Hot Blast 1300 Wood Furnace Vent Issue

[Mudry1015]

I recently installed my Hot Blast 1300 Wood Furnace to heat my home. I installed my ducts and registers in the floor and it looks great. I attached my exhaust to my unused chimney port. There are three ports in my chimeny all separate from one another. One for my oil furnace, one for my fire place, and the third that I want to use for my wood furnace. Around the pipe that going into my non combustable wall I used chimney cement so seal it off. The pipe that goes into the wall is flush with the clay chimney liner. The chimney liner inner dimensions are approx. 5" x 9". I lit my first fire Sunday December 1, 2013. Everything was fine except the light smell from burning off the oils and such fromt he metals. Monday the furnace was fine. Tuesday I came home from work and the whole house, basement and first floor, was filled with smoke and my CO and smoke detectors were going crazy. I opened all windows and doors to air out my house. I can not determine why this happened. My chimney is on the outside of the house so the chimney does cool quicker when the fire dies down which I think causes a down draft and not allowing the smoke to exhaust. Should I run a corrugated pipe in my chimeny to the top and put a cap on it? Maybe the corrugated pipe will stay hotter longer preventing or minimizing a chance for a down draft? Please ask any questions as I am not sure if I gave all the information needed to help me out. Thanks

 

[stee6043]

How does the chimeny size you're using relate to what the furnace manual recommends? Sounds like a pretty good sized chimney for a furnace.

Do you have makeup air coming into your basement from outside (I assume your furnace is in the basement)?

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by corrugated pipe but once you're outside the house you'd need to use properly rated exterior pipe, I believe, even if it's inside your existing chimney. The cheap stuff is only good until you penetrate a wall or ceiling as far as I know.

 

[Mudry1015]

Well my exhaust is a 6" pipe into my chimney. Not sure if the chimney size has anything to do with this issue. The manual for the Hot Blast 1300 doesn't recommend anything. The manual shows the furnace install into a chimney and also running your own exterior SS chimney up the side of a house.

Yes the furnace is in the basement and there is some makeup air that does coem into the basement. Maybe it is not enough?

Corrugated pipe is flex pipe.

 

[heaterman]

What is the actual outlet size on the wood furnace? Have you checked what the draft actually is with a manometer? Is there a barometric damper in the breeching pipe between the furnace and chimney?

 

[Mudry1015]

The exhaust outlet on the wood furnace is a 6" diameter outlet. I have not checked what the draft actualyl is so that is something I will do. My friend has a mano meter that I can use. There is not a barometric damper. Would that help? I have a chimney guy coming friday to take a look at my setup because he thinks my house might be so air tight that there is only enough air in the house to use the oil furnace not both. He said I might have to bring in a 1-2" pipe from outside to provide more into the house. I think either way i should put in a chimney liner to help lengthen my chimney life.

 

[brenndatomu]

Your 5x9 chimney is 45 sq inches, the 6" flue on the furnace is only 27. That likely is the issue, flue gasses slow way down when they hit the chimney, cool off, lose draft effect (makes creosote too BTW) Putting an ovalized (to fit your 5x9) flex liner in will help draft a lot, insulated if you can fit it in (especially on an external chimney)
Make up air could be an issue too. May have been OK until someone turned on a bathroom or kitchen vent fan? (or dryer or the fossil fuel furnace, etc)
Just FYI, I doubt that a 1-2" line would be enough, probably need more like 3-4". It's better to pull make up air in near your furnace than for it to draw air through every crack/crevice in your home, that makes that house "feel" drafty too.

 

[Mudry1015]

Ok so I had a chimney guy come out and he said it is 100% a draft issue. So now my goal is to figure out how to get air into the furnace room. I will also put a liner in to help extend the life of my chimney. Once I figure out how to get air in there I will let everyone know. Thanks for the responses I got so far.

 

[heaterman]

The exhaust outlet on the wood furnace is a 6" diameter outlet. I have not checked what the draft actualyl is so that is something I will do. My friend has a mano meter that I can use. There is not a barometric damper. Would that help? I have a chimney guy coming friday to take a look at my setup because he thinks my house might be so air tight that there is only enough air in the house to use the oil furnace not both. He said I might have to bring in a 1-2" pipe from outside to provide more into the house. I think either way i should put in a chimney liner to help lengthen my chimney life.

That combustion air inlet should be at least 4" diameter if not 6 for both appliances. We usually go with 6" when there are 2 appliances capable of firing at the same time.

We just fired up a job with 4 Windhager pellet boilers in a 14x14 room which is itself, inside of a pole barn. The combustion air opening for that job is 8" x 16".

 

[Mudry1015]

So Right now I am trying to figure out a way to get a draft in the furnace room for the furnaces to breath. I was also wondering if a draft inducer on my wood furnace would help? The other thing I am looking to invest in is a 6" steel liner down my chimney to help prolong the life of my chimney and to also keep the liner hotter longer. I just can't get over how expensive the 6" single wall liner costs for approx. 20 feet of liner.

 

[brenndatomu]

Draft inducer may help, but the air still has to come in from somewheres. How much you being quoted for a liner? I put in a 6"x20' insulated liner kit in this fall for $400, DIY install. Bought it through the manufacturer who is a member here.
You will need an ovalized uninsulated liner to fit in your narrow chimney though...