Draft Question

jrn8265 · Post by **jrn8265** » Tue. Mar. 24, 2015 7:07 am

I have a baro damper and have even replaced it now twice in the past few months because...

My draft for my stoker is at .04 or .05 all the time now when it used to be at .02 all the time. It is like my barodamper is not working correctly. The pivot door works fine on all the replacements and I do see it move a little at times.

I just do not understand what may have changed to cause my barodamper(s) to not keep me at .02 as they used to!

The pipes are the same, weight is the same and same location.

Any ideas? I am really at a loss!

I have a stainless steel liner
Koker stoker

Thanks

michaelanthony · Post by **michaelanthony** » Tue. Mar. 24, 2015 7:30 am

Adding a baro can not increase draft, it can stabilize or decrease a draft. Pictures of your pipe and baro may help.
A few questions, have you changed settings on your appliance, changed coal, renovations to the home or furnace room, have you cleaned the flue recently?

northernmainecoal · Post by **northernmainecoal** » Tue. Mar. 24, 2015 7:37 am

Have you zeroed out your mano lately? checked the fluid level in it? Could be you are getting a bad reading on it...

Post by **Lightning** » Tue. Mar. 24, 2015 7:38 am

The backside of the baro door will accumulate fly ash. This added weight of fly ash will upset the delicate balance going on with baro door. I've seen it happen with mine.

Post by **Lightning** » Tue. Mar. 24, 2015 7:52 am

Fly Ash on the Barometric Damper Door

Rick 386 · Post by **Rick 386** » Tue. Mar. 24, 2015 7:58 am

You mentioned the weight is at the same location.

But does the weight weigh the same ??? That is why you cannot rely on the "settings" on the weight scale.

Rick

michaelanthony · Post by **michaelanthony** » Tue. Mar. 24, 2015 8:04 am

northernmainecoal wrote:Have you zeroed out your mano lately? checked the fluid level in it? Could be you are getting a bad reading on it...

Good point, my mano was slightly off level and it changed the reading significantly!

hotblast1357 · Post by **hotblast1357** » Tue. Mar. 24, 2015 8:38 am

All you have too do is re adjust it? But do as the others have said and clean it, zero out the manometer, make sure it's level, and then adjust your baro. I don't really think they just wear out or break lol

SWPaDon · Post by **SWPaDon** » Tue. Mar. 24, 2015 9:59 am

hotblast1357 wrote:All you have too do is re adjust it? But do as the others have said and clean it, zero out the manometer, make sure it's level, and then adjust your baro. I don't really think they just wear out or break lol

Actually, they can and do wear out or break. The holes where they swivel can become elongated over time, causing the damper itself to rub the pipe. I had a windstorm one time that slammed the baro open so hard that it twisted the ends beyond repair.

Post by **Lightning** » Tue. Mar. 24, 2015 11:36 am

Mine has worked great for 4 heating seasons now. As long as I kept the fly ash off the back side of the door..

SWPaDon · Post by **SWPaDon** » Tue. Mar. 24, 2015 11:39 am

Lightning wrote:Mine has worked great for 4 heating seasons now. As long as I kept the fly ash off the back side of the door..

They will last a long time, but they do wear out over time. It's metal to metal contact.

Post by **franco b** » Tue. Mar. 24, 2015 9:38 pm

SWPaDon wrote:
Lightning wrote:Mine has worked great for 4 heating seasons now. As long as I kept the fly ash off the back side of the door..
They will last a long time, but they do wear out over time. It's metal to metal contact.

A Field RC does not swivel in bushing holes. The pivots roll on a flat surface which will take many many years to wear. This system is simple and has less friction and is more sensitive than a bushing system.

SWPaDon · Post by **SWPaDon** » Wed. Mar. 25, 2015 6:33 am

franco b wrote: A Field RC does not swivel in bushing holes. The pivots roll on a flat surface which will take many many years to wear. This system is simple and has less friction and is more sensitive than a bushing system.

That must be why most everyone here is recommending the Field RC. I have no idea what the brand was that I saw rubbing because of the holes being elongated. Nor can I remember the name of the one I had that slammed open during a windstorm and twisted it up on both ends.

EDIT: Franco, maybe you are familiar with the old Baro I had. IIRC, it didn't have pins on the ends of the flap. It had the sheet metal from the flap sticking out to form flapper tabs. That's the type that twisted up in a windstorm on me. It was originally installed on the oil furnace that's in my basement now.

jrn8265 · Post by **jrn8265** » Wed. Mar. 25, 2015 6:47 am

Thanks all, cleaning the fy ash off the back helped but only by about .005.

hotblast1357 · Post by **hotblast1357** » Wed. Mar. 25, 2015 7:34 am

You need to move the weight.