New to the forum

[Jgib4]

How’s it going guys, figured I would drop in a say hi. This is my second year burning with my furnace (fire chief 450).
Last year I had to buy wood as I was unprepared. Went through 3 cords on a very mild winter. I was able to get just over 4 cords before the beginning of spring and had it split and stacked by summer. I also picked up some soft coal I’ve been mixing with it to get some longer burn times out of it (this thing chews through wood!) over all pretty happy with the set up. I’m heating a rancher about 2100 sq feet of finished space and another 500 of unfinished. House typically stays in the mid to upper 70s but keeping it going through the night can be a chore. The coal has definitely helped and I’ve seen as much as a 8.5 hour burn time mixing that with wood. Here’s a pic of the set up.

 

[Jgib4]

Anyone have a similar set up and have advice on longer burn times?

 

[laynes69]

Pretty typical of a pre EPA furnace. How tall is your chimney, and type? Have you measured draft? Sometimes a barometric damper is necessary to ease draft on the furnace.

 

[Jgib4]

Pretty typical of a pre EPA furnace. How tall is your chimney, and type? Have you measured draft? Sometimes a barometric damper is necessary to ease draft on the furnace.

Chimney is around 25-30 feet and the draft is strong. No idea what the actual measurement is but I’ve never had a issue with the draft and if I don’t keep the damper in check it takes off pretty quick

 

[laynes69]

A chimney at that height with an easy breather like that could cause a bad overdraft. I would recommend a manometer to measure draft and using either a manual damper (if the furnace is manual), or a barometric damper.

 

[Jgib4]

A chimney at that height with an easy breather like that could cause a bad overdraft. I would recommend a manometer to measure draft and using either a manual damper (if the furnace is manual), or a barometric damper.

Will that work burning wood and coal?

 

[Jgib4]

A chimney at that height with an easy breather like that could cause a bad overdraft. I would recommend a manometer to measure draft and using either a manual damper (if the furnace is manual), or a barometric damper.

Also does that make the draft stay constant or just measure draft?

 

[laynes69]

Yes, slowing draft allows for a better transfer of heat from either burning wood or coal. A barometric damper will produce an even heat allowing to more control the furnace. A manual damper will tame draft, and also allow for better control. Using a barometric damper can increase creosote production in a pre epa firebox, but burning well seasoned wood helps with this. A manometer allows you to measure draft. Especially useful if you have to clean the chimney often, they can tell you when things are starting to get dirty.

 

[Jgib4]

Yes, slowing draft allows for a better transfer of heat from either burning wood or coal. A barometric damper will produce an even heat allowing to more control the furnace. A manual damper will tame draft, and also allow for better control. Using a barometric damper can increase creosote production in a pre epa firebox, but burning well seasoned wood helps with this. A manometer allows you to measure draft. Especially useful if you have to clean the chimney often, they can tell you when things are starting to get dirty.

I have a manual damper I installed in the chimney pipe Incase of a chimney fire but leave it wide open most of the time

 

[laynes69]

I used one for a while on the old furnace, and it did help. I ended up using a barometric damper.

 

[Jgib4]

I used one for a while on the old furnace, and it did help. I ended up using a barometric damper.

Did you close it all the way at night? Also is your damper on your stove a spin dial? If it is how many turns do you run at night

 

[laynes69]

It was a different model than the firecheif, I would close it maybe a quarter turn. Usually I would open it up to load, keep it open until I got it hot, then would close the damper a little. You don't want to close it too much. I would run enough air to attempt to burn clean.

 

[Jgib4]

It was a different model than the firecheif, I would close it maybe a quarter turn. Usually I would open it up to load, keep it open until I got it hot, then would close the damper a little. You don't want to close it too much. I would run enough air to attempt to burn clean.

I’ve been doing 1 1/2 turn out at night.
I’ll try a half turn tonight and see what happens. And I don’t think there is a way to make this burn clean lol. One of the dirtiest stoves I’ve been around. But it definitely does the job!

 

[maple1]

A manometer will take the guessing away. They're fairly cheap.

 

[Jgib4]

A manometer will take the guessing away. They're fairly cheap.

The manometer measures draft correct? If so why do you need that if you are not having drafting issues? I could use something to regulate it. For instance today the draft has been insane and I have been running it like
I do at night (1 turn out) because it’s chewing through wood and putting out insane heat with no change to the furnace.

 

[maple1]

The manometer measures draft correct? If so why do you need that if you are not having drafting issues? I could use something to regulate it. For instance today the draft has been insane and I have been running it like
I do at night (1 turn out) because it’s chewing through wood and putting out insane heat with no change to the furnace.

A drafting issue could also be too much draft. Which would be sucking a lot of heat up your chimney. Without measuring it, you don't know for sure how it's doing.

 

[Jgib4]

A drafting issue could also be too much draft. Which would be sucking a lot of heat up your chimney. Without measuring it, you don't know for sure how it's doing.

Gotcha

 

[maple1]

Two entirely different rigs, but when I was using my old boiler, I had both a key & baro damper on it. The baro handled draft spikes, say from gusty winds, and I tried to set the key damper to close it down just enough that it wouldn't quite spill smoke out the front. Likely not the best way to run a wood burner, but I had to try to get as much heat transfer as I could with that thing.

 

[Jgib4]

Two entirely different rigs, but when I was using my old boiler, I had both a key & baro damper on it. The baro handled draft spikes, say from gusty winds, and I tried to set the key damper to close it down just enough that it wouldn't quite spill smoke out the front. Likely not the best way to run a wood burner, but I had to try to get as much heat transfer as I could with that thing.

A key? As in a manual damper?

 

[maple1]

Yes.

 

[brenndatomu]

The manometer measures draft correct? If so why do you need that if you are not having drafting issues?

Kinda like driving without a speedometer...
Too much draft wastes heat up the chimney, uses the wood up faster than need be, and you risk damaging your furnace from overfire.
Most wood furnaces call for -0.04 " to -0.06" WC draft, a few a bit less, I've only heard of one that can go as high as -0.08"
I monitor draft, also flue and supply duct temps all the time...I don't know how I got along without these items before!