Newly installed 1557M

[hdstang]

Hello, I feel lucky to have stumbled on such an informative site since I began my new "hobby" of using a wood furnace in parallel with existing gas furnace.
I'm sure I can expect some helpful info regarding my current 1557M setup and appreciate all the helpful hints that I've read on this site in the past 2 weeks
Okay here it goes.. shortly after purchasing my unit new from the local TSC, I found that I needed to have a chimney added. So I had a local masonry guy build me a 20ft. double flu block chimney with clay liners (one flu for the gas furnace, 2nd for the wood furnace) on the outside side of my house. He dug and poured the footer then broke thru the wall to install 2 thimbles.Unfortunately the only viable place to put it, put my 6" thimbles in the basement near a block wall. For this reason I have a 6ft horizontal black stove pipe going to an elbow, then 2ft down into another elbow connected to the furnace. I plummed the 6ft piece with a slight angle of 1/2 bubble on my level. I added the dampner to the 2 ft piece. (See Pics attached). I'm now thinking that I don't have near enough of an angle on the horiz. pipe due to some recent back puffing when the ash door or feed doors are opened.
The 2-8" heat ports I connected using a T and then into the main heating duct of the house. (Maybe this should also be changed and eliminate the T?)
With the stock twin blowers controlled by the thermo disc, they run pretty constant. I occasionally turn on the main blower for the other furnace to help circulate the warm air on the colder days.
When the outside temps are 25+ and I'm burning good dry wood the houses stays around 72-75 or warmer.
When they are lower like today here in Ohio at 10 today, it struggles to stay 68-69.
The house is an older 2 story home approx. 2200 sq.ft with a full basement were the 1557M sits.
I'm not sure if its a combination of things or if the chimney is sucking all the heat out, so I thought I'd post it for your opinions.
My future plans include: Hi/Lo blower control, Re-running the horiz. stove pipe to 45 degrees down to the furnace, and adding a cold air box (which I just fabbed up yesterday) to the main cold air return duct.
Hopefully I can attach the pictures and I welcome your thoughts. Happy Cutting :greenchainsaw:

 

[hdstang]

1557M pics

Trying to add the pics, Any idea why the attachments icon doesn't do anything when I click on it? Or am I just a newbie :monkey:

 

[zipper1081]

Sounds good lets see some pics.

I have found it is best to use photobucket

 

[laynes69]

Yeah get those pics posted. I wouldn't tie into the cold air return of the central furnace. Simply if you do, if the central furnace kicks on, you could suck some heat through the central furnace and damage things. I would run a cold air return seperately in the floor above and locate it centrally. That will help out alot. Its hard to follow the flue w/o pics, but sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. You need some lift in the flue, with as few bends as possible. Post those pics and we can see more of whats going on. Sounds like with your square footage, weather conditions, and your installation, its keeping up pretty good. Where are you located in ohio?

 

[hdstang]

Hello Laynes69, I've read many of your posts and appreciate your responses. I am located just 20 minutes south of Canton. Here ones for you, I came home and went to toss in a log when it hit a metal plate laying inside. It appears to be the baffle (#9) got knocked loose. Any idea how and where it is suppose to be mounted in the stove? Does it sit in there or should it be welded in? The diagram is useless in showing were it goes and how it mounts.. I'm letting things cool down so that I can fix it. I am also considering leaving the furnace off until I can re-plumb the exhaust pipe, I'm also having issues with liquid creosote running out of the chimney clean-out ( The mason messed up and has the clean-out flush with bottom of new chimney) What a mess, black puddles!
Still no luck downloading the pics, waiting for site admin to help fix..
Thanks HDStang!

 

[laynes69]

The baffle sits on top of 2 catches near the top.

 

[hdstang]

Thanks! I'll give it a try when it's cool enough to stick my hands in
I think my wife heaved a log up and knocked it off. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it :monkey:

 

[zipper1081]

I replaced the 2 baffles in mine after 2 years with ones that are a lot thicker.

 

[hdstang]

After 1 day its still smoldering with some hot ashes, but I was able to grab the baffle on lift it back into place up on the ledge /catches. Before doing this I took my flashlight and looked inside. To my surprise the elbow coming out of the stove pipe is about 1/2 full of creosote. I have only been running this furnace since 12/20/08 and now I know a couple things 1. I'm not drafting enough for a good hot burn due to my long horizontal run. 2. I burned a couple loads of wood that must have still been too green.
I'm going to keep it shut down until I replace and re-route the stove pipe and get some good dry wood stocked up. So its back to the gas budget plan for now

p.s. still no luck with the pics, still trying a couple of things..

 

[hdstang]

Here's the pictures of my current setup. Due to the chimney location this was the only place I could mount the furnace.

 

[LEES WOODC]

I wood eliminate that verticle section of stove pipe and run it at an angle to your thimble.

Also you need to have 2 separate hot air ducts coming off the stove to get the benefit of all the hot air from the blowers.

Nice neat looking install. Good luck.

 

[laynes69]

With that setup, technically you are getting 1 8"duct worth of heat, even though both are connected. Do away with that 90 and angle like suggested. Run both ducts into the ductwork, or plenum and you should see a difference.

 

[bohawg1]

Yes do what the guys are telling you to write both 8 inch ducts directly into your duct work. Second you need to get a box around your fans so you wont be sucking dirt from your basement into your ducts which would make your house very dirty. Your stove pipe i would take the grey tape and i would get stove putty to fill the joints instead of the tape. You can box your filters in and run couple of eight inch ducts to your return duct.

 

[hdstang]

Thanks, I plan to do all that is suggested. I did make a return air filter box but am now considering not connecting it to the main cold air return as laynes69 had suggested and route it to its own air return duct. I did notice when the main gas furnace blower runs it does push hot air out of the wood furnace blowers if they are not running.
Live and learn oke:

 

[LANNY]

Wood Furnace

Hello Stang, we have a 1537g , looks similar. One thing to remember on this type of heat, it runs a lot, so dont freak out over the lower airflow. The other post was correct, you are only getting one 8" flow of air. When you double the output pipes air flow will increase a lot. I found that out by a raccoon ripping up my ducts. Our stove is outside, no basement. I have my cold air return tied to the return of the furnace, sort of makes the wood furnace an either or deal, can't run both at the same time. Putting in a separate return sounds like a good idea,probably will try that.A friend of mine put some sort of a flapper valve on top of his stove so that the furnace air won't go into it, havent't done mine that way,probably should..lanny

 

[jdew1920]

Thanks, I plan to do all that is suggested. I did make a return air filter box but am now considering not connecting it to the main cold air return as laynes69 had suggested and route it to its own air return duct. I did notice when the main gas furnace blower runs it does push hot air out of the wood furnace blowers if they are not running.
Live and learn oke:

They make spring loaded dampers that will only let the air flow one way. You could place those in your ducts going from the wood furnace to your gas furnace and elimated the back feeding.

 

[hdstang]

Here's my version of a Cold air filter box. I plan to add some 1 inch aluminum angle inside to hold a filter which will slide in a slot that still needs cut. I paid $13 for a 8x12x24 furnace duct, did a 12 inch cut down each corner and hand folded using a block of wood as my brake. Sheet metal screws and some foil tape ($6) to hold together and seal. $10 for a 6ft. piece of 1 inch aluminum angle. I will use the angle to bolt the box to the furnace.
:greenchainsaw:

 

[LANNY]

Good Lookin Box

Good job. Mine is similar, I had to retro fit an access panel on both sides.You will need to oil the motors occaionally, there are oil tubes with rubber caps. You will need access for those. Make sure you have at least the same amt of cold air return as output ducts. Would more return than blower ducts help air flow? It does on a paint booth..Anybody know? Lanny

 

[bohawg1]

Hey i just have a box around my ffans with filters on both sides. I do have both of the 8 inch ducts ducted into the main duct work. I replaced my thermostate on my upstairs wall that will kick the fan only on at times to push the air through the ducts and circulate the air. I have a humidfier on my main furnace that is conected in with the fan that will run when the main furnace fans are one.. THis works out pretty good for me. One of the main 8 in ducts i have split off and have it routed going up in my living room floor register which heats the house up faster since my house is more open in the center. Yes when your house gas furnace is on if you wanted you will have to put dampers in your 8 inch going to your wood furnace. I just put in manual dampers myself and if i ever do turn on my gas i just go down and turn them off. No biggy. Hope this helps if any questions feel free to ask

 

[hdstang]

I also have a manual dampner installed in the 8" heat duct. I had thought about extending the oil tubes up and out a bit, so that the box doesn't need opened or removed. I plan to try and make most of my furnace upgrades this weekend, after I work my Jeep.
Thanks for all the good tips!
Happy cuttin'