Duct work connected!!

[Freddels]

I just finished hooking up my St.Croix SCF-050 into the existing duct work in the house. Now to see how it's going to keep the house warm. The house is a split level/raised ranch and it was just blowing downstairs. The rising hot air was keeping the upstairs warm. But, I know that as the outdoor temps drop, it wouldn't be warm enough upstairs. The install went fairly easy enough once I made the commitment to cut into it. I had to install a damper to one of the bedrooms as that was getting too much heat. My wife "should" be happy now.

 

[hossthehermit]

Your wife should be happy always. - Man Law

 

[DexterDay]

Did you install back draft dampers? Do you have any Pics?

Hope both of our units do well this Season. Here is wishing well, to you and yours.. Good luck and keep warm.

 

[Freddels]

I'm relying on the system as it is. I'm just adding another heat input into it.

If if doesn't work well, then I'll just run a different line and put a larger register in the main area.

 

[DexterDay]

Without a backdraft damper on your existing hot air furnace. The air from your pellet furnace will blow into it and be released in the basement. And if you have Central A/C through the same unit, then cold air will blow down in the duct for the furnace and reverse blow out of it....

It may work well like that. I am highly interested.

I have a backdraft damper for my Fahrenheit and the way my installers, installed my Trane Furnace a few yrs back, they made it with levers that can totally shut off a section or 2. So I only need to shut down my South feed (house has 2 main ducts that run entire length/North and South/ registers feed of the 2 main lines) side and that leaves the furnace and south side closed and just the North line (feeds 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and 2 registers in the kitchen) is open for Fahrenheit air.

They are relatively simple and cheap. I can post a pic of my Fahrenheit damper if you want?

 

[Freddels]

A pic of it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[DexterDay]

This one goes right on top the unit and prevents backflow when your other furnace and Central A/C run (dont run my furnace for heat, but its also are Central air handler). It only allows airflow one way. When the Fahrenheit kicks on, it will swing both flaps straight up and let air flow into the system.

Then the other damper is the same way on existing furnace. When air is blown toward it, it makes a tight seal because the air is coming from the opposite direction.

Hope this helps. It may work without the one on your furnace, but you will be losing air to the basement. As it will backflow into the furnace and you wont get 100% output upstairs. If it works for you.. Then it works. Thats all that matters. Nothing else. I only am doing iylt because my Fahrenheit came with one on it. And after my house caught fire yrs back, I had all new HVAC and Furnace / Central Air installed and they put full close dampers on the furnace before it split into 2 main ducts, and then in each of the main ducts off of that plenum.

Here are some pics.
1st is on the unit
2nd is damper slightly open, when furnace kicks on, both ends go vertical
3rd is shut and if A/C was on, it will apply pressure to it and seal the Fahrenheit off
4th is the set-up off of my Trane furnace.

 

[Freddels]

Thanks. I have one on my St. Croix. I doubt there's one on the oil furnace though b/c it's a 30 yr old system and looks like it should be in the Smithsonian.

I'll take a look around it tomorrow and see if there's anything like that on there.

 

[slangtruth]

Fred, if your oil is off and you want to see what difference a damper in the furnace will make, temporarily stick heavy cardboard over the air filters in the furnace. For me with the Revolution, it was day and night. Airflow at the registers was barely noticeable before because so much heated air was taking the short circuit through the oil furnace (the path of least resistance). Now that it's set up right I have a good strong flow at the registers.

 

[Freddels]

Yes, oil is off. I'll try the cardboard trick to see what it does.

Thanks.

 

[DexterDay]

Yep. That should work. Or I would use a 1" or 4" (depends on your filter size) piece of Foam insulation. A 4" is what I would have to use (if I didnt use dampers) and it would be more rigid and have a better insulating value.

Are your ducts insulated? This may help keep the air warmer before it leaves the registers. The insulation isnt to expensive. Just depends on hpw your HVAC is and how easy it is to get at.

 

[Freddels]

It's not insulated and not easy to get at.