Shelter furnace question

[Seetribe]

New to the forum and would greatly appreciate any feedback i can get in my situation. Just took out a us stove hotblast 1500. I had the 2 8" heat supplies tied into my l.p. downdraft furnace plenum which made my runs go over and down a couple of feet instead of up. Worked ok for 20 years even though I'm sure it was not ideal. I am currently looking at a shelter sf3100 and the installation instructions say that the ducts must run horizontal or up. Do you think i could get by with the same configuration like before ? I don't really have any anywhere else to make the connection.

 

[brenndatomu]

Welcome @Seetribe , you have made a wise decision to post your question here...it will save you much heartache!!
First of all, don't walk, RUN! from that SF3100! Do some research here on the newer FireChief/Shelter furnaces (same furnace) they're TERRIBLE!
Second of all, your ducts need to have rise...going down with a supply duct is a no-no on a solid fuel furnace (wood/coal)...and a bad idea...BUT, if you have to do it, there is a way...look for an emergency heat dump. Here is one made by Yukon...there may be others out there still too.
https://wood-furnaces.net/safetyheatdump.aspx
It has a door that is tilted down, but held closed by a spring and a fusible link...if the power goes out, or some other blower related failure occurs where the furnace/ductwork is going to overheat, the fusible link melts at a very specific temp, allowing the air to flow again and the firebox to shed its heat. I have one on my system and it works well...I've never needed it, but it gives me peace of mind when I pack the firebox full and go to work with my family still sleeping...I could just see a commuter crashing into a pole and knocking out the power right when my furnace is making the most heat...oh and all my ducts have rise, I just wanted the insurance.

You will need to install a plenum on the furnace to use a heat dump, but that is not hard...I did one on a Tundra before they came with them...I just bent a lip on the bottom of the plenum and used pop rivets into the furnace air jacket. Speaking of Tundra...the SBI Tundra II would be a much better choice of furnace...or HeatPro if you need something bigger...Or, if you have the budget to pull it off, you need to check out the Kuuma Vaporfire 100...Cadillac of wood heat, and the only legitimately "2020" certified wood furnace in the USA. (broken link removed) you would not be disappointed!

 

[Seetribe]

Welcome @Seetribe , you have made a wise decision to post your question here...it will save you much heartache!!
First of all, don't walk, RUN! from that SF3100! Do some research here on the newer FireChief/Shelter furnaces (same furnace) they're TERRIBLE!
Second of all, your ducts need to have rise...going down with a supply duct is a no-no on a solid fuel furnace (wood/coal)...and a bad idea...BUT, if you have to do it, there is a way...look for an emergency heat dump. Here is one made by Yukon...there may be others out there still too.
https://wood-furnaces.net/safetyheatdump.aspx
It has a door that is tilted down, but held closed by a spring and a fusible link...if the power goes out, or some other blower related failure occurs where the furnace/ductwork is going to overheat, the fusible link melts at a very specific temp, allowing the air to flow again and the firebox to shed its heat. I have one on my system and it works well...I've never needed it, but it gives me peace of mind when I pack the firebox full and go to work with my family still sleeping...I could just see a commuter crashing into a pole and knocking out the power right when my furnace is making the most heat...oh and all my ducts have rise, I just wanted the insurance.

1. You will need to install a plenum on the furnace to use a heat dump, but that is not hard...I did one on a Tundra before they came with them...I just bent a lip on the bottom of the plenum and used pop rivets into the furnace air jacket. Speaking of Tundra...the SBI Tundra II would be a much better choice of furnace...or HeatPro if you need something bigger...Or, if you have the budget to pull it off, you need to check out the Kuuma Vaporfire 100...Cadillac of wood heat, and the only legitimately "2020" certified wood furnace in the USA. (broken link removed) you would not be disappointed!

I had given some thought to the tundra but was a little concerned about the number of supply ducts that come on their plenum. sounded like I would need to use at least 6 of the.10 that are supplied and wasn't sure i could for them all

 

[brenndatomu]

Well, (2) 8" ducts (~100 sq in.) are almost equal to (4) 6" ducts (113 sq. in.) so if you could find a way of using 2 more?
Run them direct to a room register?

 

[Medic21]

Welcome @Seetribe , you have made a wise decision to post your question here...it will save you much heartache!!
First of all, don't walk, RUN! from that SF3100! Do some research here on the newer FireChief/Shelter furnaces (same furnace) they're TERRIBLE!

I got a Shelter you can have for free if you want it. Only used 2 seasons. All you have to do is come take it off the scrap pile. Lighting you house on fire will give you safer and more consistent heat that that piece of dung will provide.

anything HY-C makes is worth Scrap. But, that gives a bad name to scrap. A Chevy truck is worth more than their furnaces are. Anything would be a better furnace, 55gal drum wood burner is more reliable and safer to use. All I accomplished with it was burning about $2500 with all the chit I had to do to prove to them I did nothing wrong to find out they would do nothing for me.

There are many of us here that will tell you their products suck and their customer service is worse.

 

[brenndatomu]

I got a Shelter you can have for free if you want it. Only used 2 seasons. All you have to do is come take it off the scrap pile. Lighting you house on fire will give you safer and more consistent heat that that piece of dung will provide.

anything HY-C makes is worth Scrap. But, that gives a bad name to scrap. A Chevy truck is worth more than their furnaces are. Anything would be a better furnace, 55gal drum wood burner is more reliable and safer to use. All I accomplished with it was burning about $2500 with all the chit I had to do to prove to them I did nothing wrong to find out they would do nothing for me.

There are many of us here that will tell you their products suck and their customer service is worse.

I wondered when the HY-C "fan club" was gonna start to find this thread...kinda slow here this time of year...this thread would be 3-4 pages long by now if posted in the winter...

anything HY-C makes is worth Scrap

And scrap prices are in the crapper right now too!

 

[brenndatomu]

I got a Shelter you can have for free if you want it. Only used 2 seasons. All you have to do is come take it off the scrap pile

Still planning on a couple pounds of Tannerite to send 'er off one of these days?

 

[JRHAWK9]

I got a Shelter you can have for free if you want it. Only used 2 seasons. All you have to do is come take it off the scrap pile. Lighting you house on fire will give you safer and more consistent heat that that piece of dung will provide.

anything HY-C makes is worth Scrap. But, that gives a bad name to scrap. A Chevy truck is worth more than their furnaces are. Anything would be a better furnace, 55gal drum wood burner is more reliable and safer to use. All I accomplished with it was burning about $2500 with all the chit I had to do to prove to them I did nothing wrong to find out they would do nothing for me.

There are many of us here that will tell you their products suck and their customer service is worse.

Why such the glowing review?

 

[JRHAWK9]

this thread would be 3-4 pages long by now if posted in the winter...

speaking of.....I already miss loading the ole' Kuuma.

 

[Medic21]

Still planning on a couple pounds of Tannerite to send 'er off one of these days?

I’ve had the sheriff deputies out enough lately when I shoot. The neighborhood might call the ATF or FBI if I do that. I’ve been accused of using a bump stock lol. An AR armorer does not need one lol.

 

[Medic21]

Why such the glowing review?

The best extrication training I ever did was a brand spanking new Silverado that came off the assembly line to us to dissect.

It was no match for Hurst tools.

 

[brenndatomu]

I’ve had the sheriff deputies out enough lately when I shoot.

Ok, so you do it on the 4th of July then...