Print

[Red97]

I just fired up my home made burner for the first time 10 days ago. my set points are open at 170 close at 180. I have noticed when the damper door opens the temp will contiue to drop to around 150's then go up pretty slowly. I have never had the fire die, just wondering what i can do to improve the stove. the damper is 4x6 rectangle tube cut at 30 degrees with a 1" pull actuator i have a 6" id flue but it is just above the peak of the burner now. Would adding 6or 8ft of 8" pipe help fix my problem?

Thank you joe

[baldwin racing]

I just fired up my home made burner for the first time 10 days ago. my set points are open at 170 close at 180. I have noticed when the damper door opens the temp will contiue to drop to around 150's then go up pretty slowly. I have never had the fire die, just wondering what i can do to improve the stove. the damper is 4x6 rectangle tube cut at 30 degrees with a 1" pull actuator i have a 6" id flue but it is just above the peak of the burner now. Would adding 6or 8ft of 8" pipe help fix my problem?

Thank you joe

joe,
it may help. does your cold air enter the fire box on the bottom of the door blowing the cold air on the hot coals at the bottom? and what do you have for flue exit? mine has to go all the way to the bottom of the stove(fire box) to exit once you shut the flapper? plus it has secondary burn. it has stainless air tubes to feed that.
kelly 

[Red97]

The damper is at the bottom of the loading door here is an attached pic. their is a 8"h 12"w ash grate in the center. My flue is 6" id round and is about 4" from the top of the ash grate.
this is the only pic that shows the damper door. thank you for your help

[uncle Dave]

Wow, that is a beautifull thing, what do you estimated the weight to be when complete, how much water will it hold.

[Red97]

thank you. it is well over 2000lbs the loder tractor will lift and move 2000lbs but coldnt lift the stove off the ground. best guess would be around 3000lbs it holds around 300 gallons.

thanks joe

[hondaracer2oo4]

I know that you would have to do a few modifications but how about putting a blower in the door with a solenoid actuated cover to the fan? 90 % of the conventional boilers made today have a forced draft and not a natural draft. Picks the fire up quickly and burns a nice hot fire.

[Red97]

that is going to be the next step. but as long as it works ok, i am going to leave it for the season. do you think it would be better to put a blower in the ash door? do the blowers use more wood than a natural draft?

thank you

[Red97]

been thinking hard about what you said hondaracer. what if i were to put a blower on the front cover of the damper encloser and wire it to turn on the same time the damper opens? would a 75 cfm unit be big enough? the blower would pressureize the box with the damper and blow into the fire box, would it work the way i am thinking?

[baldwin racing]

been thinking hard about what you said hondaracer. what if i were to put a blower on the front cover of the damper encloser and wire it to turn on the same time the damper opens? would a 75 cfm unit be big enough? the blower would pressureize the box with the damper and blow into the fire box, would it work the way i am thinking?

joe,
if you set it up right the natraul draft will work fine... mine does. may take a little longer to catch up if it falls behind but they work well.
here is a pic of the inside of my thermo-control door the dampner pulls in down to bottom and blowing threw the hot coals... maybe this pic will help?
kelly 
pic is dark its the square on the door to about 2 inch from bottom,it's  3/4 the width of the door wide that's were the air gets pull down on to coals......sorry bad pic

[attachment deleted by admin for space issues]

[hondaracer2oo4]

You can either put it in the door or put it down on the ash door. The ash door might get a better fire going because it will be an undergrate style forced air. A lot of stoves though have it up in the door and have a plate that aims the air down towards the coals/ash bin to try and direct the air under the fire. I think a 75 cfm would work for you? I know that my stove has that size and a bunch of other under grate style blowers are that size. Not sure about the size of the ones that are typically in the door.

[Red97]

Thanks for the pic. The way my grate is set up it does the same thing as yours pulls the air down below the coals I have taken the louvered door and added some height on the flue it seemed to help alot. I mat just cut the louvers off and just leave the top piece to cover the solenoid.

[baldwin racing]

Thanks for the pic. The way my grate is set up it does the same thing as yours pulls the air down below the coals I have taken the louvered door and added some height on the flue it seemed to help alot. I mat just cut the louvers off and just leave the top piece to cover the solenoid.

I think I see your problem now, cut the bottom off the square box you have the dampner in and leave louvers on front, put in a metal screen where the bottom plate was, the dampner is pulling air from the bottom and it needs a lot of air....with the screen on the bottom it can now get enough air suck right in the dampner door, the design of the screen will just keep stuff out?
kelly