NEWBY with wood furnace questions.

[bigbluebus]

Hello,
I am new here...just joined today, so be gentle, please.

I live in a suburb of Chicago, although about 1 hour drive away. My gas bill during summer months (just for water heaters, cooking stove, etc) is about 20-30/month, but during winter it's about 10 times that!!!
So I was looking into other ways to heat the house and after some searching I found out I could convert my 2 useless gas fireplaces into wood burners, but I think those would be quite inefficient and would only heat parts of the house; besides looking pretty, not a very good solution. (I don't know who the HELL invented the gas fireplace, I think they are the most stupid thing you could put in your house, besides the electric fireplace! But that's a whole other subject).

So while looking on craigslist for a few wood stoves for the house, I ran across a couple of ads for wood furnaces. To be honest, I did not know they existed and from reading a few posts here, it seems that most people are very happy with theirs.

Can anyone tell me what type of furnace to get? I could put one next to my gasser to supplement the heat or even use wood exclusively on the days that we are home all day. I would also need tips on what NOT to do during installation/maintenance. I rehab houses so I'm pretty handy with tools.

I found an ad for a Hot Shot Model RC 2400, but have no idea how good of a buy this is ($500 with flue and 15' of 2-wall piping)
Also found a 2-year old (so the owner claims) FireChief 1100 for $2000.

Any thoughts would be greatly Appreciated.

Thanks.
John

 

[CrappieKeith]

Hey John...welcome.
That Firechief is not a bad furnace,but there is also a tax credit where you could buy new and pay the same...don't know what your heating needs are it is hard to suggest what would work the best for you.

To start you'll need to verify a few thing to ensure that this is even doable.
You'll need all of your ducting to be made of metal.
You'll need the proper sized high temp flue to vent the unit you choose.
You'll also need to be able to provide the proper clearences to combustibles.
If you can meet these basic requirements you are on yourway to staving off those high fuel bills.

I am available to discuss your needs.Just call the number in my signature.

 

[pook]

http://www.buildinggreen.com/calc/fuel_cost.cfm compare heating fuel costs

 

[bigbluebus]

http://www.buildinggreen.com/calc/fuel_cost.cfm compare heating fuel costs

That's a very interesting calculator. Thanks!:biggrinbounce2:
Conclusion: wood is definitely the way to go!

 

[wdchuck]

Welcome to the site, lots of great info to read.

Have you considered converting your existing fireplaces with inserts that have blowers?

There's a thread with some very happy folks utilizing the Jotul Oslo 500, granted its a stove but they may be an option.

Furnaces:

We have a DAKA from Menards and while it was cheap to get into and the price point was a need for us, the best furnaces arr going to cost a few bucks but if you can pull it off, then a warm house is your reward. Also, while you shop for a wood burning appliance, take this opportunity to visit and start a list of reputable firewood sources that will be able to supply you year after year with a consistent product to fit your needs and burning habits.

If you plan to scrounge wood on your own, do a comprehensive cost analysis before buying any equipment, it may well be worth your while to just purchase the wood.

Same thing goes for finding a chimney sweep unless you are going to take that on that responsibility.

 

[bigbluebus]

Welcome to the site, lots of great info to read.

Have you considered converting your existing fireplaces with inserts that have blowers?

There's a thread with some very happy folks utilizing the Jotul Oslo 500, granted its a stove but they may be an option.

Yes I did, but like I mentioned in my original post, for the same initial cost, probably much less, I can heat the entire house, not just some of the rooms.

I was not aware that menards sold wood furnaces; there are 3 menards within 15 mins. of my house and I have never seen them in those stores (special order, maybe?)

 

[Wife'nHubby]

Well, we are heating a 1500 sq ft ranch very nicely with our Jotul Oslo.

Shari

 

[wdchuck]

They stock the DAKA and the Vogelzang wood burning furnaces. Everything needed for our install was available off the shelf at Menards. The one exception was the damper in the main furnace plenum, that was made to fit through an HVAC parts house. $200.

Myself, since our 7yr old DAKA has served its purpose, the smart money would be an EPA model, definately secondary burn, and multi or variable speed blower motors. Yukon, or Caddy, are the two I've been looking at and so far the Caddy has an advantage because of the window on the door, I like watching the fire.

 

[bigbluebus]

Well, we are heating a 1500 sq ft ranch very nicely with our Jotul Oslo.

Shari

Shari,
I see that a stove would work well for the open rooms like a family room or living room, but I'm not sure about the bedrooms which are on opposite sides of the house.

How does the heat go into the bedrooms? Or do you still use the furnace for those rooms?

 

[bigbluebus]

They stock the DAKA and the Vogelzang wood burning furnaces. Everything needed for our install was available off the shelf at Menards. The one exception was the damper in the main furnace plenum, that was made to fit through an HVAC parts house. $200.

Myself, since our 7yr old DAKA has served its purpose, the smart money would be an EPA model, definately secondary burn, and multi or variable speed blower motors. Yukon, or Caddy, are the two I've been looking at and so far the Caddy has an advantage because of the window on the door, I like watching the fire.

If I look at a used unit, like the firechief that I listed above; how will I know if the firebox is not cracked or has any leaks? I know that if a heat exchanger in a gas furnace has any cracks, it will let CO into the supply ducts; is that the same case in a wood furnace?

 

[hanniedog]

Before going to far check with your insurance agent about having a wood burning appliance installed. Some companies are pretty picky about wood burners. As the saying goes "don't get the cart before the horse".

 

[WetBehindtheEar]

If the firebox/heat exchanger in a wood burning appliance is cracked and exhaust gasses are getting into the forced air ductwork, I'm betting you would smell smoke.

 

[bigbluebus]

Ok...I just read the installation manual for the FireChief I found online. It states "DO NOT connect your Fire Chief Wood and Coal Furnace to any flue that services ANY other appliance."

So if I install a wood furnace to supplement my gas furnace, why can't I tie into the same stack? It's definitely big enough, and both appliances won't ever be burning at the same time. The gas furnace will only be used in case we're away on vacation so our plumbing won't freeze, etc.
Any thoughts???

 

[bigbluebus]

Before going to far check with your insurance agent about having a wood burning appliance installed. Some companies are pretty picky about wood burners. As the saying goes "don't get the cart before the horse".

I just did...we're ok there.

Good point, thanks.

 

[Wife'nHubby]

Shari,
I see that a stove would work well for the open rooms like a family room or living room, but I'm not sure about the bedrooms which are on opposite sides of the house.

How does the heat go into the bedrooms? Or do you still use the furnace for those rooms?

Well, I don't use the central oil f/a furnace to circulate wood heat. I just have a small 6" fan sitting on the floor in the bedroom hallway blowing cooler bedroom air towards the living room where the stove is located. Living room/dining room/kitchen are all open to each other so I circulate heated air there via the ceiling fan in the dining room running in the 'updraft' winter mode. On just about any given heating day there might be a 4-5 lower temp range in the bedroom wing.

When we bought the Oslo we were told to drop the mfg. heating sq ft by 25% given our colder climate. Seems to be working well as the Oslo is rated for 2,000 sq ft. Our total home sq ft is around 1,700 sq ft but we don't use some of those rooms in the winter so they are closed off giving us an effective heating space of 1,500 - which fits right in with the recommend 25%.

Now, the Oslo firebox is no where as large cu ft as a wood furnace - we fill 2 or 3 times per day depending on wood species being burned and outside temps. I would think you would be ahead with a central wood furnace if you don't want the multiple daily loads like we do around here - but, then again, we are retired and home most days anyway.

I do admit we have a functioning oil furnace so if, like when I got sick recently, I don't want to run the wood stove I just turn on the furnace (it has a separate flue).

Also, the location of our stove is central to our home but we opted to insulate the 6" SS liner anyway, more for fire protection than anything else. Most often insulating an SS liner is only recommended for a chimney on an outside wall. We installed our stove as a hearth mount where our fireplace is located. The fireplace opening is towards the living room so that's where the stove was located - however, the wall which contains the original fireplace also acts as a room divider and is solid stone on 3 sides from floor to ceiling - nice heat sink!

Shari

 

[pook]

Ok...I just read the installation manual for the FireChief I found online. It states "DO NOT connect your Fire Chief Wood and Coal Furnace to any flue that services ANY other appliance."

So if I install a wood furnace to supplement my gas furnace, why can't I tie into the same stack? It's definitely big enough, and both appliances won't ever be burning at the same time. The gas furnace will only be used in case we're away on vacation so our plumbing won't freeze, etc.
Any thoughts???

its a nfpa211 code thing......u can disconnect/reconnect the fluepipe from either to satisfy the code= 1 flue per appliance

 

[bigbluebus]

its a nfpa211 code thing......u can disconnect/reconnect the fluepipe from either to satisfy the code= 1 flue per appliance

Ok but, I have 2 gas-fired water heaters and 2 gas furnaces sharing one stack now on a 6 year old house, supposedly built to code.

 

[Indycuts]

Not that I have any idea what I am talking about but IMHO, I cant see how venting a wood burning appliance into the same vent that your furnace or water heater uses would be a good idea regardless of code. Any chance of that creosote lining the vent into your furnace or water heaters seems like trouble to me.
Just thinking out loud umpkin2:

 

[pook]

Not that I have any idea what I am talking about but IMHO, I cant see how venting a wood burning appliance into the same vent that your furnace or water heater uses would be a good idea regardless of code. Any chance of that creosote lining the vent into your furnace or water heaters seems like trouble to me.
Just thinking out loud umpkin2:

keeping the block chimni warm makes for less condensation from exhausting gasses. 2 appliances warm the chimni better than 1 appliance,eh?

 

[wdchuck]

keeping the block chimni warm makes for less condensation from exhausting gasses. 2 appliances warm the chimni better than 1 appliance,eh?

That's pretty close to what a local HVAC guy explained to me when I asked him about multiple appliances and mixed fuel sources. The fact a wood furnace was running 24/7 all heating season would make the lp water heater a non issue in the same flue. He explained in much better detail at the time and now I just remember the gist of it. 7years later and there haven't been any problems. I sweep the chimney well and probably more than needed so no sleepless nights around here.

When the appliances run intermittantly is when creosote issues can show up and its for those reasons they go for seperate flues. Also, something about mortar etching to the point of failure in some circumstances.


Can't believe I agree