Running an Englander 28-4000 furnace

[Furnace man71]

Thread moved to its own topic:

Englander stove? Just curious because it looks like my new englanger furnace that I have had for about a week or so and I'm looking for advice on your 6 hour burn. From what I have read and learned about them most run them at 600 some 700 to 750.

 

[begreen]

Englander stove? Just curious because it looks like my new englanger furnace that I have had for about a week or so and I'm looking for advice on your 6 hour burn. From what I have read and learned about them most run them at 600 some 700 to 750.

Is this the new 28-4000? If so, it's a 30-NC at heart. Taking it's temp though is a bit harder due to lack of stove top access.

 

[Furnace man71]

Is this the new 28-4000? If so, it's a 30-NC at heart. Taking it's temp though is a bit harder due to lack of stove top access.

Yes it is. I take the temp in the middle above the door. I usually get 500 to 550 degree temps with primary air cut a good bit.

 

[Louis]

Englander stove? Just curious because it looks like my new englanger furnace that I have had for about a week or so and I'm looking for advice on your 6 hour burn. From what I have read and learned about them most run them at 600 some 700 to 750.

Yea it is an Englander 30-nc. And my set up isn't ideal. until summer when i can pop through the wall and redo a new thimble and get better draft.. line the chimney etc.

for the time being, i start a smaller fire as you can see in the pictures to get the entire chimney system and stove nice a hot, get a good bed of coals and do a reload.. where i begin my burning for the day. first burn usually lasts 45 min give or take before the stove is hot, the pipe has gotten to a good temp and the coals are hot enough for a reload. then i usually burn N/S with 8 +/- small to medium sized splits. begin cutting my air back after all is caught and have a blazing fire. depending on all the variables ive been hovering between 4-6 hours before a reload is necessary.

 

[Furnace man71]

Ok I have been experimenting with different loading techniques but it seems like I still haven't quite figured out the best way to get a long burn time. After 3 hours it seems like secondary burn is done and the wood is on it's way out. Maybe that's normal idk. Seems like large logs at the bottom dont work so good unless I have been burning already that day. I was thinking smaller logs were burning up to quick. I can usually cut the air and it will hold 500 to 550 face temp.

 

[Furnace man71]

I have a very hard time getting air to the back of the stove. I think that's half the wood that doesn't burn. I can almost never get that back secondary to fire off and I always have a ton of unburned "charcoal" back there.

 

[begreen]

Large wood is better for the long burn. Use smaller pieces to fill in the gaps between the larger (6-8") splits. Toward the end of the burn at the later coaling stage, try opening up the air more to help increase combustion at the rear of the stove. Maybe toss a couple 2" thin splits on top to keep producing heat while they charcoal burns down.

 

[Highbeam]

The point where you are measuring the temperature might not be great. Inside of the stove body just above the door is the primary air channel and then another chunk of plate steel that will all effect the temperature reading. If you measure temperature on the side of the door near the top you will be getting a more representative temperature. The hottest spots on this stove are the center of the top on the steptop, or on the side of the stove just above the brickline, both are blocked by the furnace jacket. I jhave pretty much given up on measuring the stove temperature anyway and depend on the flue temperature.

Don't expect all tubes to blow secondary fire at the same time. It's almost always just one or two of them for me. The back tube almost never fires unless I have a really good tunnel of love setup. The good tunnel of love is the only way to prevent or minimize the coaling in the rear of this firebox.

3 hours of violent secondary fire is about all you're going to get.

I made a hook type poker tool that I use to rake those back coals and unburnt fuel to the front and reload on top of them. Eventually those coals would have burned to dust, like when I let the stove go cold, but I reload on top of them for best results.

 

[Furnace man71]

The point where you are measuring the temperature might not be great. Inside of the stove body just above the door is the primary air channel and then another chunk of plate steel that will all effect the temperature reading. If you measure temperature on the side of the door near the top you will be getting a more representative temperature. The hottest spots on this stove are the center of the top on the steptop, or on the side of the stove just above the brickline, both are blocked by the furnace jacket. I jhave pretty much given up on measuring the stove temperature anyway and depend on the flue temperature.

Don't expect all tubes to blow secondary fire at the same time. It's almost always just one or two of them for me. The back tube almost never fires unless I have a really good tunnel of love setup. The good tunnel of love is the only way to prevent or minimize the coaling in the rear of this firebox.

3 hours of violent secondary fire is about all you're going to get.

I made a hook type poker tool that I use to rake those back coals and unburnt fuel to the front and reload on top of them. Eventually those coals would have burned to dust, like when I let the stove go cold, but I reload on top of them for best results.

Sounds like everything I'm doing. Trying to figure out what I am to expect out of a load of wood. My house has been a lot warmer since the new furnace was installed but it's also been 25* plus outside. Tonight it was in the 40s so I did about half the logs mixed with pallet wood and that seemed to do the trick.

As for the thermometer I have 2 next to each other and they dont agree at all but they seem to be consistent when it's up and running and putting out good heat for a while. The last furnace I did the temp off the flue and plenum temp but this one doesn't seem to work like that. The flue temp is lower than the non EPA furnace which I think is good but I'll find out when I clean the chimney in the fall.

 

[begreen]

We have a boiler and furnace room here that I am moving this thread to. That may help you and future owners of this unit.

 

[3fordasho]

I have a very hard time getting air to the back of the stove. I think that's half the wood that doesn't burn. I can almost never get that back secondary to fire off and I always have a ton of unburned "charcoal" back there.

Pretty much what I see with my 30nc. Hot and plenty of secondary action for the first 2-3 hrs, then I'll get some smoke from wood in the back of the firebox unless I am around to play with air inlet. In my case I think a couple more feet of chimney might help as I am only at 14'. As far as a wood furnace goes I much prefer my Tundra with the flue temperature monitor controlling the air inlet, much more complete burns/less smoke. Something that also helps is it also has a "pilot air" in the back of the firebox as well as the front. With the 30nc you must have that "tunnel" to the back of the firebox to get the wood in the back to burn well.

 

[Furnace man71]

Pretty much what I see with my 30nc. Hot and plenty of secondary action for the first 2-3 hrs, then I'll get some smoke from wood in the back of the firebox unless I am around to play with air inlet. In my case I think a couple more feet of chimney might help as I am only at 14'. As far as a wood furnace goes I much prefer my Tundra with the flue temperature monitor controlling the air inlet, much more complete burns/less smoke. Something that also helps is it also has a "pilot air" in the back of the firebox as well as the front. With the 30nc you must have that "tunnel" to the back of the firebox to get the wood in the back to burn well.

From what I have experienced so far if it's got a good load in it then it will still make some ok heat after the secondary has stopped and if I need more heat I throw a log on and it lights right back up. But I am going from an hour max of good heat on a load with the old daka to 2 to 3 hours and plenty of life still left in the fire.

A primary hole in the back would really help I think. Those 5 in the front dont do much for the back.