Fahrenheit furnace update

[343amc]

It's been an interesting few days. I got the Fahrenheit installed last weekend, and while it was putting out pretty decent heat, it wasn't burning worth a crap. The door glass turned black after a few hours and the inside of the firebox looked darker than Kentucky Mammoth Cave at midnight during a blackout.

I found an area of the door gasket that was a bit marginal. I replaced that, gave myself a pat on the back, lit it back up and came back a couple hours later and found the same thing - black glass and a filthy firebox. To top it off, the combustion blower was starting to develop a nasty whine. I shut it down and called it a day.

The next morning I called the folks at Fahrenheit about the combustion blower. They had them in stock, and since I'm fairly local to them I swung by their offices and picked up a new combustion blower. Got to pick their brains a bit and look around their factory. Great group of people out there. ot home, swapped the combustion blower, fired it back up and.... still burning dirty, but it wasn't as bad as before. The whine from the combustion blower was gone though.

I dug into it a bit more and pulled the burnpot assembly out. The folks at Fahrenheit had told me about making sure the "back wall" was clean. I'd given it a few good whacks when it was still in my garage and some stuff fell out, but this time I went a bit further. I pulled at least two quarts of junk out of the back wall. So much for thinking I had it clean. I scraped the burn pot, put it back together, fired it up and.... still burning dirty.

About this time I started bugging a fellow forum member (DexterDay) as he has a slightly newer version of the same unit I have. He gave me quite a few ideas to look for. Out came the burn pot assembly again. Off came the side panels and back panels. Off came the extended hopper and the top panel. One thing I hadn't considered was an air leak in the hopper. I don't know if the extended hopper I got with the unit is homemade or the actual Fahrenheit OEM unit. Based on the holes and notches cut in various places I'm thinking it might be a homemade unit. I also found the hopper lid safety switch had been bypassed. I'm not much of a fan of bypassing any safety control on a permanent basis.

I filled the top row of holes in the burn pot with furnace cement (Dexter's idea), put a small bead of high temp silicone around the flange on the burn pot frame where the combustion air comes in (to make sure the air went into the pot and not out the sides) and reinstalled the burn pot assembly. I replaced the ash pan gasket, even though the old one passed the dollar bill test. Figured what the hell, I've done everything else. I removed the extended hopper as that thing has too many leaks for my liking (based on looking at the seams with a light inside it). I replaced the cleanout gasket on the left side of the unit below the control panel, hooked up the hopper safety switch, put it all back together, loaded it up with a bag of Somersets lit it off and....

Its finally burning clean! After 3 hours, the glass is starting to get that nice whitish film at the top and the inside of the firebox is starting to turn that nice shade of white/gray. The ash is light and fluffy and blowing around the inside of the firebox. No visible smoke at the exhaust like there was before. Best part is that its 20 outside and 68 (and climbing) inside.

Thanks to DexterDay for his advice regarding things to look for on the unit and the burnpot modification. I think the burnpot mod provided a lot of benefit. And thanks to all the posts that say "if you think it's clean, think again". I wish I'd thought that while it was still out in the garage.

 

[DexterDay]

Glad it's working for you....

Mine burned like Chit too. But the door gasket was bad, as was... Well.. Everything you posted. Once I changed them all and tightened it up, it burns like a champ.

I'm on level 1 (manual) and house is 72* Last year I liked it, this year I love it. The more I use it, the more I like it.

One of the best investments I have made.

BTW- Your install kicks my installs Arse!!

Congrats on the good burn bro..

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

A clean stove is a happy, safe, and warm stove .

 

[DexterDay]

And your Avatar is sweeter than mine too

I bet some people take a double look

Nice...

 

[343amc]

And your Avatar is sweeter than mine too

I bet some people take a double look

Nice...

The pic in my avatar is from before the fixes. You'd mentioned about the flame shape possibly indicating a hopper air leak. My flame looks more like the pic in your avatar now.

It's cruising on 3 right now. I'll drop it down to 2 before bed and see how it does overnight. Next week will be a good test as its supposed to get pretty darn cold around here.

Thanks again Dex. The beers on me next time I make it to your neck of the woods.

 

[imacman]

Glad you & Dex got it figured out.

 

[DexterDay]

The pic in my avatar is from before the fixes. You'd mentioned about the flame shape possibly indicating a hopper air leak. My flame looks more like the pic in your avatar now.

It's cruising on 3 right now. I'll drop it down to 2 before bed and see how it does overnight. Next week will be a good test as its supposed to get pretty darn cold around here.

Thanks again Dex. The beers on me next time I make it to your neck of the woods.

Tall flames on the side are indicative of a hopper leak.

I'm glad its working well for you. Its a solid unit.... It should serve you and your family well

As for the Beers. I will take you up on that.

 

[343amc]

Last update......

I spent a good part of the weekend insulating parts of the hot air side of my ductwork. I hate working with fiberglass, but it was worth it. I found a couple dead end/abandoned sections of duct that I had forgotten about and buried above the drop ceiling on the finished side of the basement. I closed off the ducts that fed the basement and its staying about 65 degrees on the finished/insulated side, which is the warmest it's been in the winter since I quit using the oil furnace regularly. The utility side of the basement is about 67. I closed off the duct to the guest bedroom/wife's storage room as that hardly gets used this time of year.

Upstairs is an even 68 degrees in all rooms, give or take a half degree or so. I'm going through about 2 bags of pellets a day. The 6041 would eat between 1 and 1.5 bags a day, so consumption is up, but not a whole lot. It's been between 13 and 15 degrees outside today and the furnace is set on level 3 of 5. I haven't hooked it up to the thermostat yet. Haven't yet seen the need to do that. I set it at 1 yesterday when it was in the low 40s.

Only 2 minor issues. The self clean happens every 10 hours or so. The furnace is right under our bedroom and it can be a bit noisy when it does the self clean if not in a deep sleep. My wife calls it the 'basement monster'. I'll put up with that to not have to even open the door if I don't want to. The other item is the room air blower. It can be set to 600 or 800 CFM. If it were 800/1000 CFM I think it would be a bit better suited for long duct runs. On the upside it is quiet and there is a nice even heat always coming out of the ducts. I picked up a disposable aluminum pan to catch the condensation from the OAK pipe. Had quite the puddle on the floor this morning.

All said and done, I'm into it for about $1900, which includes the furnace, ductwork, exhaust venting/OAK, new combustion blower, duct insulation, miscellaneous fasteners, foil tape and beer. Definitely one of the better investments I've made in my days. Haven't used the electric heater in my daughters room in 4 days, and haven't used the electric heater in the basement either. As the saying goes, a happy wife means a happy life.

 

[DexterDay]

Right on.....

You have a higher consumption, but don't need supplemental electric heat in the bedrooms.

Thats a good thing.

Glad its burnin.good and you seem to be a happy camper

 

[jtakeman]

Pretty sure you'll use a bit more fuel as your now heating the whole upstairs evenly. Where the 6041 was only heating partical and some areas were most likely much warmer than others. 1/2 a bag more is a fair trade for an evenly heated house IMHO.

Glad its working well for you. I keep looking for a used one on CL, But no luck for me, I want one too!

 

[343amc]

I knew I'd burn more. Totally expected. I've got plenty stashed for the rest of the season. Going to buy next years stash this spring when the local hearth shop has their spring sale.

It was good timing too. I'm about out of well seasoned firewood. I let my pile shrink too much the past couple years. I have about 4 cord of maple and ash that I CSS this summer and fall, but that's nowhere near ready to burn.

I'd put a search in the Craigslist app on my iPhone. I added the search on 12/23 and it popped up with a match on 12/31. Best part is it was only 4 miles down the road. First purchase I made off Craigslist.

 

[DexterDay]

I love my Craiglist search app...... Put in your keyword and the area/areas, and it alerts you to the posting almost immediately!!

Love my phone.

 

[jtakeman]

Awe man, I don't even have an iphone even!

 

[343amc]

I'd be lost without my phone/electronic leash (as my wife calls it). I hardly use my PC on the weekends anymore. I use Tapatalk here 90% of the time, unless I'm posting pics. Can't figure out how to add the smileys with the app, but it beats having to haul out the laptop.

 

[DonD]

I'd put a search in the Craigslist app on my iPhone. I added the search on 12/23 and it popped up with a match on 12/31. Best part is it was only 4 miles down the road. First purchase I made off Craigslist.

I love my Craiglist search app...... Put in your keyword and the area/areas, and it alerts you to the posting almost immediately!!

Love my phone.

Nice!! I see a bunch of Craiglist apps. Which ones are you using? I've been searching for a Fahrenheit F50 Endurance for as year or so and have been dreaming of the day I would have one in my basement, especially if I could get a deal like you guys.

And now that I know Jay is l perusing the CT craiglist for a pellet furnace too, I need to step up my game to get an advantage!

I see a listing for one in Northern Vt from December that has been used for only one season and he's asking $2200 for but that would be 4 1/2 hours each way. Tempting but I don't think so...

 

[imacman]

Awe man, I don't even have an iphone even!

Me either....Some people on here are rich!

 

[imacman]

.....And now that I know Jay is l perusing the CT craiglist for a pellet furnace too, I need to step up my game to get an advantage! .....

UH OH....do I see a new reality show on Discovery channel in the future?

"Stove Wars"????

 

[DonD]

BTW 343amc, very nice install! I have your page and Dex's bookmarked for the day I get mine.

Is 343 AMC what you have or what you had? If I were to use a similar name mine would be 302z28 - both had and still have.

 

[kenstogie]

Glad you got it fixed, I have received much help here in fixing my used pellet stove and am very appreciative.

I have heard of Tapatalk but what does it do??

 

[jtakeman]

And now that I know Jay is l perusing the CT craiglist for a pellet furnace too, I need to step up my game to get an advantage!

No worries for you Don, Even if I found one. I doubt the Mrs. will let me fork over the cash. Because the Omega is doing so good, It would prolly be another 6 plus years before she agrees to another stove purchase!

UH OH....do I see a new reality show on Discovery channel in the future?

"Stove Wars"????

Sounds a heck of a lot more interesting than some of the crap I have been seeing. I get more giggles from the commercials than the actual shows.

 

[343amc]

BTW 343amc, very nice install! I have your page and Dex's bookmarked for the day I get mine.

Is 343 AMC what you have or what you had? If I were to use a similar name mine would be 302z28 - both had and still have.

Thanks. Trust me when I say that there are things you can't see in the pictures that I see in real life that aren't all that great. Especially on the cold air return.
The name 343amc comes from my "Summer Toy". I have a 1969 AMC Javelin that has a 343 V8. I bought it in 1996 when I still turned wrenches for a living, stripped it down as far as I could go with a unibody car, including the dead cats that were in the trunk (true story), and its been a work in progress since. It's kinda fun being the odd man out driving a piece of Kenosha muscle amidst the seas of Camaros, Mustangs and Chargers.

 

[343amc]

Me either....Some people on here are rich!

Mine comes compliments of my employer, along with the privilege of getting to answer it in the middle of the night when a tech needs help or a customers system falls on its rear end. Trust me, sometimes I'd like to have one of those Jitterbug phones with the big YES and NO buttons and lean heavily on the NO.

As far as the Craigslist app I use, it's called c Mobile Craigslist Client for the iPhone. I paid 99 cents for it to get rid of the damn ads. I think saving a search required the paid app as well.

 

[DexterDay]

The Craiglist app I have can save searches, (free also) but is no longer available.

Its called Craiglist Notifier. I can save a search, with my keywords, and for several locations. So anytime something with the word "Pellet stove" gets posted in my 3 selected areas, I am "Notified" immediately

I get a lot of notifications, so I only check them a few times a day.

(Here is a screenshot of what my screen looks like, and all my keywords)

 

[imacman]

Thanks. Trust me when I say that there are things you can't see in the pictures that I see in real life that aren't all that great. Especially on the cold air return.
The name 343amc comes from my "Summer Toy". I have a 1969 AMC Javelin that has a 343 V8. I bought it in 1996 when I still turned wrenches for a living, stripped it down as far as I could go with a unibody car, including the dead cats that were in the trunk (true story), and its been a work in progress since. It's kinda fun being the odd man out driving a piece of Kenosha muscle amidst the seas of Camaros, Mustangs and Chargers.

NICE! That's a real nice job on the resto.....gotta keep rides like that away from the scrap heap.

Original owner '85 Monte SS here. 78k orig. miles. Rare burgundy ext./grey int.

 

[343amc]

NICE! That's a real nice job on the resto.....gotta keep rides like that away from the scrap heap.

Original owner '85 Monte SS here. 78k orig. miles. Rare burgundy ext./grey int.

Thanks. My Javelin probably should have gone to the scrap heap. It was a Michigan car originally and had the rust to prove it. Fred Flintstone could have driven it home when I bought it. Hindsight being 20/20 I could have gotten a southern car that didn't need all the rust repair but I was younger and not so wise back then.

Lots of memories from years gone by with a buddy that had an 86 Monte with t-tops. His was white with a burgundy interior.

Sorry for veering way off topic....