It is a common misconception that the damper on a wood stove needs to be open in order for the fire to burn. When you have an adjustable damper, it may seem like adjusting it is counter-intuitive and makes no sense if the goal of having one is to regulate air flow into your home. However, this may not actually be true! A properly functioning wood stove should never produce visible smoke from the chimney because there is enough oxygen inside for all of the burning materials. Opening up your damper will actually help with this problem by providing more airflow which often results in cooler operating temperatures as well as increased efficiency.
A stove damper is an important part of any wood-burning stove. It controls the amount of air that can flow into the firebox, allowing for regulation of both heat and draft. The damper also prevents outside air from entering the chimney when it’s not wanted. Without a proper functioning damper, your wood stove will be inefficient and unsafe to use. Read on to learn more about how you should operate your wood stove with a working damper!
Does A Wood Stove Need A Damper?
Is a wood stove damper required? The answer to this question can vary depending on who you ask. While some people say that the thermostat of your fireplace or wood burning stove will regulate airflow, others have found that there are better options available for their space and situation.
The following are some reasons why you might need a wood stove damper:
- To regulate the heat of your stove, ensuring that you do not lose too much of it up the chimney. By closing this damper when you are not using your fireplace or wood burning stove, you can save more money on heating costs and reduce how often its necessary to stoke a fire in order to maintain warmth.
- To increase the efficiency of your unit. Closing this damper when you are not using your fireplace or wood burning stove will reduce air flow, causing less fuel to be burned and ultimately saving money on heating costs.
- To control airflow within a space that is shared with another area of your home. For example, if you have an open floor plan in which your living room shares its airspace with the kitchen, closing the damper can help ensure that heat does not escape into other rooms where it’s not needed or wanted.
- Regardless of whether you decide to use one at all for personal reasons, installing a wood stove damper is generally considered best practice due to their function as fire safety devices. If there is no way for excess smoke and byproducts of combustion to escape a space, they can fill up the room and cause problems for anyone in that area.
Closing this damper when you are not using your fireplace or wood burning stove is an easy way to ensure safety while saving money on heating costs.
What Is The Function Of A Damper On A Wood Stove?
A wood stove damper is a metal flap that can be closed to prevent air from entering the chimney. This keeps heat in the room where your fireplace or wood burning stove is located and prevents cold drafts from coming into other rooms. A flue should always have an open damper when you’re using it, but whether or not a house has one depends on its age and how well-insulated it is. Most modern homes don’t require a damper because they are built with better insulation than older homes were, while many old farmhouses do have them because of poor insulation in their walls and ceilings.
If you’re not sure if your house has a wood stove damper, it probably doesn’t. Damper kits are inexpensive, so it’s best to install one just in case. If you have a modern home with good insulation, you won’t need the damper for most of the year and can keep it closed when not using your fireplace or stove. For older homes without proper insulation, however, this is an important item that should be installed right away if they want to use their wood burning appliances safely.
Does A Wood Stove Need A Damper?
One of the most popular questions asked when it comes to owning a wood stove, is does my stove need a damper? The short answer is no. Your wood burning appliance doesn’t actually require any specific type of damper or even one at all. However, there are times where you may find that your wood stove needs an effective venting system in order for it to work best and keep you comfortable.
So, if you have recently purchased or installed a new wood burner into your home then what do I mean by this? Well let me explain how everything works so we can better understand why these products don’t really need them but might still want them!
Environmental Protection Agency
EPA certification means that the stove is efficient in terms of emissions. More efficiency equals less pollution, which helps conserve resources and protect the environment. EPA certifications are an important part when looking for a new wood burning appliance like a furnace or pellet stove, but they aren’t everything you should be concerned about when buying one.
- The EPA certifications are incredibly important.
- Any pellet stove will have an EPA certification.
- People should consider other things besides just the EPA certifications when buying a wood burning appliance like a furnace or pellet stove.
- The best thing about this is that it’s efficient and environmentally friendly.
- It can produce heat to keep you warm in winter months or provide hot water for your shower.
Safety Tips
- Keep your stovepipe clean. A buildup of creosote in the pipe can cause a chimney fire, too!
- Be sure to use enough wood inside for proper combustion. This will help avoid drafts and make your home warm faster.
- Place the wood stove at least three feet away from anything combustible like walls or furniture. You don’t want to risk an ember catching something on fire!
- Be sure to keep a window cracked open when the stove is in use. If there’s too much buildup of smoke, you won’t have enough oxygen inside for proper combustion.
- Never burn garbage or anything other than seasoned firewood inside your wood burning stove! The chemicals and plastics released by these items are hazardous to human health and the environment.
FAQs
Do I need a damper?
Yes. A wood stove needs to have an adjustable flue gas vent (damper) because you want the best draft possible. The optimum amount of air that is entering into your home through the chimney will depend on what type of fuel you are burning, but typically around 15 cubic feet per minute for natural gas and 30 cubic feet per minute for propane or oil furnaces. You can buy a manual or automatic dampers depending on how much control over airflow you desire. If there isn't a good draft going up the chimney, then creosote build up could be taking place which is very dangerous as it's highly combustible material if allowed to accumulate in excess amounts inside your chimney.
Where do I buy a damper?
You can purchase them at most hardware stores and home improvement centers, including online retailers such as Amazon.com . The cost for dampers range from $15 to $400 depending on the style of your wood stove and what you want it to be able to do (manual or automatic).
Does A Wood Stove Need A Damper?
Yes. You need an adjustable flue gas vent inside your chimney when using a wood burning appliance because without one there won't be good draft in order for creosote build up not take place which is highly combustible material that could result in dangerous fire if allowed too much accumulation in excess amounts around the exterior surface of your chimney. The cost for dampers range from $15 to $400 depending on the style of your wood stove and what you want it to be able to do (manual or automatic).
Conclusion
The way a wood stove works is by burning from the top, down. Therefore it makes sense that you would need to have an adjustable damper in your chimney or flue so as not to create too much pressure and cause dangerous backdrafting of smoke into your living space. A closed damper will cut off any airflow through this pipe while open means you can burn without worry about dangerous conditions inside the home’s walls. The best course of action here though is always going to be making sure there isn’t excessive creosote building up on either end of the combustion chamber which could lead to issues with both draft and pollutant output from the fire itself.