We got a New Englander Wood burning stove. It has a blower fan on the back and a catilatic ( sorry for the spelling ) converter. I do not have all the instructions. It has a damper thing on the right side of the stove ( that you pull out to open) and two on the door (Like knobs that you turn ).And it has a chamber like space on top with four pipe like holes where the heat blows out when the fan is on. Also a glass door on front. It came with the metal door too if we should prefer to have it instead.I thought it would be nice to see the fire and as it is already on there it would be easiest to use.

My problem seems to be in keeping the fire going and not haveing it smokeing. I suppose that is an age old problem. But the last stove we had was really ugly, really old ( but not old like antique) just worn out. I don't even know what kind it was. We used it for 10 years( NO PROBLEMS ) and gave it away when we got to buy this one for $150.00.

That is supposed to be a very good price for it and it is supposed to be real energy efficient. And it looks nice, BUT, I think I am too dumb for an uptown stove;I can't figure out how to use it. Do you think the converter needs to be cleaned out. The guy we bought it from said he had to get rid of it because his flue was too low; not enough draft.However he used it for a year and said it was just too smokey for them and he didn't want to build another flue.

It has the capability to be connected to a flue from the top or the back, and when I took the top plate thingy off there was a fare amount of creasote in there. We cleaned out as best as it could be reached.I could see the converter there, I guess that is what it was, it sort of looked like a honeycomb.I could just see the top and it didn't look bad; of course I say that not knowing what it should look like.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Isn't this weather nice for a change? We had our first frost this morning . The critters were so frisky!

-- Bonnie (josabo1@juno.com), October 09, 2000

Answers

I would do a web search and get a hold of the manufactor .Give them the name and model number and they should be able to send you all the paper work needed and also ask them while you have them on the phone .All stoves are a little different so they will be your best bet .Good luck.

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), October 10, 2000.

It does sound like it is not being vented properly. Is there a business in the area which specializes in fireplaces and woodburning stoves which could assist you?

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), October 10, 2000.

one time when we had a used stove that smoked we found out the door was not fitting tightly enough and was letting air in where it wasn't supposed to....contacting the manufactuer might be good...

also if you have a local radio swap shop type program or free ads in some kind of little newspaper, I'd ask my question there too

-- Suzy in 'Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), October 10, 2000.

Bonnie, when you first fire a stove with a converter, you have to have a really really hot fire. The goal is to heat that converter up and it burns itself clean, then burns the smoke coming off the fire later. So are you lighting the stove and running it full open for a while? If the stove has already been used for a season, the converter may have been trashed by improper firing. I don't know if you can reclaim it or not. I'm not familiar with this brand of stove, but in all honesty, there are some bad stoves out there, some good stoves with converters badly cobbled on, and worst of all, bad stoves with converters badly cobbled on. I don't know if your stove could run properly or not. Converters can be removed, that's your call.

But try lighting it up again with a roaring blaze and see if you can get the converter cleaned up some. It might take a few firings to get the hang of it and to clean the converter. In any event, every time you light a stove with a converter, you've got to super heat the converter. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), October 10, 2000.

Hi Bonnie, I agree with Gerbil. You need a hot fire. You want to be careful if you remove the honeycomb converter. It is fragile and can break easily. Our chimney cleaner (we do it ourselves now) said not to remove it. When we had touble getting a hot fire, the company said the same thing. My husband will just either blow it out or suck out the dust with a vacuum cleaner.

What I do on my stove: My stove has a thermometer inserted on the top. With this, I can gage the heat and when to close the air intakes and flue. I have a cicular knob on the side. This is opened with three turns. The flue is open and the front air intakes are open. I heat the flue with a wad of burning paper. Then I build the fire up, leaving the bottom ash catcher open just a little to get it really rolling. Once I know I have a good fire going and the smoke is going up the flue, I close the bottom ash pan door (don't leave it open if you are not in front of it) When the temp reaches 500 degrees, I close the cicular knob. Then when the heat goes to 800 degrees, I close the flue. This makes the converter start to work, don't close the flue before it reaches 800 or it will smoke. The front intakes are used to control the temperature above that. Mine usually goes up to 1200 degrees. Again, I go according to the temps.

Hope this helps. PS Keep the ash pan clean so the air ciculates

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), October 10, 2000.

I was reading up on woodstoves in The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery because I am looking into getting one. She mentions catalytic converters. She says you cannot burn anything but wood in it because the lead in nails as well as the ink in newspapers and magazines will destroy the converter. She says the converters are fragile. Hope that helps a bit.

-- Epona (staceyb@myway.com), October 11, 2000.

Well thanks for all the advice. A couple people that my husband works for say the same thing about the high heat. Need a very hot fire. Haven't needed one since that night. Such is the weather in Arkansas.

Dee, This stove does not even have an ash pan. Our old one did. It had a big one. I didn't even have to empty it but once a week or so. Apparently from what I can tell, you are supposed to burn the wood on the brick. I must admit that the wood I did burn in it did burn down to almost no ashes. Of course I had to play with the vents and the wood all evening. Someone else mentioned one of those thermometers. Where do I find one?

Thanks again everybody.

-- Bonnie (josabo1@juno.com), October 12, 2000.

Mine came with the stove. It rusted and had to be replaced. We got that at a fireplace store. Does your's have a hole in the middle on the top? That is where my thermometer goes. You may have to get another kind. Again, you can ask at the store.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), October 12, 2000.

Hot Fire every morning ,Vent out the top instead of the side if not already doing this, and a high chimney, above the trees, all to get good draft. We had a flue that would'nt draw good so previous owner didn't use it. We added height & can use it fine. A stove Will backdraft if not getting sufficient draft. Finally, check converter as recommended

-- Sharon WT (wildflower@ekyol.com), October 13, 2000.