ok, so last winter I started the modifications by removing the small twin blowers, building a large return air boot with a 3-5 ton ecm dc variable speed motor and wheel from a lennox 95% variable speed furnace. The supply ductwork and return are all complete. This wood furnace uses very little electricity now. Amp draw on the motor in first stage is only .32 amp at 780 cfm.
Amp draw in full 2nd stage speed is .65 at 1155 cfm. constant fan speed yields 400 cfm at .22 amp draw. This was achieved by using a honeywell 2 stage heating and cooling circuit board with 2 separate fan /limit controls. The first fan limit is set to energize the blower at 150 degrees and turn back off at 110 degrees. The second fan limit for second stage is set for 170 degree and back off at 150 degree where it is now controlled again by the first fan limit. I'm usung the cooling side of the board circuitry y1 and y2 for blower speed control. A separate thermostat upstairs controls low speed constant fan if desired as well as controlling an inducer fan on the back of the stove to push air under ther grates if the temp in the house were to drop below 66 degrees. The secondary furnace in the house a 95% 2 stage variable speed furnace is also set at 66 degrees to turn on in the mornings if needed until the stove gets loaded again.
Now the new modification is a wood boiler coil installed in the supply plenum to circulate water through the pwervent water heater. i'm using a taco circulator along with a temp and pressure gauge and a number 30 expansion tank. A swing check valve rather than a spring check is installed at the beginning of the circulation loop at the cold water supply. I found that im holding somewhre between 40 and 60 lbs pressure and can have a peak of 140 degree water........ all the water in the tank at equal temperature vs using the burner on the tank with cold water introduced at the bottom. I took a 30 min shower and never ran out of hot water. I'm not going to even bother with insulating the circulation piping loop or leaving the water heater plugged in to maintain any kind of temp.............. found I don[t need to................
The real exciting thing also now with the hot water loop introduced is that now I'm maintaining higher house temperatures in the morning now............. average of 2 degrees higher which I think are substantial.
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Amp draw in full 2nd stage speed is .65 at 1155 cfm. constant fan speed yields 400 cfm at .22 amp draw. This was achieved by using a honeywell 2 stage heating and cooling circuit board with 2 separate fan /limit controls. The first fan limit is set to energize the blower at 150 degrees and turn back off at 110 degrees. The second fan limit for second stage is set for 170 degree and back off at 150 degree where it is now controlled again by the first fan limit. I'm usung the cooling side of the board circuitry y1 and y2 for blower speed control. A separate thermostat upstairs controls low speed constant fan if desired as well as controlling an inducer fan on the back of the stove to push air under ther grates if the temp in the house were to drop below 66 degrees. The secondary furnace in the house a 95% 2 stage variable speed furnace is also set at 66 degrees to turn on in the mornings if needed until the stove gets loaded again.
Now the new modification is a wood boiler coil installed in the supply plenum to circulate water through the pwervent water heater. i'm using a taco circulator along with a temp and pressure gauge and a number 30 expansion tank. A swing check valve rather than a spring check is installed at the beginning of the circulation loop at the cold water supply. I found that im holding somewhre between 40 and 60 lbs pressure and can have a peak of 140 degree water........ all the water in the tank at equal temperature vs using the burner on the tank with cold water introduced at the bottom. I took a 30 min shower and never ran out of hot water. I'm not going to even bother with insulating the circulation piping loop or leaving the water heater plugged in to maintain any kind of temp.............. found I don[t need to................
The real exciting thing also now with the hot water loop introduced is that now I'm maintaining higher house temperatures in the morning now............. average of 2 degrees higher which I think are substantial.
<
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