In many woodstoves, you will find a damper in the flue directly above the combustion chamber. We call this valve the throttling valve. The throttling valve allows you to control the air supply to your stove. This page tells you how to use the throttling valve.
New Leenders stoves do not have a throttling valve as standard. The air supply in our modern woodstoves can be fully regulated via the air slider.
When lighting the woodstove, we recommend that you open the throttling valve fully. This way, your stove will benefit from maximum air supply. This promotes rapid ignition and reduces smoke production. Also read our knowledge article on the Swiss method for lighting your woodstove.
After the fire is burning well and beautifully, you can partially close the throttling valve to control combustion and optimise heat output. Be careful not to close the damper too early or too much to avoid incomplete combustion and smoke.
Open the throttling valve before adding new wood to maintain a good draught and prevent smoke in the room. After the new wood has caught fire properly, you can partially close the damper again.
Let the fire burn out by itself and keep the throttling valve in a position that allows sufficient air supply to safely remove remaining smoke and gases. Do not close the damper completely while flames are still present to prevent smoke development and accumulation of harmful gases. Never use the throttling valve to extinguish the fire abruptly by fully closing it, as this can lead to smoke backfire and accumulation of carbon monoxide.
Finally, we recommend regularly checking that the throttling valve functions smoothly and is free of soot or tar deposits. A properly functioning throttling valve contributes to the efficient and safe operation of your stove.
We would like to emphasise that we have given general advice here. We therefore always recommend reading your woodstove’s instructions carefully.
Are you a woodstove enthusiast and would like to learn more? Then visit our woodstove library!