Baro and Manual Damper Placement

I understand that there is a "proper" sequence of dampers and draft inducers along the flue pipe. The sequence that seems to be majority rule is
appliance→draft gauge→manual damper→baro→draft motor→chimney...
I also agree this is the safest sequence.

Last year during times of high wind and/or excessive cold, the barometric was unable to keep my negative draft pressure at .03, it would regularly go up to .05-.06..... This year I wanted to try to get more control so I moved the manual to the other side of the barometric.

I see the eyebrows lifting, I already tried closing the manual completely to see if my reading would go positive, it didn't. I held my nose directly over the barometric in disbelief and no coal exhaust. Disclaimer: Do not attempt this unless you have a manometer installed that is taking a reading between the appliance and manual damper.

Today is excessively windy. My draft gauge was exceeding .05. I closed the manual about 80% and voila, holding steady between .02-.03 no matter how hard the wind blows.

You can also install a second barometric damper. Set the one closest to the chimney to open at 0.03" and the one below it to open at 0.04", and that should keep things in the ballpark you are looking for without having to mess with the potential dangers associated with a manual damper (particularly for one above the barometric damper).

Lee, this does not seem like a good practice. What will happen when the wind stops and you get a warm afternoon? My preference would be a second Baro, or a larger tee to house an oversize Baro.

Edit: Does your stove have a combustion blower? Or natural draft only?

No sir, no combustion blower, natural draft only. There has been moments of no wind between the gusts and the mano has never fallen below a .01and never exceeded a .03... with the manual damper closed 80%. I would only use the manual damper during excessive drafting, and I could be home to watch it..

I appreciate you input and will consider the options you've mentioned. I agree there is potential for treading thin ice. Thank you

This is a responsible experiment only, I will open the manual when I can't keep close watch.

Lightning wrote:I would only use the manual damper during excessive drafting, and I could be home to watch it..

Thanks for the clarification

Don't shoot your eye out Lee

Lightning wrote:No sir, no combustion blower, natural draft only. There has been moments of no wind between the gusts and the mano has never fallen below a .01and never exceeded a .03... with the manual damper closed 80%. I would only use the manual damper during excessive drafting, and I could be home to watch it..

I appreciate you input and will consider the options you've mentioned. I agree there is potential for treading thin ice. Thank you

This is a responsible experiment only, I will open the manual when I can't keep close watch.

All it takes is to forget just once to open the manual damper before the wind dies down. Or get tired and fall asleep with it closed and then have the wind die down. Make sure your CO detectors are operating properly. Best to abandon this experiment.

The wind has subsided and my manual damper is open. I also would like to add that this arrangement would be dangerous even more so with a stoker or a hand fed with a combustion blower of any kind, resulting in a condition of positive pressure in the burn chamber.

Overall, it worked well, draft never exceeded a -.03 but for safety there are most likely better options.

I was considering starting a new thread but no need, I got my inspiration from this one. I installed a mpd after my manometer about a ft off the stove breach and my results are better than I thought. Maintaining -.03 wc with the mpd @ 50% and the baro left as is, I think it is set at 2 or 4 whatever the setting that will keep it sensitive and the manometer where I want it.
I am seeing my results in burn length and quality. I just shook the stove for the first time since loading and lighting after the mpd install yesterday at noon. Yeaup that is almost a 30 hr run and the stove never wavered in it's temp. Granted the first load in a clean stove last the longest It will hold about 50 lbs. when new, also I want to mention I am burning reading nut for the first time and I am equally impressed, I have burned blashak the last 2 yrs. and although I have heard that they are only a couple miles apart and one leases from the other I noticed a difference in the coal. Alright I didn't mean to sabotage my post but all things are not equal compared to last week when I burned for 4 days!

Pay no attention to the date on the camera! Thank god for dvr's or my vcr would still be blinking 12:00

I will track my progress, degress, any gress too form my hypothesis.

Cool Bro! I think a -.03 is the sweet spot for the hand fed appliances. They just seem to run nice and smooth at that pressure.

Steady consistent heat output thru the burn. Love it!

Day 2 with the mpd before the baro and as lightning stated .03 is the sweet spot on the manometer and the stove is cruzin'! Any adjustments I make seem to go slower and steady, no spikes in any direction, it's like giving the dog benidryl yet it is still able to fetch!