Hotblast 1557 HELLP!!!

Hello I’m new to this site. I just got done building a house and installed a Hotblast 1557 wood furnace. I can’t seam to figure this thing out. I’m not able to get long burns and even if I load it full it seams to eat though wood. If I close the damper down it still eats wood. It also smokes a lot and doesn’t burn very clean. Can’t get the flue temperature very hot runs in creosote range. And if I run it with the damper open it just runs through wood and the heat goes right up the chimney. After 7 days of burning I have a lot of creosote build up. Please any help would be great on how to work one of these things

 

All I can say is welcome to the life of a hot blast. I burned one for 5 years before going to an OWB. Most of us did not use the load door damper instead ground the nubs off the ash pan door damper and regulate it that way. It’s going to eat wood, and smoke like a freight train


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How dry is the wood you're burning? I just put an older Vogelzang Norseman in the barn. From what I understand they are similar to a HB. I'm burning mill ends that have sat in the barn for over a decade. There's a little smoke at first but once going the smoke is gone. I still can't slow down the wood usage but I'm good with it since I don't need to run it non-stop.

 

The wood I’m burning is oak and ash and birch all has been cut and split about 2 years ago. As a moisture content of 15-20% the stove heats my house I just don’t have the time to sit and baby sit it every 2 hours. Plus clean my flue every week

 

Yup, that's why they are (un)affectionately known as the "wood blast"...cause they sure can blast through some!
Never owned one...sounds like your experience is pretty typical from what I have read about them over the years...if that makes ya feel any better...

 

are you using the forced air induction fan? those things will reduce a full load to ashes in no time flat. I have a model 1400 that i can usually get about 2-3hrs of good hot burn out of but will still hold coals for another 4-6 hours. mine is natural draft though so when things cool down the chimney air stops moving so the coals hold longer. tru leaving some ashes in the bottom for insulation to slow things down. if you're using the draft inducing fan, try going without it to see if you can make things last longer

 

Yes I have the induction fan but I have tried playing with that as well I have only opened the flap about 3/8 inch

 

Those were designed for coal burning. That said you can burn wood in them, but as you have noticed a lot of wood for little return. I had a Hot blast a a few years ago, used it for one season, that was enough of that. Could never trust it to not overfire either as the auto door damper had a habit of sticking wide open. Best I ever got was about 4 hours of usable heat. it was ok , i guess, if i was there to babysit it all day.

 

I hear ya. I need to get through this heating season with it and I think I’m going to look into something different. I was maybe thinking pellet furnace. Any recommendations?

 

I would recommend....

Almost anything else!

Sounds like a miserable experience. I feel your pain. I had a stove that required that feeding schedule for a few years. Good for exercise but noooo good for sleep! Hang in there. Start researching stoves/furnace's (the fun part). There are many more efficient options. Look into the air supply mods guys here recommend. Might be worth trying.

 

A pellet stove will not produce the heat of a standing wood stove. I work with a guy that heated with wood for 35 years and replaced his stove with a pellet stove and bitches about it not kicking out enough heat all the time.

 

There is no babysitting with pellets !


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And having to dump ashes every 2-3 weeks is a bear.
A wood stove will get hotter than pellet and depending on the output of it
There like a gas gas stove and just as safe
I have a Harman in my shop 61,000 btu and it will get hot!
Or I can run it on low and get 29 hour run time
But your looking for a pellet furnace I think?
The one guy I know loves his over the wood furnace he used for years
A furnace doesn’t need to get blasting hot
To do it job


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I don't know I would feel buying pellets, corn to be about like buying propane or fuel oil.

still being physically able to cut and split wood I would stick with a wood furnace. I have a hot blast at the cabin at deer camp. I put up with the POS because it is only used two weeks tops and was given to me.
I have a barel stopve kit I am going to build a stove with for ther cabin and give thre hot blast to some one who would use it in a work shop.

Here at home I have a England 28 3500 add on furnace. Love it get a good 10 hour burns between fill ups with Ash fire wood.

fired it up out side to burn off all the oils and such from the building of it.





Has a window in the door so you can peek in to see if you need to add wood.

Is sold thru Lowe's as summer heat wood burning furnace, veterans can get a 10% discount.


Al

 

Yep basically the NC 30 with an air jacket, have friend who bought one few years back, working well for him also. It isn't super high tech and won't break the bank like say the Kuuma ( the gold standard of indoor wood furnaces)

 

What size flue are you putting it in to? I would say you either have to put a damper in the stove pipe or install a smaller flue. I believe you have too much draft.

 

I have a hot blast 1557M, been burning it since new for 5 years now. One thing that works for me is to let the ashes build up on the grates, don't shake/rake them every time you load it. I also use the loading door slider and leave the cleanout door spinner closed as far as it will go.
It seems that every stove fires differently because of the chimney.
These wood furnaces have a large firebox, they'll burn more wood than a wood stove but will put out a lot more heat also. It's a trade off I guess.

 

Another thing about creosote. I used to get build up in my chimney the first 2 years I was burning wood. This has since changed once I got ahead with my wood pile and started burning good seasoned wood.
The other thing is your chimney design will play a large role in creosote accumulation. My brother has a triple wall class A chimney through the center of his house. He's burning the same furnace and wood supply as me, and I don't think he can build up creosote if he wanted to.

 

I have 6 inch black pipe going from the stove to the chimney and SS triple 6 inch straight up and out about 16 feet. Inside a chimney chase

 

Only place I have a large build up of creosote is in the black pipe