This will be my 3rd year heating my home with the "Little/Big Stove"!!! My natural gas bills, all totaled for last heating season, were less than $400 (mid Oct. thru March)!!! I admit that my house is only 1100sq.ft.; but it's not an open floor plan at all. And if the rest of the house is insulated like the outside wall of my master bath (that I'm currently remodeling), there's a lot to be desired about the wall isolation in my home!!!! First year burning with the 13 was a learning experience for sure. Had very dry box elder and soft maple as main wood and some white oak that was used on the "coldest" nights. Still, I had the occasional "run away" stove and would have to PLUG the OAK (where all the air is taken in) intake and turn on the fan to cool her down. Everyone at the "other site" said the the "secondary" air on my stove came from vents near the front legs or front corners of the my stove. I found that is not true. There seem to be 2 "variants" of the 13NC and on mine; all the air for the stove is ingested from the OAK manifold. My 13 has the ash pan plug slightly off center to the left of the fire box if you're looking into the door. Other 13's had the ash pan plug in the center of the firebox...................................just like the 30NC which pulls secondary air from vents near the front legs!!! I'm guessing here that the "center plug" 13's pull secondary air like the 30's do. I blew compressed air thru mine to find out how the air flows thru her. I don't know if mine is a older or newer version. Here's my MOD.............................. Once I determined where ALL the air came from on my stove, I decided to add an OAK. I'm pulling air from my crawl space now to feed the stove. The OAK manifold on my stove was not a SEALED/AIR TIGHT manifold.......................so even if I totally blocked the round OAK flange (like year 1), air was still being pulled into the stove!!!!!! I'm thinking this could explain the run away stove episodes I had the first year. After plumbing my OAK, I sealed all the gaps in the OAK manifold (spot weld to spot weld) with high temp silicone. I not only had do this under and in the back of the stove; but I had to pull out the ash drawer out in order to seal the front side of the OAK manifold on the bottom of the stove. Second year burning with this stove, the 13NC was an entirely different animal. Much, much more controllable now that I could control ALL the air entering the stove. My 13 will now cruise longer with a more STABLE temp than the year prior. I did not modify anything on the stove..................except how all air enter her now. Just added a little silicone.
Welcome to the forum MightyWhitley. I could see that getting very frustrating being told one thing by many then still having some runaways. Finding out for yourself why you were having the problem has to be satisfying and now this year you will be very happy indeed.
Welcome aboard MW. Just a slight clarification on the 30NC......the holes behind the front legs send air to the "boost air" just inside the door. The 2ndary air is not controllable and gets in via a small rectangular hole just behind the OAK primary intake. I'd really like to figure out an easy control for that boost air, as it blasts a hole through the wood. I need to run the stove more before getting too crazy with mods though. I had the same idea when I got my 30, to check underneath to see how the primary air rod works underneath and if there are any "leaks". I installed an OAK on mine not too long ago. I have a thread on here somewhere about that. Got any pics of your mods? Love to see 'em.
MW, I have a nc-13 at the cottage and I will be sure to check over those areas on my stove also. I have never had a runaway scenario or even close to one, so I kinda doubt that anything is wrong with the welds. I have a few bad welds inside the firebox that I found before the first fire-even before I installed it. Englander was very prompt in remedying this problem by allowing a local welder to repair it and sending them the bill. Very satisfied with Englander's customer service.
Do not those "vents" by the front legs on your 30 provide air to the "dog house"??? Or is that what you're referring to as "boost air"????
Nothing wrong with the welds on the stove at all. What I was referring to was the OAK manifold itself. From the factory, it's not a sealed manifold, so even if you totally block the round OAK opening, it's still drawing air from the gaps around where it's welded to.
Oh, almost forgot........................cleaned my chimney only once last year due to the cold and snow. When I did, only got about a 12oz beer can full of fluffy, sooty creosote. That's almost 5 months of burning!!
Yep, "doghouse". I did notice that on the 30 too. Not sure if it matters, so I haven't yet done anything to it.
the air to the "doghouse' on the 13 series stoves is actually coming from the primary air supply (or "airwash" air), the 30 has its own seperate supply air for the doghouse.
Some places seem to have people that "know it all" and tell others that their stove has "Such and Such". When they just hear a brand and a not the actual model #. It's better to hear it from others that know. Thanks for sharing Mike!!
