How to Adjust the Air Intake for a Pellet Stove

The flame character will determine if you need more air intake.

A slider/damper setting is used to regulate the air intake through a pellet stove. The installer will have marked the slider rod with settings appropriate for your pellet stove and its installation. Pellet quality is an important factor in how the stove will function. Poor quality pellets will ultimately need more air after extended periods of burning. Fires overflowing the burn pot or a buildup of clinkers (silica or other impurities in the fuel that form a hard mass when burned) is an indicator the pellet quality isn't good.

Instructions

1. Examine the characteristics of the fire. The flame character will determine if you need more air intake. A tall, lazy flame with orange tips needs more air. A short flame needs less.

2. Open the slider on the side of the pellet stove. Pull out the handle to increase the air intake if the flame is tall and lazy.

3. Look at the fire again. If the flame has now become short and blowtorch-like, it has too much air. Push the slider in a bit.

4. Check the flame again. If the flame is in the middle of the two earlier scenarios where the flame is bright yellow or orange and has no black tips, the air intake is now correctly providing you with an efficient flame, and you don't need to take any further action.

Tips & Warnings

• There are standards for pellets established by the Pellet Fuel Industries (PEI.) See your instruction manual for more details.

References

• Enviro EF2 Pellet Stove Owner's Manual