Help With Idling

 
reckebecca
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Post by reckebecca » Sat. Mar. 13, 2010 11:56 am

VigIIPeaBurner wrote:Yes, check that spring! The stove is a top loader/hopper unit, right? maybe a small piece of coal has made it's way down to the bimetallic coil/spring thing and is jambing it. That could be letting more air to the fire and keeping the stove running hot. More than likely if you're observing light around the ash door, that's the problem ... or one of a few?!
Yes, top loading hopper.

The light I can see is when I open the ash door and look through to the air intake flapper and I can see an hint of light around the top edge of the flapper. I will check for jambs again - I did open it all the way and close it again (how I found the offending piece of coal last year) but, I'll check it again.

Thanks.

 
Pete69
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Post by Pete69 » Sat. Mar. 13, 2010 12:02 pm

Sounds like you need to work on the mating surfaces between the flapper and the stove. If it's not too hot in that area try sealing around the flap with tape or something. Then if the stove idles down you will know it's not the door seal.

 
reckebecca
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Post by reckebecca » Sat. Mar. 13, 2010 12:04 pm

Yay, something's worked! It's come down 100*! It's now only at 350*.

 
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SMITTY
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Post by SMITTY » Sat. Mar. 13, 2010 12:20 pm

Good deal! 8-)

What was it that worked?


 
reckebecca
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Post by reckebecca » Sat. Mar. 13, 2010 12:29 pm

SMITTY wrote:Good deal! 8-)

What was it that worked?

LOL - there in may lay a problem - I think I may have done too many things at once! Oops.

I made certain that the flapper was not blocked from the inside as well as fully opening and closing it and, I opened the vents on the front that brings in air over the top of the fire box. Since it's now continuing to drop (down to nearly 300* now), I'll try closing those again and see if it was futzing with the flapper that got me there.

 
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SMITTY
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Post by SMITTY » Sat. Mar. 13, 2010 12:39 pm

Ahhh, I gotcha.

That's ok ... as long as it's doing what you want it to, who cares how it got there - right? :D

 
reckebecca
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Post by reckebecca » Sat. Mar. 13, 2010 12:49 pm

SMITTY wrote:Ahhh, I gotcha.

That's ok ... as long as it's doing what you want it to, who cares how it got there - right? :D
lol - yeah, until I want to repeat it! ;)

 
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oliver power
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Post by oliver power » Mon. Mar. 15, 2010 11:27 am

You say you see light from around the flapper door(air inlet). On a HITZER, there is an ajustable magnet which pulls the flapper door closed once it gets close. Do you have this. If so, it may need ajusting. Ajust so magnet power barely pulls on flapper door. Too much power will hold the flapper door closed, while the spring is trying to pull it open. The stove will cool too much. Once the spring pulls hard enough to pop the flapper off the magnet, the flapper is too far open. The stove runs longer / hotter in order to bring stove temp back up to the point of the magnet taking hold again. You you continue to use windowstats.


 
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lowfog01
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Post by lowfog01 » Mon. Mar. 15, 2010 11:39 am

So how's it going? Have you been roasted out or has something worked to cool the stove down to where you can live in the house? Just curious. Lisa

 
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oliver power
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Post by oliver power » Mon. Mar. 15, 2010 1:21 pm

reckebecca wrote:
SMITTY wrote:Good deal! 8-)

What was it that worked?

LOL - there in may lay a problem - I think I may have done too many things at once! Oops.

I made certain that the flapper was not blocked from the inside as well as fully opening and closing it and, I opened the vents on the front that brings in air over the top of the fire box. Since it's now continuing to drop (down to nearly 300* now), I'll try closing those again and see if it was futzing with the flapper that got me there.
Over the fire air will also slow the fire down. In a way, it does what a daro damper does; it pulls room air easyer than air up through the coals. To some degree, the room air also cuts off the flow of air comming through the coals. I leave the door open on my HITZER in order for glass to cool before cleaning. It might be open for a half hour. During this time, the fire dies way down (over fire air).

 
duck
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Post by duck » Fri. Mar. 19, 2010 9:10 am

Air leaks are hard to chase down. I work in EHS and we use smoke tubes to check ventilation capture, one of the guys in the shop watched us using the tubes checking an exhuast system. A few days later he told me he was having drafting problems (run away) with his coal / wood furnace and after watching us he went to Pier One and bought a package of insense sticks. Using the smoke from the insense he found the air leak (missing gasket) it sucked the smoke right in. He also went around and found all the cold air leaks in his house.

 
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Cheetah
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Post by Cheetah » Sun. Mar. 21, 2010 4:32 pm

reckebecca wrote:
I opened the vents on the front that brings in air over the top of the fire box.
Not saying that isn't what slowed the fire but... When I reduce the air enough on my stove the blue angles go away because there isn't enough oxygen above the coal to support them. If I open the door above the coals soon after shaking ashes down the fire will flare up as air is provided to burn off the volitiles from the fresh coal that has come down.

Bruce

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