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[slosh250]

Noticed a lot of steam out of the rear stack, stuck a thermometer in the water in the small tank and it was 220 f. Could i have a air leak somewhere? Seems to only steam out on windy warm days. Burning some pretty dry wood also.

[willieG]

Noticed a lot of steam out of the rear stack, stuck a thermometer in the water in the small tank and it was 220 f. Could i have a air leak somewhere? Seems to only steam out on windy warm days. Burning some pretty dry wood also.

some "overshooting" of the set temp is quite normal but if you have your stove set for 180 and you are overshooting by 40 degrees then yes i qould say you have an air leak. I am unfamiliar with your stove but i will say some stoves have a gap set in the flapper to allow a little air to get by when it is closed so that the fire does not smother completely.(perhaps this setting is a little to  far open for the windy days?)

also a gasket leak at the door may be a culprit?

if it is only on windy days it sounds like a small air leak, have you cleaned your flapper and made sure it is closing properly (at times they have been known to build up with creosete and not work 100%

look closely at both your air flapper and your door.  some times you can use one of them incense sticks (them smelly things that the wife likes to burn now and again) they give off a nice small steady stream of smoke, you can hold them close to the areas you want to check and see if that smoke is getting sucked in around a door seal or the flapper.

also if your flapper just closes over the opening of the blower (if you stove is equipped) i have seen on windy days the flapper seals good over the fan's inlet but the wind is strong enough to suck air right through the motor winding, if you try the smoke thing be sure and check around the motor of the fan as well

good luck

[AirForcePOL]

Yea I would try what Willie said.  I have had to adjust the chain on mine before.  Even a little gap can make a huge difference. 

[AirForcePOL]

Also, if that is the problem and you are having a hard time getting it to seat just how you want it you can cut a few links off and then just use bailing wire to get it right where it needs to be.

[slosh250]

THe flapper on the blower sits down with a small amount of slack in the chain. the clean out door i siliconed shut to try to eliminate it as the culpret, the door gaskets are brand new.  Is it feasable to say the wind is pulling air out of the stack and flowing just enough to keep the ambers hot? the stove hasnt kicked on in 14 hours and had a temp reading in the float tank of 200 and thermostat is set on 160 right now. Just at a lose of what to do, dont want it to overheat .

[AirForcePOL]

I've always wondered that myself.  I don't have a thermometer on mine but its windy as hell here right now and it was 70 degrees today so not any heat load.  It hasn't seemed to burn much wood though so I guess that's good.

I really don't have any other ideas for you.  It sounds to me like you have tried mostly everything.  What are the temps like where you live right now?  Does it do it when it's cold?  And does your pump run 24/7?

[slosh250]

70's here in missouri. I think i got it whipped, the inscent stick was the trick. was pulling air where the motor for the blower bolts to the fan housing, a little silicone and so far so good, but only time will tell. thanks willie G that was a good little trick to add to my little black book

[willieG]

Glad you found your problem Slosh

i learned that little smoke trick from the safety department where i used to work...they used it to test us for getting a seal on those half face masks. they used smoke that would choke  a horse, if you were not getting a good seal, you could not lie...that stuff almost made you puke. If any got through you would have to rip your mask off immediately!

But I learned to adapt it do some good for me...and apparently, you as well

[sawyer45306]

I live in Ohio and my boiler boils all the time we have windy days like that in the months I am not heating the house but only domestic water. Hardy had drilled a couple hole in the blower lid and I put screws in them. Also during the warm month turn your aquastat down from 180 to 150. That way you arent carring your water temps in the boiler so high to start with. I did that and it reduced the number of days I find my boiler steaming.