Bring her back to life

[Wvblonde]

My husband and I were given an old wood furnace, no name brand that I can see, the jacket that used to be around it has been removed sometime ago. Can I wrap it with a thermal insulation and add duct work on it? And if so, do I wrap around the smoke box as well?

 

[MT12157]

It would need a metal jacket around it to make it work.Thermal insulation seems like it would burn and wouldn't allow airflow. Hate to say "buy new" but I personally would be afraid of too many fabrications of a fire pit in my basement.

 

[Wvblonde]

It would need a metal jacket around it to make it work.Thermal insulation seems like it would burn and wouldn't allow airflow. Hate to say "buy new" but I personally would be afraid of too many fabrications of a fire pit in my basement.

That's a fear I have! I love antiques and I love the addition it looks awesome in the basement, but I have yet to find a monster like mine online to even find info about her. Will post pics in the am

 

[hobbyheater]

Old furnace with jackets installed. The jackets are designed specifically to move air around and away from the heat exchanger and the furnace installation instructions give specific clearances to combustibles at certain distances from the furnace. All these clearances are a result of engineering and testing to gain CSA or UL certification for each unit design.



Heat exchanger with no jackets.

Crack in the oil burning chamber of the heat exchanger .


New installation with all duct work in place.


Wett inspection complete. First fire!

 

[Wvblonde]

So I guess what your saying is to just keep it as a stove and not a furnace

 

[Wvblonde]

Not sure why the pic uploaded sideways but that is the beast I have no idea how old she is, but she is replacing a buck stove insert. We had duct work attached to the blower on the buck stove to circulate the heat upstairs. But the buck stove was not big enough for me. That was when the beast was given to us.

 

[hobbyheater]

Does the unit have an air space between the floor and the bottom of the heat exchanger?


If there is no air space between it and the floor, good chance it never had a jacket. If there is an air space, spend some time doing a Goggle search and find out its make. If you can find its make and advertise on a site like Craig's list and you might come up with a set.

 

[Wvblonde]

There is a gap around it and there is what looks like bolt holes in front where it would have been attached

 

[Wvblonde]

From the floor to the heat exchange there is about 15" space

 

[hobbyheater]

Other things to consider.
Do you need an install permit and inspection to use it?
Do you have house insurance if it is operated without an inspection?


The smaller tag is the unit approval label. This unit is CSA approved.
The bigger label gives the clearances to combustibles.
This boiler is only approved to burn cord wood; no pellets, sawdust, or chips.
Your furnace looks more like a older coal burning unit and may not be approved for burning wood or anything else.
If there is no label saying what make it is and a label showing clearances to combustibles and approved fuels, I doubt an inspection or insurance are going to be possible!

 

[Wvblonde]

Insurance is operated without inspection. I plan on this being a secondary heat source to work along with my gas furnace. My father in law who have me the stove used it for years as a wood stove, he remembers using it as a child as a coal furnace. At one time it had a fan attached to the bottom of the stove, and he believes it had a jacket back then but can't remember.

 

[laynes69]

How big is your home, as how well is it built? It looks like an old gravity furnace. Because the unit isn't listed or manufactured anymore, there are default clearances to be held. I would not make a jacket for it, and I would not tie it into the ductwork. What kind of chimney do you plan on using with this furnace?

 

[Wvblonde]

House is (basement and all) 5,000 sq ft. House was well built in the 80's by my father in law. Have new pipe just replaced a few years ago due to the fact we did not feel comfortable with the pipe that was originally put on the house. It runs on the outside of the house. I spend all my time in the basement I love the feel and smell of wood heat, I grew up laying on the floor infront of an old wood king stove.