DPX and EKO

[Fred61]

I'm not saying this to hurt any feelings but it needs to be said. If you're this "hung up" on something as insignificant as combustion fans you're really going to be in the mud when it comes to making decisions during your install.

 

[maple1]

I'm not reading a 'hang up'?

IMO it is just another thing to consider. Not having to worry about door gaskets & smoke roll-outs may be favoured feature to some. I know I like not having to worry about that with mine, and all else being equal I would likely pick induced over forced. I would not pick induced over forced if the forced had other features that I thought more favourable.

 

[Fred61]

You may be a little misinformed if you are thinking that induced draft doesn't allow smoke to enter the room through the door gaskets. Whether forced or induced, the air is expanded probably more and adds more pressure to the firebox during the burn than the fan does. Whether forced or induced, it's the draft that takes the gasses away as well as contributing to combustion. It's not like the fans are there to blow fire up the tubes. Wood Gun installs a huge smoke flap over the loading door to keep smoke from rolling out into the room. On the 'Gun that I had, leaking door gaskets was one on my biggest problems.

The air injected by my forced draft is barely enough to blow a feather away.

 

[stee6043]

You may be a little misinformed if you are thinking that induced draft doesn't allow smoke to enter the room through the door gaskets. Whether forced or induced, the air is expanded probably more and adds more pressure to the firebox during the burn than the fan does. Whether forced or induced, it's the draft that takes the gasses away as well as contributing to combustion. It's not like the fans are there to blow fire up the tubes. Wood Gun installs a huge smoke flap over the loading door to keep smoke from rolling out into the room. On the 'Gun that I had, leaking door gaskets was one on my biggest problems.

The air injected by my forced draft is barely enough to blow a feather away.

+1. I've got both my draft fan and a draft inducer. The draft inducer does very little in terms of smoke control. The only thing that really seems to work, at least for my rig, is properly timed reloads. Smoke free is possible it just takes a little forethought.

 

[maple1]

I'll be the first to admit to limited experience with both. Mine is induced, by natural draft. But neither it nor the induced fan models of the same boiler even have any door gaskets, and I actually have to try to reload at the very worst time to get any smoke come close to spilling out of the firebox. I have read the same of others on here with the fan models. Also have read here of some guys with forced draft models having lots of problems with keeping the smoke in their boxes both when re-loading and burning, and regularly fighting with their door gaskets. I guess for now I'll just add to my conclusions that not all induced draft boilers are the same, and not all forced draft boilers are the same.

 

[Fred61]

IMO it is just another thing to consider. Not having to worry about door gaskets & smoke roll-outs may be favoured feature to some. I know I like not having to worry about that with mine, and all else being equal I would likely pick induced over forced. I would not pick induced over forced if the forced had other features that I thought more favourable.

Actually talking about two different things here. Smoke leaking out of gaskets while burning and smoke coming out when reloading. Either way, I don't know of a unit, forced or induced that don't smoke if you are not careful when opening the loading door
In the case of your unit, it is totally different than your typical induced or forced downdraft units.

With all the talk about smoke coming from the door when loading or smoke leaking from the gasket when burning I'd say that it's normal for you to think that induced draft would apply a vacuum to the firebox if you are not familiar with these units.

In the middle of a burn when my boiler is going 'hell-a-hoopin' I can slowly open the door after opening the bypass and the fire will continue to gas downward and won't even turn around and burn upward. This has to be driven by the natural draft.

 

[henfruit]

No gaskets? Just steel on steel.

 

[maple1]

No gaskets? Just steel on steel.

Not sure if that was a question for me or not, but if so, no - no gaskets. Yes, just steel on steel. One flat steel surface against another. On all three doors.

 

[maple1]

In the middle of a burn when my boiler is going 'hell-a-hoopin' I can slowly open the door after opening the bypass and the fire will continue to gas downward and won't even turn around and burn upward. This has to be driven by the natural draft.

What happens if you don't open the bypass first?

 

[kjahnz]

I get smoke, I blame inexperience. Dry wood helps with solving the smoke problem.

 

[Fred61]

What happens if you don't open the bypass first?

I doubt that anything would be any different but I'll let you know. The combustion air for the perpetual burn is coming from the open door.

 

[Coog]

What do you have for chimney?

I would have a 20' plus stack. I measured it once, I think it would be 23' from the basement to three feet above the roof line. Class A chimney cost a mint though. Probably the same to build a small shed and install the underground insulated supply/return lines outside as it would be to buy and install the class A. Plus it is tough and disruptive to find a path to the roof of an existing structure.

I like the idea of it being in the house. The residual heat stays in the house. However, I like the idea of walking out the garage door and 15 feet from there is my boiler, where my wood supply would be also. I have a walk-out basement so bringing wood to the basement wood not be a huge deal, but still a bit more of a hassle than walking to a small shed with the wood supply present. If there is a power loss, the outdoor water lines can freeze if the pump is not moving water so running a generator is required for an outdoor application, I think, maybe not if the lines are not exposed to the weather. Would make me nervous though. Seams like we lose power at least once a year when the wind is blowing and it is below zero. Wife would like the mess outside but that is not a huge factor for us. I don't mind a little smoke in the house, but a plume and two hours before the smell goes away is not acceptable.

Give and take I guess. Insurance company likes it better outside but I already have a stove in the house so they may not care if I add another wood burning appliance. Would have to ask.

Sorry, just thinking out loud, rocking the baby back to sleep in front of the fire.

 

[kopeck]

Negative Pressure: BioMass, Attack, Froling, Effecta, Garn, Woodgun

Add the newer Tarms (Solo Innovas) to that list.

 

[kopeck]

The only time I have a smoke issue with my Solo Innova is if I screw up starting the fire. That smoldering non flame situation is a bugger. I have the door open for a redo and in that time it will let out enough smoke to smell the basment up a bit but it doesn't get "smokey" per se.

That being said it happens pretty infrequently, usually when I'm rushing...that always works out.

K