Blowers or no blowers?

[Hunter130]

The sticker is what’s inside the black box on top left of the furnace. Thought maybe that the numbers were 120-130 degrees?

 

[garmford]

Since your return air is not ducted, you’re pulling cold air off your basement floor. If that air is at 60* it takes a lot of heat from the furnace to get it to feel warm.

I would also close that duct that open above the furnace. I’m guessing you’re actually pulling more cold air into the duct when the fans kick on. It probably creates a suction.

Do you have a barometric damper on the chimney?

Thanks for the pics! A few more may help.

 

[laynes69]

If it's a double wide, I doubt the chimney is too tall. That furnace will be more than enough heat to keep the basement warm, so close that damper on the 8" run, or better yet remove it. Are both lines tied into the plenum or the ductwork of the central furnace? If so, are you stopping the air from going back through the central furnace (backdraft damper)? If that isn't a hotblast, it looks damn close. You should be roasting out of the house. Are you burning hot enough?

 

[Hunter130]

They are tied into my gas furnace ducts I believe. Only reason I leave the one duct open directly above the stove is because it blows directly at my steps, I leave the basement door open and it works as a giant register lol. The duct that is open runs to my spare bedrooms, and kitchen and since the living room and kitchen are open floor plan, and the basement door is right at the end of the kitchen, it seems to work better that way. As far as if I’m burning hot enough, I will include a picture of dampener position, and it is 10 degrees outside right now, so it’s open more than usual. At this position, the gas furnace has still kicked on approx 3 times in the last hour or so. I will also show a pic of my fire, last time wood was added was about 2.5 hrs ago. As you can see with the fire, it’s wanting more wood again, already. And the gas furnace is still kicking on occasionally... the propane bill is the main cause of all my frustration lol

 

[laynes69]

Have you filled the firebox? That only looks like a few splits. I would fill mine to the baffle with wood.

 

[brenndatomu]

A lot of unknowns here...what is the chimney draft? How about the stove pipe temp?
What is the moisture content of the wood? (this really sounds like wet wood to me)
How long has the wood been cut/split/stacked? Was it top covered?
With the rainy year almost everybody in the states had this year, there has been an even higher than usual rate of "wet wood" problems popping up here (and it usually happens a lot)

 

[Hunter130]

Yes, actually the time before the picture was taken, the wife actually filled it so she probably didn’t fill it clear full. But generally, I pretty much stuff the thing with wood.

I appreciate everyone’s input by the way. I’ve had several people look at it, trying to decipher a problem. Unfortunately, everyone says it should keep us plenty of warm, and the negative side would be that it eats the wood. It definitely eats the wood, but doesn’t do that great of a job heating the house in return. I would like to buy a max caddy or heat pro but as of right now that’s not in the budget.

I burn roughly a truck load a week. And have been bad at keeping track of it this year but it’s been a lot. I have all the wood for next year cut split and stacked, so if I still have the furnace then, I’m going to really keep track of how much I burn. Luckily I enjoy cutting wood

 

[laynes69]

Where do you live in ohio? That's alot of wood to receive little heat.

 

[Hunter130]

A lot of unknowns here...what is the chimney draft? How about the stove pipe temp?
What is the moisture content of the wood? (this really sounds like wet wood to me)
How long has the wood been cut/split/stacked? Was it top covered?
With the rainy year almost everybody in the states had this year, there has been an even higher than usual rate of "wet wood" problems popping up here (and it usually happens a lot)

Although I can’t yet answer the chimney draft, or stove pipe temp questions, I can assure this is dry wood. I burnt most of the greener stuff earlier in the year before the temps really started dropping. Most of the wood I am burning now has been split and stacked for a year In a building with rough cut lumber as siding so it had gaps for air to pass through, and as open face on the building. Some of that wood is even older, right around the 2 year mark of being stacked in the building. I am burning various types of wood though, most of it is elm and ash, with some locust and oak. The locust and oak is the greener of the types of wood, however I would defenitly consider it dry seasoned wood.

 

[Hunter130]

Where do you live in ohio? That's alot of wood to receive little heat.

I actually just looked at your profile, I’m not too far from you. Small town called Glenmont down in Holmes county

 

[brenndatomu]

Locust might...maybe...be ready in two years...that oak isn't...especially if it was in a building. Direct sun and plenty of wind is the best way to dry firewood

 

[brenndatomu]

Oh, and if this Woodblast is not making heat with that wood, a Max Caddy would be doing even worse...they gotta have DRY wood.

 

[Hunter130]

Oh, and if this Woodblast is not making heat with that wood, a Max Caddy would be doing even worse...they gotta have DRY wood.

Interesting, can’t say I knew that! Thanks for the info

 

[brenndatomu]

Interesting, can’t say I knew that! Thanks for the info

Welcome.
All of the new efficient and clean burning stoves/furnaces are that way...not just the Max.
If you can build up a 3 year supply C/S/S firewood, you will not have problems.

 

[laynes69]

I removed the rear plug on ours, disabled the door damper and used the ashpan damper. The rear plug removed seemed to allow fresh air above the fire for a better burn. Ours also had twice the volume of air as the factory blowers, and I cut a third duct in the top. You could disconnect the 2 ducts on top and let the heat pump into the basement, but it may not heat well that way. Long runs with 8" ducts don't always work so well.

 

[laynes69]

Interesting, can’t say I knew that! Thanks for the info

Well if you had a plenum and a larger blower, you wouldn't have an issue with heat. Its hard saying, sometimes the old school furnaces burned hotter and other times not so much due to incomplete combustion.

 

[laynes69]

I actually just looked at your profile, I’m not too far from you. Small town called Glenmont down in Holmes county

Yeah there's a few of us within 45 minutes or so from each other.

 

[Hunter130]

Welcome.
All of the new efficient and clean burning stoves/furnaces are that way...not just the Max.
If you can build up a 3 year supply C/S/S firewood, you will not have problems.

I start Saturday cutting firewood on a buddies 3 acre prop that was all timber and they clear cut it all except for a quarter acre. I’m hoping to be about 5 yrs or more ahead by the time in finished this spring, now just need to find good storage lol

And to laynes69, I will try that and see what happens. I feel like that may be effective.

 

[laynes69]

I start Saturday cutting firewood on a buddies 3 acre prop that was all timber and they clear cut it all except for a quarter acre. I’m hoping to be about 5 yrs or more ahead by the time in finished this spring, now just need to find good storage lol

And to laynes69, I will try that and see what happens. I feel like that may be effective.

Get a magnetic thermometer and put it above the loading door. Shoot for about 400 degrees or so and she should cook! Those furnaces are much more forgiving with sub seasoned wood that's for sure!

 

[brenndatomu]

hoping to be about 5 yrs or more ahead by the time in finished this spring, now just need to find good storage lol

I keep all but what I need for the coming winter outside...its just top covered, sides open.
In the fall, when it is still hot n dry out, I bring what I will need for the upcoming winter into the shed (on racks...then I haul them to the attached garage with my mini forklift one by one as they are needed. We typically burn about 4 cords per winter...5 on a cold winter. So that's probably 8-10 "truckloads" for the whole winter...

 

[Hunter130]

I keep all but what I need for the coming winter outside...its just top covered, sides open.
In the fall, when it is still hot n dry out, I bring what I will need for the upcoming winter into the shed (on racks...then I haul them to the attached garage with my mini forklift one by one as they are needed. We typically burn about 4 cords per winter...5 on a cold winter. So that's probably 8-10 "truckloads" for the whole winter...

I just emptied the shed with the last load I brought into the house, the rest is outside on pallets, top covered. It’s mostly ash

 

[Hunter130]

Well if you had a plenum and a larger blower, you wouldn't have an issue with heat. Its hard saying, sometimes the old school furnaces burned hotter and other times not so much due to incomplete combustion.

As you can tell I’m sure, I’m still rather green myself when it comes to wood furnaces. How do I go about adding a plenum system? I understand removing those ducts, but what does the plenum hook to then? I’m slow at work with the weather and this would be a great project for my evenings!

 

[laynes69]

As you can tell I’m sure, I’m still rather green myself when it comes to wood furnaces. How do I go about adding a plenum system? I understand removing those ducts, but what does the plenum hook to then? I’m slow at work with the weather and this would be a great project for my evenings!

What I meant by that was down the road, a new furnace with plenum larger blower will allow for more heat to be distributed into the home. I wouldn't modify what you have now.

 

[brenndatomu]

What I meant by that was down the road, a new furnace with plenum larger blower will allow for more heat to be distributed into the home. I wouldn't modify what you have now.

Yeah I don't think that would be a good return on your investment. At the most you could add a 3rd 8" duct...if you thought you could use one.