Bought an older house with an wood burning stove but unsure about pipe flap.

This older home I just bought has an older stove, how old, I can't say. I can't find a maker's mark anywhere. The piping has a damper about a foot above the stove top but there is another flap higher up that I'm unsure what it's used for. Does anyone know what that second one is for? I've attached a couple images. I appreciate your help in advance.

John Andrews wrote:This older home I just bought has an older stove, how old, I can't say. I can't find a maker's mark anywhere. The piping has a damper about a foot above the stove top but there is another flap higher up that I'm unsure what it's used for. Does anyone know what that second one is for? I've attached a couple images. I appreciate your help in advance.

It looks like an Alaskan Kodiak Stove, but there was a lot of knock-offs so it is hard to say. They made them with both solid steel doors, and with windows like yours, but typically they had Kodiak right on the castings, right on the front door typically. Because it doesn't, that leads me to believe it is a knock-off (copied version).

Kodiaks are good stoves, so if it is a real one, it is well worth refurbishing.

The "Pipe Flap" is an automatic damper. It is required as when the wind is howling outside, as it lets air be drawn in through it, instead of forcing more air up out of the firebox. The fact that it is in place says your chimney has very good draft, a very good thing.

Congratulations to on your new home: almost forgot to mention that!

Thank you so much.