Adjustment of vent at back of diesel stove.

[170968]

Hello.

 

I have a Kabola Old English diesel stove. It has an adjustable vent on the back which I've seen referred to as a "balancing plate".

 

I'm looking for information on how to adjust it. There is a weight that is screwed in/out which balances it, but what would I look for to know it's just right?

 

Thanks.

 

edit: I've been fiddling with it to try and stop the stove belching smoke out into the cabin whenever the wind blows a certain way or something.

Edited February 6 by 170968

[Tracy D'arth]

It is a flue pressure balancer. It is designed to be adjusted so that at full burn and flue temperature it is just on the balance point about to open a fraction to drop the draw pressure in the flue.

Unfortunately with the very short flues on a boat it is unlikely to do very much at all as the problem with these heaters on boats is too little draw on the short flue.

Adding an extra long external chimney will be a great advantage and will help with your back draughting problem.

[170968]

17 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

It is a flue pressure balancer. It is designed to be adjusted so that at full burn and flue temperature it is just on the balance point about to open a fraction to drop the draw pressure in the flue.

Unfortunately with the very short flues on a boat it is unlikely to do very much at all as the problem with these heaters on boats is too little draw on the short flue.

Adding an extra long external chimney will be a great advantage and will help with your back draughting problem.

 

Yes, this agrees with my observations that it doesn't seem to do much at all. Nice to know why. It does seem to resist the belching when it's closed up fully though.

 

When you say "extra long", how long approximately do you mean? Should it be double walled?

I'm also thinking of trying one of those H cowls as people report good results.

 

Thanks for the advice.

[Alan de Enfield]

3 minutes ago, 170968 said:

When you say "extra long", how long approximately do you mean?

 

 

Think - "how long is a house flue" that would give you an idea of what it needs to work as designed.

[170968]

1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

Think - "how long is a house flue" that would give you an idea of what it needs to work as designed.

 

Oh dear, that sounds a bit impractical

[Tracy D'arth]

5 or 6 feet will do wonders.

[170968]

5 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

5 or 6 feet will do wonders.

 

I'll add a metre to what I have and see how that goes. Thanks again.

Edited February 6 by 170968
speeling

[Alan de Enfield]

15 minutes ago, 170968 said:

 

Oh dear, that sounds a bit impractical

 

Every inch matters (and will make a fractional improvement)

[cuthound]

An "H" chimney on top of the flue should reduce the downdraft which causes the stove to belch fumes into the boat.

[Martin Nicholas]

From the Kabola manual:

Quote

For a maximum heat output a flue length of at least 2,5m is necessary. Where a shorter flue is installed, the maximum heat output will be reduced. The diameter should be the same as the diameter of the flue outlet on the stove.

 

Edited February 7 by Martin Nicholas
None

[Tracy D'arth]

26 minutes ago, cuthound said:

An "H" chimney on top of the flue should reduce the downdraft which causes the stove to belch fumes into the boat.

But it will do nothing to improve the draw or the heat output.

[170968]

Thanks all. I'm going to order a 1m pipe and see how that does, before ordering an H cowl. That will bring it to > 2.5m as the manual suggests. Do you think a single wall pipe will do or should I get a double walled one?

Edited February 8 by 170968

[Martin Nicholas]

Chris Smith made me 1m double walled stainless pipe with a rain hat. Email me if you need it: reply-202402 [at] mgn (dot) org {dot} uk.

Edited February 8 by Jen-in-Wellies
email obscured.

[ditchcrawler]

The cowell on my Dickinson looks similar to this 

[LEO]

Hi,

I have a Kabola Old Dutch, good little stoves, that 'nut' needs really careful adjustment, so that the flap is just closed, be careful as the nut is the counterweight. The fires are sensitive to 'down draughts' and can blow out. which is annoying. Take care when cleaning the bottom of the burner pot as mine developed a pin prick hole, and replacement pots are expensive and in very short supply. they like burning for long periods, I think mine burnt continuously for just 3 weeks once. 

[Mike Tee]

Have a look at Lockgate Stoves website. I have a 1 metre double walled chimney with downdraft cowl (not the H type) and the fire burns superbly and has never been affected by high wind - even the recent 50mph plus we have had.

[ditchcrawler]

The only time we have a problem is in the wind cruising under bridges. Then we put the fan assist air on to give positive air pressure to the burner 

[Ex Brummie]

1 hour ago, ditchcrawler said:

The cowell on my Dickinson looks similar to this 

This is a swedish cowl. It offers downdraught protection without too much obstruction as caused by an H cowl.

I have a 750mm piece of 4" stainless flue pipe which fits into the flue pipe protruding through the collar. This is then ru n inside a standard 6" boat chimney, and one of these 4" swedish cowls is fitted to the 4" pipe. THis makes the outside chimney double skinned and maintains a good flue temperature and draw.

[170968]

4 hours ago, Martin Nicholas said:

Chris Smith made me 1m double walled stainless pipe with a rain hat. Email me if you need it: reply-202402 [at] mgn (dot) org {dot} uk.

 

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind.

 

2 hours ago, LEO said:

Hi,

I have a Kabola Old Dutch, good little stoves, that 'nut' needs really careful adjustment, so that the flap is just closed, be careful as the nut is the counterweight. The fires are sensitive to 'down draughts' and can blow out. which is annoying. Take care when cleaning the bottom of the burner pot as mine developed a pin prick hole, and replacement pots are expensive and in very short supply. they like burning for long periods, I think mine burnt continuously for just 3 weeks once. 

 

Thanks for the warning. I have been a bit rough with mine at times. It has never blown out so far. My old Lockgate stove did regularly.

 

 

1 hour ago, Mike Tee said:

Have a look at Lockgate Stoves website. I have a 1 metre double walled chimney with downdraft cowl (not the H type) and the fire burns superbly and has never been affected by high wind - even the recent 50mph plus we have had.

 

 

I couldn't find any flu's on there except kits for each of their stoves. I do have a place to buy one though.

1 hour ago, ditchcrawler said:

The only time we have a problem is in the wind cruising under bridges. Then we put the fan assist air on to give positive air pressure to the burner 

 

Where is the fan positioned?

 

Happily, the wind has died down, so I can have some warmth in the boat for now!

[ditchcrawler]

5 minutes ago, 170968 said:

Where is the fan positioned?

 

Its a Dickinson stove and it blows into the burner pot through the little holes, its the same effect as a good chimney updraght