Baro Damper for an EFM

So what are the thoughts on a barometric damper on an EFM520. I've been reading a lot about them on the other boards but I'm unsure 100% how I want to proceed. My unit seems to be running fine without one but I get the feeling from my reading I might be missing out on efficiency. As stokerman put it in an earlier post on one of my issues it seems like Dr. Frankenstein was the original installer of my unit before I bought the house.

I'm working on a couple of upgrades such as a manometer and a relay so BOTH of my circulators don't run when just one zone calls for heat.

Thanks for the advice as I continue to demonsterize my unit and turn it into the efficient clean running boiler I know it can be!

If your chimney produces a perfect negative .02 when stoking, then you don't need one. Most likely you need one and without one, you are actually burning coal when you don't need to, when there is no call for heat.

Thanks stokerman!! Sounds like I would just be best to invest in a baro damper and learn how to adjust it properly. That way there is no question that I am running at neg .02 when I am stoking. I'm not sure what I"m running now...I just know there is a lot of talk about them and I don't have one and I don't have a manometer to know what my draft is. I know based on other issues with the setup I doubt the installer and previous owner took the time to get a perfect -0.02. In fact that could explain that no matter what my temps run high all the time b/c it continues to keep burning more than it should.

I didn't install a baro-damper when I installed the unit. My first year I burned 9 tons. Then I found this board and saw that guys burned between 5-7 tons a year. I explained my setup and they tore me apart for not having it. I installed it last Feb. I'm not sure if/how much coal I'll save yet.

stoker-man wrote:If your chimney produces a perfect negative .02 when stoking, then you don't need one. Most likely you need one and without one, you are actually burning coal when you don't need to, when there is no call for heat.

Thats over the fire right?

Mine is .03 at the inspection door and .05 at the pipe.

If you could get .02/.04 you'd be good. As you are is pretty good too.

Before my Baro Damper I was .03 - .04 over fire and .07 or so at flue exit.

with it you can dial right into the .02 / .04 so I personally think its probably worth it!

for $35...