Looking for HUD approved furnaces

[Lcback]

Hello, I have been a lurker for a while. I have a modular home on a poured concrete foundation. I installed a triple wall SS 6" chimney this past year. I went with a cheap old Jensen wood furnace I found on craigslist for this winter. Money was tight after buying the chimney. Now I am prepared to buy a nice new furnace. But everyone that I find in my price range ($2,000) states do not install in a mobile home. Some research has led me to a HUD regulation but no lists of approved furnaces.
I was hoping to be able to burn coal as well but if it's efficient (secondary burn capable) and won't, I can probably keep up with the wood demand.
Does anyone know of a list, Or a nice furnace that is approved in my range?
I was previously looking at a Daka, a shelter 2626, and a drolet tundra or heat max.

 

[STIHLY DAN]

A modular home is MUCH different than a trailer. Should be able to put anything you want in it. What Size chimney did you just put in. Most secondary burn units want a 6. If you have an 8 you may have to stick with the Daka
, Shelter types.

 

[Lcback]

Thanks for the reply. I have seen some units say no modular as Well. I guess I'll have to call the insurance man and ask. According to my father the basement shouldn't even be considered part of the modular home as it wasn't manufactured.
I put in a 6" triple wall.
Any opinons of the furnaces I listed. The shelter seems to be a heck of a deal with induction blower, high cfm blower, shaker grates, and a secondary burn. But really I am just trying to make an informed decision. What ever I choose I will be stuck with for quite some time.

 

[lexybird]

Of those mentioned I'd get a new drolet tundra

 

[Lcback]

Thanks you, looks like an awesome furnace. Menards has it for $1600 3 hour drive from here, but that's better than Rural kings shipping.

 

[brenndatomu]

Menards has it for $1600 3 hour drive from here

Is that the Warren or Massillon location? If it is the Massillon location, make a weekend out of it...lots of touristy stuff to do near by. They can ship to your house too

 

[STIHLY DAN]

Thanks for the reply. I have seen some units say no modular as Well. I guess I'll have to call the insurance man and ask. According to my father the basement shouldn't even be considered part of the modular home as it wasn't manufactured.
I put in a 6" triple wall.
Any opinons of the furnaces I listed. The shelter seems to be a heck of a deal with induction blower, high cfm blower, shaker grates, and a secondary burn. But really I am just trying to make an informed decision. What ever I choose I will be stuck with for quite some time.

I would not check with the insurance co. They have no idea. Read the label on the furnace you like. Manufacturer specs trump all. If your insurance doesn't like it try another. I can tell you that all state does not care about wood burner one way or the other. Besides, how does one tell a modular from stick built anyhow..

 

[Lcback]

I would not check with the insurance co. They have no idea. Read the label on the furnace you like. Manufacturer specs trump all. If your insurance doesn't like it try another. I can tell you that all state does not care about wood burner one way or the other. Besides, how does one tell a modular from stick built anyhow..

the drolet, say's no mobile's The Shelter actually has a "mobile home kit" accessory. I could call Drolet and ask about a modular.
as for how can you tell? there is actually a data plate on my house under the sink, that clarify's where it was manufactured, its model etc. You can also tell by the general build dimensions, and structure of the roof. Im sure someone could build one the same, but its definitely not easy to lie and call it stick built.

 

[Lcback]

Is that the Warren or Massillon location? If it is the Massillon location, make a weekend out of it...lots of touristy stuff to do near by. They can ship to your house too

Im not really sure, I had never heard of menards until i started looking for a new furnace. I live about an hour east of Pittsburgh, I just saw they had ship to store as a free option, and google maps told me it was 3 hours away.

 

[brenndatomu]

Im not really sure, I had never heard of menards until i started looking for a new furnace. I live about an hour east of Pittsburgh, I just saw they had ship to store as a free option, and google maps told me it was 3 hours away.

Oh man, you are missing out Menards is awesome...I hardly set foot in Lowes or HD since the big M came to town! The Massillon store is about 2 hours from Pittsburgh so that is probably the one...could be Warren though, I dunno. Massillon has more weekend get away potential IMO.

 

[brenndatomu]

Mobile home and modular homes are two different animals as I understand it.
The mobile home rated wood stoves have a anchor point on them...they can be bolted to the floor...that and I believe they usually have a little tighter CTC ratings...
I agree with Dan, if you are gonna put the furnace in the basement then it is just a standard install at that point

 

[STIHLY DAN]

the drolet, say's no mobile's The Shelter actually has a "mobile home kit" accessory. I could call Drolet and ask about a modular.
as for how can you tell? there is actually a data plate on my house under the sink, that clarify's where it was manufactured, its model etc. You can also tell by the general build dimensions, and structure of the roof. Im sure someone could build one the same, but its definitely not easy to lie and call it stick built.

You are looking WAY to deep into this. You do not have a mobile home, not even close. As far as I am concerned you have a house, I believe any insurance would concur. Only difference is yours was built in an environmentally controlled space.

 

[brenndatomu]

As soon as it was set onto a permanent foundation it became "real estate" (not a mobile home) that's how Ohio distinguishes them for tax purposes...

 

[Lcback]

Then thanks very much for the input guys. Maybe I will just I form the insurance man that I am installing a secondary heat source. A wood furnace in the basement. If he says okey dokey then I'll pick what ever I like the most. Right now I'm torn. I really like that drolet. But I was hoping to be able to burn coal. I also worry with the drolet my wood might not get dry enough. I don't usually get finished splitting until June. Mostly cherry and maple. I suppose for the first year I could order some.

 

[brenndatomu]

A proper coal burner and a proper wood burner are two different machines...put the two together into one unit and it does neither real well. I have a Yukon Husky Wood/Coal/Oil furnace...it is a great machine, but like I said, it would be better to pick a fuel and optimize it. I went with the Husky originally due to only one chimney, and I wanted to maintain the ability to run the oil furnace as needed (it hardly ever gets used now honestly) and I liked the ability to run coal if I wanted...but I probably haven't burnt 300# of coal in it the 4 years that I have had it. I'm too cheap to buy coal when I have so much free wood available...maybe that's just me.
As far as your firewood situation, if you need to buy wood to get at least two years ahead on your supply, then so be it, no matter what unit you buy. Just because an "old school" burner will digest wood that is not totally dry, doesn't mean you should feed it that diet. You are losing BTUs up the chimney...and speaking of chimney, wet wood will crap the chimney up requiring regular cleaning.
If you want a easy to run, efficient, reasonably priced wood furnace, the Tundra is a good one...

 

[Lcback]

I don't have a ton of free wood. I live on one acre and most of it was clear before I moved in. The neighbors have told me I can take what falls or is dead on there 15. So I can get some good stuff but not enough to last year's at a time. Even at $220 a cord here it should still be about half the price of lp. Coal has just gotten so cheap and easy to store etc that it seemed a no brainer to pick one that could do both.

 

[brenndatomu]

There are plenty of us scroungers on Hearth...have no idea where the next load of firewood is coming from, but if you just put the word out, and keep your eyes open, most of the time you will have plenty. If you have 15 acres next door that you can access then you are a leg up on many people. If you let tree trimmers know that you would take wood, often they will dump a load off randomly when they are working in you neighborhood (assuming you have the space, tools, and gumption to work up whatever they drop off...which you never know what it will be...can't be picky...sometimes it is pine...sometimes Oak, whatever, it all makes heat, I burn anything/everything)
Everybody knows that I heat with wood and I have more people waiting on me to haul off their trees than I know what to do with (or have the time to work up currently) But I am willing to take anything and will drop n haul off almost anything for free...unless it looks too dangerous for some reason, then I tell 'em to get a pro to drop it...know your limits.

 

[brenndatomu]

I would be afraid if I went whole hog trying to heat with cheap coal that it would just dry up...so many mines closing. Used to be a few around here, not many left now, none real close. You may be in the heart of coal country though...for now. Our local power plant is in the process of converting to primarily gas fired boilers...EPA mandated...

 

[STIHLY DAN]

I don't have a ton of free wood. I live on one acre and most of it was clear before I moved in. The neighbors have told me I can take what falls or is dead on there 15. So I can get some good stuff but not enough to last year's at a time. Even at $220 a cord here it should still be about half the price of lp. Coal has just gotten so cheap and easy to store etc that it seemed a no brainer to pick one that could do both.

I also live on an acre, I have scrounged enough for 10 years ahead. Not 1 split has come from my yard. Just got to put the work in finding wood, and getting it immediately when it comes.

 

[Lcback]

There are plenty of us scroungers on Hearth...have no idea where the next load of firewood is coming from, but if you just put the word out, and keep your eyes open, most of the time you will have plenty. If you have 15 acres next door that you can access then you are a leg up on many people. If you let tree trimmers know that you would take wood, often they will dump a load off randomly when they are working in you neighborhood (assuming you have the space, tools, and gumption to work up whatever they drop off...which you never know what it will be...can't be picky...sometimes it is pine...sometimes Oak, whatever, it all makes heat, I burn anything/everything)
Everybody knows that I heat with wood and I have more people waiting on me to haul off their trees than I know what to do with (or have the time to work up currently) But I am willing to take anything and will drop n haul off almost anything for free...unless it looks too dangerous for some reason, then I tell 'em to get a pro to drop it...know your limits.

I get what your saying. I know pine makes a lot of tar for very little heat but it is plentiful around here. In your opinion is it okay to burn it in these new furnaces? Will all the tar negatively effect the secondary burner? Best thing I have seen with pine is how quick it dries.

 

[brenndatomu]

Pine works fine...where people screw up is not letting it dry out, just the same as any other wood. Just because it will burn wet don't mean you should. It is a great wood for those "small" fires you need in the spring and fall. Heck, pine is about all people out west have to burn...and none of them have froze yet. (Way more of the world heats with soft woods than the hardwoods that we have here in the eastern US)
The bad rap that pine has is partially from burning it wet, and partially from burning all the wood wet (and "low and slow") so then the stove pipe and chimney gets all creosoted up from their bad burn practices, and then they load up some Pine, and because of that sap you mentioned it will burn pretty hot, even wet, that gets the creosote in the chimney burning (because that's the first hot fire they've made in days/weeks) then pine gets blamed for a chimney fire because "it was fine until I burnt that darn Pine!"
There are a ton of old wives tales out there when it comes to burning wood...

 

[Lcback]

Pine works fine...where people screw up is not letting it dry out, just the same as any other wood. Just because it will burn wet don't mean you should. It is a great wood for those "small" fires you need in the spring and fall. Heck, pine is about all people out west have to burn...and none of them have froze yet. (Way more of the world heats with soft woods than the hardwoods that we have here in the eastern US)
The bad rap that pine has is partially from burning it wet, and partially from burning all the wood wet (and "low and slow") so then the stove pipe and chimney gets all creosoted up from their bad burn practices, and then they load up some Pine, and because of that sap you mentioned it will burn pretty hot, even wet, that gets the creosote in the chimney burning (because that's the first hot fire they've made in days/weeks) then pine gets blamed for a chimney fire because "it was fine until I burnt that darn Pine!"
There are a ton of old wives tales out there when it comes to burning wood...

Okay, do you need to plan extra cordage if your burning a lot of pine? I went through 3 cords of cherry this year, with my old burnt out jensen. It was a mild winter, so I figured if i get a new efficient furnace 3 cords is what I will need for the average winter. If I fill up my wood crib with pine will I get the same amount of BTU?

 

[blades]

If you live In town be careful about the local ordinances regarding storage of fire wood. They are not alternative heating friendly.
I do not understand your reference to HUD - But I can tell you that HUD and your Ins. co. will require a conventional heating system. What you do beyond that is up to you.
Mobile home rated units will have provision for an Outside air source _ which is mandatory by code now in addition to the bolt down.
Modular home is not the same - follows same codes as built on site- They can be less or more cost wise than a built on site. Slab or part/full basement.

 

[Lcback]

If you live In town be careful about the local ordinances regarding storage of fire wood. They are not alternative heating friendly.

No worries here. I'm out in the woods. We shoot, ride quads, make as much noise and chaos as we want. The township will worry about the neighbors roof caving in or his stove pipe chimney before my wood pipe
Thanks for your advice though it always sucks to sink money into something only to be screwed by regulations.

 

[blades]

Regulations- shucks no gif with beating head against wall