Fire Chief FC1000 year 2

[Mrpelletburner]

Yes, I am back for a 2nd year with the Fire Chief.

 

[cumminstinkerer]

@Mrpelletburner I will occasionally experience that with my homemade boiler that is running secondary combustion, when that happens I have the secondary air fan to slow and it builds up a bunch of gas then gets just enough air to lite off. if I just speed the secondary fan up a very tiny bit it takes off and stops puff and runs super clean and hot.

 

[maple1]

Man, you're a sucker for punishment for keeping that, umm, thing around.

 

[JRHAWK9]

A little late to be visiting this now if you were wanting different results vs last year, don't ya think?

 

[Mrpelletburner]

Edited

 

[DoubleB]

At this point, I just want a refund. I can’t be the only one with these issues.

Get your leverage lined up and use it to get a refund. Leverage can be insurance company blacklisting the furnace; fire inspector; BBB; local news station; social media; use your imagination. The point is not to be an opportunistic vulture, the point is they sold you something other than advertised.

 

[brenndatomu]

Oh man, I about choked on my spit when I saw your thread title...I though there is no way he is back for a second season with that Piece Of Scrap! I can't believe it...seriously!
I thought your wife banished that thing from the house?!
As far as HY-C coming out...they were just hoping to find fault in something with the house/chimney/wood supply/etc. Not finding anything, they've got nothing for you.
It's just a bad design...check that, its a TERRIBLE design! Taking primary and "secondary" air from the same intake will never work, never!
And you are not the only one with issues, IIRC there was a whole handful of people last winter that weren't thrilled with their FC1000.
Ask for a refund...DEMAND a refund! You have went so far above and beyond that its just crazy! No way I would have risked mine and my family's health and safety, and my home/belongings, for doing their R n D for them!
If they drag their feet for a full refund, I'd raise a stink like they have never seen before After I was done you wouldn't be able to look anything up online about a FC1000 without reading my negative experience with it

 

[brenndatomu]

Oh, and I noticed in the first vid that you have a Sooteater...HY-C does know how to clean a chimney, don't they?!

 

[brenndatomu]

Just for fun I looked up "Fire Chief FC1000 reviews" look what comes up right away!
And notice that the only people that are happy, DO NOT have the new "EPA" model(s), they have one of the old FC models...
(broken link removed to https://www.furnacecompare.com/wood-furnaces/fire-chief/reviews/)

 

[TCaldwell]

Didn’t read last years thread but If the issue is back puffing, there’s too much primary air in relationship to the secondary air, dryer wood is going to magnify the problem.

 

[maple1]

Didn’t read last years thread but If the issue is back puffing, there’s too much primary air in relationship to the secondary air, dryer wood is going to magnify the problem.

You should.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...a-stoves-feedback.167418/page-21#post-2263116

 

[TCaldwell]

Sorry, I’m not reading 22 pages of threads

 

[Mrpelletburner]

Edited

 

[brenndatomu]

If the issue is back puffing, there’s too much primary air in relationship to the secondary air

Exactly...that's what I have been saying all along...and IMO there's no way to fix it without some HEAVY mods to the firebox

 

[Medic21]

Yes, I am back for a 2nd year with the Fire Chief FC1000 and even with the wood another season drying, same results.

Wood measures 20% moisture

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Still back puffing

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Even more puffing via the draft blower

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Your Wood measures 21 and 22. Also that is within the outside 2” or so. Split that right down the middle and you probably have 23%-24%. Not the 15%-20% recommended for epa stoves. Not to mention how inaccurate the cheap handheld meters are.

There is a serious flaw with the air intake, something H-YC should come up with a design change to fix. I have a design to modify mine once it’s in the shop. Using a flapper like on the outdoor boiler for the fan and adding another source of secondary air. It kinda defeats the purpose though.

Did you just add wood and not let it burn for fifteen minutes or so prior to the puffing? That bottom piece is putting off a ton of smoke for how charred it is. Usually wet to do that. This year has been horrible to season firewood and any wood I have that was not ready last year is not ready this year either. Even what was covered that is two seasons old has not dropped moisture from last year.

 

[Mrpelletburner]

Did you just add wood and not let it burn for fifteen minutes or so prior to the puffing? That bottom piece is putting off a ton of smoke for how charred it is. Usually wet to do that. This year has been horrible to season firewood and any wood I have that was not ready last year is not ready this year either. Even what was covered that is two seasons old has not dropped moisture from last year.

Didn’t just add wood, was actually letting the fire go out.

The split has been around for 3 seasons split and stacked under cover in the wood shed.

That one burning split was causing the “back puffing”. Why is this smoke not going up the flue and just staying in the fire box.

 

[brenndatomu]

That one burning split was causing the “back puffing”. Why is this smoke not going up the flue and just staying in the fire box.

A proper EPA firebox burns that smoke making more heat instead of more chimney farts...

 

[Medic21]

Didn’t just add wood, was actually letting the fire go out.

The split has been around for 3 seasons split and stacked under cover in the wood shed.

That one burning split was causing the “back puffing”. Why is this smoke not going up the flue and just staying in the fire box.

That is the secondary air problem. not enough air but enough fuel and heat.

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I want to try something like this with it.

 

[laynes69]

That fire is nowhere near large enough to maintain enough heat in that firebox! If you're trying to burn a quick fire, use small splits no larger than a few inches in diameter and crisp cross them and keep the damper open. Let it burn out.

 

[brenndatomu]

If you're trying to burn a quick fire, use small splits no larger than a few inches in diameter and crisp cross them and keep the damper open

That works great in most fireboxes, but these things are so screwy I think those small splits will gas off too hard and do the same ole backpuff crap

 

[Medic21]

That works great in most fireboxes, but these things are so screwy I think those small splits will gas off too hard and do the same ole backpuff crap

When I do it I turn the thermostat to 90 and let it burn the entire load. Small fires once or twice a day when it’s 40-50 out keeps heat in the house without the puffing problem.

 

[brenndatomu]

IIRC, OP said last year he tried that and still got puffs

 

[JRHAWK9]

Here ya go............lol

 

[Medic21]

Here ya go............lol

View attachment 230420

I’d love to have that for my shop. Looks like it’s in good condition still.

 

[brenndatomu]

I’d love to have that for my shop. Looks like it’s in good condition still.

I think its for sale