Hot blast enemy or friend

[brenndatomu]

They've done the same "refinements" I did to mine

Care to elaborate?

 

[chucker]

I have an owb now but I had a Hotblast for years. Loved it and was very very happy with it, even wished I had it long before I did. I've talked to 4 people who have bought one after seeing mine. They've done the same "refinements" I did to mine and are happy with theirs. Sure they might use more wood but still much cheaper than oil or propane for them. All houses are large and used lots of either oil, electricity or propane to heat to what the owners wanted. And they are far cheaper than a new furnace install especially if you already have duct heating. My wife could cook us out of the house if she wanted to and we easily had 12 hour "productive" burns. We seldom had to restart a fire from scratch.

very true! some people just expect too much for nothing!

 

[cantoo]

The price point is the biggest plus for the Hotblast.
I installed a new stainless chimney that ran straight up from the Hotblast instead of going horizontal for 30' 1st then up 26'. I can cut out the air completely and not have creosote problems. And I never cleaned my chimney other than the cap.
Grind the tits off the damper spinner and use it.
Don't use that auto damper/ whatever thing it is on the door.
Install a manual damper on your chimney pipe and use it.
Load wood into the Hotblast for the heat demand you are putting on it. Don't load it to the top with dense hardwood blocks if you want fast heat, I used construction spruce for that. Leave the dense wood for overnight or long day burns.
Get used to opening a window if you have to.
And buy a sweather you pansy. A Hotblast will not give you a 75* house 12 hours after you put wood in it and walk away, of course most stoves, fireplaces won't do that either. Did you expect more for $1200?
Look at your house for most return on your investment and invest some of your saved money in making your house more efficient. New windows, doors, upgrading insulation, air sealing etc.

 

[Whitespider]

Load wood into the Hotblast for the heat demand you are putting on it.

Lovin' it‼
As I've said in multiple other threads... it ain't so much about the "setting" as it is about the "loading".
*

 

[newyorker]

a almost bought one they looked fine for me i just thought the epa furnace was appealing to me

 

[Jakers]

I have been kicking around putting a key damper on my sisters flue for their Yukon Big Jack. It has a baro on it now, but I think capping the baro off and using a manual damper may still maintain a nice long burn, (it does that OK now) but help clean up the chimney since the cool air from the baro will be eliminated. That, and convincing them to get further ahead on their wood supply so they have dryer wood...I somehow have become the family chimney sweep...grumblegrumblegrumble

the manual actually says to install both in the chimney. the baro is supposed to go above the key in the pipe. the idea is that if you have a chimney fire you can still kill the heat goin into the pipe and just let the cold air in minimizing damage i believe. at any rate, you could have both

 

[Aaron Frasher]

I put a key damper in mine. It helps out some.
Looked at the Drolet Tundras!!!!!!
I can definitely see one in my future!!!!!!!

 

[flotek]

Take note of this y'all...
Obviously, the art of using a flue damper to keep all the heat from running out the flue... has been forgotten by many.

Five hours on 7³/ft?? Seriously?? He fills it with full length firewood... that's 27 inches long, correct?? He cuts his firewood to 27 inches??
Well, my DAKA with its 5.3³/ft firebox gets loaded with 16 inch firewood... even if I did load it to the top (I don't... well, rarely) that's only 3.4³/ft utilized, and it runs way, way, longer than 5 hours on something way less than loaded to the top. But I do have a flue damper installed... and I know how to set it. Sounds like the problem... 5 hours on 7³/ft(?)... is operator error (where have I heard that before?), not the box itself.

Too damn funny
*

Yes that's true . Reread what I typed ...Notice I said he could get a couple more if he choked it down but it would be a real dirty burner . It's not operator error it's an inefficient furnace . Also You don't have a hotblast unit so your direct comparison of firebox dimension is not that simple . You were the same guy last year complaining of how much wood your amazing daka was going through to keep up in the cold . The point is that the volume of wood doesn't have the burn time the newer * smaller* units do

 

[Whitespider]

The point is that the volume of wood doesn't have the burn time the newer * smaller* units do

No... the point is...
When I (and a few others) can't get more than a couple-few hours heat out of an elitist firebox, I'm (we're) told over and over that I'm (we're) to blame, not the box (or sometimes the box must be broken). Then it's pointed out to me (us) that not everyone experiences what I (we) do, which, according to the choir, further indicate the problem is operator error. When I fully concede that others are having good experiences and try to make the case that maybe the elitist firebox ain't the best choice for all applications, I'm scoffed at and ridiculed.
But...
When you (or your dad) can't get more than a couple-few hours heat out of a smoke dragon firebox burning 7³/ft(?), you claim it's because of a poor box design. Even when it's pointed out to you that not every Hotblast user experiences what you do, you scoff at that also. According to the same choir, it's the box this time... not operator error (or even a broke box). It has to be the box design... what else could it possibly be?? You even focus on my comparison of box sizes, pointing out that it's meaningless because it ain't a Hotblast... while totally ignoring the two Hotblast users posting of 12 hour clean burns (and not necessarily with full 7³/ft boxes either).

It's OK for the choir to claim operator error if I (we) don't get the same results as they do... and any defense is scoffed at and ridiculed.
But if the argument turns the other way, it's taboo to claim the same... the claim is even scoffed at and ridiculed.

The point is...
The preconceived, prejudicial, ironic, double-standard sung by the choir... their blind inability to see it... and stubborn refusal to concede sour owl crap outside their belief in the magic.
The point is...
The flip-flopping attitude and reasoning of the choir depending on the turn of the argument.
The point is...
Why the term "elitist" stove (or firebox) just flat fits‼
The point is...
Just how beyond laughable the whole damn thing is.
*

 

[Cpeder]

Every house house has a wood stove that was ment to be. I say this because there are so many variables influencing a wood burning unit (geography, house,chimney type, chimney height ect) And the hot blast was just not working out for me.. Call it operator error or stupidity but I'm way more satisfied with the ease of use and efficiency of the tundra. And I like to see a secondary burn like this with a non modified hotblast...

 

[Cpeder]

1. So now my only concern is with my 8" pipes hooked up I installed a grill thermometer into the one stack. When the blower are off the reach 200!! The heat exchangers are definitely doing their job but I worry about the insulation around the duct work where the pipes enter. Am I overly concerned?
2. 

 

[brenndatomu]

Every house house has a wood stove that was ment to be. I say this because there are so many variables influencing a wood burning unit (geography, house,chimney type, chimney height ect) And the hot blast was just not working out for me.. Call it operator error or stupidity but I'm way more satisfied with the ease of use and efficiency of the tundra. And I like to see a secondary burn like this with a non modified hotblast...View attachment 388016View attachment 388017

Nice! Dang dude, that was FAST!
As for the temp question in your last post, 200* is a bit on the warm end of the spectrum but should be OK as long as that insulation is meant for "duct work duty" and your ducts have proper clearance from combustibles (mainly the run over to your furnace) many MFGs recommend 6" clearance for the first 6', I dunno 'bout the specs for the Tundra though. Those PVC pipes may be a lil close?
Maybe you could get one of the adjustble fan switches they are talking about in the last few pages of the big "Tundra" thread http://www.arboristsite.com/community/posts/5098551/

 

[Cpeder]

Haven't measured the temp next tho the PVC witch is the exhaust of the propane unit believe it or not. The temp I took was about 12" up the vent pipe at a closer look it was more like 180. So I guess I really shouldn't be overly concerned. And yes it was fast vie been a man on a mission trying to beat the propane man down. I also don't not have as much draft as I thought so a flue liner is going to be ordered tomorrow. As for insulating the chimney the only thing I could do is vermiculite mix bags witch I will have to wait until summer todo. I have a material handler fork lift with 40' reach but the yard is to wet to be driving on. I will say the lack of draft wasn't helping my hot blast situation but I'm still happy with my choice to pull it out! Hot blast might become my pole building heater when I'm in the shop.

 

[laynes69]

Have you measured draft? If it falls within recommendation and your performance doesn't suffer, personally I don't know if I would line the chimney. We had to due to a 7×11 liner, it was condensing in our chimney. After lining, our draft increased and our condensation dissappeared. As your finding out, the flue temps will run much lower on your new furnace than the previous. They are a nice looking furnace.

 

[johnnylabguy]

Very nice! Let us know what kind of burn times and heating differences you're experiencing vs. the old unit after you've burned a few days. Meanwhile I'll just keep chucking logs into my wood gobblin' hotblast every 6 hrs. lol.

 

[flotek]

How's it working out so far. If you find your ducting is getting hotter than you like you could always experiment by cranking up the fan speed on the blower by setting it on high

 

[Whitespider]

200° shouldn't be a problem... heck, my furnace would easily hit the 200° limit switch before I adjusted it. If I'm rememberin' correctly the minimum temp rating for any heat duct (even non-metallic) is 250°, and that would include any insulation. Any metal duct will be good for something well over 200°, normally including the insulation. That PVC furnace exhaust ain't in any danger either.

I gotta' say... that's a damn fine lookin' unit.

You must like your gadgets... huh??
A grill thermometer in the heat vent, a flue thermometer on the stack, a barometric damper... what else ya' got??
*

 

[Cpeder]

No I have not measured draft. I will on Tuesday when the manometer gets here, just a hunch I have. And the vent temps are before the blower kicks on so fan speed will not change that. Haha and I guess u could say I like my gadgets.. In the winter time the basement is my go to place so I like to keep an eye on this for the fun of it. I have the basement windows open at the moment trying to get the new paint smell out also trying to see those secondary tubes work their magic again but not having much luck as earlier. Could be wet wood but I doubt it. Maybe lack of air even with the open windows or lack of draft pulling the air. Also the adjustable limit switch is getting ordered the blows turn on and off ever 5 minutes. I would like them to cycle a bit longer. Oh and stack temps are about 250 external high fire and 160 when the damper is closed witch will take getting used too

 

[cantoo]

I'm cheap, when my Hotblast fans came on and off too often I just took it off and put 2 washers under it, problem solved and no repairman or ordered parts needed.

 

[brenndatomu]

You'll only get secondary action the first hour or two of a load depending on what kind of wood you load and how dry it is. Once the wood is done outgassing (and smoking) you'll just have a "regular" fire. The wood should be close to just glowing red charcoal by that point