In the process of designing a new home and wanting to add a wood furnace and a pellet furnace in line with the propane furnace so we have 3 types of heat to choose from. I have searched and searched but yet to see anyone with this type of installation. It is usually a pellet or wood not both. My local choices for stoves are daka for the wood side and a us stove 8500 for the pellet side. Any and all information,tips and suggestions are welcome.
Wood and pellets furnace
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FirepotPete
Minister of Fire
There were some industrial type boilers years ago on the old IBC forum (now extinct) that would burn anything you put in them, even left over dung. They just had to change the burn pots when swapping fuels. I haven't seen anything for a residence that incorporates both regular wood and pellets.
You looking at the 8500 is a good start considering that you are in Nebraska and can usually get corn for a good price. That's what I burn 100% and will not go back to pellets until the price would get to under $100 per ton considering that I'm getting corn here for $110 a ton. Or corn would have to go to $250 with the pellets remaining under $200. That's what's good about them you do have a choice when prices change.
There aren't as many bio-burners available today as there was 10 years ago, but like I said considering where you live it would be a good option to keep in mind.
It is actually two different furnaces.
One would be a pellet furnace and the other would be a daka wood furnace.
Just haven't seen anyone crazy enough like me to install both in a house before.
Reasoning is if I go out of town for work for the week it's much easier on the wife to mess with a pellet stove maybe once while I'm gone and that's just to add pellets rather than her worry about stoking the wood fire every 4-8 hours
FirepotPete
Minister of Fire
OHH, ya I read that wrong! You'd probably need to make it were you block off the unit not in use. Then someone with ventilation background should tell you what you would need to hook them up as far as air flow as each will probably have different cfm blowers, the piping to a plenum would need to be right for each to get good results.
As long as you aren't sharing an exhaust pipe or chimney I don't see the problem. You might want to first check local zoning and with your insurance if they have a problem with multiple sources connected to the same warm air ducts.
Lake Girl
Moderator
This is an pellet/corn option too. http://www.fahrenheittech.com/pellet_furnace_features.html it has a hopper extension for 240 lbs.
Chris near Buffalo, NY has one https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/pellets-burned-this-year-versus-last-year.154405/#post-2075044
I know firepotPete is a USSC fan but this concerns me: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/us-stove-8500.154223/
Chris near Buffalo, NY has one https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/pellets-burned-this-year-versus-last-year.154405/#post-2075044
I know firepotPete is a USSC fan but this concerns me: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/us-stove-8500.154223/
FirepotPete
Minister of Fire
Not really! I'll be honest, if it wasn't for the old IBC forum my stove would have been to the curb in about 1 month. Missing the jumper on the control board, poor documentation with the stove. Although others have had bad experience with customer service that is one thing that I cannot say. Every communication with them was pleasant.
So I'm not a fan of the company itself, but I am a big fan of the control board on this stove, but I already understood how proportional controllers worked so I had that going for me.
lhuffhines
Member
So, I work for USSC. The 8500 would be a good choice for the pellet option.
When installing I would add in a damper system to where you could isolate the wood or pellet furnace from the systems. Close off the return and supply of the unit that you are not using and install them parallel to each other. This is the best way from what we have seen.
Or you can install them in series starting with the original furnace, then the pellet, then the wood or vise versa on the last. The only issue with this is the excess heat applied to the blower of the furnace that is next in line could cause premature failure.
No matter how you decide, it is essential to do the return air to the furnaces for best operation.
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When installing I would add in a damper system to where you could isolate the wood or pellet furnace from the systems. Close off the return and supply of the unit that you are not using and install them parallel to each other. This is the best way from what we have seen.
Or you can install them in series starting with the original furnace, then the pellet, then the wood or vise versa on the last. The only issue with this is the excess heat applied to the blower of the furnace that is next in line could cause premature failure.
No matter how you decide, it is essential to do the return air to the furnaces for best operation.
sent from my pixelated Nexus 6p
lhuffhines
Member
Oh and I'd caution of the Daka unit. Not that it's a bad stove but after may 2017 it will be illegal for them to be sold due to EPA regs. They will not be replacing it with a certified unit. The latest round of EPA regs will be hard on many manufacturers
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sent from my pixelated Nexus 6p
Lake Girl
Moderator
Kind of miss Owen as he was the go-to guy for help on USSC stoves
Just be aware of the forum rules since you work in the industry...Parallel install is the way I have always seen in manuals with the close-off. In Canada, it appears that totally redundant systems are required for each unit.
lhuffhines
Member
Yea. I read rules. We may upgrade. While Owen was a nice guy and knew his stuff stove wise, he has some personal issues that were not compatible with our company. I wish him luck wherever he is.
I just joined up to be part of the community. I do a lot of our social media and such as well as all E-commerce sales. I do t want to sell here. Just help and inform. Especially as the EPA laws change. I am active in lots of other forums for my own Hobbies and see how they operate. [emoji12]
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I just joined up to be part of the community. I do a lot of our social media and such as well as all E-commerce sales. I do t want to sell here. Just help and inform. Especially as the EPA laws change. I am active in lots of other forums for my own Hobbies and see how they operate. [emoji12]
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Lake Girl
Moderator
While politics for the most part are a no-no here, was just reading article on new admin and realistic changes vs. promises https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/trumps-first-100-days-climate-and-energy/
That search was prompted by your comment on the Daka unit. While good to plan that EPA regs will go forward, who knows now...
That search was prompted by your comment on the Daka unit. While good to plan that EPA regs will go forward, who knows now...
lhuffhines
Member
I agree. No politics. But should laws on books remain (trump or not) all currently exempt wood furnaces will be outlawed. Coal only appliances are exempt. Companies like Daka who have not invested in the new EPA certified technology will go as many have gone before when phase 1 was put into place.
Daka will stay in business making their other mainstay product which are not heating related.
sent from my pixelated Nexus 6p
Daka will stay in business making their other mainstay product which are not heating related.
sent from my pixelated Nexus 6p
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