brenndatomu
Minister of Fire
No reason a Drolet Heatpro (or PSG Max Caddy) couldn't be installed as a free standing heater under that hood...
MP80. Never emissions tested, not legal in all areas!Can any of your guys furnaces be installed as space heaters as highbeam suggested?
Great observation. In fact, surface temps can increase significantly as the combustor temps increase with residence time.I've never run a BK (or any cat stove for that matter) but it sticks out to me that the air is being left wide open all the time...I know on the tube stoves I have run, they put out more heat when throttled down (once the secondary burn is stabilized)
I wonder what happens when this unit is throttled down? And does running the stove wide open all the time damage anything...like maybe the cats cooked? (I know, I know, there's a chinese food joke in there somewhere's)
MP80. Never emissions tested, not legal in all areas!
And again. I question why anyone would ever buy a furnace to use as a space heater?
I've never run a BK (or any cat stove for that matter) but it sticks out to me that the air is being left wide open all the time...I know on the tube stoves I have run, they put out more heat when throttled down (once the secondary burn is stabilized)
I wonder what happens when this unit is throttled down? And does running the stove wide open all the time damage anything...like maybe the cats cooked? (I know, I know, there's a chinese food joke in there somewhere's)
I very much would want to use a furnace as a space heater for my shop area. Mostly because the wood furnaces are capable of much higher output than any EPA stove. The wood furnace pictured above, the drolet, has an 1800 CFM blower with a large heat exchanger where the actual flue pipe snakes back and forth through the forced air stream, and the 4.9 CF firebox is completely within the blower cabinet too. Oh and they are thermostatically controlled so no fiddling with the damper.
The OP Trev should remove the intake hood above his stove in any case. The intake can still be in the same room as the wood furnace. Or, a very small separate duct system can be added just through the floor above to dump some or all of the wood furnace heat into the living area.
The king is a convection heater, I don't think it's gonna produce enough heat for the hood to work worth a damn.
The OP knows the system he had was working...one option is to find the simplest, cheapest way to get back there. The BK is a convective stove and pretty much needs the blower to pull off much heat at all. With the external, plus the internal shields, I don't see it getting a ton of radiant heat off the sides. All I know for sure is that the Buck 91 running on medium, with the blower pulling heat from the back/top and the sides of the stove, would start to burn my hand if I held it in front of the air outlets for more than a couple seconds. I realize it's "water under the bridge" to some extent but the Woodstock hybrids, radiation-type stoves, would be a better match for the heat distribution system he has in place. And they are 6" flues. The raw stove would have been half the price but shipping, and maybe importing, would be an added expense, so I don't know how the actual bottom lines would compare. Woodstock may well be a no-go in Canada but my point is, he needs a radiant stove if he wants to use his former method of heating the space. He needs the heat to rise straight up, into the funnel. Based on the EPA numbers, maybe a higher output than the BK could be had.You could always break out the old clay and put in a stainless liner. The people that assured you the chimney would be fine also told you a 7" connector pipe would be fine as well. I have to question their advice. Did they inspect the chimney before giving you this advice?
So it is described as a standalone or add on furnace. Are you saying it can be hooked up with no plenum or ducting? It has to have the blower and thermostat as per the manual. So it can just blow 900cfm straight into the room it's in?
I know we're getting sidetracked here but everyone keeps saying you can just have a wood furnace hooked up to no ducting. Which may be true if it was on its own. But I'm doubtful you can do it in the same room/area as an existing FAF.
And again. I question why anyone would ever buy a furnace to use as a space heater?
A refund maybe in order ONLY if the dealer actually came to the house and hooked it up. Cash and carry is a large part of the stove business, without being on site it's hard to blame the store for a poor chimney. They should have given better advice though.The OP knows the system he had was working...one option is to find the simplest, cheapest way to get back there. The BK is a convective stove and pretty much needs the blower to pull off much heat at all. With the external, plus the internal shields, I don't see it getting a ton of radiant heat off the sides. All I know for sure is that the Buck 91 running on medium, with the blower pulling heat from the back/top and the sides of the stove, would start to burn my hand if I held it in front of the air outlets for more than a couple seconds. I realize it's "water under the bridge" to some extent but the Woodstock hybrids, radiation-type stoves, would be a better match for the heat distribution system he has in place. And they are 6" flues. The raw stove would have been half the price but shipping, and maybe importing, would be an added expense, so I don't know how the actual bottom lines would compare. Woodstock may well be a no-go in Canada but my point is, he needs a radiant stove if he wants to use his former method of heating the space. He needs the heat to rise straight up, into the funnel. Based on the EPA numbers, maybe a higher output than the BK could be had.
https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2013-08/documents/certifiedwood.pdf
Really, he should be refunded his money based on the fact that the stove doesn't appear to draw, even though he was assured that his chimney wouldn't be a problem. When you have a stove that can be run with the air wide open (bypass closed) without over-firing, they should know that it won't draw that great with a restricted outlet and masonry chimney, but maybe they figured that 30' would overcome those problems. But like @bholler said, any dealer worth his salt should have tested the draw first to be sure. Otherwise, in my book, the onus is on them. IMO, they should refund. Here's where the Woodstock money-back guarantee, no questions asked, would be nice to have. Alas... That said, I'd think any easy-breathing 6" stove would have plenty of draft on his chimney.
That should not be an issue. It's ok as long as it's installed according to code. There are several wood furnace that are add-ons for sale. There are even combo wood/gas (or oil) furnaces. Whether air quality regs allow them in the province though is unknown.Well I'm still doubtful that mechanical code would allow for a separate wood furnace in the same room/area as an existing forced air furnace.
I think you ar misinterpreting standalone. That doesn't mean no ducting or blower or thermostat, it just means that there is no other heating component to the FAF. A standalone wood furnace does not mean used as a space heater.
Yes, it must have the blower and be stand alone with one biggest floor register. Or it can be added onto existing fuel furnace system. Again, not legal in all areas.
Maybe for the firebox size/BTU output/bang for the $$. Plus they tend to have fireboxes capable of loading longer splits like OP mentioned.I question why anyone would ever buy a furnace to use as a space heater?
Ahh, gotcha. Like I said, I have never run one...or even been around one really...Careful, the OP's BK is being left at maximum thermostat setting all the time. This is NOT the same thing as leaving the intake throttle blade open all the time. The BK will close the throttle blades when it warms up to the thermostat set point which includes the max stat setting.
I enjoy reading this discussion, because I learn some great trouble shooting tips. It is a shame that the OP has hit the trifecta for poor performance. Questionable wood quality, poor draft, and a but the old one worked fine approach to the problem.This is a large firebox unit, low Btu heater designed for 1,200 sq ft average home. Designed for a 7" flue...
Yes, the glass is a very powerful radiant heat source. The solid door is two layers of metal, perhaps the glass would help.I enjoy reading this discussion, because I learn some great trouble shooting tips. It is a shame that the OP has hit the trifecta for poor performance. Questionable wood quality, poor draft, and a but the old one worked fine approach to the problem.
My question to BKVP is does a glass door add to the amount of heat outputted by a stove? I know when I am in front of the glass it is much warmer then off to the side.
Thanks everyone for sharing your experience and wisdom with the world.
That should not be an issue. It's ok as long as it's installed according to code. There are several wood furnace that are add-ons for sale. There are even combo wood/gas (or oil) furnaces. Whether air quality regs allow them in the province though is unknown.
The BK is a convective stove and pretty much needs the blower to pull off much heat at all. With the external, plus the internal shields, I don't see it getting a ton of radiant heat off the sides.
I hope we can agree. That the requirement in every manual I've looked at of the blower means there will be ducting.
Thanks for the clarification. Do you know what the code concern with the standalone is? combustion air competition? creating negative pressure if sucking from the basement and supplying upstairs? sharing common chimney?Again. We've discussed proper downstream add on connections, and combo units, which are allowed. But what I'm questioning is people saying that a wood furnace can be installed as a standalone in the same room or area as a existing FAF, and run with either no ducting or limited supply ducting.
I'm only really staying on this as I'd say wood furnaces are probably 10% of my work. Very common here.
BC requires as of last year that new wood furnaces or boilers pass EPA regulations or the equivalent csa testing. As always check with the authority having jurisdiction(local) to see if there's further restrictions.
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