Somewhat...supposed to get down into the teens next Tues, Wed, Thurs...not terribly cold, but 10-15* colder than it has been...
Everything Drolet Tundra - Heatmax...
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Gbawol42
Burning Hunk
I think I have come to the same realization that a few of you had after burning this furnace for a few months. I need to hook up some type of cold air return. My basement is just entirely to warm and I need to get that heat to my living space.
My question is without contacting the local HVAC company and spending a lot of $$$, do any of you know a good place to purchase the materials I need to do this? A lot of websites differ huge in price. Just wanted to see what you guys may have found through your research. I think I may try the "sucking" off from the ceiling maneuver before really getting into hooking up something more complete.
In hindsight I wish I was closer to my main furnace and I would hook into that, but currently that would be quite a run.
My question is without contacting the local HVAC company and spending a lot of $$$, do any of you know a good place to purchase the materials I need to do this? A lot of websites differ huge in price. Just wanted to see what you guys may have found through your research. I think I may try the "sucking" off from the ceiling maneuver before really getting into hooking up something more complete.
In hindsight I wish I was closer to my main furnace and I would hook into that, but currently that would be quite a run.
Home Depot sells limited ductwork as well as Menards and probably Lowes and some sheetmetal. When I re-ducted our entire home, I went to a local lumber yard that sold ductwork. Call around, theres bound to be somewhere.
Gbawol42
Burning Hunk
Menards is your source...love that place!
Yup I agree, and they have 11% off this week. Looks like they have a reasonably priced cold air drop kit, but they have 20x14 and 20x16. Looks like our furnace takes 20x15? Just basing that on the actual filter kit that drolet sells. Might have to go do some measuring to see what I can get to fit without much work.
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That 20" is width, and the 14 or 16" is depth...but the Tundra filter is mounted on its side...so it is narrow but tall.
What I would do is either buy some plain square duct, or that drop kit and adapt it to fit...I would really recommend the tools I linked above to anybody that wants to do some DIY ductwork themselves...it will save you a ton of money! Watch some YouTube vids and learn the basics on ductwork, it is really pretty simple unless you are making some really fancy fittings...and even then its more about a few special tools and knowing how to use them.
I have all the above tools, and a couple other basic pieces, and just did a total revamp on my setup this summer, all DIY.
Took out the old Yukon, moved the Kuuma, added a new oil furnace, and tied it all together to be "automatic" to switch between oil and wood. Used mainly just the above mentioned specialty tools (I did use my FIL's sheet metal brake once, just to make a clean (and quick) bend in a larger piece) all the rest was just common hand tools.
I would think you could buy a piece of sheet metal "panning" (Menards stocks it) and screw that to the blower housing, cut a hole in that, now attach the drop kit (or just plain square duct) to this new larger surface...or many other ways it could be done too I'm sure...
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This is what I used for the return drop leg on the Kuuma...but it has a larger blower/box though too...
Gbawol42
Burning Hunk
Mine came with 2 tools one with a hook and one to clean the smoke flue. It's a semi circle. I just flip that upside down and it works great to clean the ashes.Lol it seems perfect to hook onto the ash plug. I'd much rather it come with a proper rake to make bringing the coals to the front easier. But yes I see your point.
My basement is almost always warmer than the rest of the house. To really increase the first and second floor temps it's usually in the beginning of the burn when it's real hot. Then when its shut down basically it's just maintaining the temp what has been achieved. Usually after I shut down it will go up 2 to 4 degrees.
Oh, they don't come with the ash shovel anymore? They used to come with a really nice long handled ash shovel too
Gbawol42
Burning Hunk
Nope, I did not get ash shovel. That would have been nice since the one I have is the standard size and kinda short for this firebox.
I can't imagine operating one of these wood furnaces without a cold air return hooked into the duct work or at the very least back into the heat envelope. It would never work to my satisfaction.
Mine is attached to the regular HVAC return via two 10" round ducts and a little manifold my sheetmetal contractor buddy built in 10 minutes. I think the total cost was a couple hundred dollars.
Edit: The couple hundred dollars was to connect the supply and return ducts, all in. That's 4) 8" adjustable elbows, 6) 10" adjustable elbows, 8 starter collars, and the flat work. The little manifold was made of scrap and cost me nothing but my buddy would build them all day long for $50.
Mine is attached to the regular HVAC return via two 10" round ducts and a little manifold my sheetmetal contractor buddy built in 10 minutes. I think the total cost was a couple hundred dollars.
Edit: The couple hundred dollars was to connect the supply and return ducts, all in. That's 4) 8" adjustable elbows, 6) 10" adjustable elbows, 8 starter collars, and the flat work. The little manifold was made of scrap and cost me nothing but my buddy would build them all day long for $50.
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The bigger filter the better; my gas furnace is 20x25x4 and it's great changing it twice a year. My drolet is 20x14x1 and must be changed every month or so. As for your return duct, I'd do what's convenient and not worry too much about the duct size. The Tundra blower is a low cfm weak unit and any reasonable connection would suffice. I used two 10" returns but one would be fine.
General rule of thumb is that you want your return 20% larger than your supply...so ~120 sq inches would be minimum for return duct on a T1...203 sq inches for a T2.
FYI, a 8" pipe is 50 sq in.
A 10" pipe is 79 sq in.
12" pipe is 113 sq in.
14" is 154 sq in.
16" is 201 sq in.
Mojappa
Burning Hunk
When your options are run it without a return hooked up yet or be cold while your heat pump fails to keep up you’d probably run it. Clearly it’s not running optimally but still way better than the heat pump and way better than the old Fisher in the basement. Lol
I want to thank brenndatomu for helping me along the process of installing his old Drolet Tundra. Its been an awesome addition as an add on supplemental furnace!
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Nice clean looking install. Lots of vertical on the ducts and flue are a plus too. If only they came from the factory with the add on controls ;-)
So far I have had very good furnace response to the set up. I get a constant .05 on the manometer with no adjustment needed other than adding a few washers. I have a 30 plus foot flue chimney the contractor installed when the house was built last year. This was my first experience with a wood furnace (I had a drolet wood burning stove in our first house) so this was a learning experience with ductwork etc. I had to install volume dampers on a bunch of duct around the furnace to cut back the air flow and to even out flow entirely (house is a ranch). I wish I could have done 45's on the flue but this has worked very well. No issues with draft to start fires and not much smoke. So far so good!
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Your welcome...its been pretty easy really, you pick up on things quickly. I'm glad its working out well for you!
I agree! And if you like that, then you should see the stone walkway he put in right before installing the Tundra!
I am a little jealous of all the room there...especially the headroom...low ceiling height, a small furnace room, and large complicated duct system make any changes I want to do a pain in the rear!
I guess I should do an update in my Kuuma thread...this past summer I finally tore the old Yukon wood/coal/oil out, installed the Kuuma in its permanent home, and tied a new to me oil furnace into the system too...took me most of the summer to do, and there was months (years) of prior planning went in to it all, on top of the physical part of the swap.
Fortunately the old Yook found a good home with someone that was looking for a nice wood/coal/oil furnace, and they were thrilled to find this one.
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That looks to my novice eyes like galvanized air duct running out of the back of the furnace into the chimney. Is it?
LOL no no..... That stainless stove pipe. I wanted something better than black steel.
Just spoke to a Drolet sales representative yesterday. Apparently they are set to have the new tundra3/ heatmax3 2020 certification in the coming new year. No specific date announced yet other than there is a new model number logged into the sales end.
I'm excited to see what they come up with, since I'm considering putting a wood furnace in my new shop.
I'm excited to see what they come up with, since I'm considering putting a wood furnace in my new shop.
I will go on record here...I bet it's basically the same furnace, but they actively monitor and control the firebox temp using a stepper motor on the damper... 
If that comes to pass, I'm going to be disappointed that I didn't wait for the T3. That would be a nice feature on this furnace regardless of EPA regulations.I will go on record here...I bet it's basically the same furnace, but they actively monitor and control the firebox temp using a stepper motor on the damper...
