Need help, wood-burning furnace problem! (long)

[Old Paths]

There are 2 schools of thought on that, in Europe, they require the opposite, as they are more concerned with smoke infiltration than creosote dripping. I also have a Clayton 1600 setup like yours, in a raised ranch lower level. I solved the problem of broken clay tile by going to triple wall stainless chimney for a wall thimble (and also up the outside of the house). Our code enforcement officer inspected it 11 years ago, and as a courtesy every year for us (documented of course) so in the unlikely event of a fire, I have some recourse with the insurance company...

I live near Lake Ontario, we burn about 10 cord of maple per year, just curious how much wood you go through?

I also purchased 3 tons of chestnut size anthracite, have tried it and like the long burn times on the stove...

Nice looking setup! Congrats... Who did your ductwork? Do you use a non-return damper on the furnace (if it is tied to a conventional forced aair furnace)?

 

[SPYDERLK]

Now, the only problem is that after everything was put together and sealed I noticed that the horizontal piece runs toward the chimney instead of back towards the furnace. I have read where things should run back toward the woodburning appliance in case of creosote. I did make sure that the male portions of the pipe were running towards the furnace. In order to get enough space all around the single wall pipe I had to do this as it was noticed that the thimble is not exactly level.

Any concerns? I guess being OCD and a firefighter, I am putting too much thought and worries into this!

You really need a cleanout port at bottom of your chimney. That way you dont have to bring all creosote back toward the stove to get it out. I think most chimneys have these.
larry

 

[JSUnlimited]

There are 2 schools of thought on that, in Europe, they require the opposite, as they are more concerned with smoke infiltration than creosote dripping. I also have a Clayton 1600 setup like yours, in a raised ranch lower level. I solved the problem of broken clay tile by going to triple wall stainless chimney for a wall thimble (and also up the outside of the house). Our code enforcement officer inspected it 11 years ago, and as a courtesy every year for us (documented of course) so in the unlikely event of a fire, I have some recourse with the insurance company...

I live near Lake Ontario, we burn about 10 cord of maple per year, just curious how much wood you go through?

I also purchased 3 tons of chestnut size anthracite, have tried it and like the long burn times on the stove...

Nice looking setup! Congrats... Who did your ductwork? Do you use a non-return damper on the furnace (if it is tied to a conventional forced aair furnace)?

First, thanks for the info. I usually burn oak, cherry, and some locust...probably 6 cords a year or so. I too use some coal (bituminous) when the temps get real low at night, it's really dirty but also has long burn times.

Here are a couple of pics showing some of the wiring and relays etc. for the low voltage dampers. On the gas furnace is a low voltage damper in the cold air return side that is always open since it is used more often (A/C, etc.). It is powered closed when the wood furnace blower comes on. Also, there is a low voltage damper on the supply duct leading from the wood furnace. It is always closed and is powered open when the wood furnace blower comes on. Since both furnances are connected to the common ductwork for the house these dampers were put in so that the air would would obviously forced out the vents versus being circulated in a "circle" between the two furnaces. Make sense?

My friend who is an HVAC guy did the ductwork and wiring. The Amish built the chimney.

 

[JSUnlimited]

You really need a cleanout port at bottom of your chimney. That way you dont have to bring all creosote back toward the stove to get it out. I think most chimneys have these.
larry

I do have one. It is outside and is located aproximately 1' or so below when the pipe comes out into the chimney. It is at the bottom of the chimney flue.

 

[schmism]

I think you want to replace/repair/substitute for the thimble.

Enough heat will deteriorate or even destroy concrete.

if measured in thousands of degrees i agree.

if measured in a few hundred degrees, it will still be structurally sound long after you have turned to dust.

what do you do for a fresh air inlet to the basement.

 

[JSUnlimited]

When I first light a fire, I crack one of the basement windows. Once things are warmed up I close the window and have no problems with the draft/downdrafts.

 

[Old Paths]

I found Belimo 24VDC powered damper motors on Ebay, nice thing about them is the "wind up" feature. I am going to be using one for my induced draft blower. I was nervous about the stove "running away" in the event there is a power outage, which is a frequent occurence here. The blower is off, obviously, at that point, but with a wood fire, it will draft enough to get really hot. The solution is this (in theory)...
The damper motor is for opening up feed air to the blower. The motor is powered by DC, and with no power, it will unwind like one of those old friction motor drives, and close off feed air for the fire...
http://www.belimo.us/bellib/Damper_Actuators/AF24_MFT_S.pdf
is the link for the one I bought...
($25 on Ebay).
You can override it manually, using an allen key. They are very powerful, 133 in. lbs.
Just need some time to install...
Nice looking install!

 

[JSUnlimited]

Old Paths, thanks for the compliment, please share your set-up with us.....I'd like to see it.

I ended up trimming off the verticle piece of pipe so that the horizontal run sloped back towards the furnace. Now I can sleep at night not thinking about it!