HotBlast 1557M

[laynes69]

When I had our hotblast 1500 like you had, it was in series. Our furnace blower ran 24/7 and I seen maybe a 10.00 increase with the blower running on our electric bill. A woodfurnace isn't for everyone. If their oversized like you experienced, people tend to shut them down and they can produce alot of creasote. I don't know what your square footage is, but maybe look into a nice epa stove. Psg also makes a small woodfurnace called the mini caddy its epa rated. Its a nice little furnace, maybe 70,000 btus top.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

Maybe something that is small enough to burn for supplemental heat instead of primary heat. Leave the oil furnace thermostat where you want it and use a stove to keep it from running as much. If the stove burns out at night or during the day when you're at work, the oil kicks in. When you get home in the evening, build a fire to reduce the oil consumption.

Ian

 

[sroberts44]

Got a Vermont castings Defiant Non Catalytic Stove its where i should of started. Live and learn!!!!

 

[treevet]

Maybe something that is small enough to burn for supplemental heat instead of primary heat. Leave the oil furnace thermostat where you want it and use a stove to keep it from running as much. If the stove burns out at night or during the day when you're at work, the oil kicks in. When you get home in the evening, build a fire to reduce the oil consumption.

Ian

That is good advice.

I burned woodstoves for 30 years and the last was a Vermont Castings Winterwarm insert. What a dog.

I bought my Clayton 1600M about 6 years ago and it was 1199.00 with a dent (very small) it came to $1000. and a friend of mine hooked it up for about 400.00 including a humidifier that I would recommend.

I wish I had gone to a wb ao furnace in the beginning as I love this dearly and all the little intricacies are more fun than not tuning it to get the best burn given the circumstances. I burn 24/7 all winter.

I usually start mine with the ash door wide open and the front baffle pulled all the way out but last night I was watching the big screen and forgot it was wide open and came in and the feed door was glowing orange.

Think it is time to alter technique.

 

[treevet]

 

[bryan6301]

1557m hotblast

Its been awhile since i posted on here . I have a hotblast 1557m , going on my second year with it now. I have made a couple modifications with it , after some experimenting , and have come up with a pretty good burning furnace. the mods are simple , and would benefit every 1557 owner i believe. First mod. i replaced the cast iron baffle with a firebrick baffle (provides better secondary combustion). The baffle was also extended 3.5 inches by simlpy laying 4 firebrick across the width of the baffle ,2nd , i placed a row of firebrick (laid horizontally) on each side, on top of the firebrick that came with the furnace(3 firebrick laid horizontally per side). They stay in place by gravity.
this extra firebrick, i find, does not take away from the amount of heat the furnace will put into the house, if so , its negligable . What it does do tho is create a hotter burn chamber which then helps to facilitate a better seconday burn , along with the firebrick baffle . I do not use the feed door draft at all , it is kept closed. The ashpan draft spinner (i ground off the nobs on the backside of it ) is usually kept anywhere from 1/2 turn - 1 turn open , depending on the type of wood and hot hot i want my fire . The forced draft port, in the rear, is where my secondary air comes from . to this forced draft port i attached a 6 inch long pipe ,screwed it in the port , to the 6 inch pipe , i then attatched a 90 degree elbow . Keep the elbow opening pointing up . I then use various pieces of galvanized metal, 2.5 inch square, with diffrent size holes drilled in them , to regulate secondary air flow . Best results have been with a 1.375 inch hole , to use during daytime burning . At night i use a .75 hole , for a slower, but yet seemingly efficient burn. I have been using the furnace in this manner for a couple of months now with constant, satisfying results. No need to babysit it anymore. Overnite burns(with sufficient coals in the morning) of 10 hours. One important thing to check is the feed door draft plate. I found mine to be bowed in the center , letting in air even when fully closed. The feed door cover can be easily taken off, and the draft plate straightened and put back together. I crack my feed door draft just a hair(literally), to look inside and watch the secondary burn, just make sure to close it when you are done. These simple mods have made my hotblast quite predictable, controllable , and reliable, no babysitter required. It will also reduce your wood consumption a little bit too !

 

[DHIBBS75]

I've had a 1557M for about 4 yrs now. I added to mine a house thermostat and a relay that i wired in to the blowers so you can help control the house temps better. The draft blower you do not need. use only the ash door draft. I'm heating about 2500 sq ft. Mine is in the basement. My burn times average 10-12 hrs on dried oak,hickory,. My location is Western Kentucky. My house is not insulated and but has new windows and doors.. I have a damper in my flew pipe also that I keep about 1/3 open and ash door draft about 1/2 to 1 turn open. I usually have about 6 in of coals at all times. The only problem that I've had it the grates in the bottom warping...

 

[mjordan1030]

I know this thread is old but I have a question... How many people use a barometric damper on the exhaust of their stove? I don't currently have one on my stove and my draft can get a little excessive at time.

Thanks

 

[NCHornet]

I am on my first year with my 1557 and still learning the different tricks. I see no need for the Baro but I do have a manual dampner in the chimney pipe about 24" away from the stove itself. I did a lot of research before installing it. There are so many different ways of installing these stoves and every house is different. You need to find what works best for you. I read of several people who don't use the blowers at all, they simply rely on hot air rises to heat their home. I did the same for the first couple weeks, it worked well but the rooms in the center of the house were quite warm but the bedrooms at the end of the trunk line were much cooler. My stove is plumbed into my existing ductwork aprox in the center of the home. Many on hear advised me to use the blowers and let them work as designed. I tried it this morning and was amazed. I didn't burn at all yesterday or last night, so this morning the home was 64 degrees. I started a fire and plugged in the blowers and in 40 min the house was 72. My home is a ranch house single level. I keep the vent on the main feed door closed, the ash dampner open to 1 to 2 full rotations and the dampner in the chimney is wide open until the fire gets established and then I choke it down about 1/2 way. So far I am very happy with this unit. Let me know if I can help any. I don't know it all but will share what I do know.

 

[torrey58]

Does your secondary really work? I've considered modifying my Hotblast for a secondary with pipe through the front and wrapped around the chamber like a few people have done but I hadnt seen anyone do it the way you have, it seems easier but ineffective. Does anyone else rig up a secondary through the forced draft opening in the back? If this truely works I am going to do it but I cant imagine how it is any different from just opening the feed door slot.

Its been awhile since i posted on here . I have a hotblast 1557m , going on my second year with it now. I have made a couple modifications with it , after some experimenting , and have come up with a pretty good burning furnace. the mods are simple , and would benefit every 1557 owner i believe. First mod. i replaced the cast iron baffle with a firebrick baffle (provides better secondary combustion). The baffle was also extended 3.5 inches by simlpy laying 4 firebrick across the width of the baffle ,2nd , i placed a row of firebrick (laid horizontally) on each side, on top of the firebrick that came with the furnace(3 firebrick laid horizontally per side). They stay in place by gravity.
this extra firebrick, i find, does not take away from the amount of heat the furnace will put into the house, if so , its negligable . What it does do tho is create a hotter burn chamber which then helps to facilitate a better seconday burn , along with the firebrick baffle . I do not use the feed door draft at all , it is kept closed. The ashpan draft spinner (i ground off the nobs on the backside of it ) is usually kept anywhere from 1/2 turn - 1 turn open , depending on the type of wood and hot hot i want my fire . The forced draft port, in the rear, is where my secondary air comes from . to this forced draft port i attached a 6 inch long pipe ,screwed it in the port , to the 6 inch pipe , i then attatched a 90 degree elbow . Keep the elbow opening pointing up . I then use various pieces of galvanized metal, 2.5 inch square, with diffrent size holes drilled in them , to regulate secondary air flow . Best results have been with a 1.375 inch hole , to use during daytime burning . At night i use a .75 hole , for a slower, but yet seemingly efficient burn. I have been using the furnace in this manner for a couple of months now with constant, satisfying results. No need to babysit it anymore. Overnite burns(with sufficient coals in the morning) of 10 hours. One important thing to check is the feed door draft plate. I found mine to be bowed in the center , letting in air even when fully closed. The feed door cover can be easily taken off, and the draft plate straightened and put back together. I crack my feed door draft just a hair(literally), to look inside and watch the secondary burn, just make sure to close it when you are done. These simple mods have made my hotblast quite predictable, controllable , and reliable, no babysitter required. It will also reduce your wood consumption a little bit too !

 

[bryan6301]

Does your secondary really work? I've considered modifying my Hotblast for a secondary with pipe through the front and wrapped around the chamber like a few people have done but I hadnt seen anyone do it the way you have, it seems easier but ineffective. Does anyone else rig up a secondary through the forced draft opening in the back? If this truely works I am going to do it but I cant imagine how it is any different from just opening the feed door slot.

Yes this does work. I think doing it the way i mentioned gives a more control as opposed to using the feed door draft , thats been my experience . You will still see smoke from the chimney , although not as much . I think i am in my 4th year with my hotblast now , and all the playing around i have done with it(you can search all my previous posts) , i believe that i get the most heat , the least amount of wood used , longest burn times by doing one simple modification . Extend the baffle approx. 3.5 inches , and then only use the ashpan draft to control the fire . The combustion isnt as efficient with this method , there is also a little more smoke coming out of the chimney , but i'm sure i get more heat with less wood doing it this way . This is how i used it all last winter , and i had more wood left over then i did previous winters . This is how i will be using it this year also . My ashpan " spinner " ( with the little tits ground off on the backside , so it will close completely ) i would have set at 1.5 turns open . This is where i had it set for daytime burns . I would back it down to 1 turn open for nite time . For clarification , 1.5 turns and 1 turn are defined by complete closure of the ashpan spinner with the tits GROUND OFF and then opening it .

 

[torrey58]

Yes this does work. I think doing it the way i mentioned gives a more control as opposed to using the feed door draft , thats been my experience . You will still see smoke from the chimney , although not as much . I think i am in my 4th year with my hotblast now , and all the playing around i have done with it(you can search all my previous posts) , i believe that i get the most heat , the least amount of wood used , longest burn times by doing one simple modification . Extend the baffle approx. 3.5 inches , and then only use the ashpan draft to control the fire . The combustion isnt as efficient with this method , there is also a little more smoke coming out of the chimney , but i'm sure i get more heat with less wood doing it this way . This is how i used it all last winter , and i had more wood left over then i did previous winters . This is how i will be using it this year also . My ashpan " spinner " ( with the little tits ground off on the backside , so it will close completely ) i would have set at 1.5 turns open . This is where i had it set for daytime burns . I would back it down to 1 turn open for nite time . For clarification , 1.5 turns and 1 turn are defined by complete closure of the ashpan spinner with the tits GROUND OFF and then opening it .

Do you have any pictures of the outside view of the secondary? How do you secure the pipe through the opening. I know it's threaded but only in one direction. also mine has a plate welded over the opening on the inside that I would have to bust through, did you do the same?

 

[bryan6301]

Do you have any pictures of the outside view of the secondary? How do you secure the pipe through the opening. I know it's threaded but only in one direction. also mine has a plate welded over the opening on the inside that I would have to bust through, did you do the same?

The pipe is secured , by just screwing it in till its tight . Then put the elbow on the other end , and then put on nipple . All are only hand tight . View attachment 256470 View attachment 256471View attachment 256472 View attachment 256473View attachment 256474 The plate on the inside , has a 90 deg. bend on the top, and on the bottom ,and then is welded to the stove, so the plate is not actually blocking the opening , the sides are left open . You can reach back there with a piece of wire, or something , put a bend on the end of it , and stick it thru one side to the other . It is where the forced draft would enter , if you so chose to buy the motor and install it, Nothing needs to be removed on the inside . All you need to do is install the pipe , like in my pics . When you fire up the stove ,and it gets up to operating temp. , slightly crack open your feed door draft and look inside , up under the baffle , and you will see the secondary going on . When i say slightly , i mean only enough to see into the stove , maby 1/16 in. ? . You open it too much , it introduces more draft and will affect the way its burning . Now dont forget , when you are done looking , to CLOSE the feed door draft ! Hope this helps .

 

[torrey58]

The pipe is secured , by just screwing it in till its tight . Then put the elbow on the other end , and then put on nipple . All are only hand tight . View attachment 256470 View attachment 256471View attachment 256472 View attachment 256473View attachment 256474 The plate on the inside , has a 90 deg. bend on the top, and on the bottom ,and then is welded to the stove, so the plate is not actually blocking the opening , the sides are left open . You can reach back there with a piece of wire, or something , put a bend on the end of it , and stick it thru one side to the other . It is where the forced draft would enter , if you so chose to buy the motor and install it, Nothing needs to be removed on the inside . All you need to do is install the pipe , like in my pics . When you fire up the stove ,and it gets up to operating temp. , slightly crack open your feed door draft and look inside , up under the baffle , and you will see the secondary going on . When i say slightly , i mean only enough to see into the stove , maby 1/16 in. ? . You open it too much , it introduces more draft and will affect the way its burning . Now dont forget , when you are done looking , to CLOSE the feed door draft ! Hope this helps .

Bryan,

I appreciate the input and responsiveness to helping a fellow Hotblaster out. I just got through typing a long response outlining my misunderstanding of how you got the pipe secured on the inside of the stove and realized that you dont have pipe on the inside. I assumed you had pipe as shown on the outside as well as inside to create the seondary. With that said I can't believe someone hasn't chimed questioning the effectivness of this without having air pre-heated and without pipe laid across the bottom of the baffles like so many others do.
So, after my moment of clarity, I see that you are saying you get a secondary burn with visual proof across the modified baffle without tubes on the inside. I guess I am really curious to see if this works for me, especially not risking much $ or irreversably changing the stove/furnace. With all the data and posts I have read about the importance of super heated air needed for secondary to occur I guess I wouldn't believe it until I see it so Ill have to try. Thanks!

 

[bryan6301]

Bryan,

I appreciate the input and responsiveness to helping a fellow Hotblaster out. I just got through typing a long response outlining my misunderstanding of how you got the pipe secured on the inside of the stove and realized that you dont have pipe on the inside. I assumed you had pipe as shown on the outside as well as inside to create the seondary. With that said I can't believe someone hasn't chimed questioning the effectivness of this without having air pre-heated and without pipe laid across the bottom of the baffles like so many others do.
So, after my moment of clarity, I see that you are saying you get a secondary burn with visual proof across the modified baffle without tubes on the inside. I guess I am really curious to see if this works for me, especially not risking much $ or irreversably changing the stove/furnace. With all the data and posts I have read about the importance of super heated air needed for secondary to occur I guess I wouldn't believe it until I see it so Ill have to try. Thanks!

You are welcome . The only other thing i failed to mention , is , when i used this method , my ashpan door spinner , is only open 1/2 turn from complete closure (tits on backside ground off ).
This way there is still some airflow under the grates to prevent them from becoming too hot and warping . I hope that you did note , the way i burn my stove now ,with extended baffle (3.5 inches ) , feed door draft closed , ashpan spinner opened 1.5 turns (from complete closure ) , has yeilded the best results as far as heat output-burn time lenght-amount of wood used . I suspect this gives me better results because less air thru the stove ,means higher temps inside the stove . Results may vary . Good luck with your hotblast, and have fun experimenting .

 

[DHIBBS75]

I'm fixing to order my third set of racks for mine.. I ask the factory why these don't last more than one season and they asked if a " seasoned" the racks first... WHAT. They said I must heat treat them first before there installed them per instructions. I have not found that any where. Is anybody else warping and cracking racks?

 

[torrey58]

The shaker grates? I've had to replace one because I tried my hand at burning coal. No warping, i torqued the shaker too hard and broke it. It Burns coal like #### by the way.

 

[loadthestove]

It Burns coal like #### by the way.

Coal works excellent in mine.I can easily get an overnight burn using coal/wood mixed.

 

[brenndatomu]

Coal works excellent in mine.I can easily get an overnight burn using coal/wood mixed.

Interesting. How's that work, pile some wood on the burning coal?

 

[torrey58]

You are welcome . The only other thing i failed to mention , is , when i used this method , my ashpan door spinner , is only open 1/2 turn from complete closure (tits on backside ground off ).
This way there is still some airflow under the grates to prevent them from becoming too hot and warping . I hope that you did note , the way i burn my stove now ,with extended baffle (3.5 inches ) , feed door draft closed , ashpan spinner opened 1.5 turns (from complete closure ) , has yeilded the best results as far as heat output-burn time lenght-amount of wood used . I suspect this gives me better results because less air thru the stove ,means higher temps inside the stove . Results may vary . Good luck with your hotblast, and have fun experimenting .

This has actually worked, the burn times appear to be longer and the creosote has lessened. My spinner is barely open, I have a wide open rear draft and it creates the beautiful blue dancing flames above the fire. Amazing how simple it was to get a reburn.