Secondary burn achieved on Hot Blast 1500

[crewchief264]

So I just put in a Hot Blast 1500 I got for 800.00 bucks after the 1st few load I was surprised how fast it burned up wood. I also have regency insert in my living room. But upgraded to whole house heat recently. So I am familiar with secondary burn and long burns on one load. Th Hot Blast as is is crap.... 5-6 hours max on a load of wood.

My setup: 15 foot double wall pipe-No baro- and manual, damper left open 75%-90%

Modifications:
1.5" secondary feed tube through front that splits to two 3/4" burn tube with less than 1/4" holes every inch on each side. I installed a 1.25" gate valve to control secondary flow
Front door vents completely blocked off
Nubs ground off ash door and set at about a dimes thickness
firebricks laid horizontal on sides
8 firebricks on top of existing shield
1/4" plate bolted to ceiling shield with 2 3.5" holes cut in it.

Just lit first fire with this set up and am seeing and holding a steady 500-600 on the firebox and the flue is at about 250...

My question: Is it normal to have flue temps that low.... It will climb to 400-450 but no hotter before the firebox gets to 600+

I am happy with it and will post how long the burn times are later.

 

[stihly dan]

My Kuuma with secondaries Runs with 250* flue temps.

 

[laynes69]

Our flue temps on our Caddy run around 200 external.

 

[Beefie]

All right this thread is useless without any pictures . I have a hot blast and always wondered how to get longer burn times. Do you have any pictures of the flames off the burn tubes.

Beefie

 

[crewchief264]

All right this thread is useless without any pictures . I have a hot blast and always wondered how to get longer burn times. Do you have any pictures of the flames off the burn tubes.

Beefie

Photos loaded up

 

[crewchief264]

Ok so I got a full 10 hour burn with coals still in the bottom and very little ash from 6 pieces of wood. The Furnace was still about 150 degrees and cycling on and off with the honeywell switch

 

[Beefie]

Wow that is impressive, 10 hours would work awesome for me. Now Im just waiting for some more pictures to see how you made it. Do you have any better pictures of inside the firebox showing the additional fire brick and baffle?

Beefie

 

[stihly dan]

Ok so I got a full 10 hour burn with coals still in the bottom and very little ash from 6 pieces of wood. The Furnace was still about 150 degrees and cycling on and off with the honeywell switch

If this is true? you may have a new carrier. Not many appliances can get more than an hour oh good heat per split.

 

[blades]

I have a question as to the plate pictures do not really show to well its location. Is it right at the top of the side fire brick or further above. Could you do some general sketches nothing fancy as to internal arrangements. I total agree with your estimate of the unit in its original state, Believe mine is the1400, have not used it in the last couple years too much of a PIA, eats too much, and generally is uncontrollable, thanks to the crappy auto damper. Fought a bunch with it to no avail.

 

[laynes69]

It's possible to get more than an hour of heat per split. It all depends on the diameter and length of the splits, as well as type of wood. In mild weather when not much heat is needed overnight, 3 decent splits will keep the house warm overnight with enough coals for the morning. We had the 1500 hotblast like the poster for years, and it would take a 24" log and the firebox was twice as big as our Caddy. Last night, we loaded 6 splits, probably a little over 1/2 of our firebox and woke up 8 hours later with plenty of coals. The furnace wasn't putting out much heat at that point, but the house was 71 (thermostat for 72). After the initial fire stage of the burn, if a unit can hold the coal bed well and extract heat, it can extend the burn for some time.

 

[TdiDave]

This is what I have put together. Any suggestions?
I was thinking about some type of ladder setup off the two stubs in the center
I miscalculated when I put the holes thru the back above the baffel, didn't account for the thickness of the baffle I measured from the angle iron attached to stove, so I could not completely line the baffle with fire brick.

 

[flotek]

My drolet tundra / heatmax
Has a outer stack temperature of about 200 degrees. A good furnace will keep the heat in the unit and not send it out the flue pipe my dads hotblast 1557 has a stack temperature of. 600 -700 very inefficient because he's heating the great outdoors sending that good heat right up the chimney

 

[blades]

Easy enough to cut the fire brick to size, right angle grinder and a masonary wheel to fit , grind deep groove, wide flat chisel in grove should snap it apart on the groove like any other brick.
What are the 2 pipes above the baffle? preheat ?

 

[Bushmans]

I like these threads. Guy at work has a wood furnace and says he has to feed it every three hours. Ugh! That would suck. I am currently retrofitting my stove. Baffle is in and secondaries are being researched right now.

 

[TdiDave]

Easy enough to cut the fire brick to size, right angle grinder and a masonary wheel to fit , grind deep groove, wide flat chisel in grove should snap it apart on the groove like any other brick.
What are the 2 pipes above the baffle? preheat ?

Yes that is preheat, I came in thru the back of the stove. I seen most have came in thru front down low to pre heat. I wanted to see if I could keep everything neat and up out of the way. (For some reason the photo loaded upside down)

 

[Bushmans]

I like these threads. Guy at work has a wood furnace and says he has to feed it every three hours. Ugh! That would suck. I am currently retrofitting my stove. Baffle is in and secondaries are being researched right now.

Brenndantomu what is to dislike about this?

 

[TdiDave]

Cold weather will be back Monday will find out it this does any good. Couldn't really make it any worse ?

 

[brenndatomu]

Brenndantomu what is to dislike about this?

Nothing man, nothing! So sorry, I'm way into this stuff, done some myself, I must have moused over "dislike" inadvertently! I dislike the dislike button! BTW, I fixed it.

 

[brenndatomu]

Cold weather will be back Monday will find out it this does any good. Couldn't really make it any worse ?

Man, what'd all that set ya back?
Fire in the hole!
Oh, and Tdi, in my experience you will need to make a lot more air holes, or enlarge them, but if it is not too hard to install/remove, then try it out and see first.

 

[Chris-PA]

Nothing man, nothing! So sorry, I'm way into this stuff, done some myself, I must have moused over "dislike" inadvertently! I dislike the dislike button! BTW, I fixed it.

Tryin' to steal my line? http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/i-dislike-the-dislike-button.252952/

LOL - I've seen so many of those I decided to comment about it over in support.