Energy king 385ek not heating whole house

[Benjamin5985]

I get this arrangement for the EK...but why on the LP too? Does the same Tstat turn the LP furnace on/off too?

Nope but they both use the same piping fle the house ducting. So it stops it from back feeding in the lp or vise versa so the lp doesn’t back feed into the wood

 

[Benjamin5985]

200's or even 300's seems awfully low for the face of a furnace like that unless insulated. If your temps are there and the chimney is producing smoke, it should be hotter. That furnace has provisions for secondary air, even if not working fully it should be burning cleaner.

Hey laynes

What recommendations do you have? I have a auto dampener on the side when it calls doe heat upstairs it opens be when it’s not it’s closes. I also have a damper on the front then dial I can open up.

 

[laynes69]

Not sure, for I don't know the furnace. As i said before I wouldn't dump the heat into the basement but put it into the living space. Especially with a ceiling that's insulated in the basement. We have tall ceilings and the longer the blower operates the better the heat distribution. I know our old furnace would hit 500 to 600 on the face before burning clean, but was a different furnace. Monitor the chimney and when it's burning cleanly that should give you an idea on the operation. More details should allow for a better idea.

 

[brenndatomu]

That furnace has provisions for secondary air,

It does?
I briefly considered one of these years ago...their advertising kinda eluded to secondary air, but when I grilled the dealer they fessed up that it probably didn't have secondary air over the fire like I wanted (more like the SBI furnaces) but then the lady didn't fill me with confidence that she really knew the product either...I moved on.

 

[Benjamin5985]

So after reading I see I should actually keep the return duct tied into the wood stove and not it’s own feed

 

[Benjamin5985]

Also saw this but have no clue what it really means to be honest

tried to read it 12 times but bit putting it together

 

[laynes69]

It does?
I briefly considered one of these years ago...their advertising kinda eluded to secondary air, but when I grilled the dealer they fessed up that it probably didn't have secondary air over the fire like I wanted (more like the SBI furnaces) but then the lady didn't fill me with confidence that she really knew the product either...I moved on.

Yep. It's nothing like modern furnaces or stoves but better than nothing. It's square steel tube up top circled in the pic.

 

[Benjamin5985]

Yep. It's nothing like modern furnaces or stoves but better than nothing. It's square steel tube up top circled in the pic.

Is there anything I have to do to get this setup or is this like a gasification system that will burn more effient?

 

[laynes69]

Is there anything I have to do to get this setup or is this like a gasification system that will burn more effient?

The idea of secondary air is to burn gasses. The 385ek had a secondary tube in the top between the baffles. Ideally one would get the fire hot, char the load and close down the primary air. The secondary air would then burn off the gasses and make alot of heat. From the looks of it theres heat exchange tubes in the top and that's where a majority of the heat would come from. Is there a way to clean those?

 

[Benjamin5985]

I will look when the fire calms down this weekend and see if that is possible. I did a full clean but didn’t do the fire blocks

maybe I’ll do all new blocks after the season, clean inside there andsee if that helps

 

[brenndatomu]

Also saw this but have no clue what it really means to be honest

tried to read it 12 times but bit putting it togetherView attachment 273538

Basically its saying that your setup needs to be such that you don't end up with too much duct backpressure for the furnace(s) to be able to cool themselves...on the other hand, if the duct pressure is too low, that can mean poor heating performance too...0.2" WC is what they tell you to shoot for...but that can be a hard number to hit on many duct systems (with a wood furnace)...IME as long as you are getting good temp rise across the furnace, and enough air flow to get the heat where you want it, good enough.

 

[Benjamin5985]

Basically its saying that your setup needs to be such that you don't end up with too much duct backpressure for the furnace(s) to be able to cool themselves...on the other hand, if the duct pressure is too low, that can mean poor heating performance too...0.2" WC is what they tell you to shoot for...but that can be a hard number to hit on many duct systems (with a wood furnace)...IME as long as you are getting good temp rise across the furnace, and enough air flow to get the heat where you want it, good enough.

Perfect!

-air filters will be here this week or next
-I got the probe and the magnetic stove pipe thermometer
-I’ll install the Dwyer mark 2 but I am curious I’m gonna take the pipe out get some 1/4 brake line with compression fitting with a threaded end I can put on the inside for a solid seal. Do I stick the stick in towards the middle of the pipe or just has to be a hole that’s it?

 

[brenndatomu]

Just so its in the stovepipe for a draft sample. I just bent my 1/4" tubing into a large S shape then stuck one end of the S into the 1/4" hole in the pipe and let it hang there...not fancy, but it works.

 

[Benjamin5985]

I’m gonna go get some 1/4 copper pipe today. One question is if you take the piping out for a none per many install do u plug the hole and how, I like a permante mount but that means every time I do a chimjney clean out I gotta take it all apart. Any pic would be great too I see a lot of people doing both

 

[brenndatomu]

Not sure, but I think you are asking how to plug the hole?
Just find a large screw or a small bolt of the appropriate size to screw in there...doesn't have to be water tight...

 

[Benjamin5985]

Not sure, but I think you are asking how to plug the hole?
Just find a large screw or a small bolt of the appropriate size to screw in there...doesn't have to be water tight...

did some more searching since I’m so picking with crap and making things hard mounted I got some goodies today

I’m gonna drill the stove pipe out the compression fitting in and nut the other side. Then I have a lot of tuning I’ll run it close to the Dwyer and then I have another end with compression fitting to a barn connector for the rubber hose.
Do I crimo the end and drill mini pilot holes on the side of the tubing or do I leave it open and point the tube down the pipe facing the furnace or just straigh in and that’s it

 

[Benjamin5985]

Pipe and connector goin in the stove pipe I’m thinking of cutting it 3”

 

[brenndatomu]

do I leave it open and point the tube down the pipe facing the furnace or just straigh in and that’s it

Leave it open...I have played around with pointing the tube up/down/sideways...didn't seem to make much difference for checking chimney draft...just as long as its in the pipe, you good.
This is one of the few things with properly setting up a forced air furnace that is actually pretty simple...(testing the draft that is)

 

[Benjamin5985]

Leave it open...I have played around with pointing the tube up/down/sideways...didn't seem to make much difference for checking chimney draft...just as long as its in the pipe, you good.
This is one of the few things with properly setting up a forced air furnace that is actually pretty simple...(testing the draft that is)

Lol I will get the hang of it MAYBE.
I was thinking of just mounting it to the return duct or run it all the way to the wall

 

[Benjamin5985]

 

[Benjamin5985]

Installed

with no fire and all doors closed this is what it reads

 

[Benjamin5985]

Now with fire started and going pretty well with auto dampener open

 

[maple1]

That's way way way too much draft.

 

[Benjamin5985]

Getting worse

 

[maple1]

Make sure it's calibrated right. As in, if you disconnect it from the flu pipe does it go to zero?