How I heat my entire home...

[flotek]

Yes you do‼ Why don't you tell me than... at what efficiency rate is my furnace running now?? How about an hour ago?? Yesterday?? How the hell can you possibly know my furnace ain't running 70, 75 even 80% efficient the way I run it?? You don't know... just as you don't know how poorly I'd run some wiz-bang new-fangled furnace. I could have the newest wiz-bang new-fangled furnace on the planet and I could easily run it at a worst efficiency level that the one I have now. The new-fangled stuff ain't fool proof... it just less likely that a fool can screw it up. Just as ajr just posted... I don't see smoke roll out'a my "earth killing Inefficient Daka (smoke dragon)" either. It's flat silly to claim it's not possible to burn the smoke in a non-EPA certified box... actually it's flat ignorance of the truth.

Yeah, some of the metal got hotter than the paint was rated... so?? That's why they sell stove paint.
Nothing warped, cracked, split, bent or otherwise damaged... the manual says, "To cover discoloration, obtain a high-temperature flat black spray paint from hardware or fireplace shop." Ok... that's what I did. Now if that paint was burned off the furnace, rather than just discolored... well. But tell me flotek, what does the paint discoloration have to do with anything in my post?? I mean seriously, why bring it up, and why bring it up twice?? I know why it was white, so do you, so does anyone else... and no one made an attempt to hide it. It sure seems as though you're just looking for something to criticize... heaven friggin' forbid you you say something like, "nice work on adapting that blower Spidy." Heck, I ain't thin skinned, but the "holier than thou" crap is starting to get damn old. Christ man, the white paint thing ain't even of my doing... what's the friggin point of bring it up, and than again a second time??

Same thing with the flue... twice now... we friggin' heard ya' the first time ya' know?? What does that have to do with this post?? My post wasn't about the damn flue... it was about the furnace. I already told you there ain't any local code requiring me to have separate flues for each appliance. But that ain't enough for ya', is it?? This house has had multiple appliances connected to a single flue for over 100 years... the damn chimney was designed for multiple connections on multiple floor levels of the house. I don't give a flying crap what "most all codes require"... the only codes that matters are the ones applying to me... correct?? Well code says as each connecting pipe enters the common pipe or flue area must be a certain size, 100% of the first plus 50% of each subsequent... I'm many times over that. It exceeds code... get over it. And like I said, less than a generation ago my flue setup would've passed or exceeded "most codes" wherever they were. Just because it's "code" now don't mean anything and everything else is "wrong"... it simply means it don't pass code today... it simply means someone is trying to protect you from yourself. I know the possible issues from running multiple appliances in a single flue, but if done correctly there ain't any issues. That's a fact that most people understood at one time... but some people are idiots. That's why we have codes... to protect the idiot from himself.

Better?? By who's standard??

So... How do ya' like the mods I did on the furnace?? See anything about those mods I could have done a little differently to make it work better??
*

A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still

 

[Whitespider]

Actually ajr, I cut one larger rectangle outlet the same size as the plenum in the top panel, which is sealed with high-temp silicone and secured with rivets. Then I used a single, larger connector between it and the gas furnace plenum, it runs near straight across. The actual outlet area wasn't increased much with the single pipe, but by eliminating one pipe and multiple elbows I (in theory) reduced friction/resistance and therefore increased air flow. It's sort of a hybrid setup between the "add-on" and "central" systems described in the installation manual. I also utilized all three blower speeds of that larger furnace blower... using furnace blower relays/sensors the speed changes according to demand and air jacket/plenum temperatures.

Low speed requires only one condition - Air jacket temperature, it starts at 160° and off at 110° (my setting on the adjustable controller).
Medium speed requires two conditions - Air jacket temperature and the thermostat calling for heat.
High speed requires three conditions - Air jacket temperature, thermostat calling for heat, and 95° upstream in the ducting sensed by a thermistor.

Of course the thermostat also starts the draft blower; I changed the "limit" from 200° to 180°. I haven't noticed any reduction in heat output, but the draft blower cycles a bit more during times of high heat demand... which considerably reduces the amount of fuel it consumes during that time. I also added a snap switch to the thermostat circuit; if air jacket temperature falls below 90° (i.e., the fire is out) it cuts all power to the thermostat so the draft blower isn't pumping air into a dead firebox... it closes the circuit at 110°. I added a bypass circuit to the draft blower controlled by a one hour timer (but still uses the "limit") that allows me to use the draft blower for starting or reloading the fire. And finally, there's a toggle switch on the draft blower so I can easily shut it down to open the door.

This morning there was just a few coals left in the box and even though the thermostat was calling for heat no blowers were running. I loaded the box, shut the door, and turned the timer to about a ½ hour... the draft blower came on and I walked away. That was approximately an hour ago, and now everything has come up on it's own with nearly no interaction or intervention on my part. Really, other than loading the fuel and emptying the ash drawer, the system runs itself... so easy a caveman could do it.
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[Whitespider]

A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still

Judge a man by his questions, rather than his answers.
*

 

[bert0168]

Actually ajr, I cut one larger rectangle outlet the same size as the plenum in the top panel, which is sealed with high-temp silicone and secured with rivets. Then I used a single, larger connector between it and the gas furnace plenum, it runs near straight across. The actual outlet area wasn't increased much with the single pipe, but by eliminating one pipe and multiple elbows I (in theory) reduced friction/resistance and therefore increased air flow. It's sort of a hybrid setup between the "add-on" and "central" systems described in the installation manual. I also utilized all three blower speeds of that larger furnace blower... using furnace blower relays/sensors the speed changes according to demand and air jacket/plenum temperatures.

Low speed requires only one condition - Air jacket temperature, it starts at 160° and off at 110° (my setting on the adjustable controller).
Medium speed requires two conditions - Air jacket temperature and the thermostat calling for heat.
High speed requires three conditions - Air jacket temperature, thermostat calling for heat, and 95° upstream in the ducting sensed by a thermistor.

Of course the thermostat also starts the draft blower; I changed the "limit" from 200° to 180°. I haven't noticed any reduction in heat output, but the draft blower cycles a bit more during times of high heat demand... which considerably reduces the amount of fuel it consumes during that time. I also added a snap switch to the thermostat circuit; if air jacket temperature falls below 90° (i.e., the fire is out) it cuts all power to the thermostat so the draft blower isn't pumping air into a dead firebox... it closes the circuit at 110°. I added a bypass circuit to the draft blower controlled by a one hour timer (but still uses the "limit") that allows me to use the draft blower for starting or reloading the fire. And finally, there's a toggle switch on the draft blower so I can easily shut it down to open the door.

This morning there was just a few coals left in the box and even though the thermostat was calling for heat no blowers were running. I loaded the box, shut the door, and turned the timer to about a ½ hour... the draft blower came on and I walked away. That was approximately an hour ago, and now everything has come up on it's own with nearly no interaction or intervention on my part. Really, other than loading the fuel and emptying the ash drawer, the system runs itself... so easy a caveman could do it.
*

Pretty slick controlling there spidey

Ignore the naysayers.

 

[olyman]

Better?? By who's standard?? Yours?? And are we all supposed to use what you say, just because of your personal belief system??
You really need to loose your arrogance. Until you do you'll never be able to see that what's "better" for you is... well... only "better" for you, and has no relevance for anyone else in any way.

Once again I'll quote you from a couple days ago...


But it's perfectly OK for you to run-down a different type of appliance?? The double-standard is perfectly OK?? Because, in your mind you are right and anyone not agreeing with you is wrong... and stupid??
See, it's your contempt of anyone not thinking exactly like you that defines your arrogant, pompous self-importance. It ain't what you say, it's how you say it and the double-standard it attempts to justify... you ain't even any good at disguising your contempt or narcissism.

But to your credit... you are consistent in it...
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dead on!!!!! exactly what he is.if you don't have his brand of woodstove,,installed the way he did it!![tho maybe not according to code,its that double standard thing] then you don't know how to be a PROPER wood burner................

 

[olyman]

Yep..........like what would an environmental scientist know about the environment?

Being vocal and proud of running high emission wood heating systems is going to have repercussions.

To clam up would be smarter.

If the goal is further reaching regulations, this is one way to help bring them on.

no, its people like you,,preaching your brand of environmentalism,,to those that don't care to hear your OPINION, which is sooo far biased to the left,,that people on here can see it..whatever stove they have,,they are happy with,,and if not,,they don't need your brand of preaching to change their mind.......mnay people to the far left..like to turn others in,,that have a SMOKE dragon........ENVIRO N U T S .....

 

[olyman]

Spider, have you been missing doses of your prescribed meds? I'm sensing a high degree of mania from you.

how does his stove work???

 

[olyman]

Whitespider, I feel your pain with this. You have a system that works great for you, and your happy with it. I totally agree with you on your "simpler is better" theory. Also, no matter what at the end of the day it has to keep you and your family warm. Your system does that for you, at a fair price.

I hang out from time to time on another forum where there are a bunch of snobby folks telling me that my "smoke dragon" boiler is a POS and I need a gasser with 1500 gallons of storage heat and that I'm going to kill the world, andante it tropical with old technology boiler system due to emissions and heat loss. Oh yeah, they also tell me over there that they heat their whole house on 4 cord of wood a year, and I used to burn 900 gallons of oil. Math don't work out to me, just a bunch of BS'ers.

The old tech stuff will burn wood nice and clean if you know how to run it. Mostly just use dry wood. You know how I tell if my boiler is running good, I look at the stack. Guess what, rarely is there smoke except for startup. My EPA wood stove in the shop makes more smoke than the old smoke dragon sitting outside.

YUP!! just what we need,,is more of those enviro NUT cases,,telling some of us on here,,how "green" they are,,and the rest of us,,are extreme polluters...

 

[olyman]

I found those pictures while cleaning out the computer today.
They were all originally posted in the "DAKA Install" thread (plus several more) with my comments and descriptions... but sadly they were lost in the "hack attack" a few weeks ago.
I was cleaning out the computer and spending the day on AS 'cause it's damn friggin' cold outside... and my neck and back are killin' me after the weekend.

By-the-way, it's been a steady 71-72° in here all day despite the sub-zero temps and 30 MPH winds outside... been sittin' here barefoot and shirtless.
Gotta' love it, I even turned the gas valve off to the propane furnace last week (never have turned the power on this year)... don't see me having need for it.
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but just think,,of ALLLL of that HIGH volumne of particulate matter you are throwing into the air,,and polluting what I breathe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! why,,,,its drifting in the air,,directly over to my place......... Ill have to ask the epa about it

 

[olyman]

Spidey i don't need to know how you burn your appliance to make a statement concerning efficiency like I did . It's a fact of the design If doesn't burn off the smoke by secondary combustion so I think it's fair to say your not getting the most out of your wood that doesn't mean you can't heat your home or that I'm a government EPA loving liberal which is opposite of what I am. . I'm not finding fault with you I'm trying to help you realize that you could be doing better . If you love to cut wood have at it . Most all codes require one flue for each appliance and you can tell by the notorious white round dis coloring they your unit has been overfired before .. Just sayin

spidey is correct,,NOT in iowa..as I checked a few years back..with the STATE fire marshall.....only for individual towns or municipalitys that put a law in...

 

[Whitespider]

Oh... I forgot to mention...
By changing the limit so the draft blower cycles more often not only reduces fuel consumption during high heat demand, it also isn't (as some here are claiming) "sending more heat into the wilderness than needed"
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[olyman]

Funny how some people think that "CODES" are the only way to do things correctly... Half the codes are due to one moron out of ten thousand that screwed up and sued the hell out of somebody else and the only way to avoid another frivolous lawsuit was to write a CODE.

Here's an idea.... Convince judges to tell the morons to get a brain and fine them for wasting the courts time.

Sorry.. I'm in a mood tonight.

aim,,theres more than a few of those on here,,who you speak of,,and he aint getting what spidey said about codes. right over his head.... like I said,,i called the state fire marhsall, over a argument,,with a "certified" chimney "expert"..who I found ot two weeks later,,was lying thru his teeth...the state fire marshall,,said there was N O state certification for "chimeny cleaning experts". reminds me of the "experts" on here..

 

[Whitespider]

spidey is correct,,NOT in iowa..as I checked a few years back..with the STATE fire marshall.....only for individual towns or municipalitys that put a law in...

There is one exception to that I know of, in my county (i.e., a local code)...
New home construction or new chimney installations require separate flues, and licensed professional HVAC installers cannot add a new appliance connection to an existing flue... but during a replacement may use the same one used by the unit being replaced.
Notice I said licensed professional HVAC installers, but there isn't any county "code" requiring the homeowner to use licensed professional HVAC installers... after the home is two years old, the homeowner is at liberty to do any work himself (electrical, plumbing, HVAC, etc.) and is not bound by the same rules/codes as licensed professionals. Actually, the "code" is designed more to protect the licensed professionals from liability than it is to protect the home owner (i.e., if done to "code" he can't be held liable).
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[greendohn]

I wonder if the chemicals in railroad ties would help my OWB burn more efficient??

 

[ajr]

Give it a shot greendohn.

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[farmer steve]

YUP!! just what we need,,is more of those enviro NUT cases,,telling some of us on here,,how "green" they are,,and the rest of us,,are extreme polluters...

yup,pretty soon we'll all be walking around with face masks on like the chinese.maybe we should send them a letter telling them how bad their pollution is and to quit cooking their rice over an open fire in a wok.


ps. in before the lock.

 

[greendohn]

Give it a shot greendohn.

LOL!! Maybe I'll wait 'till the wind is blowing toward my "favorite" worthless, dead beat neighbor!!! get it burning with some oil soaked synthetic throw rugs,,,LOL,,,,

 

[ajr]

Hey I'm burning RR tie ends!........... Before they are treated.

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[the GOAT]

BTT