Thanks for the input. We tried diffferent looks and this was our most 'muted' we came up with.
Introducing Brand New Wood Furnace to Market - The Drolet Tundra!
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Thanks for the input. We tried diffferent looks and this was our most 'muted' we came up with.
It depends on what kind of shape your masonry chimney is. If mortar and bricks are falling apart then a complete tear down and using a solid pack Class A chimney would probably be better and cheaper than rebuilding a masonry chimney. If you're after the old style look of a chimney on the side of the house, you can always 'chase' your Class A chimney - that is box frame it - then either use siding to finish the look or those manufactured light weight stones for a more rustic look. It all depends on your budget.
My only problem with a clay tile 6" chimney is they take a long time to warm up to get the draft going. If you go with a rigid or flexible insulated liner your flue temps stand a much better chance of staying at same temp for most of the lenght of the chimney.
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My main concern was longevity. My mason guy states he replaces metal liners all the time with the person getting 7-10 years out of them around here because most people burn oak which he states is pretty acidy. He states clay will last 50 years or more. I asked him about the thicker rigid liners and he said he never dealt with them. I haven't either and do not now how long they've been around or how long the rigid liners last. In my present chimney with clay liner, I have to get the draft going with a heat gun if I have not built a fire in a few days. I'm thinking once the clay liner is heated, it is not as quick to lose heat either. He will use vermiculite as the insulator as he prefers it because it stays loose.
Could you tell me if anyone in North East PA is going to have them? Thanks been waiting going to build a chimney within the next two mos. Got the wood ready. Was not hard to convince the wife on the purchase told her the specs. Tax credit and efficency. 
Your mason may have pulled aluminium liners in the past. But there is no reason why a stainless steel liner should not last 25-50 years or more. Clay will degrade at the same rate if not faster than a good quality stainless liner. If your mason was both certified as a Mason & NFI certified as solid fuel appliance technician with many years of service under his belt then I would go with his experience. However, I know many mason / NFI guys that would wholeheartedly disagree with your guy.
Another tip is the comment about oak acidity. Never heard of such a thing...
So I would suggest,
1) if the entire masonry chimney has to come down for whatever reason... Install a solid pack Class A stainless steel chimney. Even though the air cooled ones are cheaper go with the better stuff... 1" or 2" pack. It'll be cheaper than re-doing the entire masonry chimney. Olympia Chimney for example offer a 'Forever Lifetime warranty' on their chimneys which is better than what your mason can offer.
2) If the chimney is in reasonable shape but the clay liner is falling apart you have 2 choice. If the clay liner is large enough to accommodate an insulated flex or solid liner then that is the best and least expensive option.
If there is not enough room you mason will have to break down the clay flue with a special tool so you can put in an insulated liner.
Hope this helps. Let us know how it goes.
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Could you tell me if anyone in North East PA is going to have them? Thanks been waiting going to build a chimney within the next two mos. Got the wood ready. Was not hard to convince the wife on the purchase told her the specs. Tax credit and efficency.
Not sure exactly in your area. I think Pro Hardware will have them on special order. You could look to get it from Northern Tools or other etailers.
As far as chimney, if you don't have one don't build a masonry one. Get a good quality Stainless Steel Class A Chimney. Olympia makes about the best one on the market but not available direct to consumer.
Champion Brand also is outstanding and available here... Class-A Double Wall | WoodlandDirect.com: Chimney Systems
And Woodland will also be carrying the Tundra furnace.
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Install Manual now Available...
I'm getting a fair amount of PM's about specific installs. We finally have the install manual online and you can get it here...
http://www.drolet.ca/upload/documents/manuels/45656A_10-06-2013.pdf
I'm getting a fair amount of PM's about specific installs. We finally have the install manual online and you can get it here...
http://www.drolet.ca/upload/documents/manuels/45656A_10-06-2013.pdf
Highbeam
ArboristSite Guru
I see the emissions spec is 6.6 grams on this 3.5 CF EPA furnace. Will it be legal in WA state?
I read the manual online today and there are still some mistakes in it. Typos or missing variable information. Really good manual though with lots of information.
I read the manual online today and there are still some mistakes in it. Typos or missing variable information. Really good manual though with lots of information.
Yes, it looks very good! I'm especially excited about that HUGE ashpan, Why in the world don't more stoves implement those?
The only things that dissapointed me was the use of wing nuts on the ash door and heat exchanger door. I'd much rather have the typical over-center lock door handles, but I suppose its all part of cost saving and getting the price below $2k. Also, I didn't know that you could only use 2 of the 4, 8" duct outlets. I'll have to start replanning how to duct the house. I had originally thought all four would be usalbe at the same time.
Other than that, looks great!
The only things that dissapointed me was the use of wing nuts on the ash door and heat exchanger door. I'd much rather have the typical over-center lock door handles, but I suppose its all part of cost saving and getting the price below $2k. Also, I didn't know that you could only use 2 of the 4, 8" duct outlets. I'll have to start replanning how to duct the house. I had originally thought all four would be usalbe at the same time.
Other than that, looks great!
Highbeam
ArboristSite Guru
Don't get too excited about that ash pan. It is of the design where you must dig in the firebox for a plug to open a chute and then you must push all the ashes into the tiny hole with a shovel. It is not a good system. Perhaps the pan holds a good bit of ash but the effort required to use the system is higher than simply shoveling into a bucket. Many stoves use this IMO stupid ash dump system and it is actually worse than having no ash pan at all.
Superior would be some sort of grate system that allows you to dump ashes into a large, think 10 gallons, ash pan while the fire is hot and without having to dig in the ash bed for opening the chute or for pushing ashes into the tiny hole. Think shaker grate.
Shovel and bucket will be the common tool of choice with a chute n' plug system.
Unfortunately no... Washington State will not approve it.
BTW PLS PM me any problems or mistakes on the manuals. They are a work in progress and we appreciate your input.
Maybe a drawing will explain it better... But the ash hole (no smart comments here :msp_confused
is not a chute but a rectangular hole covered with a grate. The grate is then covered with a cast iron plug. So this should satisfy all your requirement. View attachment 301125View attachment 301126
Ducting has to do with code & certification. But its likely many users will want to put as many outlets as they can.
Highbeam
ArboristSite Guru
the ash hole (no smart comments here :msp_confused
So the grate must be covered by the plug during operation? If so, then this is a plug-n'-chute system and undesirable. This means that the operator would have to dig through the hot ash bed, locate the plug, remove the plug and then scoop ash into the chute. Maybe stop a few times to empty the ash pan and then replace the plug hoping that enough ash has been cleaned out of the chute to allow the plug to set in place. Don't you think it is easier to just shovel the ash into a bucket? I actually worry that the grate is only making things worse by preventing any chunks of coal or clinkers from falling through the chute.
If the grate remains open during operation then you might be on to something.
the ash hole (no smart comments here :msp_confused
So the grate must be covered by the plug during operation? If so, then this is a plug-n'-chute system and undesirable. This means that the operator would have to dig through the hot ash bed, locate the plug, remove the plug and then scoop ash into the chute. Maybe stop a few times to empty the ash pan and then replace the plug hoping that enough ash has been cleaned out of the chute to allow the plug to set in place. Don't you think it is easier to just shovel the ash into a bucket? I actually worry that the grate is only making things worse by preventing any chunks of coal or clinkers from falling through the chute.
If the grate remains open during operation then you might be on to something.
The ash pan is sealed so as not to leak combustion air through the grate. The plug is just an assurance.
Wether or not the user decides to use the Ash Pan or not is entirely up to them. When we did a survey of customers this is one feature they really wanted.
When designing anything there usually is some trade-off. At least this gives the customer a choice.
Highbeam
ArboristSite Guru
Ooh, Awe, must resist, must resist. ( just hate dragging wood down the stairs, guess i will have find out about putting a walkout in the basement. Been tossin that around for a while now)
You could always just make a chute/log slide down through one of the windows...
Makes it a two man operation, but is a lot cheaper than a walkout. Granted walkouts are awesome, so not a bad way to go either
