High winds high heat chimney questions

McGiever · Post by **McGiever** » Thu. Nov. 28, 2019 1:45 pm

Hitting below .03 can happen with or without the baro...makes no difference either way.
Being below -.03 doesn't give house CO
Sure, raise chimney more.

McGiever · Post by **McGiever** » Thu. Nov. 28, 2019 1:51 pm

Have you ever witnessed any downdrafts in the Hitzer?
Did you ever see your mano go positve with a fire burning?
If recent high winds did not create any down drafts, do you think you're safe now?
What are you worried about?

CoalisCoolxWarm · Post by **CoalisCoolxWarm** » Thu. Nov. 28, 2019 1:56 pm

Chimney height info

KingCoal · Post by **KingCoal** » Thu. Nov. 28, 2019 2:00 pm

you could ad 2 ft of pipe to get the chimney top at or above 3Ft above the peak which will help more with down / up drafts than it will ad to what is perceived as draft force.

Hitzer are smart people and know what they are doing in recommending .03 - .06 if you run the stove on the bi metal alone you will pretty much always be in that area. unless you have high winds, then you will show more on the mano. but the bi metal flap will be staying open about the width of a piece of paper and so very little air will be moving thru the stove. point being it is not inferred that below -.03 you will automatically have a back draft.

this is the beauty of the bi metal, when the wind blows it closes off the air to keep the heat setting from being over run and when it's calm it opens more to hold the heat setting. when run this way it really doesn't matter what the mano numbers are.

since we know you will not likely ever have less than -.02 ( which is more than enough to keep the fire going ) then we can be sure it will be rare if ever that you have a sustained back draft.

there is info shared here about being able to run stoves with multiple times more exhaust path length than the Hitzer in the -.005 and under range for hours and days at a time.

best answer, call Hitzer and ask them what they think of a Baro. to deal with high wind on your installation, they are great people.

oliver power · Post by **oliver power** » Thu. Nov. 28, 2019 2:23 pm

I was going to say ash pan vents, but seen it's been mentioned already. All assuming gaskets are good, of course...... No Need for Dampers. On the flip side, the stove did exactly what it's supposed to do. If the temps were colder, the wind would pull, closing the flapper door, and draw a little harder on the ash pan door vents. you'd be happy with the little extra heat. as it would be needed. Not sure where you have your ash pan vents adjusted to but, with these warmer temps, maybe you should close them up a little more....

In a way, installing a barometric damper hinders the operation of the Hitzer, and the way it has been engineered to operate. With a barometric damper installed, you will get a steady draw on the stove, No doubt. However, on a cold windy night, you may wake up to a cooler house, and want to open ash pan vents a little. So, which way would you rather have it when the temps drop. Wake up to a cooler house, and have to open ash pan (or primary) vents? Or wake up to a warm toasty house, because the stove operated like it was designed? I went back in posts, and seen you had the ash pan vents open to half moon. That's too much for the temps we've been having. Close them up to 1/16" open. As winter sets in, increase......... Once winter sets in, full moon is about right. Remember, every set-up is different. Just giving you general setting experience. Seen my old 50-93 in operation today. It sure is doing a fine job...

Call HITZER if you'd like. There are HITZER members that know the stove inside out, and backwards.

Post by **Lightning** » Thu. Nov. 28, 2019 3:19 pm

KingCoal wrote: ↑
Thu. Nov. 28, 2019 2:00 pm
this is the beauty of the bi metal, when the wind blows it closes off the air to keep the heat setting from being over run and when it's calm it opens more to hold the heat setting. when run this way it really doesn't matter what the mano numbers are.

This^

Close the ash door vents and let the bi metallic thermostat do its job

Then determine if a baro is still needed...

Bluesdad · Post by **Bluesdad** » Thu. Nov. 28, 2019 3:42 pm

Ok thanks everyone! I will close the ash door vents and try this. Also I plan on calling Hitzer on Monday just to see what they say.

scalabro · Post by **scalabro** » Thu. Nov. 28, 2019 4:15 pm

Regardless of the bi metal intake, if you have no means of DIRECTLY controlling excessive draft applied to the exhaust, you will lose heat up the chimney in any hand fired situation/installation.

No coal stove made is completely airtight on the primary side.

Spacecadet · Post by **Spacecadet** » Thu. Nov. 28, 2019 4:24 pm

Lots and lots on the baro posted here. I’ve been reading through all the info. My set up is ash door slide completely closed - always. I do have a baro and manometer. Sumer .02 draft not running. And I have the baro set to .05/.06 Today with the winds even with the baro flapping like crazy the manometer is bouncing from .04 to .15. And the box temp is higher than ‘normal’. The Hitzer paperwork I got with my used 30-95 when I got it said baro required. Honestly, without the baro I think I’d be having hot box issues like bluesdad is having.
I do totally agree that with a baro it is letting heated house air out and cool air is coming in from from all the tiny leaks. Like door and window seals and of coarse the wood pellet stoves fresh air vent.
Anyway, with the design of the bimetallic I can see how and why those don’t recommend the Overall. With the wind creating .15 draft i think I’ll keep the baro.

McGiever · Post by **McGiever** » Thu. Nov. 28, 2019 5:33 pm

What is misunderstood here is that with this bimetallic damper it is closed.It doesn't matter one tiny bit if draft hits peaks of .15...or beyond, the bd is closed so nothing bad happens anyways. What's so hard about understanding this...
The doors and windows to your house have the same or worse peaks as your stove does, worry about them and never mind the stove.
My kitchen faucet has 60 psi there...so what...the valve is closed.

oliver power · Post by **oliver power** » Thu. Nov. 28, 2019 6:33 pm

McGiever wrote: ↑
Thu. Nov. 28, 2019 5:33 pm
What is misunderstood here is that with this bimetallic damper it is closed.It doesn't matter one tiny bit if draft hits peaks of .15...or beyond, the bd is closed so nothing bad happens anyways. What's so hard about understanding this...
The doors and windows to your house have the same or worse peaks as your stove does, worry about them and never mind the stove.
My kitchen faucet has 60 psi there...so what...the valve is closed.

Exactly.....

scalabro · Post by **scalabro** » Thu. Nov. 28, 2019 6:54 pm

McGiever wrote: ↑
Thu. Nov. 28, 2019 5:33 pm
What is misunderstood here is that with this bimetallic damper it is closed.It doesn't matter one tiny bit if draft hits peaks of .15...or beyond, the bd is closed so nothing bad happens anyways. What's so hard about understanding this...
The doors and windows to your house have the same or worse peaks as your stove does, worry about them and never mind the stove.
My kitchen faucet has 60 psi there...so what...the valve is closed.

Sorry gotta call BS, heat WILL be pulled up the chimney.

Post by **Lightning** » Thu. Nov. 28, 2019 7:03 pm

scalabro wrote: ↑
Thu. Nov. 28, 2019 6:54 pm
Sorry gotta call BS, heat WILL be pulled up the chimney.

We know that combustion air is brought into the stove by one force which is pressure. Pressure doesn't pull, although we tend to look at it that way, it's not what is fundamentally happening. Pressure moves from areas of high, to areas of low. Given this is fact, the only way a strong chimney draft pressure can "pull" heat out of a stove is if, and only if, it can be pushed out or be displaced by incoming air..

scalabro · Post by **scalabro** » Thu. Nov. 28, 2019 7:06 pm

Heat in the form of residual hot gasses will continue up the chimney as long as the chimney drafts. Regardless of the primary being setting.

Post by **Lightning** » Thu. Nov. 28, 2019 7:08 pm

scalabro wrote: ↑
Thu. Nov. 28, 2019 7:06 pm
Heat in the form of residual hot gasses will continue up the chimney as long as the chimney drafts.

It cannot move up the chimney unless air can get into the stove to replace it..