Recently installed Fire Chief FC700

[EDM Mike]

Been running a Fire Chief FC700 for about 3 weeks and it is working great! Heating 3,000 sq ft colonial. I am finding that the house is actually too hot. If I load furnace to run through the night and adjust draft to keep my flue temps just above 300 deg (rutland magnetic thermometer) the first floor will easily reach 80 deg and the second floor will reach 71-72 deg even when outside temps are ~10 deg. I run the fan speed on low with set temps of 150° on 100° off. It's a much better problem to have than not being able to maintain temps but, should I be adjusting the amount of wood that I load based on temps desired? When running my old wood stove it never mattered I could never get the house too warm.

I have a 500 sq ft finished room above my garage that I am not heating with the fire chief and may add a run of duct to that room to help distribute more heat away from 1st floor for next season.

View attachment 224058

 

[ss~zoso~ss]

looks nice! probably not the cheapest to buy your firewood at home depot! ha

 

[lrig0550]

Yea...Looks great.

 

[EDM Mike]

looks nice! probably not the cheapest to buy your firewood at home depot! ha

Is one of the other box stores cheaper......?:msp_rolleyes:

All the 6/4 and 8/4 oak and maple cut to 24" and palleted wood that I want for free... Can't pass it up to get the fire started. Plus it stacks nice!

 

[loadthestove]

good looking setup,

 

[reaperman]

I run the fan speed on low with set temps of 150° on 100° off. It's a much better problem to have than not being able to maintain temps but, should I be adjusting the amount of wood that I load based on temps desired?

Most wood burners main concern is to achieve the longest burning fire possible. It sounds like your getting the hang of your new system. Now you may want to experiment with different load sizes and see how morning temps respond. I know the 700 has a pretty big firebox, maybe larger than needed at times. My home is only 5 years old and is insulated great. I dont need long burn times to keep the house warm. But that comes with a price, I have to light a new fire every day. Wood furnaces are a different beast than a woodstove. They dont give that quick heat like a stove does. But once they get chugging along and that plenum fan has been running steady for a couple of hours the heat keeps coming. Being they heat the whole house evenly, there isnt much to cool the inside air down.

Did you ever hook up the draft fan to a wall thermostat?

And how do you keep your basement so clean?

 

[EDM Mike]

Most wood burners main concern is to achieve the longest burning fire possible. It sounds like your getting the hang of your new system. Now you may want to experiment with different load sizes and see how morning temps respond. I know the 700 has a pretty big firebox, maybe larger than needed at times. My home is only 5 years old and is insulated great. I dont need long burn times to keep the house warm. But that comes with a price, I have to light a new fire every day. Wood furnaces are a different beast than a woodstove. They dont give that quick heat like a stove does. But once they get chugging along and that plenum fan has been running steady for a couple of hours the heat keeps coming. Being they heat the whole house evenly, there isnt much to cool the inside air down.

Did you ever hook up the draft fan to a wall thermostat?

And how do you keep your basement so clean?

Definitely getting the hang of it and feel pretty comfortable now just a little tweaking. I had a much smaller fire last night and woke up to 69 deg. this morning which is fine. I am also restarting fires each night when I get home from work.
Draft fan is hooked up to the thermostat, but I only use it to get a new fire going then I keep the stove temps adjusted with the dampers.

It's all about what angle you take a picture from. I wouldn't want anyone to see the rest of the basement right now....

 

[reaperman]

One thing I do to help monitor my furnace temps without going downstairs is. I take a indoor/outdoor thermometer (one with a wire attached to the outside probe) and place the probe inside one of my registers. So the probe hangs mid air without touching the ductwork. After a couple of days you will get a understanding of how hot the air coming from the register is compared with the status of the furnace. The actual air temp from the register doesnt matter. Your looking for a average temp over time. If the register temp is way higher than normal it may be time to go downstairs and check things out, and visa versa. I have my thermometer in my bedroom so I know whats going on during the night if I wake up. It will also tell you if your coal bed is still present or not, even if the plenum fan isnt running. There will still be heat coming up but not as warm as when the fan is running.

 

[padgett152]

I'm found a Fire Chief 700 (one year old) that used to heat a carpentry shop in an upscale area. I'm picking it up tomorrow for $1200. Got a steal. Glad to see someone with a testimony of the furnace. Can't wait to get mine hooked up. Even though winter is fading away, you know I have to build at least one fire in it before next winter

Does the furnace duct work you tied into have any flex ducts coming off the plenum? Mine does, and they are rated for 200 degrees. It would be a real pain to replace them due to the soffit around the plenum.

 

[Felman]

I think its better to adjust the size of the firebox by adding firebricks than it is to minimize the load.

 

[stumpknocker]

Wood or coal?

I've been burning wood all my life in all kinds of stoves, I was young & wood was plentiful, now that i'm older and not able to cut wood like i used to I'm thinking of getting a add on furnace & maybe burning a little coal with my wood. I've been researching add on Furnaces & i like the Fire Chief 700, Seems like it has a better warranty & a better blower system then alot of the others on the market today. Would like to hear from some people who burn wood & coal both, & what kind of furnace they use Thanks

 

[Tesen]

I am currently running a Hotblast 1557 - if I had my way/when this one gets to the point to replace it, I am going for a FC700. They are an awesome furnace as I have a couple friends with one, very, very nice add on!

Tes

 

[padgett152]

Are you supplying the furnace with return air from the basement? I can't see a vertical run from the back of the unit? If so, how does that work? I'm thinking of doing the same thing.

 

[PEKS]

Good looking Rig..
Is your house brand new, that is one clean basement..

 

[stumpknocker]

FC700 for sale

I have an all but new FC700, Its just to hot for my house, approx.8 hrs burn time,everything works as it should. Located near Gettysburg Pa. Reply through this site if interested Thanks

 

[EDM Mike]

Are you supplying the furnace with return air from the basement? I can't see a vertical run from the back of the unit? If so, how does that work? I'm thinking of doing the same thing.

I cut 3 vents in the cold air runs located just above the unit per Fire Chief and it works great

 

[EDM Mike]

Good looking Rig..
Is your house brand new, that is one clean basement..

Thanks! House is 9 yrs old.

Having a duct run from the basement to the second floor to move some of the heat, I have plenty to spare. Can't wait to see how it works.

 

[fionawillan]

how you use firebriks

I want to buy some vermiculite bricks as firebricks to my stove, does anybody ever use it? Is it good?:msp_smile: