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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 30 Oct 2024 14:59
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It could be your stove is(was) a new enough design that the draft controls are in the bottom but the channels actually feed under, then up the sides and into the top. The poor drafting one I had with the shack was like that, I chased the channels down....lots of messing about. That stove never drafted well 
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 30 Oct 2024 15:17
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May be my case too. Just took some pics (still at house, wife as a dermatology appointment, sheesh). One with door cracked open to second catch, second with door shut and sliding plate opening holes (just visible at bottom), third door and slot holes shut. I still need to investigate further after cool off.
Door open one inch
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Just holed
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All shut
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 31 Oct 2024 10:52
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Quoting: gcrank1 t could be your stove is(was) a new enough design that the draft controls are in the bottom but the channels actually feed under, then up the sides and into the top. The poor drafting one I had with the shack was like that, I chased the channels down....lots of messing about. That stove never drafted well
My VC has lots of channels that the smoke go though including a cat. When it drafts bad it needs to be cleaned. Some light disassembly 1x a year and no tools needed.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 31 Oct 2024 11:46 - Edited by: paulz
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Had a good look at mine (at the house still) while cold this morning, as G said air goes from under the pedestal, up front to the sliding valve, through that to the ash box, around that through the holes in the firebox bottom. Ash piles just make it all worse.
That stove sits on a slab floor. I could bore a hole in the side of the pedestal and outside wall. But this house leaks so bad it makes my cabin look like a sealed box so probably just leave it be.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 31 Oct 2024 19:34
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What ever you do, DONT take an air hose to 'clean out' the intake system!
LOL 
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 1 Nov 2024 11:34 - Edited by: paulz
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Ha, that did cross my mind, typical auto mechanic procedure. Then figured I just use the wife’s hair blow dryer. Vacuum cleaner best option but in the end just fingers and a paint brush.
Back at the cabin now. Thinking maybe I’ll just bore a hole in the side of that pedestal and run a pipe out the wall instead of messing around under the cabin. In the mean time, cold today, big oak long burned last night with wood stove door shut, cracked open this morning with new load burning. One thing, with that outside air piped in I don’t want TOO much air coming in and messing up the tight overnight burns I have now.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 1 Nov 2024 13:09
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Sure you don't want to work on the Vincent instead?
Imo more bang for the buck, and time
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Desim
Member
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# Posted: 1 Nov 2024 14:09
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Be very careful of vent-less in a small space. Went to a funeral of two people who passed in a camper with one.
I have vent-less presently. Put it in for electric free, backup. Love it so much we use it all the time. 800 sf house with appropriate alarms.
I have had a radiant vent-less for 20 + years. Just saying because they can be very safe.
I started using vent-less as a backup when we were one the tail end of an electrical line that went out with every puff of the wind. Super dependable, easy to maintenance, cheapest heat around. (Here anyway)
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 2 Nov 2024 15:22
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Need a screen on my chimney cap. These guys do 5/8 or 3/4. Too tight inhibits draft. Interested in stopping ember potential, not animals so much. What do you use?
https://www.hy-c.com/blog/chimney-cap-mesh-sizes
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 2 Nov 2024 16:29
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At my old Cabin1 I had a straight shot up, dbl wall, ss Canadian made (forget the brand) sectional stack. I followed all the height above ridge, etc and even though in a pine grove it drafted great. The factory cap c/w spark arrestor had, iirc, about 1/4-3/8"? When it rotted off I made a ring of 'hardware cloth' screen that was maybe 1/2".
So, if you have really good draft the spark arrestor size may not hurt you much? Id do a MkI trial version on the cheap to find out.
At the 'shack' 5yrs ago I sadly had a female bluebird get down into the stove and not be able to get out; that stack was a rotten draft and had NO bird guard at all. I made a quick&dirty one and stopped that tragedy from reoccurring.
It may be in your area that a spark arrestor is code? Might also be that if it is and you don't have it your insurance will deny any claim IF......
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ICC
Member
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# Posted: 2 Nov 2024 20:16
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Quoting: gcrank1 ss Canadian made
Sellirk?
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 2 Nov 2024 20:50
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Having a good look at my cabin wood stove today. Snuggled in between the pedestal and wall to see the back side. Surprise surprise, there is a motorized blower in there. And a rotary switch on the outside but no plug in wire I see. Furthermore, there is no hole in the bottom of the pedestal to feed outside air as in the illustration I posted earlier. It appears to take air from the back side of the 3 wall pedestal. Doesn’t look like there is a plate that goes over that back side, and if so I never got it. Also found the Arrow model number, 18. Don’t see that online, only the model 1800, so maybe it’s a very early one with no outside air function built in. I guess I could make a back plate with a duct..
Anyway all night big log fire last night, as usual, so no big rush.
IMG_3851.jpeg
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IMG_3846.jpeg
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IMG_3861.jpeg
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ICC
Member
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# Posted: 2 Nov 2024 21:25
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Maybe I missed seeing, but where does the air enter your stove and how is the volume regulated?
If the stove works well, fires are easy enough to start and keep going, it may be best to leave things as they are. I am a proponent of fresh air exterior inlets mainly because my cabin and home both required me to open a window a bit to easily start their wood stove fires.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 2 Nov 2024 23:16 - Edited by: paulz
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Izzy, the first pic above is from the back of the pedestal. Air must come in there, you can see the perforated corner where a plate would go if it had one.
The blower sends it to the air valve under the front cover (which is also far from sealed. After it goes through the sliding holes it enters the ash box section, where it can enter the firebox through the bottom holes. That’s how it looks to me. Also, those slots in the top of that cover supposedly keep the glass clear.
The cabin is well built (by me  ), has all dual pane windows and matt insulation on the walls and ceiling but I was no slave to air tightness, only get a couple of freezing nights a year here.
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ICC
Member
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# Posted: 3 Nov 2024 00:09 - Edited by: ICC
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You may have seen this link... https://www.permies.com/t/72240/Arrow-wood-stove
At the end of the 12th forum post is a link to a user manual.... https://www.permies.com/t/72240/a/55874/arrow1800-2400manual.pdf?download_attachment= true
Maybe useful, maybe old news......
I'm on my phone and don't see the images or pdf's as easily as the PC monitor
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 3 Nov 2024 13:38 - Edited by: paulz
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Thanks Izzy. I’ve seen that Permies forum link on my scans but never clicked on it, will have to read it. The Arrow manual I I have gone over, it’s where I got the illustrations I posted earlier. It must be for a later model than mine though since it shows a through the floor air entrance and 4 wall pedestal and mine has solid metal floor and open back. I also don’t have the removable aluminum air entrance door under the outside front lip it shows. But the overall unit appears the same, they must have made those changes when outside air feed in mobile homes etc. became more of a factor.
Cold one again last night, shoved in a big redwood log, about 18” in length and 10 around. Gone this morning, about 20-25 degree rise in inside temp. Cabin Is 300sf and 15’ high, plenty of outside air sneaking in I guess. Still looking at adding outside air though, maybe right to that sliding valve in front or make a back wall for the pedestal, wouldn’t be pretty though..
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 3 Nov 2024 14:24
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Sounds to me like you are getting a fine long burn with it as is. Imo that fan wont improve that but Im not an expert on that either....
Are you running a fan to circulate/mix the air throughout? That made a big dif for me.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 3 Nov 2024 15:36
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I can’t even find the 110 plug or wire coming out of the pedestal from the fan switch, somebody must have mucked around in there before me. I think I got that stove off CL for a hundred bucks a long time ago. It’s about 6” from the wall with Julie’s night stand full of crap on one side and the lp wall heater (that never gets used) on the other so squeezing my head and chest in there is a chore.
Have a ceiling fan I also never use. The place does pretty well without, it’s 73 in here right now, 48 outside. I know that’s nothing to you northern folk, but we are both old and weak.
Really the only reason for this outside air thing is all the benefits mentioned, plus the worry about suffocating. But it’s been many years of this setup no problem. I’m sure my two plastic skylights let in air as well as all the other holes I’ve poked in the sides for various things.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 3 Nov 2024 19:55
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Considering that warm air rises it is sitting up in your peak. The c-fan, turned to push air up, will kick that down around the walls to floor making a better temp thought, right now you are stratifying (if that's the right word). Our 2 fans are 3spd, we use one so far, on low, to just keep a more consistent temp; a noticeable difference to us.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 7 Nov 2024 15:47 - Edited by: paulz
Reply
Quoting: gcrank1 The factory cap c/w spark arrestor had, iirc, about 1/4-3/8"? When
Found a chunk of this in my shed. It’s about 1/4”. Yesterday I wobbled on to the roof and wired it around the chimney cap sides. Doesn’t seem to hamper draft, usual overnight log.
Huge fire in SoCal yesterday got me going..
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 7 Nov 2024 17:42
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