Anybody run a Daka?

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aandabooks

aandabooks

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Hello,

Just curious if anybody else here runs a Daka add-on woodburning furnace. I'm on my third season with mine and couldn't be happier. Just got done sealing the pipes up this morning and I started the first fire of the season. Starting the season with some maple and cottonwood. Be moving into elm, oak and locust once the weather gets cold.

Matt
 
I am looking at maybe getting one this weekend.
Basically because it is the only furnace I can find in my area w/out having to drive 300 or more miles.

How did you install yours?
To the existing ductwork?
How did you hook up the cold air return?
 
Had mine for four winters already, going on number 5, best $500 I've spent yet towards heating the house.

Surprised to hear its cold enough down by you though, I'm hoping to hold out until October 1st or later.
 
CharlieG said:
Burning in August???? I was hoping to start in Oct/Nov. How cold for you to start up a fire?
Click to expand...
Damn, I was thinking the same thing. It hit 35 here the other morning, but still at least a month away from my first fire I hope, here in N.W. Wisconsin. Maybe down in central Il. you don't drink enough beer? :givebeer: :givebeer:
 
I won't be running it this soon. This weekend is a 3 day weekend since I don't work on Monday. And this weekend will be the easiest time I have to install it, the rest of the year will be too busy to do it.

My plan is to build a shed for it and set it outside for now, and run it to the ductwork in the house. Then next year when I put the attachment on the house I can build it into the addition as the furnace room.

I did find the thread on savings on burning wood, and with the price of propane what it is and probably still rising through the winter I just don't want to buy another 2500 gallons this winter.

Heck, It will give me a reason to break in the new saw, a Dolmar 5100s, hopefully I'll pick that up this weekend also. And go out and clean up the deadwood in the yard.

Thanks for the response
 
Here's a link to another thread started by me with some pics of my setup.

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=57605

I don't have any cold air returns to the Daka. They come into the natural gas furnace. There is a casement window in the room that I leave open a few inches. The Daka is up on a couple of landscaping blocks to promote air flow under the furnace and up the sides.
 
I was contemplating one of these last year but abandoned the idea because I thought the wood furnace needed a completely separate chimney then the oil furnace. My furnace (and only free space in the basement is in the middle of the house making it nearly impossible to run a new chimney.
In some of your photos it looks like you have a shared chimney (I could be wrong) do you?
 
Wood Scrounge said:
I was contemplating one of these last year but abandoned the idea because I thought the wood furnace needed a completely separate chimney then the oil furnace. My furnace (and only free space in the basement is in the middle of the house making it nearly impossible to run a new chimney.
In some of your photos it looks like you have a shared chimney (I could be wrong) do you?
Click to expand...

You're insurance co will surely require a separate chimney for the wood be sure to check first. I've had a DAKA for a couple years now and think it's a good furnace for the price
 
No, my natural gas furnace runs on its own chimney. The Daka is hooked into an existing cinder block chimney with a 7x7" clay liner. I don't have a fireplace on anyother level of the house and the chimney already had the hole in it for 6" stove pipe. A previous owner supposedly ran a woodburner in the basement but the owner that I bought it from never did.

The Dakas at Menard's are now up to $899 regular price. I haven't found anything else on the market with the BTU rating for that price.
 
They're on sale this weekend for $799. Thinking about picking one up this weekend as well.

I'd like to go a little more up scale but can't justify the expense. Plus, haven't heard anything negative about the Daka's.

Did you guys end up installing a back draft damper in your main furnace plenum?
 
I went with what the book that comes with the Daka recommends. I did install a damper in each 8" stack right above the Daka. This is so in the summer I can close off the Daka and not have the air conditioning flowing into the Daka.

The other thing I did was have the secondary thermostat installed on the plenum. This overrides the blower and makes it turn on at a certain temp. After the first season, I disconnected it and just run the blower from the main thermostat in the livingroom. I find it is easier to control the temp in the house that way.
 
Right - I know what your talking about regarding their recommendation for directing the air flow up using elbows or other method inside the plenum.

At one point they do also recommend a damper in the plenum but kind of gloss over that point in the manual. I'd like to bring the air to the Daka from the return air ductwork of my existing system. I wonder if I installed it without a damper in the main furnace plenum would I likely short circuit the air flow and be pulling the air through the main furnace (reverse flow) if the main furnace blower isn't running. I have a variable speed blower on the main furnace and normally run the fan 24 hours in the winter on low speed, I suspect I would do the same with the Daka installed so probably not an issue. Plus it seems it would be easier for the blower on the daka to pull the air from the return side duct work rather than through the main furnace filter, around the blower, and down through the A-coil of the AC, especially with the outlet air from the Daka directed up and away from the main furnace.

Thanks
 
The blower on the daka isn't pulling air, per se. It is more pushing the air up from the bottom of the jacket to the two 8" ductwork openings. The blower comes with the optional filter box. Due to the way mine sits, I can't get a filter into it. So I don't run with a filter and just make sure I blow out the motor a couple times per winter with compressed air. Also oil the bearing in the blower twice a year.

I do leave the casement window in the furnace room open a few inches. I find I get a slightly better result and it gives the smoke someplace to exit. The first year I ran it, first woodburner of any kind, you could definately tell there was a woodburner in the house. The last couple of years, I've learned to open the damper for a few minutes before I'm going to load wood.

BTW, if you call Daka with questions you don't talk to some customer service rep. The secretary transfers you to the head engineer. I've called twice with questions and spoke to the same person both times. I get the feeling it isn't a large operation and they make only one model.
 
The damper that prevents DAka hot air from going down into your furnace is important for the reason of plastics that are used in most F/A furnaces, and damage will likely occur. Ask your local HVAC guy for verification.

My damper is above the A-coil, since the freon was heated up and the compressor came on to cool it off, in winter, that's a weird noise to hear.

If you tie the Daka cold air return into your main furnace cold air return, then they will be pulling air to themselves, instead of creating a continous flow, the larger fan will overcome the Daka fan.

These have been my experiences. Hope yours are better.
 
aandabooks, I have a Daka too and its working great for me too on my second winter. I just wanted to comment on you calling the company with questions. I also called two different times and im sure I talked to the same guy you did. He explained everything I needed to do and had some suggestions for me pertaining to my install. I almost couldnt get him off the phone. Thats customer service. :clap:
 

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