EastoutWest
ArboristSite Lurker
So I have a King brand wood stove in the house I rent. Been using it for 3 winters now as my primary heat source. Problem is, it is lacking any kind of intake air control. To get that, you have to get the next model up for $300 more. I have no clue why anyone would build (or buy) a wood stove without an intake air damper.
Without being able to damper the intake it runs wide open all the time and my only control is to close the flue damper. I do close the flue damper when the fire gets going. The only way I've found to maintain coals overnight or when gone all day is to load as big as possible wood into it and to let the ash build up very deep in the firebox... like a few weeks of ash. It also has this weird convex plate (heat sink/exchanger type thing) that protrudes low into the firebox from above, leaving only about 10" in height available in the firebox. So I can't put very fat logs in for overnight burning. I assume it holds coals longer with a lot of ash in the stove because the ash reduces the air reaching the smoldering coals.
Anyway, I've pondered ways to rig up an intake choke but haven't come up with anything that convenient to use. Here is a picture for reference. You may have to zoom in above the door to see the intake ports, they are a series of slots above the door.
My current solution is to attach a long magnet (specifically, a magnetic strip tool holder) directly over some of the intake ports. I can cover all but about 2.5 ports with it (out of 7) and it helps slow down the burn however it has a very strong grip and is therefore difficult to adjust, especially when the stove is hot. When I try to move it, it wants to get off-kilter and stick to the angled surface above the ports, allowing air in the ports.
I've pondered fabricating some kind of slotted pipe to cover the ports with damper(s) on one or both ends but I feel like I'd have to weld to the stove and I rent this home so...
Has anyone here dealt with a stove that doesn't have an intake damper and/or come up with a better solution?
Without being able to damper the intake it runs wide open all the time and my only control is to close the flue damper. I do close the flue damper when the fire gets going. The only way I've found to maintain coals overnight or when gone all day is to load as big as possible wood into it and to let the ash build up very deep in the firebox... like a few weeks of ash. It also has this weird convex plate (heat sink/exchanger type thing) that protrudes low into the firebox from above, leaving only about 10" in height available in the firebox. So I can't put very fat logs in for overnight burning. I assume it holds coals longer with a lot of ash in the stove because the ash reduces the air reaching the smoldering coals.
Anyway, I've pondered ways to rig up an intake choke but haven't come up with anything that convenient to use. Here is a picture for reference. You may have to zoom in above the door to see the intake ports, they are a series of slots above the door.

My current solution is to attach a long magnet (specifically, a magnetic strip tool holder) directly over some of the intake ports. I can cover all but about 2.5 ports with it (out of 7) and it helps slow down the burn however it has a very strong grip and is therefore difficult to adjust, especially when the stove is hot. When I try to move it, it wants to get off-kilter and stick to the angled surface above the ports, allowing air in the ports.
I've pondered fabricating some kind of slotted pipe to cover the ports with damper(s) on one or both ends but I feel like I'd have to weld to the stove and I rent this home so...
Has anyone here dealt with a stove that doesn't have an intake damper and/or come up with a better solution?