I am looking for pictures of anybody who connected their Big E to duct work and if you had any problems. Would really like to see pic of connection at stove. I want to hook my stove thats in basement to duct work to heat just two rooms on main floor.
Big E and Duct work?
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Please remember the circulation blower is only 165 CFM. A home furnace blower is 800 cfm and up. The Big E is not meant to have it's own duct work. It is a heater not a furnace. Yes it has been done but I bet you will not be happy.
Eric
Eric
Thanks. The stove will be right under the two rooms I want to heat and the runs would be short. I thought I would run the shortest one first to the kitchen about 5 feet. I heat the rest of the house with a PelPro. I tried the Big-E where the pel-pro is but believe it or not the pel-pro works better (less noise, and down time and good heat) not bad for an entry model. I have a big old two story house with added insulation (2,000+square feet) With the flow of the house two back rooms are cold. I have two sets of stairs one in front and one in the back. The heat goes up the front pushes cold air down the back into the kitchen and bath. If i could I would put the 2nd stove in kitchen but not an option for now ( wife won't let me put a piece of plywood on top of it to double as the table).
Now this is STRICTLY hypothetical, since no one here would ever do something so foolish (nor admit to it here)........... but i would suspect you could go to your local Big Box Home Improvement store and buy two 3 1/4 X 10 floor ducts, some aluminum flex ducting, 6 inch insulated ducting, and some self tapping screws and put together some ductwork from the Big E to their floor vent. That hypothetical person would want to be careful when drilling the holes around the grill on the Big E, and NOT drill through the firebox or hopper....... and ONLY go through the single wall steel surrounding the outlet grill on his Big E. Attach said 3 1/4 X 10 floor ducts to the front of the Big E via self tapping screws. Connect aluminum flex to the 3 1/4 X 10s, then run it into the flex, or however he might connect to the room or two he is trying to heat. I suspect that if his expectations were realistic, and NOT trying to heat a whole house this way....... he might be completely content. Granted, it might not be the most efficient use of a pellet stove, but i SUSPECT it could be done.
![[Hearth.com] Big E and Duct work?](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/bige002-gif.208092/ "[Hearth.com] Big E and Duct work?")
![[Hearth.com] Big E and Duct work?](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/bige003-gif.208093/ "[Hearth.com] Big E and Duct work?")
![[Hearth.com] Big E and Duct work?](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/bige004-gif.208094/ "[Hearth.com] Big E and Duct work?")
Wow! Either someone is really good at Photoshop or we have some genuine photos of unadulterated Jerry Riggin'
Andrew Churchill said:Wow! Either someone is really good at Photoshop or we have some genuine photos of unadulterated Jerry Riggin'
Brings these words to mind........................................................
DANGER WILL ROBINSON
GO BACK
It is amazing what you can do with to much knowledge. I know I do know just enough to hurt myself.
Eric
Eric
Ductape said:Brings these words to mind........................................................
DANGER WILL ROBINSON
LMAO ! :lol:
That's the first thing I thought of when I saw the pics!
I just installed a Big E & was told before I bought it that I could hook it up to the duct work & it would heat my house as well as my wood furnace had. He made it sound easy - problem is I'm not a tin bender...I tried disconnecting the return air & went from 2 - 12" rounds to one 6" round ending with an 8 X 12 boot over the Big E's heat exchangers. I was a little concerned about the size reduction but a friend that was helping install didn't think it would be a problem. Well, I turned on the Big E...finally lit up after the second run & the flames were a beautiful sight to see! (It's been getting colder every day ....lows tonight in mid 20's) Then I kicked on the furnace fan.....
After several loud bangs & thinkung with all that thunder there must be some wild storm outside I went downstairs to see what happened. The furnace had sucked in the duct work as much as it could trying to get more air...I couldn't remember which wires to switch out to slow the fan so I shut off the furnace & set the Big E to 3 & went to bed.
I was almost warm enough to go to sleep & then my dog got up & stretched out on the other side of the bed. This morning it was 52 in the house, still too chilly for me. I left it on 3 for the day & the house had warmed up to 58 when I got home. I pulled the 6" duct work off & added another piece to my cold air box hoping this would allow more air thru & still pick up the warm air from the Big E & maybe even some from the ceiling...(This is all in the basement of a 100+ year old house) So far it's warmed up to 60...Is there any chance this will actually heat my house or should I make room for it upstairs & get something else as well??
If there's some way to capture the hot air without sucking in the cool air as well... I'm just about out of ideas...This is the first pellet I've had, my wood furnace was a Hotblast & it did exactly that! I had to open windows if I had a really good fire going. It was nice though to be lying in bed watching the snow fall & deer walking by close enough to hear them & still be warm!
Thanks for any suggestions!
After several loud bangs & thinkung with all that thunder there must be some wild storm outside I went downstairs to see what happened. The furnace had sucked in the duct work as much as it could trying to get more air...I couldn't remember which wires to switch out to slow the fan so I shut off the furnace & set the Big E to 3 & went to bed.
I was almost warm enough to go to sleep & then my dog got up & stretched out on the other side of the bed. This morning it was 52 in the house, still too chilly for me. I left it on 3 for the day & the house had warmed up to 58 when I got home. I pulled the 6" duct work off & added another piece to my cold air box hoping this would allow more air thru & still pick up the warm air from the Big E & maybe even some from the ceiling...(This is all in the basement of a 100+ year old house) So far it's warmed up to 60...Is there any chance this will actually heat my house or should I make room for it upstairs & get something else as well??
If there's some way to capture the hot air without sucking in the cool air as well... I'm just about out of ideas...This is the first pellet I've had, my wood furnace was a Hotblast & it did exactly that! I had to open windows if I had a really good fire going. It was nice though to be lying in bed watching the snow fall & deer walking by close enough to hear them & still be warm!
Thanks for any suggestions!
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