Everything Drolet Tundra - Heatmax...

[brenndatomu]

I am looking at buying the heat max next year. It says in the owner's manual that it takes a 6 inch flue pipe. I have a 5 inch double lined stainless steel one in now. Can I reduce it down and still be ok? Do I need a barometric damper or run straight pipe from the stove to the chimney?

You might get it to work right with 5"...I think @laynes69 has his Caddy on a very tall 5" (or 5.5"?)...but there's a good chance you'll need 6" IMO. Remenber, the chimney is the engine that drives the stove...use a low HP chimney, get low HP results (most likely)
5" is only 19.625 sq inches of area, 6" is 28.26", that's a big difference percentage wise...and when you see 5" pipe next to 6", it even looks much smaller (my oil furnace uses a 5" flue)
And yes, unless you have a short chimney, or one that just drafts poorly, you will need a barometric damper.

 

[Copperking]

You might get it to work right with 5"...I think @laynes69 has his Caddy on a very tall 5" (or 5.5"?)...but there's a good chance you'll need 6" IMO. Remenber, the chimney is the engine that drives the stove...use a low HP chimney, get low HP results (most likely)
5" is only 19.625 sq inches of area, 6" is 28.26", that's a big difference percentage wise...and when you see 5" pipe next to 6", it even looks much smaller (my oil furnace uses a 5" flue)
And yes, unless you have a short chimney, or one that just drafts poorly, you will need a barometric damper.

My liner is 30 ft long and when we installed it I made sure it was doubled lined. It pulls a good draft now with my old newmac furnace I have now. I contacted drolet and they said they hadn't tested a 6 to 5 reduction. But he thinks it will still work fine.

 

[laynes69]

Yeah, 5 inch might be pushing it. I have a 32' 5.5" rigid stainless liner in our chimney and draft has never been an issue. I think anything below 5.5 and you will be dealing with smoke spillage when the door is open, since the loading doors are a good portion of the firebox. SBI cleared me with the 5.5" liner since it was very tall and rigid.

 

[KC Matt]

If that comes to pass, I'm going to be disappointed that I didn't wait for the T3. That would be a nice feature on this furnace regardless of EPA regulations.

I'm not sure what the current T2 costs, but my T1 cost something like 1100 and the T2 then came out at close to 2k with the only real change being the electronics. The T3 could be closer to 2500. Can you add a controller to open the damper on the T2?

 

[brenndatomu]

When I bought the home the previous owners used between 1000-1200 gal of propane, learned this from propane company. I never used only propane, I was burning a pellet stove plus the propane. But wasnt happy with heat distribution and cold floors, thus the furnace. I maybe burned 5 pallets and pellets and 2-300gal or propane in a season, but the house was much colder with the pellet stove running. Upstairs was almost 5-8 degrees colder than main floor.

I really feel this stove is putting the heat out, and I have a heat distribution issue. Just wanted some advice because most of my issue cost a lot to remedy. Except the basement door, which I said I may do later today and test that out

Sounds to me like the T2 should be able to handle heating your house to a lower outdoor temp than that...I agree, I'd be working on maximizing the distribution/delivery as you said...

 

[Socratic Monologue]

I'm not sure what the current T2 costs, but my T1 cost something like 1100 and the T2 then came out at close to 2k with the only real change being the electronics. The T3 could be closer to 2500. Can you add a controller to open the damper on the T2?

Yes, you can, and some of us have, and it is cheap and simple. It is only an 'open/closed' damper though; a stepper motor would allow the damper to open any amount necessary to maintain a tight setpoint of whatever parameter it tracks (flue temps, firebox temps, O2 content).

I looked and couldn't find a stepper motor or 0-5v controllable device that was both affordable and possible for someone of my limited skills to add to the T2 in a safe and reliable way, so factory solution to this would be worth a lot, I think.

 

[brenndatomu]

I'm not sure what the current T2 costs, but my T1 cost something like 1100 and the T2 then came out at close to 2k with the only real change being the electronics. The T3 could be closer to 2500. Can you add a controller to open the damper on the T2?

Yeah T1 to T2 is pretty much just the fabrication changes to address the cracking, and then obviously the electronics...and it includes the plenum/duct take-offs now too.
List price on the T2 is $2500. I bet the T3 goes 3 bills, or over.
Steel/material prices have jumped up too...

 

[Socratic Monologue]

I paid $2k less 11% at Menards ten months ago. Menards doesn't list the T2 on their website currently.

A T3 with a stepper damper would be worth $500 more than the stock T2, IMO.

 

[Mojappa]

Let the furnace cool down so as to not cook myself out of the house (temps over 60 outside yesterday) and decided to open the door to the heat exchanger tubes. This is after burning for about 2 months. It’s very light and dry, kinda powdery when you touch it. Does this seem like a normal amount of build up? All the random splits I’ve tested this season have been around 16%

 

[Gearhead660]

Let the furnace cool down so as to not cook myself out of the house (temps over 60 outside yesterday) and decided to open the door to the heat exchanger tubes. This is after burning for about 2 months. It’s very light and dry, kinda powdery when you touch it. Does this seem like a normal amount of build up? All the random splits I’ve tested this season have been around 16%

That looks similar to mine after a couple months. I have been trying to clean mine every month or so.

 

[brenndatomu]

Let the furnace cool down so as to not cook myself out of the house (temps over 60 outside yesterday) and decided to open the door to the heat exchanger tubes. This is after burning for about 2 months. It’s very light and dry, kinda powdery when you touch it. Does this seem like a normal amount of build up? All the random splits I’ve tested this season have been around 16%

Yup, looks about right...I used to hit mine every week or so though...if you monitor your plenum and stack temps, it makes a difference that is noticeable...and why not, it only takes about a minute for each tube! So easy to clean...

 

[maple1]

Doesn't take much ash on tubes at all to insulate them from the heat.

 

[KC Matt]

I suspect the cracking issue with the T1 was mostly -if not entirely- caused by over firing. Without an automatic damper controller the options are open and closed and the instructions had little advice about how to operate the furnace. The instructions suggested using a thermostat installed in the house which is just wrong.

Mine is now 4 years old and has no cracks and little wear to the fire brick. It's had control boxes since new and the damper closes between 92f and 102f at the supply coupler, and the firebox is never blistering hot.

It will be interesting to see if the T3 is offered in the US given the new regs.

 

[brenndatomu]

I suspect the cracking issue with the T1 was mostly -if not entirely- caused by over firing.

Some of them for sure...but not all. I installed my sisters T1 new and it has all the updates, and a temp controller from the first fire...it is starting to crack.

 

[brenndatomu]

Menards doesn't list the T2 on their website currently.

Our local store has sold all their wood heaters from the display...they have never done that before. Not sure if they have all new stuff coming for their "2020 certified" display next year, or they are just not going to stock any wood heaters anymore?

 

[CYOUNG7938]

Made a fancy wood coal rake

 

[Getwidit]

This is my first time cleaning this year. Y'alls conversation got my interest. Glad i did. It's been since October. Also not real happy the cleaning tool doesnt fit into the smaller tubes on the side. Lucky I have a small flu cleaner for my maple evaporator. Also a great recycle use for those pop corn tins we get for Christmas... ash bucket!

 

[brenndatomu]

Also not real happy the cleaning tool doesnt fit into the smaller tubes on the side

It doesn't? They used to...

 

[Getwidit]

I'm thinking because it's a heat pack. They went smaller

 

[brenndatomu]

It fit perfectly in the side tubes, but was kinda small for the center tube...still worked well enough though...you have to flip the handle on its side to do the side tubes as I recall...

 

[brenndatomu]

I'm thinking because it's a heat pack. They went smaller

Well that's silly! This is a billion dollar manufacturing facility and they can't make a scraper to fit? I think I'd call em...maybe it's the wrong tool....

 

[Gearhead660]

This is my first time cleaning this year. Y'alls conversation got my interest. Glad i did. It's been since October. Also not real happy the cleaning tool doesnt fit into the smaller tubes on the side. Lucky I have a small flu cleaner for my maple evaporator. Also a great recycle use for those pop corn tins we get for Christmas... ash bucket!

I have no issues cleaning the side tubes. They didn't change the tool, did they?

 

[Getwidit]

Do you have a heat pack? The tool does seem alittle small for the center tube. I assume they just shrunk the side tubes on this unit for what ever reason compared to the tundra and heatmax.

 

[Socratic Monologue]

I have no issues cleaning the side tubes. They didn't change the tool, did they?

Heatpack and T2 are different furnaces, sounds like different hx tube sizes.

 

[sloeffle]

Aren't the tubes smaller on the side for all of their furnaces ? The tubes are smaller on the sides on my Caddy.

EDIT: The side tubes on @Getwidit furnace look to be smaller than what is on my Caddy. That is probably why the "standard" tool doesn't fit. Kinda lame that they don't give you a tool that will work on your furnace.