Automatic damper on chimney on OWB

Cedar Savage · December 12, 2013, 02:06:55 PM

Any one ever hook up an autumatic damper on chimney on a OWB ?We Installed a Central Boiler 6048 recently & it seems to really eat up the wood over our old Taylor that we replaced. The draft seems to be a whole lot stronger on the CB, & I was trying figure out how to damp it down some, when the automaic draft on the door shuts.
Seems like someone out there would engineered something that works.....any ideas?

beenthere · December 12, 2013, 02:26:17 PM

QuoteI was trying figure out how to damp it down some, when the automaic draft on the door shuts.

Are you saying that the automatic draft on the door doesn't damper the fire enough?

Cedar Savage · December 12, 2013, 03:14:25 PM

The damper on the door works fine, & the fire damps down ok. I want to stop heat from escaping up the chimney when its on its down cycle. So a automatic damper on the chimney that would close at the same time as when the door draft closes. I think it would improve the efficiency some, by stopping heat loss up the stack.

beenthere · December 12, 2013, 03:27:29 PM

That doesn't seem like an easy thing to get to work, as I'd suspect enough creosote build-up around that damper to where it wouldn't open on command.

But maybe worth a try. What can it hurt?

Cedar Savage · December 12, 2013, 03:59:41 PM

Almost every woodstove I've ever stuffed wood into had 2 dampers on them, why don't OWB's?
How about controlling a reversable drill motor hooked up to a regular circular type,that you get at the local hwd? or something like that....

beenthere · December 12, 2013, 04:22:29 PM

Give it a shot. Would like to see how that works. Hope it does the trick for you.

Cedar Savage · December 12, 2013, 04:33:57 PM

I've no idea how to controll the motor...I' was wondering if someone might of already made one...or done such a thing.

snowstorm · December 12, 2013, 05:05:01 PM

Quote from: Cedar Savage on December 12, 2013, 02:06:55 PM
Any one ever hook up an autumatic damper on chimney on a OWB ?We Installed a Central Boiler 6048 recently & it seems to really eat up the wood over our old Taylor that we replaced. The draft seems to be a whole lot stronger on the CB, & I was trying figure out how to damp it down some, when the automaic draft on the door shuts.
Seems like someone out there would engineered something that works.....any ideas?

i have a taylor why would you switch to a cb?

Hilltop366 · December 12, 2013, 05:52:16 PM

I can't comment on the 6048 but the electric draft controls that I have seen use a low voltage motor that opens the draft when powered up and shuts the draft when the power is shut off , (usually 24 volt ac) so the motor would have to be one that is made to have power to it the whole time it it is open.

Would it be possible to tap into the draft wires where they connect at the control then add another draft control on the chimney to run the damper, I would think you would have to add a piece of rod on handle of the damper and ad a weight on so it will close. No doubt the draft control would have to be covered from the weather.

http://www.pexsupply.com/Honeywell-M847A1072-24V-2-Position-Damper-Actuator-w-arm-linkage

Cedar Savage · December 12, 2013, 06:56:16 PM

Quote from: snowstorm on December 12, 2013, 05:05:01 PM
Quote from: Cedar Savage on December 12, 2013, 02:06:55 PM
Any one ever hook up an autumatic damper on chimney on a OWB ?We Installed a Central Boiler 6048 recently & it seems to really eat up the wood over our old Taylor that we replaced. The draft seems to be a whole lot stronger on the CB, & I was trying figure out how to damp it down some, when the automaic draft on the door shuts.
Seems like someone out there would engineered something that works.....any ideas?
i have a taylor why would you switch to a cb?

the Taylor was one of they'er first...it had 4 flues, & a area on top that was heck ta clean all the time, it had a leak too....hind sight shows that it was better built than the CB...better millage on wood too.....coulda fixed it up, but thats water over the dam now......

Cedar Savage · December 12, 2013, 07:03:32 PM

The CB has a removable access clean out plate at the base of the chimney on the back...thinking of hooking up something there....

Ivan49 · December 12, 2013, 07:14:45 PM

I tried this once and nothing beats climbing a ladder in the snow at midnight in -20 weather with the wind blowing like mad to remove this thing from the chimney because it is plugged up. I wired it into my draft blower and I think I used a solnoid to open and close the damper. I used a spring on a lever to the damper. After that little failure I quit worring about the heat going up the chimney :D

WmFritz · December 12, 2013, 09:34:47 PM

I know nothing bout OWB's, but wondering about air leakage through the air intake damper when it's closed. Since you said you recently installed it, I'm guessing it was new. Seems like the door gaskets would be tight in that case. Just seems that if your losing that much heat up the stack, there could be an air leak someplace.

Cedar Savage · December 12, 2013, 10:38:41 PM

It dampens the fire down ok & no air leaks on the door.....I've used an indoor wood stove all my life, there were a few different types, but mostly airtights. They all had a draft on the front & a damper on the chimney.
I'd use the damper on the chimney at night to the hold heat in, when I had a nice bed of coals glowing.

martyinmi · December 12, 2013, 11:14:08 PM

On our Portage and Main's there is an "actuator" on the back that opens and closes a hinged flap which controls the air supply. It incorporates a wound spring on it's shaft. When power is cut, the shaft spring turns the shaft CCW and closes the flap. They have quite a bit of power when energized.
I've thought of adding an exhaust shut off like you are referring to, but was advised not to do it.
The few OWB builders that I've talked to said they felt that the steamy,moist,foul smelling, acidic smoke that exits during the off cycle probably should not be trapped inside the boiler for fear of premature corrosion.

wishiwasfishingguy · December 13, 2013, 11:01:57 AM

Get in touch with your Central Boiler dealer and ask about their chimney tee restrictor kit. If you go to central Boilers website you can download the parts catalog and see what it looks like

thecfarm · December 13, 2013, 11:30:02 AM

wishiwasfishingguy,welcome to the forum. You have a Central Boiler?

Cedar Savage · December 13, 2013, 09:16:09 PM

Marty...its not the moist gases I want to lock in, its the hot dry heat from a couple foot of red hot coals, that I want to damp down & lock the heat in.
Wishiwasfish.... I looked at that restrictor & it gave me an idea, so I might make a baffle outta tin, put in the back, through the access plate & play with it durning the day & see what happens...

BBTom · December 13, 2013, 09:49:19 PM

I had one of those first Taylors, when they put that big 4" pipe plug in the cleanout hole. Could never get it loose to clean out the tank. My new one has SS bottom and bolt on flange covers on the cleanouts. I love it.

Now for your present problem, don't you want a standard auto draft control that opens when the stove is shut off? It would allow fresh cool air into the chimney and would stop the chimney draft from pulling the heat out of the firebox.

Stopping the flow of gasses in the chimney would be a problem due to creosote buildup. Letting the draft suck in fresh air seems to me to be a better solution that would work without maintenance and accomplish the same thing.

Just my opinion.

Cedar Savage · December 13, 2013, 10:48:07 PM

BBTom...you got a point, I'll have to think on that.

Holmes · December 14, 2013, 09:26:15 AM

I believe Ivan49 has told you exactly what will happen. Also,
The more cold air you allow to flow into the chimney the more creosote you will get. A tall chimney will make more creosote than a short chimney.