Everything Drolet Tundra - Heatmax...

[STIHLY DAN]

I couldn't ask for a better functioning controls setup. I really like how it turned out.

Love it when a plan comes together.

 

[Roediger]

Has anyone had to fill out the SBI-Furnace report for one that has cracked not sure what all I have to fill out on this form if you could message me and let me know or maybe let me see the one u filled out it would be greatly appreciated thanks

 

[Digger79]

Yeah, the fan/limit switch.
Not sure I'm following the plan with the blowers and dampers...

You might be surprised...my lil Drolet 1400i (1.8 CF insert stove) will out heat the Tundra 2:1...but, that it only the main floor, and a load only lasts about half as long as in Tundra

try sticking that Tundra in your living room. lol I bet it out heats the insert. I used to have tundra in an non insulated shed 12x20 and it would get the high 80's lol. hot. windows open when its 5 deg outside. But I get it. U mean vs the duct delivery of the heat.

 

[FrankT]

Hello Everyone! I just purchased the Tundra 2 and excited to install it. I am going to hook into my existing LP ductwork and I was wondering what sort of backdraft dampers did you use and where you got them? I was thinking of either installing it vertical in the plenum above my ACoil or horizontal between the plenum and supply.

Also I was thinking of connecting the house return on the left to the return on the drolet. Should I have two dampers damper there as well? I don't intend to run both furnaces at the same time so the return would only open to the drolet when gas is off. So would one damper allow return air to flow into drolet and another block off air pulling from gas?

 

[Woodythewoodhunter]

Hi folks... last night I sat down and read ALL 105 pages of comments on this topic. Damm, I learned a lot about Tundras.

But here's the deal, I need some advice from those running older tundras with cracks.

I bought a house with a first mode tundra (serial number in the 500's), home inspection failed to turn up any issues with it prior. I was googling, learned about some of the issues with cracking, inspected it closely, and presto... major cracking throughout the front. 6 cracks, 3-4 inch long. Still burns well, but obviously performance is down because of the additional air intake.

I've contacted SBI to see about warranty - fingers crossed, but because I am the second owner without proof of purchase, I won't hold my breath. In the meantime, old furnace guy paid a visit, said it's probably not that big a hazard or anything to run in the meantime, especially if I get it welded up (both him and I aware that the welding is likely to be a temp fix).

So here's my question to those still running tundras with cracks:

Should I? a) weld that p.o.s. up, get another winter out of it... or b) replace immediately because of safety/performance, spending thousands on an alternative.. probably non ducted wood stove ( I know, I know - not the same circulation)..

BTW. it's installed in an unfinished (concrete walls) below grade basement of about 1000 square feet, and the ducts heat floor above, which is another 1000 square feet..

Whadya say?

 

[brenndatomu]

It's not really a safety hazard...the cracks close up when it gets hot...never have welded mine yet...it works fine. But with 6 cracks that long, welding might be prudent to keep things from getting completely out of control though...

 

[Woodythewoodhunter]

It's not really a safety hazard...the cracks close up when it gets hot...never hav

It's not really a safety hazard...the cracks close up when it gets hot...never have welded mine yet...it works fine. But with 6 cracks that long, welding might be prudent to keep things from getting completely out of control though...

Thanks - Appreciate it. Anybody else still burning theirs with cracks?

 

[brenndatomu]

Thanks - Appreciate it. Anybody else still burning theirs with cracks?

@DoubleB

 

[DoubleB]

Yessir, I'm still using mine with cracks. I have probably the same number of cracks as you @Woodythewoodhunter , between the 8 corners of the loading door and heat exchanger cleanout door, although all but one of mine are <1" long. I also bet that if you look underneath the HX cleanout door, you'll see a bunch of tack weld that are cracked (right above the loading door).

Although I don't like the cracks and I figure the days (years) with my Tundra are numbered, I also feel safe using mine in its current condition. When the furnace heats up the cracks shrink closed, so I don't think air admittance is affected much. They're far from a through-crack, and they're plainly visible to keep an eye on them so I can tell over time if they're running away.

I'm kind of curious what new furnaces might come out in the next couple years, and for now I'll see if I can make it that long.

Also, I'm super impressed you read all 105 pages. Do you have insomnia? Needless to say, you're now aware of some potential mitigations such as firebrick for the front face (available from SBI), over-temp control, etc? I don't know how much that helps, but some ideas for you...

 

[Woodythewoodhunter]

Yessir, I'm still using mine with cracks. I have probably the same number of cracks as you @Woodythewoodhunter , between the 8 corners of the loading door and heat exchanger cleanout door, although all but one of mine are <1" long. I also bet that if you look underneath the HX cleanout door, you'll see a bunch of tack weld that are cracked (right above the loading door).

Although I don't like the cracks and I figure the days (years) with my Tundra are numbered, I also feel safe using mine in its current condition. When the furnace heats up the cracks shrink closed, so I don't think air admittance is affected much. They're far from a through-crack, and they're plainly visible to keep an eye on them so I can tell over time if they're running away.

I'm kind of curious what new furnaces might come out in the next couple years, and for now I'll see if I can make it that long.

Also, I'm super impressed you read all 105 pages. Do you have insomnia? Needless to say, you're now aware of some potential mitigations such as firebrick for the front face (available from SBI), over-temp control, etc? I don't know how much that helps, but some ideas for you...

Thanks @DoubleB ! No luck with warranty for you? I am aware of these mitigations now.. so if no warranty happens, i'll be pursuing them. Along with welding it up... And yes.. funny enough, I do have Insomnia... .

 

[DoubleB]

Actually I did get the warranty, I even confirmed that they were ok if I ran it until I chose a replacement, they said sure.

Gosh sorry about the insomnia joke. I can tell you're not offended, which I'm glad you know that wasn't my intent. I hope you sleep better tonight.

 

[Woodythewoodhunter]

Actually I did get the warranty, I even confirmed that they were ok if I ran it until I chose a replacement, they said sure.

Gosh sorry about the insomnia joke. I can tell you're not offended, which I'm glad you know that wasn't my intent. I hope you sleep better tonight.

No worries @DoubleB ! Thanks for the info. submitting the warranty request asap so hopefully i'll have good news to report. If not, i'm going to weld that beast up and try that.

 

[brenndatomu]

Yeah you got it bad if you read the whole 105 pages without sleeping...I can't even do that and I'm OP!
But my wife says I have a switch on my ear...when it hits the pillow, I'm out. Drives her nuts because the snoring starts about a minute later!

 

[Woodythewoodhunter]

Update from my warranty for my Tundra 1 - I submitted all my paperwork, photos, and they were reasonably quick with the response. They at first offered me a replacement firebox under warranty (all other parts would have been swapped over), but I politely told them that if I was going to go to all the work/cost of swapping it out, I wanted a complete new upgraded furnace.

They honoured that. They sent me a Tundra 2. Their requirements were do the install myself (or pay for it), and that I remove the old serial plate and return to them.

I first submitted my claim on Oct 3rd, and by Nov 5th I had the furnace sitting on my front lawn.

I'm pleased with SBI's honouring of their warranty, and based on this alone - I would buy another product from them.

Thanks to @brenndatomu and @DoubleB for the advice.

 

[Case1030]

Hello all, just finished skimming through this tread.

Anyway I'm in the market for a wood furnace and figured the drolet tundra 2 will be a good fit.

I have a single level 1400 Sft house in Manitoba on a 1000 sqfoot sealed crawlspace. The house has quite a bit a Windows dual panel with storm windows on the outside, and being that it was built early 1960-1970 only has 4 inch studs but built quite well with proper vapor barrior. The attic has regular r20 bat insulation with a good foot to 1.5 feet of blown in on top. Last winter was pretty brutal many days in a row of (-20 to -25 Celsius daytime/ -28 to -35 celcius night) or in Fahrenheit -4 to -31 not including wind chill.

In the past I have used a huge Harmon bottom fed pellet stove for many years in the sunroom which managed to heat rest of the house, but I wanted to become more self sufficient and got a good early start on firewood 2 years css Ash, Oak, maple, and jackpine total of 10 cords.

Last year was my first attempt to go full wood using a Century 2900 2.4cft insert very similar to the Drolet 1800i both built by SBI. Shoulder season worked very well but once moved into mid December it was to hard to keep up so I shut the 400 sqfoot sunroom down untill March. The insert just kept up enough during the cold snap not to kick on the baseboards. I burnt about 4-5 cords mostly hardwood last year.

Now I would like to put a Tundra in the sunroom where I had the old pellet stove. Just got the new chimney installed through the roof. 9 feet of insulated and 6 feet of black pipe inside house (about 15 total).

The plan is to duct all hot air into main living area and also pulling fresh air from the opposite end giving me the option to close the sunroom door.

I'll upload a picture of the house layout.

 

[Case1030]

There are tempurature differences in each room clearly hard to get the heat to the furthest rooms.

In the fireplace insert room gets to about 80 Fahrenheit most of the time. And living area sits about 70-75. Bedrooms stay at 65 but is nice for sleeping. The end goal is to try distributing the heat throughout the house better with the furnace while also heating the sunroom with radiant heat.

Only when wanting to use the sunroom will we open a register for extra heat.

 

[brenndatomu]

Hi @Case1030 ! Sounds like you have a well thought out plan. The extra foot of firebox that the TII has over your insert stove should provide the firepower you need. Are you running ducts in the attic, or crawlspace?
BTW, dad used to own (still has?) a Case 930...what a chunk of iron!

 

[Case1030]

Not exactly related but I do have a stove top tempurature controller on the unit. It kicks the insert fan on high at 600 and a exterior fan blowing in the fireplace opening. At 590 fan goes on low also kicking off the exterior fan as well keeping firebox hot enough for secondary combustion. So I like to believe im getting most of the btu out of this unit possible.

 

[Case1030]

Hi @Case1030 ! Sounds like you have a well thought out plan. The extra foot of firebox that the TII has over your insert stove should provide the firepower you need. Are you running ducts in the attic, or crawlspace?
BTW, dad used to own (still has?) a Case 930...what a chunk of iron!

Thanks for the reply @brenndatomu.

Id like to duct through the crawlspace if possible and rig a heat dump in case of power outage.

Also have another plan that might test the waters... plumbing all the heat into the utility room and fresh air in bedroom #2. To create a circulating flow effect around the house.

And yes the old case 930/1030 are built like a tank... we have had one on the farm for 50 years just got a rebuild couple years ago for the sake of sentimental value.

 

[brenndatomu]

Id like to duct through the crawlspace if possible and rig a heat dump in case of power outage.

The emergency heat dump is exactly what I was going to suggest, but you are already on top of it!
Nice work with the Mypin on your insert too! I think you could lower the operating temps some, gain some efficiency...a fan stripping heat off the outside of the unit affects the temp inside the firebox very little, if at all.

 

[Case1030]

The emergency heat dump is exactly what I was going to suggest, but you are already on top of it!
Nice work with the Mypin on your insert too! I think you could lower the operating temps some, gain some efficiency...a fan stripping heat off the outside of the unit affects the temp inside the firebox very little, if at all.

I could try lowering the tempurature some. Not sure why but last year when I lowered it below 550 and the sheer volume of air was cooling the firebox to the point of secondaries wanting to stop lighting. It could be the wood quality being 20-22%, and the extra heat needed to keep lit? Very hard to get wood down to 15% unless using a wood shed around here even 3 year wood wants to absorb the moisture back in.

I talked to SBI about putting a larger fan on the insert and apperently the fans they choose for the insert are about 130 cfm and matched for the purpose of keeping the secondary combustion going. A large fan they told me would rob to much heat from the fire box. So instead I put a controller to rob heat only when the stove can afford to give it.

And that's apperantly the main reason they pull heat off the exhaust on the tundra not affecting firebox temps.

I dont have to many complaints with the stove just have to run it a little hotter. It was a learning cuve forsure compared to the old smoke dragons. With lower mc% wood I think you have a good point, logs should light secondarys at 450 stove top.

 

[brenndatomu]

With lower mc% wood I think you have a good point, logs should light secondarys at 450 stove top.

I can get secondary burn going at 350-400*F in my Drolet 1400i stove (with 3 year CSS wood)
The temp I ended up settling on for the Mypin temp controller on the Tundra was 350*F to close damper, 300* to open back up (if there was still a call for heat) but that is measured inside the stove pipe a foot or two out of the furnace....not sure how that would translate to STT's.

 

[Case1030]

I can get secondary burn going at 350-400*F in my Drolet 1400i stove (with 3 year CSS wood)
The temp I ended up settling on for the Mypin temp controller on the Tundra was 350*F to close damper, 300* to open back up (if there was still a call for heat) but that is measured inside the stove pipe a foot or two out of the furnace....not sure how that would translate to STT's.

That is exactly the plan when the dealer here gets my Tundra 2 in. Measuring the flue temp seems to be the most accurate way to operate the damper control.

I haven't been able to find to much regarding the tundra 2 though... I guess in a way that's a good thing. I was a little curious about how the old tundta compares to the new design with the plenum?

 

[brenndatomu]

I haven't been able to find to much regarding the tundra 2 though... I guess in a way that's a good thing.

My thinking too...people tend to squawk about stuff that doesn't work...especially $2000 house heaters!

I was a little curious about how the old tundta compares to the new design with the plenum?

My understanding is that it is the basically same, only with manufacturing changes made in the front to eliminate the cracking issues (the HE cleanout box is allowed to float now instead of welded fast to the front firebox panel, for one) and the blower controls are more sophisticated...variable speed. And then the obvious, the plenum...all steps in the right direction IMO.
I think I remember someone saying the firebox baffle has been upgraded to C-cast too.

 

[brenndatomu]

Not exactly related but I do have a stove top tempurature controller on the unit. It kicks the insert fan on high at 600 and a exterior fan blowing in the fireplace opening. At 590 fan goes on low also kicking off the exterior fan as well keeping firebox hot enough for secondary combustion. So I like to believe im getting most of the btu out of this unit possible.
View attachment 232919 View attachment 232918

Just curious, how did you attach the thermocouple to the stove?