US Stove Hotblast is too Finicky

[DHIBBS75]

Before I open the door on mine I open the flu wide open and open the ash door and let it get burning real good and this eliminates the puffing for me. I have a friend that bought one the same time I did and did not install the smoke flap in front of the door his smoked terribly!

Most of the issues of controlling temp on these units are door seal problems in my experience. I can close the air intake on the ash door and feed door and almost put my fire out if I want to. If you can't control the heat build a real good fire and turn out the lights with the doors closed and look real good around the seals for light. Some times I run a cigarette around the door seals to make sure they are not pulling any extra air.

Mine does the huffing and puffing after I load it... If I dont give it some air it huffs and puffs. I look at the stack and smoke is rolling out... What gives.. May take one 90 out and put a 45 this weeekend....

 

[Racerboy832]

I got mine going now so it looks like the wood gases burning blue and dancing around the wood. I wish I could get a clear picture. After a night of letting it burn blue it sure cleaned out a bunch of cresote.

 

[Racerboy832]

The Manometer came in today. When I hook the tube from the low side to the back of the baro closet to the stove I can adjust it so it stays around .06. If the baro is wide open it will run down to .01-.02. Baro Fully closed it will run up to .10 They call for .05-.07 on my stove. The stove still seems like it should be pumping out more heat. The worst part of the stove for me is waking up cold. I was thinking of adding some coal when I go to bed.

 

[laynes69]

.05" would be fine for that furnace maybe even .04". We run our furnace at .06"-.07" but I need that draft due to the design of the furnace. That was one of problems with the old furnace, If I didn't wake when it was cold out a little early the furnace would be cold. It took alot of wood also to do that. That was one of the reasons why I took the old furnace out and replaced it. Still the thing produced a ton of heat, just not the most efficient furnace on the market but did the job.

 

[Racerboy832]

Hey Laynes, When I hooked up my Mano I hooked up only one tube to the Low side. I would of thought it would of gone to the high side but it went neg. I hooked it up to the low and sucked a tiny bit to check and it went the correct way so I know I was checking vaccuum. It's still pulling .05 everytime I checked. I threw a couple cans of coal in before bed and it was pretty warm in the am (65).

 

[Racerboy832]

Ok, Guys, Here is what I've figured out with my stove. If I burn with the bottom damper open I get real hot fires but don't last long. This is what i've been doing ( I have a glass door on mine so I can watch the fire)

I get the fire nice and hot. Load it about 1/2 full with wood. Leave the Ash damper 1/4 turn open and the door feed all the open. I also prop up the smoke flap right before I close the door. I've been getting about 8 hours consistent burns and little cresote.

What I found is once the coals are hot with the fire getting air across the top the wood gases really start burning, The flames are basically blue and they seem to burn above the wood. I'm assuming this is extra heat and helps burn clean. It seems that half of burning wood is to burn the wood gases that it emits. Wood burns from the top down and coal likes it from the bottom up.

I've found when I use the ashpan damper that it's more a yellow fire and it forces the wood to burn. It makes more smoke unless the fire is cranking which it prolly forcing alot of heat out the pipe. It also leaves me with almost no fire in the AM. Now when I get up the blower is usually still going and there is about 4 inches of coals still in it. Throw a few pieces on top, Open the bottom and it's off again.

I'm running .05-.06 Draft with a Baro. I'm starting to not hate this stove so much anymore. My home has no insulation. I ripped it out cause of the animals that made homes. The house stays about 70 and it's pulling the 50 degree air from the basement. Once I get the returns hooked up i'm sure it will be even better.

I've spent many hours reading about these stoves so yours may be different but thought it might help.

 

[Tesen]

Hey Guys,

So here is a question, what would be a good replacement for a Hotblast 1557? I.e. better fuel usage, heat output, durability, quality etc.

Thanks,
Tes

 

[laynes69]

Hey Guys,

So here is a question, what would be a good replacement for a Hotblast 1557? I.e. better fuel usage, heat output, durability, quality etc.

Thanks,
Tes

I replaced our 1500 hotblast with a 1950 hotblast (PSG Caddy). We use less wood, get more heat over a longer period of time and a cleaner chimney. Night and day difference.

 

[Racerboy832]

After 3 years of messing with the stove, I finally got it to where i'm about 90% happy. The biggest reason is i'm not waking up cold anymore. When I was burning the wood from the bottom with the ashpan damper it forced the wood to burn. It also left me with either a ton of cresote or nothing in the am. Now about 4 pieces of good sized wood will make heat for about 7-8 hours. My door vents are about the same level as the top of the wood. I get a nice hotfire going, prop up the smoke flap and leave the ashpan 1/4 turn open. What happens is the smoke gases burn Blue and the wood burns from the top down. In the am I get about 4-5 inches of glowing junks of wood, Open the bottom, reload and it's off like new. My stove used to make tons of cresote, now it leaves a powder. I'm not getting blistering hot heat but the blowers never turn off and i'm getting a more clean burn.