this is my first post and pellet stove/furnace. its the farenheit furnace and in definitely happy with it but i feel like i should get more out of it. i know from researching and experiencing, pellet brands make a big difference in heat. so far turmans work best for me. the furnace is my only heat source. it is in the small basement ducted to five vents in 2/3's of a 1500sq ft ranch house. the other 3rd is closed off for now. i have it on t-stat mode and depending on the temp outside for the most part it is on level 4 keeping the house at 73. over 40 deg i can put it to level 3. if i use manual mode will it just keep blowing heat non stop into the house? maybe even put it at a lower level on manual? the house is not well insulated and i don't have an OAK. anyone using this furnace with some tips would be greatly appreciated.
First year burning with Farenheit.
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ivanhoe
Feeling the Heat
serial number will be required so have it on hand
First off.... Welcome. There are a few of us Fahrenheit guys here.
Using Manual, will only cause the units distribution blower to run non-stop, if the heat is high enough. What is the on/off temp set at? There is a small box, on the left side, that houses the Honeywell unit. It controls the temp at which the main blower comes on and off. I have mine set, so that on level 1 and level 2 (manual) the blower will shut off, then build heat, and come on (about 10 min off-10 min on, on Level 1).
I am heating a larger home, about 2,180 upstairs, and almost 800 downstairs (I don't have my cold air return hooked up). But I run a woodstove about 15'-20' away. This where I get away with running lower settings. Above 30* outside, I have to run my freestanding stove upstairs. Because even level 1 is to much.
Most times I run level 2 manual. And this is good to about 20* outside. After that, I run t-stat mode, with setting at level 3.
Couple questions. As noted above, what serial # is your unit? There are several things that can be done to improve the overall burn. The early models burned like chit. Period. Since the inception. There have been numerous updates to the exchanger, burn pot, control board, exhaust manifold, sail switch, and even the front door (air wash was MUCH different on the 1st version).
The firebox should be a nice grey/white color when burning properly. Forum member amc343 has one, as does Earl Beech.
Welcome to the gang.. Any questions, don't hesitate to ask... Also, any pics?? We LOVE Pics!?!
Oh and OAK it, you won't regret it. Use 3" rigid vent from HD or bLowes. It's about $25-$35 for materials. I did my Wood stove and the Endurance for $70.
Using Manual, will only cause the units distribution blower to run non-stop, if the heat is high enough. What is the on/off temp set at? There is a small box, on the left side, that houses the Honeywell unit. It controls the temp at which the main blower comes on and off. I have mine set, so that on level 1 and level 2 (manual) the blower will shut off, then build heat, and come on (about 10 min off-10 min on, on Level 1).
I am heating a larger home, about 2,180 upstairs, and almost 800 downstairs (I don't have my cold air return hooked up). But I run a woodstove about 15'-20' away. This where I get away with running lower settings. Above 30* outside, I have to run my freestanding stove upstairs. Because even level 1 is to much.
Most times I run level 2 manual. And this is good to about 20* outside. After that, I run t-stat mode, with setting at level 3.
Couple questions. As noted above, what serial # is your unit? There are several things that can be done to improve the overall burn. The early models burned like chit. Period. Since the inception. There have been numerous updates to the exchanger, burn pot, control board, exhaust manifold, sail switch, and even the front door (air wash was MUCH different on the 1st version).
The firebox should be a nice grey/white color when burning properly. Forum member amc343 has one, as does Earl Beech.
Welcome to the gang.. Any questions, don't hesitate to ask... Also, any pics?? We LOVE Pics!?!
Oh and OAK it, you won't regret it. Use 3" rigid vent from HD or bLowes. It's about $25-$35 for materials. I did my Wood stove and the Endurance for $70.
thanks for the welcome and replies. i will get the serial # tomorrow morning along with the on/off settings and some pics. you have a very nice setup dex and i cant imagine how you get that kind of heat on low settings. i am currently going thru 1 1/2 to 2 bags a day which is still way better than oil or propane. the fire box is cream to white color and with the turman pellets hardly any ash. i have a million questions.
In the pics you will notice a wood stove Those extra 50,000-70,000 BTU help . Its ALWAYS burning. So its like having a 2nd Fahrenheit Preheating the air in the basement. I can easily get the basement to 80°-90° and every time the blower kicks on, it sucks the Hot air from the basement and distributes it upstairs.
Thats the one thing that skews my results from the rest of the Users. I used just over 2 ton last yr (slightly mild too) and about 3 cord of wood (i added the wood eater last year). But the 3 yrs following, I used 4-4.5 ton a year, with pellets only.
So the wood plays a Big part in it. Click link in my Signature to see my wood stacks and the entire process of wood, cutting, qnd stacking
Evolution of a wood stack
Using 1 bag or less a day. But loading the wood eater 2-3 times a day
Those extra 50,000-70,000 BTU help . Its ALWAYS burning. So its like having a 2nd Fahrenheit Preheating the air in the basement. I can easily get the basement to 80°-90° and every time the blower kicks on, it sucks the Hot air from the basement and distributes it upstairs. Thats the one thing that skews my results from the rest of the Users. I used just over 2 ton last yr (slightly mild too) and about 3 cord of wood (i added the wood eater last year). But the 3 yrs following, I used 4-4.5 ton a year, with pellets only.
So the wood plays a Big part in it. Click link in my Signature to see my wood stacks and the entire process of wood, cutting, qnd stacking
Evolution of a wood stackUsing 1 bag or less a day. But loading the wood eater 2-3 times a day
What size venting are you using? And how is it configured? I dont see any?
Is this a Daylight basement? Direct vent?
Is this a Daylight basement? Direct vent?
4" exhaust going into chimney. Nothing going to combustion air? I think its called. I forgot the serial # but i was told its the most updated version. After work ill go down and check on/off settings and #'s. thats some stack of wood in your pics.
The serial number is on the back of the furnace.
Any videos of it burning? (YouTube?)
This is level 2 on mine. Is your flame this active? Where is your damper set?
Any videos of it burning? (YouTube?)
This is level 2 on mine. Is your flame this active? Where is your damper set?
343amc
Feeling the Heat
I'm heating 1700 square feet on the main floor and 850 in the basement. The other half of the basement has no vents, just gets waste heat from the furnace.
Are you main duct runs insulated? Mine had a hard time keeping up until I insulated all my supply ducts. Once I did that the heat output from the vents increased dramatically.
Mine never leaves level 3 unless burning complete chit when its cold out, which I was burning up until this morning. It's 25 outside and 69 inside running on 3, burning magic sparks. Thankfully I only have 5 bags of chit pellets left. If its above 32 or so I drop it down to level 2. I still haven't hooked a t-stat to mine.
If you can install an OAK I highly recommend it. These things move a lot of air. It'll help the burn and keep warm air inside the house where it belongs.
Welcome to the forums and the Fahrenheit family.
Are you main duct runs insulated? Mine had a hard time keeping up until I insulated all my supply ducts. Once I did that the heat output from the vents increased dramatically.
Mine never leaves level 3 unless burning complete chit when its cold out, which I was burning up until this morning. It's 25 outside and 69 inside running on 3, burning magic sparks. Thankfully I only have 5 bags of chit pellets left. If its above 32 or so I drop it down to level 2. I still haven't hooked a t-stat to mine.
If you can install an OAK I highly recommend it. These things move a lot of air. It'll help the burn and keep warm air inside the house where it belongs.
Welcome to the forums and the Fahrenheit family.
I would like to see pics of how you run the ducts. Mine goes from the unit 10" round to 14x8 square trunk thats like 8 feet long. Then four 6" round to the living and bedrooms and a 4" to one bathroom all branched from the trunk. Plus the return air is also ducted to a couple of room vents. No videos just yet but the flame is definitely strong when the unit calls for heat.
343amc, i started wrapping the ducts with insulation just haven't had time to finish. So you're running on manual 3? I think i will try manual and see how it works. The damper is still on factory setting the only thing i did was add a t-stat. I do have the hopper extension and return air attachment. I guess its a lot of trial and error involved to get things right.
343amc
Feeling the Heat
Yours is quite a bit newer than mine based on serial number, 963 units newer to be precise. Yours looks to have auto ignition and the new style control board, so the burnpot in your unit will be different than mine. What I'm not sure of is if the feed rate can be adjusted on that control board. On mine, the feed rate is fixed except for level 1 IIRC.
The layout of my ductwork isn't very optimal. The 10" round connects to a 14x8, which expands to 20x8 about 10' away from the Fahrenheit. The oil furnace sits in the middle of the basement and the Fahrenheit is at the far end.
Off the main trunk are ten 6" branch ducts that feed the various floor registers. I have dampers in all the branch ducts and had to adjust them to get better airflow at the far end and less airflow into the bedrooms. The Fahrenheit sits right below the bedrooms. When I first hooked it up the bedrooms were hotter than heck and the living room/kitchen/dining room was cold.
If I could change one thing about the unit it would be the convection blower. It maxes out at 800 CFM. An extra 200 CFM or so would be all I'd need. I can feel the air coming out of the ducts even at the farthest end of the house, but it won't blow your hair back.
I also sealed all the joints in the 6" runs and the main trunk. Sealing and insulating the ductwork took me longer than the install of the furnace, even with all the cleaning and tinkering to make it burn right. It made a huge difference though. I'm hoping it also helps keep the AC system out when/if it ever gets to the point that we need it. I don't think I'll need AC anytime soon since its the second day of spring and 16 degrees outside.
The layout of my ductwork isn't very optimal. The 10" round connects to a 14x8, which expands to 20x8 about 10' away from the Fahrenheit. The oil furnace sits in the middle of the basement and the Fahrenheit is at the far end.
Off the main trunk are ten 6" branch ducts that feed the various floor registers. I have dampers in all the branch ducts and had to adjust them to get better airflow at the far end and less airflow into the bedrooms. The Fahrenheit sits right below the bedrooms. When I first hooked it up the bedrooms were hotter than heck and the living room/kitchen/dining room was cold.
If I could change one thing about the unit it would be the convection blower. It maxes out at 800 CFM. An extra 200 CFM or so would be all I'd need. I can feel the air coming out of the ducts even at the farthest end of the house, but it won't blow your hair back.
I also sealed all the joints in the 6" runs and the main trunk. Sealing and insulating the ductwork took me longer than the install of the furnace, even with all the cleaning and tinkering to make it burn right. It made a huge difference though. I'm hoping it also helps keep the AC system out when/if it ever gets to the point that we need it. I don't think I'll need AC anytime soon since its the second day of spring and 16 degrees outside.
Thats why i have 't ran ducts to the far end yet cause i dont want to take from the living space. I might run a couple and trry manual to see if that helps. My unit does have auto ignition and adjustable feed rate. After the season i will definitely insulate everything. It is sealed though. More cfm would help too.
343amc, the feedrate, even on the new LCD display control is only adjustable on level 1. The feed trim and draft trim only affect level 1.
And as for the Fuel setting, it does nothing to the feed either (or combustion blower for that matter) it only effects the amount of time between Cleaning. On Premium Pellet, its about 10 hrs (#10) the further down the list, the quicker it will auto clean. If its set to HM Corn, it will clean every few hours.
Thats my biggest complaint. It could go much longer between cleaning. I wish i could program the time. It would be closer to 24 hrs, and that would depend on the firing rate that I am on. Also, if the house is already at temp, when it cleans, it will raise the house temp about 3° in the time it cleans, because it goes to level 5 for around 30 minutes and level 5 isnt needed at all.
I wish I could change the auto clean to level 3 and only for around 10-15 minutes and also, the initial start up is at level 5 way to long. It takes about 20 minutes after ignition before the unit stabilizes from level 5, to the desired heat setting.
And I am with both of you on the larger distribution blower. A 1,000-1,500 CFM unit would be nice. I only have mine connected to 6 registers, so it has a decent amount of OOmph... But more would be nice. As I said above, I plan on adding 3 extra registers this Summer.
As for running in manual. Unless you get it dialed in reallly good, your house may be to warm, or to cold. Thats where t-stat mode is nice. Running a larger swing will allow the unit to idle longer after the room temp has been met. It will also make it run longer when there is a call for heat.
And as for the Fuel setting, it does nothing to the feed either (or combustion blower for that matter) it only effects the amount of time between Cleaning. On Premium Pellet, its about 10 hrs (#10) the further down the list, the quicker it will auto clean. If its set to HM Corn, it will clean every few hours.
Thats my biggest complaint. It could go much longer between cleaning. I wish i could program the time. It would be closer to 24 hrs, and that would depend on the firing rate that I am on. Also, if the house is already at temp, when it cleans, it will raise the house temp about 3° in the time it cleans, because it goes to level 5 for around 30 minutes and level 5 isnt needed at all.
I wish I could change the auto clean to level 3 and only for around 10-15 minutes and also, the initial start up is at level 5 way to long. It takes about 20 minutes after ignition before the unit stabilizes from level 5, to the desired heat setting.
And I am with both of you on the larger distribution blower. A 1,000-1,500 CFM unit would be nice. I only have mine connected to 6 registers, so it has a decent amount of OOmph... But more would be nice. As I said above, I plan on adding 3 extra registers this Summer.
As for running in manual. Unless you get it dialed in reallly good, your house may be to warm, or to cold. Thats where t-stat mode is nice. Running a larger swing will allow the unit to idle longer after the room temp has been met. It will also make it run longer when there is a call for heat.
Running a larger swing will allow the unit to idle longer after the room temp has been met. It will also make it run longer when there is a call for heat.
what do you mean by "larger swing" ? sorry if i sound like a dumbass but im still learning. im only running 5 registers now and i feel like if i add the 2 more i want there will be a lot less heat blowing out. so yeah, a bigger dist. blower would be great.
what do you mean by "larger swing" ? sorry if i sound like a dumbass but im still learning. im only running 5 registers now and i feel like if i add the 2 more i want there will be a lot less heat blowing out. so yeah, a bigger dist. blower would be great.
A "swing" is the amount of heat that you want the Stove to overshoot your set-point.
Example:
A 1° swing, would mean your furnace calls for heat at 69° and then is satisfied at 71°
A 2° swing, call for heat at 68° and satisfied at 72°…
A 3° swing, call for heat at 67° and satisfied at 73°…
I typically run a 2° swing (4° total).
Example:
A 1° swing, would mean your furnace calls for heat at 69° and then is satisfied at 71°
A 2° swing, call for heat at 68° and satisfied at 72°…
A 3° swing, call for heat at 67° and satisfied at 73°…
I typically run a 2° swing (4° total).
No. The swing is part of the t-stat. If you have one with a swing.
The Lux 1500 and 500 are very good models that are adjustable from 1/4° all the way to 2.25° each way or 4.5° total.
What stat do you have...
Running is t-stat mode is best, if thats your Main heat source and no other "Adders". I run manual, because "If" the temp drops, then the Quad kicks on a picks up the slack....
If I only had the Fahrenheit, then it would be Fuel Miser mode in Shoulder seasons and T-stat mode in Winter with a 3°-4° swing.
That way when the stat is satire, the furnace goes to idle and the blower gets a break for awhile. It running constantly can't be good.
I guess this thing doesn't have a swing. I will look into a new one. Its been in the house for the 11 years ive been here. I do worry about the furnace being on all the time. Thanks for the help.
ivanhoe
Feeling the Heat
i'm sure there's a swing dial behind the cover. that's older unit and i'm guessing it is wrong for your stove just my 2 cents, i could be wrong.
If thats a mercury filled thermostat they have large swings, it would work fine. All your doing is completing a circuit.
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