damper in a stove pipe???

[dave2]

What purpose does the damper serve??? Asking because we have an older stove that doesn't have one. Does the damper just compensate (??) for a stove that isn't air tight? Or does it keep heat from going up the chimney??
SWMBO is complaining that the stove doesn't heat as fast as her glass fronted one in the living room.... Keep telling her that it's not the same type of stove and she needs to be patient, but if a damper in the pipe would help.... I'll put one in..... stove itself is tight tho..... Just one that takes a day or so to warm everything up and keep comfortable.....
 

[Walt Davies]

The damper does just what the name says it dampens down
stove so that all the heat doesn't go right up the chimney. Let
your stove get up to heat then close down the damper just
above where it starts to smoke. This will slow the burning rate
and keep more heat in the stove where it warm the house not
the outside.
They are very easy to install.
Walt
 

[farmall300u]

the main purpose of a damper on a wood stove is to control the rate of burn. With the damper wide open or missing, the fire's CO2 goes straight up the flue pipe where as when closed, tends to smother the fire.
 

[dpendzic]

a damper in the stove pipe is used to slow the fire down. Important if the stove is not airtight and over fires. Otherwise it's not needed and tends to accumulate creosote. I took mine out on my small vermont castings to get it to run hotter.

there are fan driven stove pipe adapters that get more heat out of the stovepipe but be careful of creosote buildup in your chimney.
 

[thesmoothedeere]

From what i understand the newer stoves like mine don't want you to use dampers. All air flow should be controlled at the stove.
 

[donjr]

The damper doesn't really make that much difference. The draft however, does. Once you get your fire started, cut the draft on the front of the stove down and the fire will bank down on it's own. If there is less draft, less air comes into the stove, and less goes up the chimney. So more of the heat being given off transfers to the steel and therefore into your heating space. Open the damper, and close down on the draft.....
 

[Ted in NE-OH]

If you dampen too much you fill the room with smoke. Air tight stoves have a built in damper on the air intake.
 

[Unruh]

Why does my barrel shop stove puff smoke out of the air intake until it gets hot? Is my 6" smoke pipe too small? The stove is an old 230 gallon oblong stove fuel tank.
 

[buickanddeere]

It's back drafting until the flue is hot enough to flow sufficient combustion air into the stove.
Ideal stack has no bends or horizontal sections. And runs above the condensation point of creosote. Taller is usually better.
6" is on the small side unless the fires are always small, hot and clean burning with the air intake open.
It can't be avoided on a natural draft stove . Some combustion heat has to be used to hear the stack to make the stove draw. Instead of the heat warming your building.
 

[36 Coupe]

Dont beleive every thing you read on this forum.
 

[rusted nuts]

I think you've got it right.
 

[BushogPapa]

Used correctly on a fairly air-tight stove, a damper should be left open until the fire is burning well and the stove is heated..
Then, the damper should be progressively closed as the stove continues to heat up..
At some point, you will notice the heat output go UP..as the stove goes into "Secondary Combustion"..
That is the point where you want the damper closed and the coals will last a long time..and the fire will not roar up the chimney..
My old "Atlanta Stove" has an automatic air inlet damper that regulates the fire well, but I always operate the Stove-Pipe damper to get the best out of the hot stove..
Ron..
 

[36 Coupe]

Wrong..
 

[showcrop]

It is true that you should be controlling combustion rate with the stove's built in draft control. But with either draft control or damper as others have said get it going good then dampen it down some. BUUUUUUT at least once a day let it roar good for a few minutes so that flame will carry up the flue so that if you have accumulated any creosote it will burn it off. That way you will have a friendly chimney fire every day and you won't have bad one that you need to invite the fire department to.
 

[george md]

Don,

Having fired stoves and furnaces for most
of the last 60 years , If you want to get the
heat out of the stove and not send it up the
flue, you will need a damper.

george