Norseman1
ArboristSite Lurker
As you can see it's set up as a central unit. I am a forester/logger and have been burning wood since.....
I did the install myself. I had ductwork made to adapt it into my existing ducts. All ductwork was calculated and is sufficient.
We own an 1815 antique cape in rural NH. So far the furnace keeps the place very toasty (installed Thursday, lit for the first time that afternoon). No insulation in the cape, the L has insulation and modern windows. The cape has restored, antique, double-hung windows with wooden storms (I just reglazed, painted, and installed new felt backing on the storm windows).
The results have been great so far, better than expected to be honest. Total out of pocket is about $1800 including all ductwork (furnace was on sale for $1149).The furnace keeps the place in the mid to upper 70's and the blowers run almost continuously unless I choke the fire down some or shut them off at the old oil furnace shut off switches as I wired them to control the blowers. I don't mind at all if the blowers cycle in and out I just know it's because the fire has cooled so I start to get the itch to run and check things out.
After reading through the old threads I am now running it with the rear plug out (tried drilling a 1/4" hole and reinstalling but it seems better with it out), the door draft shut tight (never even tried to really use the door draft), the ash door spinner open 1 1/2-3 turns during the day and spun shut at night (tabs still in place, not ground off). I have a damper in the chimney pipe directly off the furnace. I have experimented with closing this during the day for a few hours and it keeps the fire going much longer but I have not tried it overnight yet as I am worried about it going out. I know the temps will drop to creosote forming levels if I close the chimney damper but we have heated exclusively with a Jotul Castine for the past 5 years (just not enough stove for this old place, was perfect in our last, much smaller, but almost as old, house) and have shut the front draft and chimney dampers down every night (on the Jotul) and wake up with a good bed of coals. I have yet to have to clean the chimney (outside, insulated SS chimney). Every Spring I check the chimney and it is cleaner than my Garand after a range session. I used to run the stove up every morning to help control the build up and have continued this practice on the 1557M as the Jotul is now not needed (again, without closing the chimney damper on the 1557M). The furnace uses the double wall SS chimney the oil furnace used to use that runs through the inside walls and out through the roof.
The concern is that even when stuffed with semi-dry Red Oak at midnight, I still have only a small amount of coals in the morning. I can start it with just some kindling and smaller pieces of soft Maple and Ash in the morning but would prefer it to have more coals in the morning so I can start it with just smaller split wood instead of having to keep a ton of kindling on hand. I would like to be able to shut it down like the Jotul (on the chimney) and load it a little earlier at night. I was thinking of loading it up, keeping the ash door open for a few minutes to get the fire and chimney good and warm, and then shut the whole thing down to some degree. Leaving the plug out seems to be enough draft when the ash spinner is shut as it burns up all of the wood overnight.
The house has been between 70 and 73 in the morning, which is wonderful, I would just like a better bed of coals in the morning. It seems like the chimney damper will be the next thing I try. I'll probably try it today when I go out to run a few errands and see how it goes.
Also, does anyone use the metal "smoke curtain" supplied with the 1557M? I left it out at first but installed it this morning before I got the fire hopping in an attempt to keep the smoke from spilling out the feed door while I stuff it. It seems to be a pain in the neck and it clangs back in place very loudly which resonates through the ductwork (young children...naptime or early mornings=not good). I liked being able to peek through the carriage bolt holes to check the fire too.
If you made it this far, thanks for humoring me.
Anyone?
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