal view is--free and worth every penny--that that is an airtight stove and the damper is completely redundant; you could remove it or just leave it in the wide open position, the stove controls are capable of shutting down the air supply to the point of putting the fire out.

If adding the extra length of stove pipe helped the huffing and puffing--seems logical to continue in that direction. We used to get that a lot in those tin oval 'airtight' bush stoves used on exploration programs, especially on start-up. Extra pipe always seemed to help.

Dripping down the stove pipe--that one is simple, the inside of the pipe is below the dew point of moisture inside it. Getting it hotter will solve this.

 

[psc1947]

So I installed a wood stove in my garage and I have a few questions.

I'm having some draft problems when it's dampened down with a lot of moisture running down the stove pipe...on the inside and outside.
The woods been split and drying two years now so I would think it's plenty dry....what can be causing this ?
Also while the stoves burning the draft holes on the front of the stove make for lack of better terms a "helicopter" noise ...kinda like a poof poof poof noise while drawing in the air ..what would cause this ?
I'm thinking I may possibly need another piece of pipe added to create a better draft ....it drafts really good when it's burning hot but not so good when it's dampened off .

Thanks for any help!
Ernie
.

Question: Is your outside pipe insulated?

 

[psc1947]

My personal view is--free and worth every penny--that that is an airtight stove and the damper is completely redundant; you could remove it or just leave it in the wide open position, the stove controls are capable of shutting down the air supply to the point of putting the fire out.

If adding the extra length of stove pipe helped the huffing and puffing--seems logical to continue in that direction. We used to get that a lot in those tin oval 'airtight' bush stoves used on exploration programs, especially on start-up. Extra pipe always seemed to help.

Dripping down the stove pipe--that one is simple, the inside of the pipe is below the dew point of moisture inside it. Getting it hotter will solve this.

Quoting you: "that that is an airtight stove and the damper is completely redundant"
Ideally that would be true, it depends on the stove. Having that damper has made a lot of difference for the better on some of my stoves. It can make the difference between a slow burn and simply preserving the coals Like we did growing up. We'd smother the fire with ashes at nigh and uncover in the morning and add kindling and fan up the fire.

 

[lwmibc]

You're absolutely right; the damper was a great help on things like kitchen and parlour stoves back in the 1940's and 1950's that consisted of various cast iron parts bolted together with no gaskets to seal them up; they leaked inlet air almost uncontrollably. Then along came the airtight stoves of the 70's with the back-to-the-country hippie movement, where one could make as much smoke from incomplete combustion as one wanted. The picture you posted of your stove looks like one of those like a Fisher, a welded box that is as airtight as those two inlet dampers in the door will provide. I will bet from what I see, that stove pipe damper position notwithstanding, you can put the fire out in that stove by shutting those air inlets tight, if the door seal is properly installed and working. That makes the pipe damper redundant; it can't stop air going out that the door dampers don't let in. If it could--where would that air come from?

 

[Captain Bruce]

So I installed a wood stove in my garage and I have a few questions.

I'm having some draft problems when it's dampened down with a lot of moisture running down the stove pipe...on the inside and outside.
The woods been split and drying two years now so I would think it's plenty dry....what can be causing this ?
Also while the stoves burning the draft holes on the front of the stove make for lack of better terms a "helicopter" noise ...kinda like a poof poof poof noise while drawing in the air ..what would cause this ?
I'm thinking I may possibly need another piece of pipe added to create a better draft ....it drafts really good when it's burning hot but not so good when it's dampened off .

Thanks for any help!

I have built/installed a dozen woodburners. The 10 - 2 Rule has never been discarded. You have zero draw. Chimney sweat? Not sure what that would have to do with your fuel....but its a sign that you are expecting your stove to live on down-drafts, and roof sheltering.. Get that draft hood termination up and above the peak. The in-pipe damper flap helps with over-nite stove operation......but in the morning, let her buck until the stack is re-seasoned, and draw is 100%. That amplified coffee maker chugging is the engine being re-fuelled, and getting back up to a clean burning heat.

 

[ErnieG]

Question: Is your outside pipe insulated?

Yes the exterior pipe is insulated .

Ernie

 

[Someclown]

I was going to suggest adding another length of pipe to get over the peak of your roof as the winds may have been causing a down draft when coming over the roof peak. Also as mentioned above the moisture may be condensation or snow/rain leaking down the pipe and from the looks of the picture your stove pipe may be angled toward the garage and allowing it to run down the pipe and into the garage and probably the wall. If there's moisture or water getting inside the insulated pipe that's not good as it will be soaked up by the insulation then freeze expand and ruin your pipe, this happened to a guy I know.
Exterior wall mounted stove pipe take a lot longer to heat up and create draft than interior roof mounted pipe as well.
One more word of advise, don't walk out that upper level door, that suuden stop at the end of your fall is going to hurt

So I installed a wood stove in my garage and I have a few questions.

I'm having some draft problems when it's dampened down with a lot of moisture running down the stove pipe...on the inside and outside.
The woods been split and drying two years now so I would think it's plenty dry....what can be causing this ?
Also while the stoves burning the draft holes on the front of the stove make for lack of better terms a "helicopter" noise ...kinda like a poof poof poof noise while drawing in the air ..what would cause this ?
I'm thinking I may possibly need another piece of pipe added to create a better draft ....it drafts really good when it's burning hot but not so good when it's dampened off .

Thanks for any help!
Ernie
.