drolet heat commander

[tyler123]

i live in york pa in a 2600 sqft rancher built in 68 i updated windows and working on insulating it better.
i had a fire cheif and nepoleon 150 hybrid but struggled to maintain a decent amount of heat and burn 4 plus cords,
my flue goes 90 out of the strove then 6ft straight then 90s to 3ft then to the 9x13 chimney all wood was around 20% or under and had a 1/4 to 1/2 of coal bed this year never really turned into ashes so im currently looking for something better and more efficient
TIA

 

[begreen]

Can you post a picture of the setup? This sounds like a wood furnace install. Is there a barometric damper on the stovepipe connecting to the chimney? Has the draft been tested?

Has the wood's internal moisture content been tested by resplitting some pieces and testing on the middle of the freshly exposed face of the wood?

 

[EatenByLimestone]

That does look like a furnace! I didn’t know Drolet made one!

 

[begreen]

That does look like a furnace! I didn’t know Drolet made one!

View attachment 309239

Yes, they have been making furnaces for quite a while. Moving thread to the Boiler Room.

 

[tyler123]

Can you post a picture of the setup? This sounds like a wood furnace install. Is there a barometric damper on the stovepipe connecting to the chimney?

Has the draft been tested? Has the wood's internal moisture content been tested by resplitting some pieces and testing on the middle of the freshly exposed face of the wood?

draft no
wood yes all around 20% and under
no biometric damper.

 

[coaly]

Lots of coals is not an indication of efficiency. It’s an indication of lack of oxygen.

It can be too much oak, not mixing with enough other wood, or an oversized furnace shutting down from high heat call to idle for longer periods without burning hard enough.

What causes coals and charcoal is lack of oxygen coming into contact with the preheated fuel. That is the chimney and venting systems job to get oxygen into the firebox with natural aspirated air intakes. High fire has help, with the induction fan but it has to be right. (preheated before blower is allowed to run, clean thermocouples sensing correct heat)

Do you mean the elbow coming out of the furnace is horizontal, pipe goes 6 feet horizontal, then a 90* elbow up, with 3 feet rise, and elbow into chimney? (You can’t do that)

Is the horizontal run pitched at least 1/4 inch per foot upward toward chimney?

Is chimney flue the same diameter as furnace outlet and insulated?

Without all that 100% correct, you won’t be getting enough air mixing with the fuel, not enough air through secondary combustion tubes, not enough heat, and excessive coaling.

We’re seeing other negative pressure issues with radon fans depressurizing basements causing lack of air, hence the outside air intake assuring the right atmospheric pressure getting to intake.

 

[coaly]

That does look like a furnace! I didn’t know Drolet made one!

View attachment 309239

Yes, a good one at that. Check out the manual with electronic board and thermocouples. They require the right strong draft, and 6 inch preferably insulated all the way. It takes a lot of air through those tubes for that size box.

To think years ago you could only get that kind of heat with an air induction blower 5 times this size.

 

[brenndatomu]

That does look like a furnace! I didn’t know Drolet made one!

View attachment 309239

SBI has made wood furnaces since I dunno, the 80's or 90's...under the Drolet name since 2012.

 

[brenndatomu]

Is chimney flue the same diameter as furnace outlet and insulated?

No, not even close. (it was posted elsewhere)