Natural Draft Induction Thermostat on a Hand fired Stove

I want a thermostat on my stove. A combustion blower might be easier, but they scare me.

I can set my stove to a good burn rate using the already included bi-metal heat spring(which at low, will keep the fire going). But when it’s super cold ”hi” isn’t enough. I will have to crack the ash door. I can crack it more before I go to bed, but then I can’t sleep because its too hot, anticipating the cool down. Then if it’s not open enough, I wake up to a cold house.

Want to retro-fit a electric damper to the ash door, to a digital 110 v line thermostat. The Harmon furnaces have natural combustion air regulated by a thermostat, so do other coal furnaces, like the Energy King Furnaces. They do it without a combustion blower. I would love to just but one from Harmon or Energy King, and make it work on my stove, but I don’t know if you can just buy the parts. The Energy King looks simple http://www.energyking.com/wood-coal-fur ... ptions.htm It looks like a motorized damper, in a small 3 inch or 4 inch metal square tube. That seems easy to make. You can just use a 3 inch round pipe and motorized damper actuator from ebay.

I think I could also use a 5 inch zone control damper (the smallest I’ve seen) on the ash door with some sheetmetal work. I would just make damn sure that I’m not opening the full 5 inches when it opens. I guess it would have a manual damper on it, or the existing ash door might be open just enough for the temperature I need, or maybe a 5 inch to 2-3 inch neck down.

I’d try to keep it set just right like I do now, and try not to have the thermostat run… I wouldn’t want to have the damper open up and the stove be wide open… then close all the way after the thermostat was satisfied. Ideally the damper open would only give the ashdoor about 20% more air.

Has anyone done this? Am I going about this the wrong way?

HEY coal kid I think the riteway stoves had somthing like what your looking to do I know my very first 1980 ALASKA had a box mount on the ash door with a flap with a chain on it that went to a motor when temp hit where you set it. It would open or shut it was a pretty easy set up mybe alaska have some old ones laying around in there warehouse give them a call or you could make one out of sheetmetal and a little motor with a chain and a thermostat control the riteway 37 stove had there's on the side of the stove same type. well I hope this helps take care and keep it hot