This is where I wage war!

[jb6l6gc]

morning hearth.
Had some time this morning and have been disgusted with the state of my furnace area, I finally did something about it. Had some leftover kitchen counter from old owners and some scrap lumber so made myself a little counter and shelf. It's a little utilitarian but just how I like it I've gotten some ocd for organization lately. Enjoy the pics below and please chime in with any improvements. Photos end with obligatory co sensor which I finally got around to mounting. Keep warm my friends !

Oh and hearth tools are on the left cause I'm a lefty. Feels awkward the other way, I tried

 

[jb6l6gc]

And bin filled just for good measure!

well half filled... It's cold outside

 

[Highbeam]

I find it odd that they breach the firebox with that huge loading door and then put in a plate that blocks half of it.

 

[jb6l6gc]

ya It's to prevent smoke spillage or trust me with the way its designed you would have it. It's especially annoying when the nuts on the inside come slightly loose it rattles like crazy everytime you bump it during loading! Can't wait to replace it next year debating between the tundra of the larger heatpro. Not exactly sure how to do hvac if i go with the heatpro as the plenum is different on that unit!

 

[goosegunner]

I find it odd that they breach the firebox with that huge loading door and then put in a plate that blocks half of it.

I am guessing smoke shield. It might hang on chains to move back when loading.

gg

 

[laynes69]

That's a scar maker! I looked like a cutter from all the marks the smoke curtain caused. Everytime we would load the furnace, you would hear ding, ding, ding throughout the house thru the ductwork. That's one unit I do not miss!

 

[airlina]

The only thing I see out of place is the Budweiser, I thought you Canadian guys liked Molson's !

 

[maple1]

My old boiler had a smoke shield on it too. It worked fairly well, but didn't get all the smoke sometimes. - I ended up cabbaging up a smoke hood with a fan to get what it didn't. And sometimes if you loaded right up it would get jammed up in the horiizontal position. It had some pretty good warpage going on by the time it went down the road.

Gawd how I miss the good old days....

NOT.

 

[maple1]

The only thing I see out of place is the Budweiser, I thought you Canadian guys liked Molson's !

Keiths Red, please.

(Or Rickards - whichever is closer )

 

[GENECOP]

Looks great..

 

[STIHLY DAN]

Make up air should get trapped.

 

[jb6l6gc]

The only thing I see out of place is the Budweiser, I thought you Canadian guys liked Molson's !

Personally not a huge fan of Canadian. Our Budweiser is made in Canada lol

 

[jb6l6gc]

Make up air should get trapped.

What do you mean trapped?

 

[jb6l6gc]

The smoke shield on this thing doesn't move its just bolted. +1 on the cutter , last year on vacation a guy thought I was with all the scars. Had some doosies!

 

[maple1]

The shield doesn't swing in at the bottom via a pivot at the top? That almost doesn't sound right. Mine did. Any way you could make it so it does?

 

[jb6l6gc]

The shield doesn't swing in at the bottom via a pivot at the top? That almost doesn't sound right. Mine did. Any way you could make it so it does?

I don't know I looked at it and it's bolted right in there I always thought it should move. I've gotten used to it lol
I just make sure to split small enough to fit.

 

[DoubleB]

What do you mean trapped?

The idea is to put a 180-degree U-turn plus a little length of pipe so the cold air settles in the bottom to help prevent unfettered cold air flowing straight down into your basement. Just like your plumbing has traps to retain some water that prevent air/gas from flowing through.

Do a search on here for "cold air makeup" or something like that, and at some point you'll find some illustrations or pictures. Seems we had a discussion about that within the last month or so in a thread somewhere around here.

 

[jb6l6gc]

The idea is to put a 180-degree U-turn plus a little length of pipe so the cold air settles in the bottom to help prevent unfettered cold air flowing straight down into your basement. Just like your plumbing has traps to retain some water that prevent air/gas from flowing through.

Do a search on here for "cold air makeup" or something like that, and at some point you'll find some illustrations or pictures. Seems we had a discussion about that within the last month or so in a thread somewhere around here.

I guess I could do that just need to add another elbow. Didn't know I needed to trap it, always seemed to work ok. Thanks for the info

 

[DoubleB]

I guess I could do that just need to add another elbow. Didn't know I needed to trap it, always seemed to work ok. Thanks for the info

It even looks like you already have 2 elbows down there, just retwist them to 180 degrees. I don't think it's a matter of needing a trap, I think it's just you'll introduce less cold air into your house over time and help stay warmer. Oh, and I don't have one a cold air makeup (leaky house), so I can't speak from experience. Good luck!

 

[HitzerHillbilly]

I don't know I looked at it and it's bolted right in there I always thought it should move. I've gotten used to it lol
I just make sure to split small enough to fit.

I have this same stove in my barn. That smoke shield should swing. ..mine does. Can get some decent logs in there...for the most part

 

[STIHLY DAN]

The idea is to put a 180-degree U-turn plus a little length of pipe so the cold air settles in the bottom to help prevent unfettered cold air flowing straight down into your basement. Just like your plumbing has traps to retain some water that prevent air/gas from flowing through.

Do a search on here for "cold air makeup" or something like that, and at some point you'll find some illustrations or pictures. Seems we had a discussion about that within the last month or so in a thread somewhere around here.

That is correct if you elbow up to the entrance you will only bring in air when needed and it will have warmed up some.

 

[jb6l6gc]

Yea I just twisted elbows around other way. Don't know why but mine doesn't swing. Maybe original owner assembled it wrong

 

[DBoon]

Tell me about that piece of wood hanging over your wood bin - do you have a ramp or something and an opening above the bin to drop wood into the bin from the outside?

 

[jb6l6gc]

ya I open window and stick ramp out then slide em on down. Going to make a better wood chute eventually something like pic below, just waiting on guy at work to score me some pipe!

 

[1970roadrunner]

That's a scar maker! I looked like a cutter from all the marks the smoke curtain caused. Everytime we would load the furnace, you would hear ding, ding, ding throughout the house thru the ductwork. That's one unit I do not miss!

The Blazeking MP80 has a similar hinged, dinging curtain. After a couple times getting too close, I now use welding gloves to load. No loading quietly with these things on there!