Do I need a damper? What do you think?

[glennsvoboda]

Top damper is great.
I set it at 11 -9:30.
The more closed the more you soot up pipe. Holds heat back in stove.

[royreed]

Just depends if you want to have a full on hot fire or a controlled longer lasting one. A restricted airflow will reduce a free burn to a slower burn by choking back airflow. It's all about airflow or lack of.

[LizAlexy]

I have the same question. I got a Jotul model that has no catalytic converter. It has a damper on the actual stove but not the new double wall pipes I put in. I keep wondering if the damper on the pipe would have released much less heat right out the chimney

[wipatriot]

When I first bought my house, the wood stove had a damper...having found it not to be useful, the damper has been removed, and I get much better results from the wood stove...

[joshuahughes]

Damper is only needed if you have too strong of a draft. Like a 30ft long straight up chimney. Might help with burn times, as long as it's not a cat stove

[dreamchaser]

A damper is used for more than air flow. It also helps push more heat into your structure instead of straight out the pipe

[jimcassar]

I know I'm comparing apples to oranges here, but when I changed from an old Conastoga fireplace insert to a new Napoleon one, I really had to get used to it. The new EPA ones are really efficient, and burn very cleanly, but require a hot fire to burn right. The old one had a huge firebox, and would smolder for long periods between loads. In a nutshell, I get more BTU's from my wood at the expense of having to do more tending to the fire with the newer model.

[LizAlexy]

My Jotul is a Carrabasset model. I run it around average 200 degrees maybe a bit more when stoked. Pipes are duratek double wall six inch. I’m like is 75% heat going up? lol

[razorsazors]

Damper costs like fifteen bucks. When its installed you dont have to use it, you CAN use it.

Leave your air open full and shut the damper down. Lets the wood burn more completely than the reverse (large suction low air vs low suction high air)

Regardless, the only reason you would ever want one is it will actually shut the stove fire off. Most stoves have air inlets that are always open and non adjustable.

Shutting the stovepipe down WILL kill a fire. For better or worse.

[Offroadreel]

I have the same wood stove, it’s worth it, I bought it for 8 bucks and took me 15 minutes of install, and if you don’t wanna use it then just keep it wide open, but definitely more efficient

[michaelhurley]

I’m with you but I got sick of the runaway fires so now I have one!!

[ciphercode]

If you're satisfied with your burn times, wood usage, and chimney temps, and the manual says no, then just roll with it. My old fisher will always have one to help me keep my long burn times. My flu temps stay between 400 and 500 degrees, and my chimney stays fairly clean. It's always a good idea to check it and clean it once a year anyways

[andrewfett]

I’m heading towards dampers are not necessary or actually good because they help the build up inside pipe. I did no damper in my wigwam and I’m doing no damper in my shed. I think you want max outflow and you control stuff with the intake. 🤔🤷‍♂️

[mark]

You really don't need one on a new stove. Make sure your baffle is installed correctly. If they aren't in just right it can cause overfiring. Also, you want it to burn hot. That is how it's designed to work.

[georgesinclair]

Makes the wood burn longer if you can adjust the vent

[Dirtpoorhomesteader]

It would be stupid to not have a damper on a old stove. I put a damper on a 2021 stove and find that I don’t use it. The stove is so efficient that shutting the damper slowly kills the fire. I guess is just depends on how efficient the stove is.

[MRDV]

A damper will increase heat output. And you will use a tremendous amount less wood.

[floydbacher]

Will cause more soot to build up in chimney and creosote. build. a rocket mask heater look at videos on YouTube

[littleshepherdfarm]

I doubt you need a damper but you might want to install an Economizer in the flu pipe to capture that wasted heat. But again check the owners manual or an installation expert before you do anything like that.

[kirkyi]

if you have wood; you do not need damper;
damper is for people who do not have wood;