I switched over to epa stoves in 2010 (non-cat) and like 'em. The stove I have at the cottage has a shorter flue while the one I use as a kicker stove in the basement is hooked up to a masonry chimney. The chimney passes directly through the center of the house and all the way to the peak. I'm thinking right around 30' of 8" clay lined draft sucking the heat right out of that little el dorado. The stove burnt well, but very fast as compared to the nc-13 at the cottage. What to do? Slow down the draft seems to be the answer. I installed a 6" cast iron draft damper in the single wall between the sotve and the masonry a week or so ago and finally fired it up today. Still trying to dial it in. The temp of the stove pipe was always greater that the stove top but now that has reversed. Last check, stove pipe was around 350 while the stove top was around 450...ish. Think I may have slowed down the consumption a tad.
My old stove had one built into the collar; on a 28 foot chimney, I needed it quite a bit to slow the old gal down. When I installed the Fireview in May, I installed a key damper on my 1 foot single wall piece. I have been burning with it open so far. Will experiment with it later this winter when the temps are much lower and when we have high wind conditions. Hearthstone referred to the key damper as a "throttle" and I kind of like thinking of it that way. While the newer stoves may not need this throttle, I do like knowing it is there if I decide it necessary to use it.
About the same for me, except I'm burning in a nc30, the addition of the damper helped a lot, even though the official word fro Englander is that you shouldn't need one.
It may be different where you are located but when I inquired with the dealer and WETT tech installer I was told don't do it. If you ever had a problem that results in a house fire your insurance company might refuse to cover as it was not there when the stove was installed. I really do not want to open a can of worms with the insurers now. Our insurance companies demand WETT certificates and photos of the install as a minimum and in some cases send an inspector out as well before signing off. I have zero interest in any legal battles with insurance companies or railing about these annoying issues so I just comply. You all may be better off in the U.S. than we are in Canada - hope so - but there are a few Canucks on FHC so offer 2 cents worth.
I don't remember on the insurance questionnaire/compliance form reading anything about draft dampers. I do see a lot of them around here and wisconsin so it must not be an issue....yet. I did have to take photos and submit them also.
Not sure, but maybe they are referring to barometric dampers? We sure love having our turn key damper as an "insurance" policy when the wind is cranking across that tall stack. Pretty crazy to watch the manometer shoot past .25" ...moral of the story for us is we are blessed with a super controllable stove.
I am pleased with the stove's performance since I installed it (damper). However, I have only lit it that one time since I installed it!!
Only thing I do not like about key dampers is they get in the way when cleaning flue- note I have only had straight shot flues- they do become a necessity is some conditions.
