St. Croix SCF-50 latest

[cgokey]

So right now, I'm getting a little better performance out of my SCF-50... Temp is in mid to low 20s and able to maintain 67-69 degrees. I've got pellet furnace maxed out on full-bore highest setting though. Suppose to get colder this weekend, so we'll see how it goes... I've got my Englander in the living room to back me up in the mean time if needed.

The piping coming from the pellet furnace now goes into the oil furnace plenum instead of the main trunk duct work. That seems to help some. I'm trying to push a little more air in the corners of the house as it seems the duct work and amount of run-offs in the main trunk are too many for this smaller furnace. I set the high and low limits on the oil furnace fan down so that it will turn when it reaches about 120-130 degrees in the oil furnace plenum it will startup and push the air across the house. It turns off a couple minutes later, given it doesn't take much to lower the temp in the plenum given the pellet furnace only puts so much heat (rated about 50K btu I think). This turns on every 7-10 minutes as the temp rises again the plenum.

I'm wondering if instead of using the oil furnace blower which is probably stronger than needed (don't know how many CFMs but considerably stronger than my pellet furnace fan), if I should consider getting a in-duct furnace fan instead rated around 500 CFM.... That might not cool the air down quite so much.

Any thoughts on this?

Chris

 

[DexterDay]

If its working better? Then progress is being made. I make better headway every week with my set up.

My actual bedroom doesn't have a register. The Master Bath does, So I am going to run a 10 ft 6" run of duct off the North Main Trunk. I just bought all needed items today. The kids bedrooms are always within 1°. While our bedroom will be 2°-4° lower.

How long is your run into the furnace plenum? If the pellet furnace is on, and the oil furnace isnt, then wont the air travel backwards?

If you put it in before your old backdraft damper? Without a Damper, the air will go into the cold air return? No?

 

[cgokey]

If its working better? Then progress is being made. I make better headway every week with my set up.

My actual bedroom doesn't have a register. The Master Bath does, So I am going to run a 10 ft 6" run of duct off the North Main Trunk. I just bought all needed items today. The kids bedrooms are always within 1°. While our bedroom will be 2°-4° lower.

How long is your run into the furnace plenum? If the pellet furnace is on, and the oil furnace isnt, then wont the air travel backwards?

If you put it in before your old backdraft damper? Without a Damper, the air will go into the cold air return? No?

I'm not sure if the air will travel backwards.

+---------+----------+
| Return  |    O    |
|  Air    |          |
|        |  FAN    |
+---------+----------+

The run from the pellet furnace to the oil furnace is not far... about 5ft or so...

There is a wall separating the return air from the supply air, so there is no backwards air movement that way...
I'm not sure though about underneath the fan, if the air might travel through that. Not sure the proper thing to do here,
I could try adding a temporary wall of sorts to prevent anything from escaping below the plenum opening where my pellet furnace enter, see what difference that makes...

 

[DexterDay]

I'm not sure if the air will travel backwards.

+---------+----------+
| Return  |    O    |
|  Air    |          |
|        |  FAN    |
+---------+----------+

The run from the pellet furnace to the oil furnace is not far... about 5ft or so...

There is a wall separating the return air from the supply air, so there is no backwards air movement that way...
I'm not sure though about underneath the fan, if the air might travel through that. Not sure the proper thing to do here,
I could try adding a temporary wall of sorts to prevent anything from escaping below the plenum opening where my pellet furnace enter, see what difference that makes...

Just because the air has to travel down or backwards, doesn't mean that it wont.

Thats why Dampers are Needed. No matter where its installed. The air must be stopped in one direction, to be forced (100% of it anyways) in the other direction.

 

[cgokey]

Just because the air has to travel down or backwards, doesn't mean that it wont.

Thats why Dampers are Needed. No matter where its installed. The air must be stopped in one direction, to be forced (100% of it anyways) in the other direction.

Ok I just opened up the return air vent side (left side of my little diagram) and it is definitley warm, so air is escaping up through that wall in between... There is a fan at the bottom of it, so probably through that and up, so I guess I need to block off the return path somehow.... I wonder if I can reuse that damper, add some sheet metal to the sides and some how rig it up, so I dont' have to end up getting another damper.

Fun fun...

Thanks,
Chris

 

[DexterDay]

Dampers are needed for a reason.

Your getting closer.... Just a little more and your gonna notice some great results (or I hope you do)!!