Alaska Kodiak Question

For those of you familiar with it does anyone know what the floating baffle does?

If you are referring to the rectangular box that drops down thru and is suspended by the loading hatch it is the hopper .

The plate that hangs over the exhaust hole? It's to keep the coal out when u fill it all the way up .

The plate that hangs over the exhaust hole? It's to keep the coal out when u fill it all the way up .

Okay thanks.... I now realize I put this in stokers and not hand fired. OOPS. Thanks for the repiles.

Bob1776 wrote:For those of you familiar with it does anyone know what the floating baffle does?

You may be talking about a by-pass baffle? Is it above the firebox and slide from the front to the back? If so, it allows the hot gasses more residence time in the boiler/stove because it creates a longer path (two pass) through the unit, it can increase efficiency considerably. Before you open the door to recharge, you must slide the baffle toward the door and it changes the exhuast route from the door end to the back side eliminating smoke spillage into the room as the draft goes from the dooor to the rear instead of straight up as soon as you open the door. Otherwise the natural draft with the fixed baffle would tend to spill into the room as it is directed toward the door on the first pass.