# Firechief 1700



## NSExpress (Nov 10, 2017)

hey folks..new to the site and new to using a wood furnace. Have burned wood for many years out of a stove but this year bought a Firechief 1700. Hooked it up properly and started burning the other day. Everything works fine but the only real problem is the burn time. With the fire box loaded I get about 5-6hrs out of it. They claim about 12-15hrs. Now would wood types done how wet it it’s play that much of a factor. They say to achieve the max u need only hard wood and must be seasoned well. Mine is dry but maybe not enough. Wouldn’t dry wood just burn faster??? I know the stove is brand new this year and not much feedback but maybe ppl with other wood furnace brands would be of some help. Thanks in advance


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## laynes69 (Nov 10, 2017)

This is a new model, so there won't be many users out there. The furnace has a forced draft, if so, the longer the call for heat, the quicker it will burn. Being epa certified, once hot you should be able to close it down and it should burn clean and hot. Also, do you have a manometer and have you measured draft? What size and height of chimney do you have?


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## brenndatomu (Nov 10, 2017)

This unit uses a thermostat right? Maybe try reloading the firebox, if the Tstat is calling for heat then just let the furnace do its thing for a while so that the firebox is completely up to temp, then turn the Tstat off so the furnace will just be on "cruise" the rest of the time...see what happens. On many (most) EPA fireboxes the most heat/burn time you can get out of it will occur when the unit is "cruising" with a load of good dry wood...but this doesn't work nearly as well with wood that is not dry enough.

As Laynes said, you need to get a draft reading too...it can make a huge difference...if it is too high it can overheat (and damage) the furnace and it pulls WAY to much of the heat right up the chimney...which makes for a clean chimney, but an unhappy furnace owner.
The Dwyer manometers used to check draft can be cheap enough...there's some for sale in the classified section here...


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## NSExpress (Nov 10, 2017)

Ok so basically when this furnace heats my house up to the temp my house stays warm from the blow off the stove. The last few days hasn’t called for heat due to the heat being blown off while on “cruise”. From the back of the T there is about 6’ of single wall then 10’ from the ceiling box to the top. I don’t have a manometer nor do I know anything about them. If the wood is really dry wouldn’t it burn faster bc there isn’t much moisture? I know burning wet wood isn’t good but figured alittle would help go longer.


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## NSExpress (Nov 10, 2017)

Would be interested in one of those manometers....I’m standing at my stove and hear a whistle...not sure if it’s from the wind or what. Brenndatomu send me a message about that meter


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## brenndatomu (Nov 10, 2017)

Hmm, so you are getting short burn times even when the Tstat is satisfied? 
Dry wood can burn a little quicker, but it puts off much more heat and is not really "optional" on modern wood burners
Sounds like high draft to me...although the chimney setup you describe doesn't sound like one that should be prone to that...


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## NSExpress (Nov 10, 2017)

Exactly...I load the box up and get maybe 6hrs. Thermostat has be satisfied for over a day and we’re below freezing. Unit gets nice and hot and blows excessive heat off threw duct work which in turn doesn’t drop temp inside and thermostat doesn’t call for heat. Alittle puzzled and sorta posed bc I leave for work afew days at a time and wanted to make this easy on my wife


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## brenndatomu (Nov 10, 2017)

Well, just so you know I have owned 7 different wood burners over the years...and there is always a few things to sort out and/or a learning curve to each one.
A whistle...hmm, hard to say what that's about...can you tell where its coming from?
How big are the splits/logs you have been using? And what kind of wood?


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## laynes69 (Nov 10, 2017)

Excessive heat is fine if it's extremely cold, but the unit should cruise low and slow. How tall is the chimney and diameter? I'm sure the whistle is from the air intake. How are you judging burn times, 6 hours till reload, or 6 hours to coals? Coals will still produce heat, and it's okay to let the fire burn down prior to reloading. At the end of the burn for us, the blower will still cycle. If the house is warm, I won't mess with it until time to load again.


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## NSExpress (Nov 10, 2017)

Splits are around 20-24....I understand the coals are still throwing heat and when I check it I just load it up again. I was just trying not to let it go out and just throw more on. I imagine that the blower will continue to cycle until it cools off enough and won’t kick back on. Was trying not to have the draft blower fan come on so I would just load it up. Threw so dry wood on at 315 and just looked and I’m almost down to the coal. Maybe I’ll see how long those cools last before reloading for the night. It seems when I reload that it keeps the temp down for awhile then it heats the firebox back up and the circulation blower runs a lot heating up the house but the thermostat isn’t calling for heat. Not really a problem I guess


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## NSExpress (Nov 10, 2017)

6” all the way up 10’ for class A and 6’ for single wall


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## laynes69 (Nov 10, 2017)

Eventually the fire will die down to coals, and the forced draft should kick in to revive those coals, then shut off. It sounds like it's doing fine heating, so I would let it go and experiment. A forced draft and a few coals will start a new fire in no time. Like mentioned, every unit is designed differently. Your draft shouldn't be too high from the sounds of it. Just new operation.


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## brenndatomu (Nov 10, 2017)

Wood heat works best if you let the house temp swing a little...say you want it at 72*, don't reload until it is 71*, then the new load should surge the temp back up to 73* or 74* maybe...depending on the heat load of your house at the time of course. Even with a Tstat there is still some skill involved in doing wood heat well...there is wood species, size and timing of the loads among other things...


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## brenndatomu (Nov 10, 2017)

NSExpress said:


> Splits are around 20-24


I meant average diameter...or width per side if using triangular or square splits...smaller ones can make more heat for a short time, but larger ones last longer


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## NSExpress (Nov 10, 2017)

It runs fine just looking for things to try for longer burn times. Just not really sure what different stuff to try.  I have the thermostat set for 67 and stays about 71-73. I never let it get back to 67 bc there would be no coals at that pint Most is triangular splits about the size of a softball. I get that the bigger the split longer it will burn. Does it matter square vs triangular ass far as burn time?


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## brenndatomu (Nov 10, 2017)

NSExpress said:


> Does it matter square vs triangular ass far as burn time?


Probably not a huge difference, but square might go a little longer.
Another thing you can try is to let the ashes build up a couple inches deep...that will hold hardwood coals quit a while...should be enough to let you extend the load times and still get a matchless restart...10-12 hours is not uncommon. And unless your house has poor insulation and air sealing the temp should still be above your setpoint


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## NSExpress (Nov 10, 2017)

If I could get 10-12 I would be happy. Will try letting the ash build up a bit more. House is well insulated I just don’t want to keep start new fires...if ya think of anything else let me know. Thanks


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## STIHLY DAN (Nov 10, 2017)

use a torch for relight , simple and fast.


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## laynes69 (Nov 18, 2017)

Any updates? I looked at the smallest furnace tonight (shelter, made by the same company) and I couldn't see where any other air was introduced except thru the forced draft blower. Have you tried closing the flap a little on the forced draft blower to introduce a little less air?


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## NSExpress (Nov 18, 2017)

Well been getting bad burn times...nothing better then 9hrs. Been in constant contact with Firechief and there sending me a new draft box(I think that is what they call it). It’s the black box on the back of the furnace. Depending on how it’s burning the flap lifts up and allows more air into the furnace. They said it’s preset at the factory under certain conditions (72 degrees and some other things.) They think it’s burning to fast and air is indroduced through the box cause it to burn faster. It’s weird bc the unit gets warm and blows off the heat to keep the furnace cool and that’s heating the house. Thermostat stay doesn’t even call for heat which means I should be getting the absolute longest burn time right now. There customer service is top notch and have worked with me better then I expected. Should have the box here Tuesday.


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## brenndatomu (Nov 18, 2017)

NSExpress said:


> It’s weird bc the unit gets warm and blows off the heat to keep the furnace cool and that’s heating the house. Thermostat stay doesn’t even call for heat which means I should be getting the absolute longest burn time right now.


That's the tricky part of building a great wood furnace, getting it to "idle", burn clean, and long, and then still make big BTUs when needed...really tough to pull off. Can't shut that fire off once its started...Lord only knows all the hordes of outdoor boiler makers that have tried to "make wood fire idle cleanly" and failed miserably!


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## laynes69 (Nov 19, 2017)

Yeah, with the new epa requirements, they will burn hot even when shut down, therefore the furnace will still produce alot of heat. Have you tested the draft in the chimney? I know unfortunately things may test out well in the labs, but when put to the real world they are completely different. We have a 32' chimney, so it took a little while to get things dialed in. Without a baro, id been screwed. It's not the update I was hoping for, but does sound like the company is working for you.


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## Goob (Dec 26, 2017)

I also recently installed a Fire Chief 1700 and I'm still working on achieving the longest burn time. I previously had a Yukon Eagle wood furnace and I can tell you that the burn rates in any install can be different in each application. I will say however that in my experience I get the most efficient burn by using good hardwoods, primarily Oak, Locust, Ash, seasoned at least a year and splitting it to the largest size that will fit through the furnace door. So far this week with moderate outside temps I have been able to get a good 8-10 hours with a full load. If you try that and are still getting short burn times with run away fires I would definitely recommend getting a draft guage to test the pull up your chimney, or call an hvac guy to check it for you. If you have a pull of more than .08 water column than you really need a barometric damper on your chimney. Fire Chief says they're trying to design new furnaces not to require them but they admit that in some installations they are still needed. 
Hope that helps


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## NSExpress (Dec 26, 2017)

burn times have got alittle better. Can a solid 10hrs more or less depending on the outside temps. In the 20’s for hugs and barley getting that. Had a problem with the handle letting air threw there and got that fixed. Obv when it’s windy also it pulls more and burns faster. Inform me alittle bit about this damper. Where does this get installed? I burn mostly oak and maple and some ash. Have been splitting wood for next in slot but chunks.


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## Goob (Dec 27, 2017)

First a disclaimer, I am by no means a trained hvac tech so maybe a more knowledgeable blogger can chime in here and correct me here. I've been planning my install for quite some time but in the end I paid a contractor to do it right. This is what I gathered from asking questions. 
Sometimes when the conditions are right with a chimney depending on factors such as height, location inside or outside of house, surrounding topography, slope of roof and probably several more factors, the flow of exhaust up the chimney can actually create a vacuum within the firebox causing the same effect as the induction blower always being on. A barometric damper is an adjustable weighted damper installed in a tee in the chimney just outside of the furnace.  When the exhaust starts to pull more than is necessary then this flapper opens up and mixes basement air with the hot exhaust to cool down the overheated fumes and slow down the loss of heat though the chimney. 
Again this is a layman's perspective so keep that in mind before you cut into your metal chimney.


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## maple1 (Dec 27, 2017)

Goob said:


> First a disclaimer, I am by no means a trained hvac tech so maybe a more knowledgeable blogger can chime in here and correct me here. I've been planning my install for quite some time but in the end I paid a contractor to do it right. This is what I gathered from asking questions.
> Sometimes when the conditions are right with a chimney depending on factors such as height, location inside or outside of house, surrounding topography, slope of roof and probably several more factors, the flow of exhaust up the chimney can actually create a vacuum within the firebox causing the same effect as the induction blower always being on. A barometric damper is an adjustable weighted damper installed in a tee in the chimney just outside of the furnace.  When the exhaust starts to pull more than is necessary then this flapper opens up and mixes basement air with the hot exhaust to cool down the overheated fumes and slow down the loss of heat though the chimney.
> Again this is a layman's perspective so keep that in mind before you cut into your metal chimney.



Sounds about right. The barometric damper just provides an easier path for the chimney to pull air through/from, so it won't pull too much from the fire box. Some 'vacuum' on the firebox is always wanted, but too much and a lot of your wood will end up going up & out the chimney instead of into your house as heat.


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## brenndatomu (Dec 27, 2017)

A baro is just a self regulated air leak more or less...they work great, even if somewhat controversial...many manufacturers require them. I've heard tale of chimneys that had such strong draw they needed 2 baros...my chimney is close to that sometimes.

The chimney pulls a negative pressure on the firebox, that's what makes the whole thing work...some people think the chimney is just a place to dump the smoke out, but no, it is the *engine* driving the firebox...without it, nothing works, at all...try it sometime, load a stove full of wood out in the driveway without a chimney hooked up and then light it...see what happens (clue: nothing!)


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## ccjumper (May 22, 2018)

Hey NSExpress I am thinking about buying this stove because of the long burn times, its listed at up to 15 hours.....Any update on the issues you were having now that you had some time to mess with it?  I would be happy if i could get 12 hour burn times, just wondering if that is possible.  Id really like a Kuuma vaporfire 100 but just dont want to spend $5400 before install costs.


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## NSExpress (May 23, 2018)

ok so I like the furnace and  produced great heat. Once I dialed it in alittle bit was getting 12h burn time. Maybe longer but then your really just talking about afew hot coals but usually was enough to start a fire using the draft blower fan. In mid January I actually cracked the front on the furnace. Firechief says there standing by there product and is going to replace my furnace but first wanted to make some changes. They think that it actually cracks during the cool down vs when it’s heating up. They were going to give me one right away but I was worried the same thing would happen again. Overfireing actully voids the warranty but from what I gathered from them they had afew in the field that crack.


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## ccjumper (May 24, 2018)

Thanks for the reply! I know the fc1700 is a newer furnace for them so hopefully they can work the kinks out. I'm stuck between buying a wood furnace, more than likely the fc1700 or a pellet furnace. I like the idea of not having to carry wood to the basement and the long burn times, but I have 165 acres to cut on and kind of enjoy it...maybe I'll just sell the wood I cut to pay for pellets if I go that route...anyways thanks again


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## Mrpelletburner (Oct 16, 2018)

NSExpress said:


> Firechief says there standing by there product and is going to replace my furnace but first wanted to make some changes.



Did you get the replacement furnace installed?


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## NSExpress (Oct 16, 2018)

i have been in touch with fire chief all summer and the replacement is ready. They told me they wouldn’t send me a new one unless I replaced the flex duct work come from the furnace into my exsisting duct work with 8” round smooth duct work. So I have done it bc it’s too hot in the summer in attic. In the process of doing it now. Once it’s done they want pics and will send me the new 1


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## Mrpelletburner (Nov 10, 2018)

NSExpress said:


> ok so I like the furnace and  produced great heat. Once I dialed it in alittle bit was getting 12h burn time



What did you do to “dial in” the furnace? 

Just switched from the FC1000 to the FC1500 and the FC1700 is very similar to the 1500. Trying to get a jump on the learning curve.


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## NSExpress (Nov 11, 2018)

well every application is different,but basically turned the thermostat off. I was able to get enough heat just off the furnace blowing the excess off into my house. Didn’t always load it up to the max. When I did load it up depending what was left before I loaded it it would catch and really burn through the wood faster then I liked. I would shake the grate and close the door let is settle down then alittle later load it up. I never used the draft blower unless I was trying to restart or catch a existing fire. I just changed all the duct work to 8” round and the. Insulated it. Should improve the flow. It was a trail and error. Good wood makes a big difference but never really saw the max burn times the describe but could get 10-12hrs with afew coals left.


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## Mrpelletburner (Dec 10, 2018)

NSExpress said:


> well every application is different,but basically turned the thermostat off. I was able to get enough heat just off the furnace blowing the excess off into my house. Didn’t always load it up to the max. When I did load it up depending what was left before I loaded it it would catch and really burn through the wood faster then I liked. I would shake the grate and close the door let is settle down then alittle later load it up. I never used the draft blower unless I was trying to restart or catch a existing fire. I just changed all the duct work to 8” round and the. Insulated it. Should improve the flow. It was a trail and error. Good wood makes a big difference but never really saw the max burn times the describe but could get 10-12hrs with afew coals left.



 So far the max time I have been able to get load till a couple hot ambers is 8hrs. Would like to be able to squeeze another 2.5hrs.


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## NSExpress (Dec 10, 2018)

When they say 12-15 and say there are coals they might mean even 1. You won’t have a full bed of coals at 12-15h. They just gave me a new 1700 due to the other one cracking and the newer model in my opinion performs better. Wood plays a big part. If you want to call I can explain maybe better in detail. I hate type. Pm and I’ll give ya my number


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## Hounds (Jan 13, 2019)

NSExpress said:


> When they say 12-15 and say there are coals they might mean even 1. You won’t have a full bed of coals at 12-15h. They just gave me a new 1700 due to the other one cracking and the newer model in my opinion performs better. Wood plays a big part. If you want to call I can explain maybe better in detail. I hate type. Pm and I’ll give ya my number


I’m not getting good burn times on my firechief 1700 new wood burner either.  Similar issues to what you guys are talking about.  The unit isn’t even calling for heat and it burns through wood in two to three hours and I’m left with no burning logs just hot coals.  Load it at 10pm wake up at 1 you can tell the house dropping temp.  Go Down add wood wake up at 6 for work nothing but a few hot coals and a cold home.  It’s sucking aid from somewhere.  This is a real pain and disappointing.


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## Mrpelletburner (Jan 13, 2019)

Goob said:


> If you have a pull of more than .08 water column than you really need a barometric damper on your chimney. Fire Chief says they're trying to design new furnaces not to require them but they admit that in some installations they are still needed.
> Hope that helps



I have been working with HY-C (Fire Chief) for a couple months now. Once the secondary burn kicks in, my flue pulls 0.2” WC and 1,000 flue inner temps. They have continued to stress a barometer damper is not required. Getting a max of 3-4 hours before I have to reload.


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## Mrpelletburner (Jan 14, 2019)

Hounds said:


> I’m not getting good burn times on my firechief 1700 new wood burner either.  Similar issues to what you guys are talking about.  The unit isn’t even calling for heat and it burns through wood in two to three hours and I’m left with no burning logs just hot coals.  Load it at 10pm wake up at 1 you can tell the house dropping temp.  Go Down add wood wake up at 6 for work nothing but a few hot coals and a cold home.  It’s sucking aid from somewhere.  This is a real pain and disappointing.



I am feeling your pain with the 1500! Loaded as much as I could fit in at 11pm (15 degrees outside), distribution blower set to low and at 6am the house is at 68 degrees. When I went to bed at 1am the first floor was a nice 73 and the upstairs at 67 (2,200 sf). My old Huntsman (single door) lasted longer!


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## Hounds (Jan 14, 2019)

Mrpelletburner said:


> I am feeling your pain with the 1500! Loaded as much as I could fit in at 11pm (15 degrees outside), distribution blower set to low and at 6am the house is at 68 degrees. When I went to bed at 1am the first floor was a nice 73 and the upstairs at 67 (2,200 sf). My old Huntsman (single door) lasted longer!


Just got off the phone with Fire Chief.  They want me to take the 8 screws off the draft blower box find the round hole that the draft blower sucks air from and put tape on it.  He said this will tell us if this is the area where air is getting in.  I'm sensing that I'm getting the run around already about burn times.  He said I may have the 1 out of 1,000 over active flue and it may need dampened.  I asked him if others are having the same difficulty.  He said, "Oh No, usually if theres problems its an installation issue."  Yeah here it comes, but I'll follow protocol for now.    I asked if they had techs local to me trained by Hy-C.  I explained that I would be willing to pay their guy to come on top of what I had already paid my installer.  Bottom line they have issues.


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## brenndatomu (Jan 14, 2019)

Hounds said:


> He said I may have the 1 out of 1,000 over active flue and it may need dampened



I'd put it at more like 1 out of 3 need to be damped...for a furnace...since they are usually in the basement...which usually means a tall chimney...these guys at FC sure are entertaining!


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## Mrpelletburner (Jan 14, 2019)

Hounds said:


> Just got off the phone with Fire Chief.  They want me to take the 8 screws off the draft blower box find the round hole that the draft blower sucks air from and put tape on it.  He said this will tell us if this is the area where air is getting in.



Yes, I just reported this to them. Didn’t use tape as that area gets hot. Ended up using high temp silicone.


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## brenndatomu (Jan 14, 2019)

Mrpelletburner said:


> Yes, I just reported this to them. Didn’t use tape as that area gets hot. Ended up using high temp silicone.
> 
> View attachment 238221
> 
> ...


What are we looking at there? Is that a crack or something?


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## Mrpelletburner (Jan 14, 2019)

Hounds said:


> I'm sensing that I'm getting the run around already about burn times.



I get it and also feel the same. However, I also understand it is a tough job trying to capture the exact setup, therefore they have to run through the same questions. I deal with this every day with clients, they stress they "didn't touch anything" and the "website is just not loading" only to discover someone touched something. So I get it, it is frustrating and feels like a canned response.



Hounds said:


> He said, "Oh No, usually if theres problems its an installation issue."



You know across the board, prob 90% of the reported issues for all stoves are related to the install or fuel. Last year, HY-C came out to review my install and the fuel I was using. So while I am in the same boat, I am also not in the same boat.

Anyways, I will continue to play ball.


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## Mrpelletburner (Jan 14, 2019)

brenndatomu said:


> What are we looking at there? Is that a crack or something?



No, the flange for the draft blower does not have a gasket installed and lets a ton of air in around the rounded mating surface.


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## sloeffle (Jan 14, 2019)

Sorry, but I just can't resist.


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## brenndatomu (Jan 14, 2019)

sloeffle said:


> Sorry, but I just can't resist.
> 
> View attachment 238238


Fire...fire fire!


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## brenndatomu (Jan 14, 2019)

Mrpelletburner said:


> I am feeling your pain with the 1500! Loaded as much as I could fit in at 11pm (15 degrees outside), distribution blower set to low and at 6am the house is at 68 degrees. When I went to bed at 1am the first floor was a nice 73 and the upstairs at 67 (2,200 sf). My old Huntsman (single door) lasted longer!


Just as an example of what's possible with a very efficient furnace design...here is a pic of my temp monitor from 10 minutes ago...I loaded 51# of wood in 'er (2/3 to 3/4 full) almost 3 hours ago...its 71* in here right now, going down to 15* outside tonight, it will still be 71-72* in here tomorrow morning when I next reload at 6:20 or so...and the duct blower running the whole time. This is keeping the 1200 sq ft partially finished basement at 70* or so, the 1200 sq ft main floor at 71-73*, and the 650 sq ft upstairs at 70*. 1940 brick cape cod with just average insulation. So that's (2) 50# loads per day...
The top number on the monitor is my internal flue temps about 18" away from the VF100. The bottom is my plenum temp (it will get higher as the night goes on...usually peaks at 117* for a few hours)
The 2cnd pic is showing the internal firebox temp...it has been on "pilot" for a couple hours already, and will probably remain so for a couple more, with maybe a couple quick "blips" of air to keep the firebox temp up. When on pilot the primary air comes through (2) .5" holes, the secondary air through (2) 1.5" holes.

Just found out today that Lamppa Mfg. has a very lightly used "demo" VF100 for sale...talk to Dale.


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## Mrpelletburner (Jan 14, 2019)

So there is no wall thermostat? How does it know when to kick the heat on or is the heat always delivered.

Setup reminds me of the “Smart Stove” controller system. Wonder what ever happened to that guy... I remember designing the logo when he first started.


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## laynes69 (Jan 14, 2019)

I loaded our furnace at 4:30 this morning when it was in the low teens out. I set the thermostat for 72 degrees when I left for work. At 3:00 PM I got home and our home was 71 degrees with the blower still running and at least a few inches of coals in the firebox,  the temps were in the 20's. I cannot complain, and we have 2500 sq ft and a 1200 sqft basement. While we are home we dont do full loads, but I know we will always have a fire overnight and during the day.


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## brenndatomu (Jan 14, 2019)

Mrpelletburner said:


> So there is no wall thermostat? How does it know when to kick the heat on or is the heat always delivered.


I'm not using the tstat...if I were, it would just kick the duct blower to high speed, that's it...and if that were enough to lower the firebox temp, then the computer might feed a lil more air to the fire to make it hotter...dunno, never actually done it.


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## JRHAWK9 (Jan 14, 2019)

brenndatomu said:


> The top number on the monitor is my internal flue temps about 18" away from the VF100. The bottom is my plenum temp (it will get higher as the night goes on...usually peaks at 117* for a few hours)



Those flue temps    Still think your flue temp gauge/probe thinks it's a women telling you her weight........or the number of guys she has slept with.  

Mine will get down into the 280's, but not that low!  It's on the top of the pipe 12" from the collar.  Do you have the probe stuck in the top or bottom of the stove pipe?  Asking for a friend.


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## brenndatomu (Jan 14, 2019)

JRHAWK9 said:


> Do you have the probe stuck in the top or bottom of the stove pipe? Asking for a friend


Well that's kinda bold...askin a feller on the internets where he sticks his probe!   
Its a 6" long probe...stuck in through the top, straight down clear to the bottom.
I just went down and checked...I can lay my hand on the single wall pipe and leave it there...right beside the probe.


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## JRHAWK9 (Jan 14, 2019)

brenndatomu said:


> Well that's kinda bold...askin a feller on the internets where he sticks his probe!
> Its a 6" long probe...stuck in through the top, straight down clear to the bottom.
> I just went down and checked...I can lay my hand on the single wall pipe and leave it there...right beside the probe.




I just took the "hold your hand on your stovepipe challenge".    What I found was very interesting.  I have a single wall 45° bend connected to the collar at the back of the furnace and then the single wall goes for about 4' at a 45° angle until it connects to the main chimney and heads straight up and out.

Where I have my probe is about 12" from the collar in the single wall which is at the 45°.  I have no issues laying a couple fingers on the top or the bottom of the 45° bend within an inch or so of the collar....right where it connects.  If I move up the stove pipe more it gets WARMER and I can only hold it on for a bit.  Weird.  One would think it would be the hottest coming right out of the collar.  Anyway, just thought it was interesting.


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## JRHAWK9 (Jan 14, 2019)

This was back on Dec 6th.  Got down to 8° that night and woke up to 74° in the house. Reloaded in the morning before work and it went back up to 75° two hours later (screen shot of house thermostat at that time).  Computer was on minimum burn.....lowest BTU output.





On Dec. 7th it was 9° at 9pm and was still 9° when I got up the next morning.  Woke up to the house at 72°, the Kuuma still on minimum burn as well.

IMO, the short night time drops of cold temps are pretty easy to absorb, it's when you see extended and consistent time periods of cold temps is when the heat loss really starts to show up.  At least that's what I have noticed in our house anyway.

It's nothing compared to Case1030's results in his house with the temps he sees up nort' der hey, but I'm very happy for the heat load this place has and compared to what I was seeing the first couple years before getting things dialed in with my return/supply air.


<edit>
Example of heat loss of our place, as if the photos I posted of the ridge weren't enough.  

Supposed to have been a high of 36° and sunny yesterday. Reached a high of 28° and no sun.  I loaded in the morning before work (7am) for a sunny 36° day (23.7lbs).  House reached a high temp of 74° during that time.  So house temp was coasting down from a high of 74° after about noon/1pm or so with no heat.  This was the outside and house temp at 3:45pm.  Lost 5-6° in about 4 hours in 26-28° outside temps.




</edit>


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## brenndatomu (Jan 14, 2019)

JRHAWK9 said:


> Those flue temps    Still think your flue temp gauge/probe thinks it's a women telling you her weight........or the number of guys she has slept with.
> 
> Mine will get down into the 280's, but not that low!  It's on the top of the pipe 12" from the collar.  Do you have the probe stuck in the top or bottom of the stove pipe?  Asking for a friend.


Well, I do get similar temps as you on the upper end though...and I am running my draft a bit lower than you IIRC...so I think my meter could be right...at least close.
I suppose we ought to leave these guys to commiserate about their FC's though...derailed this thread enough tonight!


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## Mrpelletburner (Jan 14, 2019)

Are you 2 really sales reps for Kuuma?


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## brenndatomu (Jan 14, 2019)

Mrpelletburner said:


> Are you 2 really sales reps for Kuuma?


I could be...just gotta figure out how to collect a check...


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## brenndatomu (Jan 14, 2019)

Lamppa actually sold one of my VF200's for me...well, told the guy about it anyways...and sent some guys on the second one too...but it was already sold to a guy that contacted me about it after he read my one single post that I made publicly online that I had a VF200...wanted to ask questions about running one at first, ended up buying it. Both of 'em went out of state...I never advertised either one.


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## JRHAWK9 (Jan 14, 2019)

Mrpelletburner said:


> Are you 2 really sales reps for Kuuma?





no, being a salesman requires you to bull$hit people.  I can provide detailed statistical data of everything I state.   

Running and putting up with what you have to put up with....you have no idea how easy it is in comparison for those of us who have decent, well designed furnaces.  I'm not just talking about Kuuma either.  SBI also makes quality stuff.


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## Hounds (Jan 15, 2019)

I governed my fire chief with that piece of tape over that small area in the rear of furnace.  Firechief asked me to put tape over to see if the fire wood go out.  They said it should.  It slowed down but still had flame 30mins later.  So its pulling air from somewhere.  I pulled half the tape off and it worked for almost an entire nights burn time.  I'll let you guys know exactly how much tape it takes.  They put a rivet in the mechanism so consumers couldn't play with it.  As far as I'm concerend this is the only place that we can control the air on this unit.  Its kinda like my spinner that lets air in the front door in the prior epa units.  I'm sure its different for different outside temps but I'll just have to keep the tape handy and adjust according to weather and chimney draft.  I'm assuming that why the old unit had adjustment where you could get to them with out taking things apart.  I alsohave a gentlemen coming to my home to go over the entire unit that specializes in putting firechief epa models.  I want the entire set up gone over he seems very educated on these new units and what needs done.  Hopefully he comes before the extreme cold comes.  Either way a roll of tape has band aided my two hour burn time for now.


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## Mrpelletburner (Jan 15, 2019)

Hounds said:


> I governed my fire chief with that piece of tape over that small area in the rear of furnace.  Firechief asked me to put tape over to see if the fire wood go out.  They said it should.  It slowed down but still had flame 30mins later.  So its pulling air from somewhere.  I pulled half the tape off and it worked for almost an entire nights burn time.  I'll let you guys know exactly how much tape it takes.  They put a rivet in the mechanism so consumers couldn't play with it.  As far as I'm concerend this is the only place that we can control the air on this unit.  Its kinda like my spinner that lets air in the front door in the prior epa units.  I'm sure its different for different outside temps but I'll just have to keep the tape handy and adjust according to weather and chimney draft.  I'm assuming that why the old unit had adjustment where you could get to them with out taking things apart.  I alsohave a gentlemen coming to my home to go over the entire unit that specializes in putting firechief epa models.  I want the entire set up gone over he seems very educated on these new units and what needs done.  Hopefully he comes before the extreme cold comes.  Either way a roll of tape has band aided my two hour burn time for now.



Any chance you can post some photos of the setup? I am curious how the stove pipe is connected. Also, are you measuring the inside flue temps and or the draft (don’t recall what was mentioned in the prior threads).


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## JRHAWK9 (Jan 15, 2019)

Hounds said:


> I also have a gentlemen coming to my home to go over the entire unit that specializes in putting firechief epa models.  I want the entire set up gone over he seems very educated on these new units and what needs done.




Reminds me of a song.....


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## Hounds (Jan 15, 2019)

This is prior to taking some of the tape off


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## Mrpelletburner (Jan 23, 2019)

NSExpress said:


> there sending me a new draft box(I think that is what they call it). It’s the black box on the back of the furnace. Depending on how it’s burning the flap lifts up and allows more air into the furnace. They said it’s preset at the factory under certain conditions (72 degrees and some other things.) They think it’s burning to fast and air is indroduced through the box cause it to burn faster. It’s weird bc the unit gets warm and blows off the heat to keep the furnace cool and that’s heating the house. Thermostat stay doesn’t even call for heat which means I should be getting the absolute longest burn time right now. There customer service is top notch and have worked with me better then I expected. Should have the box here Tuesday.



FYI Same response that I just got.


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## Mrpelletburner (Jan 31, 2019)

Received the replacement box today, have not switched out.

Unit throws out a ton of heat until the firebox is down to hot embers. Once the firebox is down to embers the house temp just drops.


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## maple1 (Feb 1, 2019)

Not a lot of real heat in embers.


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## Hounds (Feb 1, 2019)

Mrpelletburner said:


> Received the replacement box today, have not switched out.
> 
> Unit throws out a ton of heat until the firebox is down to hot embers. Once the firebox is down to embers the house temp just drops.


I’m familiar with this.  Shuts down like a steel mill.  Party over.


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## laynes69 (Feb 1, 2019)

maple1 said:


> Not a lot of real heat in embers.


I agree! That's where modern furnaces with a good heat exchanger will extract more heat. With our old furnace, output was poor at best on coals.


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## Mrpelletburner (Feb 11, 2019)

NSExpress said:


> ok so I like the furnace and  produced great heat. Once I dialed it in alittle bit was getting 12h burn time. Maybe longer but then your really just talking about afew hot coals but usually was enough to start a fire using the draft blower fan. In mid January I actually cracked the front on the furnace. Firechief says there standing by there product and is going to replace my furnace but first wanted to make some changes. They think that it actually cracks during the cool down vs when it’s heating up. They were going to give me one right away but I was worried the same thing would happen again. Overfireing actully voids the warranty but from what I gathered from them they had afew in the field that crack.



My FC1500 has developed a crack, not sure when it cracked, but It does make sense to the short burn times. HY-C had a trip planned to visit and review my setup, as there are no local dealers. Prior to their visit, they had asked if I could remove the panels and inspect the unit. This is when I discovered the crack (this was Super Bowl Sunday). I immediately sent an email to my contact at HY-C and 15mins later, received an email back (remember this was on a Sunday).


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## maple1 (Feb 11, 2019)

That's kind of a nasty looking crack.


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## brenndatomu (Feb 11, 2019)

maple1 said:


> That's kind of a nasty looking crack.


Yeah, especially considering its less than 1 YO...wonder if HY-C still thinks that you don't hafta control your chimney draft?


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