US Stove 1537G add-on wood furnace install.

[Lifted4x4Astro]

This was installed in November 2007 and we burned around 6 cord through it last season. We did have a lot of creosote but I think most of it was due to unseasoned wood. When I made the decision to switch to wood, we had a supplier for the wood but had none on site. We started hauling wood right after the furnace was installed. The wood was very wet when we started. I hope to burn much cleaner this year.

I would like any critique on this installation, positive or negative. Due to the layout of of the basement as well as where the ground is, I did not have the proper clearances for the floor joists. I did put up some heat shields and these definitely kept the heat off the joists and electrical wiring.

I will post pics and let all the experts give feedback.

Furnace...

cold air return kit...

Flue and chimney...

 

[gpcollen1]

Wow, that chimney is tall! So is that actually added on to your furnace or used by itself?

 

[Lifted4x4Astro]

The chimney is 25' plus the height of the "T". It is our main source of heat. The 2 - 8" ducts are plumbed into the existing the heating ducts. We also use fuel oil forced air as a backup. The 1537G has 2 550 cfm blowers inside the cold air return kit.

 

[JustWood]

Nice install.

 

[smokinj]

i have the same furance final install 10-01-2007

 

[northeaster]

what do you do to damper off the stove when you run the oil heat or visversa? i havea simmilar set up with a multi fuel,with 12" duct work but i have damper on return and feed.i also block off the gas furnace when i run the multi fuel.

 

[Lifted4x4Astro]

When I installed the 2 - 8" heat ducts into the existing plenum, I put a manual damper in each run. I screwed that up because like a good boy I used 3 screws per joint to keep the duct secure...well the dampers hit the screws! DOH! So currently there is nothing that isolates the wood furnace ducting from the oil furnace when we run the oil furnace during vacations. My plan over the summer was to fabricate some sort of baffle but that didn't happen. I really need to do something because when running the central A/C, I am cooling the already cold basement down.

 

[Hogwildz]

YOu did what ya had to do. The only thing I see that worries me is that water heater oil line running so close to the stove pipe.
The water heater looks like shes rusting out at the door & bottom pretty good?

There is no secondary burn in those furnaces? You will need good dry wood and hot fires to keep the creosote down. The 2 90's ain't going to help either.

 

[Lifted4x4Astro]

Actually the line is propane and yeah the water heater is old but it still works! I do have a nearly new (used 3 mos.) propane water heater in storage to replace this one in the future. There is no secondary burn on these furnaces. I also agree that good dry wood and hot fires will keep the creosote down. I had the most trouble in early winter and in spring when the wood we used was both physically wet as well as green.

I was curious as to what my chimney temps are so I put a thermocouple wire at the top of the chimney and ran it to a Honeywell 2300 series controller.

Using the switch I hope to put a thermocouple probe in the flue pipe and be able to check either the flue or chimney temps as I am burning. I did find with a small fire last night that it was fairly easy to get 250 degrees F at the top of the chimney by keeping the draft damper open pretty good. The fire was not anywhere near as hot as we had run it last winter at times so that is good news.

One question though...where is the best place to put a 1/8" thermocouple probe in the flue pipe. In order to clean the pipes we disconnect the flue pipe between the furnace and the double wall insulated. I can then run my brush in all the sections easily.

 

[smokinj]

do you have a cap at the top of the flu?

 

[Lifted4x4Astro]

I did have a cap on it but due to the amount of creosote I got last season, I removed it so I could clean the chimney easier. It was sticking on there too much. I don't like being up on the roof to do any more than that. The clean out is too close to the ground to get the 4' flexible rods up with the brush. We use a couple small ropes to pull the brush down through.

I didn't think about the WH and having a down draft issue. I do have a CO detector but it is on the first floor living space. It has never registered any CO. I did not have any code inspector look at it.

 

[smokinj]

I did have a cap on it but due to the amount of creosote I got last season, I removed it so I could clean the chimney easier. It was sticking on there too much. I don't like being up on the roof to do any more than that. The clean out is too close to the ground to get the 4' flexible rods up with the brush. We use a couple small ropes to pull the brush down through.

I didn't think about the WH and having a down draft issue. I do have a CO detector but it is on the first floor living space. It has never registered any CO. I did not have any code inspector look at it.

I was thinking the cap would help keep the flu temps up and water out,causing less creosote

 

[Lifted4x4Astro]

I was thinking the cap would help keep the flu temps up and water out,causing less creosote

Since I have a thermocouple wire at the top of the chimney, I suppose I could put the cap on and see what it does to the temps. I would also expect a slight rise in overall temps. I would definitely keep the water out as well!

 

[CK-1]

Just curious. If I wanted to install a free standing stove in my basement, the install would be very similiar to yours. What tools did you use to create the hole in the foundation for your pipe?..