Apparatus for controlling the flow of air through an air inlet in a solid fuel burner comprises: a mechanical temperature sensor for sensing the temperature within the solid fuel burner, the sensor comprising first and second elongate parts having different coefficients of linear thermal expansion and arranged such that a first end of the first elongate part moves linearly relative to a first end of the second elongate part in response to a change in the sensed temperature; a movable valve member for controlling the flow of air through the air inlet; and a mechanism for coupling the first end of the first elongate part to the movable valve member so as to close or restrict the air inlet as the sensed temperature increases.

Apparatus for controlling the flow of air through an air inlet in a solid fuel burner comprises: a mechanical temperature sensor for sensing the temperature within the solid fuel burner, the sensor comprising first and second elongate parts having different coefficients of linear thermal expansion and arranged such that a first end of the first elongate part moves linearly relative to a first end of the second elongate part in response to a change in the sensed temperature; a movable valve member for controlling the flow of air through the air inlet; and a mechanism for coupling the first end of the first elongate part to the movable valve member so as to close or restrict the air inlet as the sensed temperature increases.

A microprocessor-based controller for pellet burners is disclosed that provides a level of safety and reliability to any pellet burner by implementing a feed forward control scheme using sensor detected information in a formula to determine proper processing results, utilizing feedback for proper combustion, such that temperature is effectively controlled, thereby greatly reducing the chance of a fire or an explosion.

A portable draft inducer is adapted to assist a user in starting a fire in a fireplace and to prevent smoke from the newly ignited fire from entering an adjoining room when the fire is first started.

A portable draft inducer is adapted to assist a user in starting a fire in a fireplace and to prevent smoke from the newly ignited fire from entering an adjoining room when the fire is first started.

A motor-actuated actuated-vent-valve is configured to operatively couple to a vent port of a solid-fueled cooker. The vent port is in series with both a flow of air into a combustion region of the cooker, and a flow of resulting combustion gases from the cooker, the flow of air being responsive to a position of the actuated-vent-valve. A first controller adapted to receive a sensed-temperature signal responsive to a temperature within a cooking region of the cooker, and operatively coupled to an externally-located actuator motor of the motor-actuated actuated-vent-valve, provides for automatically electronically controlling the position of the actuated-vent-valve to a continuum of positions within a range of the positions, thereby substantially regulating the first temperature within the cooking region of the solid-fueled cooker to a user-defined temperature level responsive to the sensed-temperature signal by controlling an exclusively-naturally-occurring flow of air into the combustion region of the cooker.

A motor-actuated actuated-vent-valve is configured to operatively couple to a vent port of a solid-fueled cooker. The vent port is in series with both a flow of air into a combustion region of the cooker, and a flow of resulting combustion gases from the cooker, the flow of air being responsive to a position of the actuated-vent-valve. A first controller adapted to receive a sensed-temperature signal responsive to a temperature within a cooking region of the cooker, and operatively coupled to an externally-located actuator motor of the motor-actuated actuated-vent-valve, provides for automatically electronically controlling the position of the actuated-vent-valve to a continuum of positions within a range of the positions, thereby substantially regulating the first temperature within the cooking region of the solid-fueled cooker to a user-defined temperature level responsive to the sensed-temperature signal by controlling an exclusively-naturally-occurring flow of air into the combustion region of the cooker.

A wood stove monitoring and control device can include a mounting flange mountable to a chimney exhaust pipe of a wood stove. The device can include a ring removably mountable on top of the mounting flange, where the flange is suitably positioned vertically along the exhaust pipe so that the ring is positioned at least partially above an end of the exhaust pipe. The device includes an optical beam source disposed on the ring, and which generates and outputs an optical beam. The device includes an optical sensor positioned on the ring opposite the optical beam source to detect the optical beam output by the optical beam source as the optical beam passes through smoke exhausted by the wood stove through the exhaust pipe. The device can include a temperature probe disposed on the ring to measure a temperature of heat exhausted by the wood stove through the exhaust pipe.

A wood stove monitoring and control device can include a mounting flange mountable to a chimney exhaust pipe of a wood stove. The device can include a ring removably mountable on top of the mounting flange, where the flange is suitably positioned vertically along the exhaust pipe so that the ring is positioned at least partially above an end of the exhaust pipe. The device includes an optical beam source disposed on the ring, and which generates and outputs an optical beam. The device includes an optical sensor positioned on the ring opposite the optical beam source to detect the optical beam output by the optical beam source as the optical beam passes through smoke exhausted by the wood stove through the exhaust pipe. The device can include a temperature probe disposed on the ring to measure a temperature of heat exhausted by the wood stove through the exhaust pipe.

A stove for indoor use includes a housing having a bottom wall, a top wall and one or more side walls defining a combustion chamber adapted to retain a fire, and an air supply system for supplying air to the combustion chamber. The air supply system includes a primary air conduit for supplying air to the combustion chamber from below through the bottom wall and a secondary air conduit for supplying air to the combustion chamber from above. A valve is arranged in the primary air conduit or in a branching between the primary and secondary air conduits. The valve is controlled by a bimetal whereby the valve is in a maximum open position when the prevailing temperature is below a first predetermined temperature during start-up of a fire and in a maximum closed position when the prevailing temperature is above a second predetermined temperature after start-up of the fire.