# Shurheat Wood Furnace



## Twig (May 12, 2010)

Hi Everyone,

new to the forum and getting ready to burn alot of wood for the rest of my life! I currently have a red Hotblast wood furnace in the basement, a cozyheat fireplace on the second floor and as of right now I have a new looking wood stove in the garage. I can't find a name, but on the door of the stove it says "All Nighter" and on the bottom it says "Moe". And I just purchased a wood burning Sauna stove for the sauna in the garage. So as you can see I can either go broke heating with fuel oil or I can get busy cutting wood.

Here are a couple newbie questions that I have. I just picked up a red wood furnace at an auction that is literally twice the size as the Hotblast! But I can't find a thing about it on the Internet, it is thermostat controled and all it says on the door where the wood goes in is "Shurheat". Has anyone heard of this wood biting stove/furnace?

Just so I know, what is the difference in a wood stove and wood furnace?

Last but not least, I plan on moving the "shurheat" stove to the basement and move the "hotblast" stove to the garage. I plan on putting the "allnighter moe" on craigslist but I'm just not sure what to sell it for. Any ideas?

Thanks for reading, looking forward to being a lifetime member.


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## ikessky (May 12, 2010)

Welcome!  Not sure I can help you on some of you questions, but I do have a couple things for you.

First, before you invest too much time and money in installing a wood stove in your garage, make sure you check with your homeowners insurance.  Many will not let you install a wood burning appliance in the garage.

A wood furnace typically implies a series of duct work.  A wood stove is essentially a "space heater".  A wood stove is typically free standing and the only thing connected to it is your chimney/flue.

I'm sure someone else will chime in with more.


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## Twig (May 12, 2010)

What kind of blower should I get for the Shurheat furnace? I guess it is a furnace because I plan on running retangular duct from the unit up into the living room.


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## ikessky (May 12, 2010)

A wood furnace will have a sheetmetal jacket surrounding the actual firebox, with an air space in between.  The blower blows air into this air space and forces the hot air into the connected duct work and into your living space.  Make sure that is what you have before trying to do something potentially dangerous.  Trying to duct heat from a wood stove instead of a furnace is a no-no.

If you are just making your own system, almost any fan from a furnace or wood furnace will do.  Make sure you have the proper t-stat settings so your fan will come on and go off when it is supposed to.  The cfm of the blower you get really depends on the size of your house and how you have your set-up.


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## Twig (May 12, 2010)

Ok, I have a wood furnace. It has a red sheetmetal jacket around the firebox. I will post the deminsions on here later tonight.


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## Twig (May 12, 2010)

Will this blower motor work for my Shurheat Wood Furnace? I just found it on the craigslist in my area. It is a model #SA55NXWR-1363 . Can anyone tell me if this is what I am looking for? Thanks


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## webbie (May 12, 2010)

Here is a spec sheet on one All Nighter.....

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/wiki/All_Nighter_Stove_Co./
here is an ad...
https://www.hearth.com/gallery/pics/ads/source/allnighter.html

As far as price, depends on the model and the condition and where you are located. My guess out there would be about $350 if in decent shape - which is not bad considering it was probably a $400 stove when new.


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## begreen (May 13, 2010)

Twig, before recommending anything for the Shurheat, we would need to know more about this furnace. There are some important safety issues involved in case the unit overheats due to a power outage or blower failure. Can you post some pictures of the unit with the hope of a better ID. Also, look on the back and sides for any UL testing plate that has more info on this unit.


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## Twig (May 13, 2010)

Thanks to Everyone, I will get pics posted up this afternoon. I just found a deal on craigslist for a blower motor. Can some please tell me if the following motor would work on my Wood Furnace:

Emerson Belted Fan and Blower Motor, Model #SA55NXWR-1363 
¼ horsepower 
Single Phase 
Resilient Mounted 
Sleeve Bearing 
115V 
60HZ 
1725 RPM


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## ikessky (May 13, 2010)

You could use any sort of motor, but you will need to buy a fan unit also.  The motor by itself won't do any good.  Here are the optional blowers and motors for my furnace.  Maybe you can use these as a point of reference.  http://www.dakacorp.com/store/furnaces.cfm?ProductCategoryID=42


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## Twig (May 13, 2010)

http://duluth.craigslist.org/for/1737923860.html

above is the link to what I am getting. So are you saying that I will need to purchase a fan also? Thanks


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## ikessky (May 13, 2010)

Looks to me like that is just a motor.  Take a look at it first to see if that is right though.


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## Twig (May 13, 2010)

Is $57 a good buy? Also, can I buy just the blower to go along with it?

Thanks


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## laynes69 (May 13, 2010)

Theres more than just needing a blower. Do you have the Limit/control to control the blower? Does it have a forced draft? Its impossible to recommend a blower not knowing anything about the furnace (Btus). Plus everything needs to be wired correctly, as well as proper clearances for the ductwork for safety purposes. I also wondered if there is a tag on the unit. With the amount of wood a furnace will take and the amount of heat they can produce they can be dangerous if everythings not installed properly.


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## smokinj (May 13, 2010)

laynes69 said:
			
		

> Theres more than just needing a blower. Do you have the Limit/control to control the blower? Does it have a forced draft? Its impossible to recommend a blower not knowing anything about the furnace (Btus). Plus everything needs to be wired correctly, as well as proper clearances for the ductwork for safety purposes. I also wondered if there is a tag on the unit. With the amount of wood a furnace will take and the amount of heat they can produce they can be dangerous if everythings not installed properly.



+1 then you need to know what size your home is and how many cfm's your going to have to produce.


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## Twig (May 13, 2010)

I was thinking it would be as simple as just cutting a whole bunch of wood. I have pics of the unit, I will post as soon as I figure out how to do so. I really do thank you all for the help.


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## Twig (May 13, 2010)

IMG_2002.JPG


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## laynes69 (May 13, 2010)

If you have a hotblast installed, why remove it? Is it in poor shape, or doesn't produce enough heat?


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## Twig (May 13, 2010)

The Hotblast is in great shape. I picked it up an an auction for $140. Well, just last week I picked up the Shurheat at an auction and it is literally twice the size as the Hotblast. It has a temperture control and a thermostat. The fire box itself seems to be quite larger also with what appears to be heat channels that run thru the top of the firebox. If someone could email me at nlabarry@cpinternet.com I could email you pics to post. For some reason I can't post pics.

Thanks


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## laynes69 (May 14, 2010)

Here are the pics. There are quite a few.


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## laynes69 (May 14, 2010)

Last one.


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## laynes69 (May 14, 2010)

The furnace has a limit control for the fan and the automatic damper in the front of the door. I'm thinking more than likely it had a blower inside the sheetmetal box in the last picture. All the safety features are there if they operate properly. I don't see a tag on the unit so you should contact your insurance company before I would attempt to install it. It doesn't look bad for its age, which its an older furnace. Look inside for warping, cracks, etc. That will tell you if its been abused or overfired.


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## Twig (May 14, 2010)

There seems to be slight warping on the bottom left flange just inside the door. I will try to post pics later.


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## ikessky (May 14, 2010)

Bigger isn't always better when it comes to wood stoves/furnaces.  You need to properly size a furnace to your requirements.  I can honestly say that my furnace is too much for my current house.  I can rarely keep a fire going 24/7 as it just gets too hot in the house.  Outside doors get left open quite often in the winter just to cool it down so I don't have to shut down and restart.


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## Twig (May 14, 2010)

You know, I talked with my wife last night and we feel after reading all the post that just maybe the Hotblast is the way to go. It is a smaller unit but once we run duct straight up and thru the kitchen/living area, we really feel it will more than heat our home. Being of the mind set that bigger is better, I have to swallow my pride here and listen to the advice from you all. We have 2 small children and the last thing I want is an unsafe oversized unit. How can I determine if the Hotblast is the proper size for my home? I have much to learn about wood furnaces and fires.


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## ikessky (May 14, 2010)

https://www.hearth.com/calc/btucalc.html


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## begreen (May 14, 2010)

Having better background information will help us to help you. It doesn't seem like we have gotten to the heart of the matter yet. Can you provide more information about the house, the heating goals, and options you would or would not consider? I'm wondering about things like floor plan, house size, insulation, chimney location and condition, the Cozy fireplace, the budget, etc. If you go with the furnace, how much sheet metal experience do you have or will this be contracted out?

Also, do you already have a good several cords of wood, split, stacked and drying for next fall?


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## smokinj (May 14, 2010)

BeGreen said:
			
		

> Having better background information will help us to help you. It doesn't seem like we have gotten to the heart of the matter yet. Can you provide more information about the house, the heating goals, and options you would or would not consider? I'm wondering about things like floor plan, house size, insulation, chimney location and condition, the Cozy fireplace, the budget, etc. If you go with the furnace, how much sheet metal experience do you have or will this be contracted out?
> 
> Also, do you already have a good several cords of wood, split, stacked and drying for next fall?



lol make it 10-12 cords ready to go!


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## Twig (May 15, 2010)

I have some pics and a short video of my home layout. Is there anyone I could email pics to so you could post them. I can't post pics from my phone and our Internet has not been hooked up yet.

Thanks


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## Twig (May 15, 2010)

Do any of you guys live near Duluth,MN?

I am really puzzled by the firebox design. The hole where the smoke exits on the back, there appears to be a built in ridge/channel just below the hole that is filled with soot/ash. It is literally 2 inches deep and I don't seem to see a way to clean it. Also, I just noticed that directly on the top and bottom of the furnace there are 2 spots where something could be screwed in. I am so confussed. Should I just sell this Shurheat Wood Furnace? Does this appear to be a homemade unit?


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## begreen (May 15, 2010)

Twig said:
			
		

> I have some pics and a short video of my home layout. Is there anyone I could email pics to so you could post them. I can't post pics from my phone and our Internet has not been hooked up yet.
> 
> Thanks



You can email me the pics, but I'll pass on the video. Click on my member name (over the avatar) and then click on the Email button.


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## begreen (May 15, 2010)

Twig said:
			
		

> Do any of you guys live near Duluth,MN?
> 
> I am really puzzled by the firebox design. The hole where the smoke exits on the back, there appears to be a built in ridge/channel just below the hole that is filled with soot/ash. It is literally 2 inches deep and I don't seem to see a way to clean it. Also, I just noticed that directly on the top and bottom of the furnace there are 2 spots where something could be screwed in. I am so confussed. Should I just sell this Shurheat Wood Furnace? Does this appear to be a homemade unit?



These are not plug and play appliances. Even if the unit was new, there is a degree of skill to run it well. That's why I'd like to see the floorplan and options. It could be that a stove on the first floor is a simpler and safer introduction to wood burning. The All Nighter you have is not the most efficient, but it was a good stove in its day. If it's in good condition, that may be a better starting point. It is a simple stove to operate., so let's take a looks at all options before committing to one. 

Is the Hotblast furnace already installed, in good condition and functional? How long have you been using it and how has it worked out? Same question for the fireplace.

Based on what has been posted so far, I would get rid of the Shurheat if for nothing else, because you have no documentation or knowledge of its operation or the controls. If its safety controls or automatic damper control are defective, will you be able to test and determine this before putting it into service?

And last, how much wood do you have already? By now you should have several cords of wood drying for next fall. Damp wood is the number one problem we deal with here when folks start burning in the fall. It leads to poor performance and creosote accumulation. If you don't have wood already, maybe consider buying it (now) for this year?


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## Twig (May 15, 2010)

I have around 4 cord of wood drying right now.

The Hotblast is operational right now, I can put 3 fair size pieces of wood in it and it burns thru the entire night. And it does seem to put out alot of heat.
I just don't really have a clue as to how much of a house it can heat.

FirePlace, I just started my very first fire in it last night. I used some newspaper and a couple of small pieces to get it going, once it was going I put a big piece of wood on and it burned all night. It was actually quite nice to look at and my wife loved it. After an hour of burning I noticed a lightswitch on the side of the fire place, I flipped the switch and man did it throw out the heat.

Ok, my house has a staggered 4 story plan. The chimney for the Wells-McLain Fuel Oil Furnace and Bock Fuel Oil water heater runs pretty much thru the center of the home. If you enter on the side door you will be entering the basement, this is where fuel oil furnace, water heater, fuel oil tank, washer/dryer, mudd room, deep freezer, cold storage, and Bowtech Bow reside.

You then walk up 6 stairs and you will be entering the family room area, here you will find a bathroom, cozyheat fireplace, this space is open 100% with exception of the bathroom. There is also a 10 pound Walleye above the mantle. 5 large windows and material is mainly barnwood on lower walls with barnwood covered steel support beams.

Ok, now go up 6 more stairs, you are now directly over the basement. This is the common area, kitchen and small living room for guest. This is also where the main entrance to the house is. If you notice in the pics there is a giant fat cook man picture, that covered box directly behind him is the chimney. If you notice on the floor I have 2 white boxes, this is where I wanted to put a grate in and run duct from the Hotblast in the basement. These 2 white boxes sit straight above the Hotblast Stove.

Ok, now go up 6 more stairs. You are now right above the 2nd floor family area. This floor has the master bedroom, 2 kids rooms, and bathroom. In the master bedroom closet there is a what appears to be a stainless pipe for the chimney, seems to be 24". It is kinda weird, it is not the brick chimney that I grew up seeing. It is literally a pipe running thru the house.

Thanks for listening, I await your advice.


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## begreen (May 15, 2010)

Is this your first year in the house? How many sq. ft total? I think you might be fine with what you have. It's certainly worth trying it out for a season. I would suspect that the fireplace will cover you for fall and spring and then run the Hotblast in the winter. If the oil furnace comes on occasionally or during the extreme cold days, it's not a big deal. 

4 cords is a good start, but for Minn. I don't think you can have too much wood drying.


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## Twig (May 15, 2010)

We have been in the house for 2 weeks. We just purchased it, this is our first home. BeGreen, can you please email me at nlabarry@cpinternet.com and I will send you over pics to post. 

What do you think I should sell the Shurheat for on Craigslist?


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## laynes69 (May 15, 2010)

Sorry, I'm in the middle of a remodel on our nursery so I am busy. Heres a couple pics that show the house and the furnace. Its a 1300 hotblast, the smaller of the hotblast models. From what I have seen you have baseboard heat. To really get the benefits of a furnace you should have it ducted. Otherwise if it sits in one room and heats the house, then maybe a stove would do the same thing while burning less wood. Having a multi-level home it may not heat evenly if the woodfurnace isn't ducted. With a woodfurnace like that and where you live I would have at least 6 cords, but I wouldn't doubt if you use more. Looking at the home and the age, if its well sealed that shureheat would be too much. I would follow begreens advice and get rid of the furnace. Your hotblast 1300 looks like its been used very little. We heated our 2400 sqft home with a furnace like the hotblast for over 20 years before retiring it and going with something thats more efficient.


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## Twig (May 15, 2010)

If you look at the photo of the hot blast, the two holes on top are directly below the 2 white boxes on the floor above. I was going to run one duct pipe straight up and have a grate. I think once I get heat on that level it will rise to the top staggered level. I talked to the builder who lives a few houses down and he said he built that house and designed it for efficently burning and heating with wood.

Thanks for all the great help and anymore advice would be great. 

So the Shurheat and All Nighter Big Moe is now for sale. How much should I ask for each one?


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## begreen (May 16, 2010)

That is great news. I think I would go through the next winter with the existing equipment. Could be that you are all set. 

If you don't have it already, download the Hotblast manual:
http://www.usstove.com/Downloads/Owners Manuals/1500-1537G Manual.pdf

The manual mentions ducting into an existing plenum (main trunk duct) but does not cover thru floor ducting. I think this might be because there are safety concerns with the distance from combustibles for the duct(s). This is something to consider before cutting holes in the floor. It might be safer to connect the Hotblast to the existing furnace plenum. I would call US Stoves and ask them about the proposed ducting through the floor into the kitchen. 

Also, is the Hotblast the only stove connected to this chimney flue or is the furnace also on this flue?

As for selling the Shurheat and All Nighter, can you hold on to them until about October? You'll get a better sale price once things get chilly. I don't know squat about the Shurheat, but considering it is without blower and the controls are untested, in peak season I'd ask about $350 for the Sureheat and the same for the All Nighter if it's in good condition.


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## Twig (May 16, 2010)

Thanks a ton. The fuel oil furnace is also on the same Flue/Chimney as the Hotblast. After looking, the hotblast goes in the flue/chimney about 2 feet above the fuel oil furnace piping and they are both on opposite sides. There is no plenum, if plenum means duct work. The house has water baseboard heat.

Hey laynes69 (Matt), what did you mean by more efficent unit than the hotblast? Does that mean you can burn less wood and get the same result?

PS- any chainsaw recomendations? I wanted to try cutting wood the old fashioned way, but my hands are raw from sawing all day!


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## begreen (May 16, 2010)

OK, that is a problem. The Hotblast furnace is not supposed to share the chimney with the oil boiler (not a furnace). This should have come out in the house inspection when purchased.


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## Twig (May 16, 2010)

What problems could this cause? Is there anything I can do in order to run them both out of the same chimney?


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## laynes69 (May 16, 2010)

If the chimney plugged up from creosote and the oil furnace would happen to run, it can flood the house with CO and potentially kill. Also having oil in the same chimney can kill draft for the wood and cause all sorts of problems. You need a seperate chimney for the woodfurnace so the oil has its own chimney. We replaced our old woodfurnace with a more efficient model, but they are pricey in the tune of 2500-3500 just for the furnace. I would get those problems you have fixed and go from there.


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## begreen (May 16, 2010)

Two problems are that this is a hot-water boiler system, not a hot air furnace and both are on the same flue. I would hope the ducting issue is solvable, with correct clearances for the duct. The flue must be separate.

An opposite scenario might be if the chimney had an accumulation of creosote and caught fire, and then the oil boiler tried to kick in. This would most likely be on a zero degree night, when you most need the heat. 

They really need to be vented independently. One option might be to power vent the boiler.


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## Twig (May 16, 2010)

Ok, so what you guys are saying is that I need to do one of the following:

1. Power vent the boiler. (how is this done)

2. Seperate the chimney/Flue. (how is this done)

can you please explain the best way to do each of the following and which one would be the cheapest fix. We are on a budget.


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## begreen (May 16, 2010)

These are both options. Either has the same goal of separate flues. For the power venting option, call your oil company. This should be determined by a pro. If the setup is complicated by also having to serve the HW heater, then they may be against this option.  Another alternative is to install a separate, new flue for the HotBlast. It may mean moving the Hot Blast to a different location that works better for connecting to the new flue. Cost will depend on what works best for the house, but plan on $1500-2000. Another option is to forgo using the Hotblast and just use the fireplace this winter?


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## Twig (May 16, 2010)

By new flue are you refering to building a seperate chimney up thru the entire house and up thru the roof? Can I not just run flexible duct (not sure of correct term) down the chimney from the top and connect into the hotblast? That way the hotblast has it's on seperate flue. Am I making any sense? Would that be possible? Seems like it would be the least expensive option.

Thanks


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## begreen (May 16, 2010)

The flue tile would have to be large enough for two dedicated, insulated liners. It's unlikely for a furnace flue. From the picture it looks like the flue appears to be a standard block chimney. My guess would be there is an 8x8 tile liner in it. If a new flue is required for the Hotblast, a new flue could be run exterior, up the side of the house if that is the only option.


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## Twig (May 16, 2010)

How do I determine if a new flue for the hotblast is required?

Ok, I just went downstairs and measured. The block is 21"x17" and I opened the tiny door on the bottom of the chimney and the inside appears to be 12"x8". The house was built in 1980. I just don't understand why there is 2 holes in the chimney if you can't safely use them both.

So tell me where to go from here.


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## Twig (May 17, 2010)

now I am really confused, I just pulled this off the Internet.

Wood and Oil Fired Appliances

A wood-fired heating appliance may be vented into the same chimney flue as an oil-fired heating appliance provided that they are on the same floor - in some jurisdictions.


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## Twig (May 17, 2010)

I called my insurance company today "Safco" and they said by adding a wood furnace worse case secerino my preimum would go up by $50 a year! That was great news. Also, they do not require another inspection, they just add it on the paperwork and away we go.

Also, today I called Fireplace Corner, they said I would need to run 2 dedicated lines for each appliance. Well, the fuel oil furnace and fuel oil water heater share a line into the chimney. I guess my question in why can't I just run one line to the fuel oil furnace/water heater and leave the hotblast as is? It seems using one line down the chimney would do the same thing, and that would be seperating the two...

Where is everyone?


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## begreen (May 17, 2010)

Twig, have you contacted your oil comp. or the building dept.? It could be there is a variance from International Code permitted in Minn. You need to check local regs in this regard. In at least one state, Maine, your current setup is permissible. In most others, solid fuel appliances need to have a dedicated flue.

Also call US Stove and ask what the register and duct clearances are for a furnace to floor vent with a direct take off from the Hotblast.


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## Twig (May 17, 2010)

Copy. Doing it now...


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## Twig (May 17, 2010)

Update... Ok, it looks like there is no problem running a fuel oil furnace and a wood stove out of the same flue. Fuel oil and wood are considered an organic combination. The oil company is coming out tomorrow to do a volume check on the 3 appliances (wood furnace, oil hot water heater, fuel oil furnace) and then they will do a volume check on the chimney to determine wether the chimney can handle all 3 appliances... This all came right from the county inspectors mouth. He said stainless is not needed for fuel oil.

Any thoughts


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## Twig (Sep 8, 2010)

I'm all set up and ready to burn! Bring it WINTER!


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