Everything Drolet Tundra - Heatmax...

[DoubleB]

Welcome to Hearth, Guy!

Trees that have been dead for a while are usually less wet than an alive tree, but they still might have more water in them than the Heatmax should have. I got a cheap moisture meter for $10, and you might find something similar to be helpful. Take a few pieces of firewood, split them in half, and measure the moisture content on a fresh inside face that you just split. Preferably, in future years, it's important to let your firewood dry for 2 or 3 years to make sure it's dry enough (to the point you don't even need to check with a moisture meter). Lots of help about these things in the Wood Shed forum on this site.

One of the problems with the grates on the blower box is that there is no air filter. As a result, all kinds of lint and dust build up over time inside the heat exchanger of your furnace, which can reduce heat transfer. Also, I've heard that the blower motor does not like all of those contaminants. Not to mention the blower itself--look at the blades of a window box fan accumulate dust. The same thing can happen to the blower, reducing its ability to push air, causing vibrations, and other problems. I don't know all the details, just that keeping dust out is a good thing.

Many of us got our Tundra from Menards, who included a filter kit for free (to replace the grates). Did you get a filter kit? If not, it shouldn't be too hard to make one up, at least when you add the return ducting.

 

[Guy988G]

Hello,thanks for the response. I did not get a filter kit with mine. Purchased at family farm and home did not include one. Iv had filters on both sides of the box held in place.
Also I did some more reading in this thread last night I see a lot of people have diffrent systems to shut the stove down. Is that something I should be concerned about as all I'm running is the factory setup.?

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[Guy988G]

And thank you doubleb it's nice to be here a lot of good info here

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[brenndatomu]

I have the heatmax purchased in 2014.it heats well but it's quite a headache..or,i havnt figured out everything you all have.

Welcome @Guy988G , what exactly is a headache with it?
As far as the blower box, mine came with the filter kit too, I wouldn't want to run without a filter for a couple reasons.
1. No need to circulate more dust...plus then it builds up in your ducts, etc.
2. Static pressure would be too low (at least with my system) and the blower would cycle way too much and drive me nutty (er)

 

[Guy988G]

Well one big whine I have about it is no matter what I do I always seem to get smoke if I open the door even,if it's a roaring fire. I'm certain I have plenty of draft even though I do need to get a meter. And upon more reading it seems they run better if ya don't mess with them at all. I think,alot of my issues are honestly that my advice of burning wood comes from old,timers who swear by their old school stoves, so I try doing things as they tell me and it just dosnt work,with these new ones. I now know the wood I have been using isn't optimal either but I still seem to have a lot of smoke because the damper will open for awhile but then shut shortly after. My secondaries will only burn for maybe five minutes and then those go out and it only smolders making lots of smoke. Could all of that be because of to wet of wood also?

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[brenndatomu]

For the most part once you load, the door shouldn't normally need to be opened again until things are burnt down to at least coals, no smoke then.

I now know the wood I have been using isn't optimal either but I still seem to have a lot of smoke because the damper will open for awhile but then shut shortly after. My secondaries will only burn for maybe five minutes and then those go out and it only smolders making lots of smoke. Could all of that be because of to wet of wood also?

That's exactly what it is. That and if your draft is low that will contribute too. Whats your chimney setup like, size, height, type, # of 90* bends, etc? Could be that the damper wasn't open long enough to char the wood and get the firebox up to operating temp...it takes ~1200* to light off the secondary burn. Fine line between enough, and too much...thats why I like having the timer/temp controller, kinda keeps things in the sweet spot.

I'm certain I have plenty of draft even though I do need to get a meter

Look in the for sale section here...

 

[Guy988G]

Alright well theirs that then. As for the chimney, it is the six inch ss insulated duravent. I'm not exact on the height at this second I can check when I get home in the morning, but it comes,out of my walk out basement then up to the peak. Their is a 90 at stove and outside at the clean out and a 45 I think between the two. And I have a manual damper in it as well that I have in the past kept 3/4 open.

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[DoubleB]

I'm pretty sure the owner's manual says no more than two 90-degrees. Your extra 45-deg damper is more restriction than Drolet allows. And the manual damper is definitely not per the owner's manual.

That said, if your particular setup is particularly lucky, you might get by with the extra 45 and the manual damper and have enough draft, for example with an internal chimney (which you don't have) and a really tall chimney (which we don't know yet). I'd try to make sure you meet manufacturer's requirements before assuming there is a different problem. The owner's manual also calls for a barometric damper (discussed in previous pages of this thread), which would probably help you out.

Do you clean out your stove pipe between the furnace and the exterior cleanout? If not, it only takes a bit of buildup in that section to choke down your draft.

 

[Guy988G]

Yes that section does get cleaned out often. As far as eliminating the 45 I'm not sure how I could do that without getting real creative

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[DoubleB]

Depending upon your setup you might be able to reduce the angle of the 90-elbow at your stove.

Maybe measure draft first with your current setup to see what you have.

 

[Guy988G]

Yeah that was my thought as well check draft then go from their. I know I don't have anywhere near the chimney height as Some of the ones iv read on here but hopefully it's enough.

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[Guy988G]

Ok so the pipe outside is twelve and another three inside so is going from where the fire is to the cap about fifteen. ]

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[Guy988G]

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[maple1]

I don't think you're getting enough draft with that setup.

Lots of horizontal to the stove pipe, two 90's, short chimney, and it doesn't stick up far past the bottom of the roof line. Can't tell the whole roof story, but I would maybe also suspect it not meeting recommended clearances up there at the chimney top. All the trees might also be hindering, but again can't tell. I would likely consider adding a section of chimney, just based on that. A more accurate idea would come with measuring draft with a manometer.

I would also maybe consider moving that water tank & putting the furnace closer to the thimble - but again can't really tell what else is going on in that area.

 

[brenndatomu]

With 4 sections of pipe outside that only gives you 12'. Most stoves require at least 15' to work right. And those two 90s are equal to knocking about 6' off the height too. Your stove pipe looks OK, but I would eliminate that 45. It will be real easy, just rotate that 90 on the back of the furnace so that it points right to the breech, run the pipe straight up to it, and then use that elbow you previously removed right at the wall. You will have to play with it (elbow) a little to get the angle right. You may need to make a heat shield for the water tank then too.
A steady uphill run on the stove pipe will help with your smoke rollout issue a lot. Horizontal runs kill draft on these newer stoves because they don't waste a ton of heat up the chimney like the old school stoves did.

 

[Guy988G]

So,chimney likely to short, that's easy enough to fix. And as far as stove pipe goes your saying take the 45 and put it at the wall and make that run into the 90 at the stove. So the 45 will still be in the system but with less horizontal run thus helping the the rise. I think I got it. I'll see what I can come up with. Thanx gentlemen.

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[DoubleB]

It looks like you have room to spin the furnace 90 degrees counter-clockwise so the rear end has a fairly smooth shot straight and gentle rise to your wall thimble. That would leave you basically with only one 90-deg elbow. That would take some work to reorient, but I think that would help a lot and I wouldn't rule it out as an option.

Especially because then it looks like you'd get to use the 8" outlet ducts side-by-side, which is a preferred configuration for heat output. (It looks like you're using front and back outlets right now?)

 

[Guy988G]

If I spin it around I think I would have to cut a hole in the top of the blower box to run a return ( which I imagine is possible). I am using front and rear ducts for heat but that's all getting changed anyway. Won't go into detail about those the head shaking from everyone would be widespread. As far as smoke pipe I mocked it up and did some measurements and it won't meet minimum clearances so thinking maybe double wall black pipe will be in order, as I am also trying to get this setup inspected for insurance at some,point

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[Guy988G]

If I spin it around I think I would have to cut a hole in the top of the blower box to run a return ( which I imagine is possible). I am using front and rear ducts for heat but that's all getting changed anyway. Won't go into detail about those the head shaking from everyone would be widespread. As far as smoke pipe I mocked it up and did some measurements and it won't meet minimum clearances so thinking maybe double wall black pipe will be in order, as I am also trying to get this setup inspected for insurance at some,point

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When I say mocked it up I was referring to the first suggestion.

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[brenndatomu]

thinking maybe double wall black pipe will be in order

I was gonna say earlier that if you insulate that stove pipe it will help draft too...or if you go to double wall pipe, that'll work just fine instead of the insulation.
You'll be amazed at the difference these chimney tweaks are gonna make for you...

 

[Guy988G]

And I really do,appreciate all of you folks help. So so far I'm at changing black pipe around one way or the other as long as I can get clearances right. Then check draft. most likely add another five foot to chimney to get the proper ten foot clearance which i,don't think I have right now. Then hire someone to to,my hvac because I have zero clue on that.

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[brenndatomu]

While addressing chimney issues...is the horizontal chimney pipe resting on or near wood framing outside the wall there? If I recall correctly that class A pipe should have 2" clearance to combustibles. Shouldn't be too hard to replace that piece of wood (if it is wood) with some metal.

 

[Guy988G]

It's open under the pipe I just built a couple boxes laged into the block to mount the clean out frame on. but the edges of the boards may be to close I'll have to measure them tomorrow.

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[Guy988G]

Well crap I found a crack in mine today. Build date is 2013 but I bought in 2014.

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[brenndatomu]

View attachment 186106


Well crap I found a crack in mine today. Build date is 2013 but I bought in 2014.

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Welcome to the club man! better contact SBI...see what they are doin about that these days....you may be inline for Hearth.coms first Tundra II!