Everything Drolet Tundra - Heatmax...

[DoubleB]

I would say no. It is just that there are a ton more of them out there and they are marketed toward the DIY crowd so you just hear more about the issues.

That's my perception too.

For example, I think the two 8" ducts on the Tundra give the appearance that you just connect them somewhere convenient and expect it to work fine, but adequate ducting isn't necessarily that troublefree with any furnace. I think that the large plenum on the Kuuma makes people put more effort into properly connecting ductwork, even though the same principles are involved. Maybe that's just my perception.

SBI offers good customer service too, although Kuuma sounds like they have a more personal and see-you-through-it interaction.

 

[davidon]

That's my perception too.

For example, I think the two 8" ducts on the Tundra give the appearance that you just connect them somewhere convenient and expect it to work fine, but adequate ducting isn't necessarily that troublefree with any furnace. I think that the large plenum on the Kuuma makes people put more effort into properly connecting ductwork, even though the same principles are involved. Maybe that's just my perception.

SBI offers good customer service too, although Kuuma sounds like they have a more personal and see-you-through-it interaction.

OK well looks like I'll go with a Tundra. Will have to ask about installation at some point if the questions are not already answered. Any easy way to get the thing to the basement? Also what else needs to be ordered besides the furnace for a complete set-up? I already have a lined chimney.

 

[brenndatomu]

Any easy way to get the thing to the basement?

Depends on your house. What's your basement access like?

Also what else needs to be ordered besides the furnace for a complete set-up?

What ever you will need for your duct work and your stove pipe. Don't forget the barometric damper (I personally would install a key damper also, but that's just me) I would also highly recommend a Dwyer Mark II model 25 manometer too. Oh, and a thermostat, Honeywell FocusPro 5000 works well for the money...

 

[davidon]

Depends on your house. What's your basement access like?

What ever you will need for your duct work and your stove pipe. Don't forget the barometric damper (I personally would install a key damper also, but that's just me) I would also highly recommend a Dwyer Mark II model 25 manometer too. Oh, and a thermostat, Honeywell FocusPro 5000 works well for the money...

I have basement access from inside garage..about 8 steps down to basement.

 

[brenndatomu]

I have basement access from inside garage..about 8 steps down to basement.

A straight shot? That makes it pretty easy. Just round up some help, strap the Tundra to its pallet and slide it down the steps on a couple 2 x 10s or the like. Additional safety/control can be had by tying it to a vehicle in the garage to control the rate of decent.

 

[DoubleB]

I have basement access from inside garage..about 8 steps down to basement.
A straight shot? That makes it pretty easy. Just round up some help, strap the Tundra to its pallet and slide it down the steps on a couple 2 x 10s or the like. Additional safety/control can be had by tying it to a vehicle in the garage to control the rate of decent.

Gee, I should've had you both help me last August. I have the same arrangement and did the same thing. I used hefty ratchet straps in reverse to safely lower into the basement. Screwed the 2x4s to the pallet so they wouldn't get away from me.

And the smartest ideas I can offer:
1. leave your flip-flops in the truck bed (photo 1).
2. Put your poor brother-in-law on underside of the 550 lb furnace (photo 2).

 

[ole]

New member here Southern Wisconsin. Looked at the Drolet at Menards a couple weeks ago. I own a 40 acre woods about 1/4 mile from our home. Thinking about wood heat again. A previous home I burned wood for about 16 years. I am going to have a ton of questions but what I learned so far on this forum is very helpful.

1700 sq foot ranch, no chimney, unfinished basement. Basement is a walk out so getting the stove and wood inside should be easier. I have already started cutting wood, oak, cherry, hickory, and yes some walnut. So my wood should be dry when I get the stove. Am thinking about getting a class A chimney done this summer right up through the middle of the house. Do the two heat runs on the Drolet have to be plumbed in to an existing furnace? I am thinking about cutting in a couple floor registers would that work? I may be wrong but am unsure if I want to modify my existing LP furnace duct work in any way shape or form.
I have a lot to learn and much info to gather in the meantime I am going to just keep making wood.

 

[Smoke Signals]

Hey Oly, I think a separate system of duck work for the Tundra is actually better. Just make sure it is design properly and you have an adequate amount of outlets to distribute all of the heat this thing will put out.

 

[brenndatomu]

I am thinking about cutting in a couple floor registers would that work?

I've done that before, it works well, just make sure not to restrict flow...

in the meantime I am going to just keep making wood.

Am thinking about getting a class A chimney done this summer right up through the middle of the house.

Good call(s)

 

[TheBigIron]

Hey Ole, I am currently installing my Tundra in conjunction with my gas furnace. My ductwork is adequate and with some modifications will be up and running for next season..

 

[DoubleB]

Ole,
That's what I did, for the same caution you cite. I have three 8" runs each going to a 6x12 floor register. Two of the runs are only 6-7 feet long. I closed the longest run for a test and still had reasonable (not high) static pressure and without the air getting very warm with a solid fire. A previous test I pulled the plug and had good natural airflow out of the two ducts, 9' basement ceilings floor to floor. So I'd imagine you might luck out with a very simple system, as long as you follow good HVAC practices.

Also out of precaution, I put some thin high-temp insulation between each register and the wood flooring.

I also installed a couple ample return ducts.

 

[DoubleB]

Curious if anyone else has paint peeling on the front of their Tundra? See pictures below at top left of door.

In Wisneaky's post #3, he reports 325F-400F on the front of his furnace. I'm getting the same at the same measurement location with my thermometer (that I don't necessarily trust, IR thermometer on order) which has indicated as high as 600F over the spot of peeling paint. The below pictures were taken quite a while into a burn, within a few minutes of each other, so temps had stabilized.

I don't know if 600F is common to peel paint?

 

[Wisneaky]

Mine has various scratches and paint missing in spots. I'm not worried about it.

 

[brenndatomu]

Curious if anyone else has paint peeling on the front of their Tundra?

Scuffed paint from the thermometer?

I don't know if 600F is common to peel paint?

Nah, not unless they got a bad batch of paint, or bad prep in that spot. My lil Vogelzang stove runs up to 750* (or a bit more) stove top temp, paint is fine. I'm sure VZ doesn't use better paint than Drolet

 

[Wisneaky]

Since I put a probe thermometer in my pipe I don't even pay attention to the thermometer I have on the furnace. Your pretty close to the door there so that temperature is probably about right.

 

[Wisneaky]

One other thing I thought I'd throw out. I've really been digging into the tundra and messing with different setting for the fan speed baro settings and ect. Readings with my thermometer probe in the pipe with a new load it will climb to about 650 degrees once the front damper closes it drops in the area of 250-350 degrees and runs that way most of the burn cycle. When it calls for heat and front damper opens again it climbs to about 500 degrees in a matter of seconds. If anyone doesn't have a probe thermometer I highly recommend getting one. Without a baro or key damper that pipe temp could really get away on a person really fast. It would take a matter of minutes to climb over 1500 degrees and could easily start a chimney fire.

 

[Wisneaky]

Tundra is working extra hard tonight. It would be nice if it would warm up a little bit.

 

[Smoke Signals]

Well at least it only feel like -5

 

[DoubleB]

Scuffed paint from the thermometer?

Unfortunately, no. Paint started peeling long before I applied the thermometer.

I do often run the furnace with the damper wide open to get the house up to temp or to keep things simpler for the wife. Also, to get the wood dry enough in only one year I split it kind of small, and it seems to offgas too much if I load the entire firebox. So we've done a lot of small (1/3 firebox) fires with damper open. Still learning, and getting smarter about how to keep it closed more.

So I might have overfired at times, but I can't imagine by much; smaller loads with a baro damper at -0.05 inches.

So I know in the past people have asked if it is possible to install a plenum on the Tundra.

Thanks for volunteering and showing the picture, haven't seen one yet.

Any tips for how to attach it? Could you use existing screw holes, or was it better to drill new holes?

Are your snap discs still on the back of your furnace? Mine are on top, and I've wondered if would be a problem to put them (and specifically the wires) so far inside the plenum in a power outage. I suppose one might argue that mine are also in a small plenum--the steel protective cover.

 

[JRHAWK9]

I attached it to the top with sheet metal screws. My tundra has both snap discs in top and on back. I've tried both, but the one on top kicks out too soon and shuts the damper so I use the one on back. I think those wires are heat resistant and I've never had a problem with them.

You should be able to wire them both up in parallel. This way the blower will kick on when the first one trips and off when the last one is to trip. I have two of them mounted in my plenum in totally different spots to give me two temp sample points as well as comfort knowing I have a backup in case one would fail. Gives me very consistent blower on/off temps.

 

[DoubleB]

Random story that makes me laugh...

My sister-in-law and her husband have a Kuuma furnace. She came to visit. I was showing her my Tundra and our conversation went something like:

Me: "blah-blah...damper opens and closes...secondary burn tubes...blah-blah..."
SIL: "WAIT! Where did you get that ash shovel???"

Me: "Oh that? Well it came with the furnace."
SIL: "No way! We've been looking for over a year for a shovel that sturdy!"

Me: "Oh. Huh. They also included this little poker."
SIL: "WHAT? Now I'm jealous!"

I couldn't help but laugh. The extra performance was worth the extra $3000 for a Kuuma, but throw in a shovel and poker and maybe they would have saved $3000 with a Tundra.

Hmm, maybe I should offer to sell her my old car if I include floormats.

By the way, this is no knock on Kuuma, I secretly want one but didn't have the funds. I suppose if I ever upgrade I'll have a worthy shovel.

 

[JRHAWK9]

Random story that makes me laugh...

My sister-in-law and her husband have a Kuuma furnace. She came to visit. I was showing her my Tundra and our conversation went something like:

Me: "blah-blah...damper opens and closes...secondary burn tubes...blah-blah..."
SIL: "WAIT! Where did you get that ash shovel???"

Me: "Oh that? Well it came with the furnace."
SIL: "No way! We've been looking for over a year for a shovel that sturdy!"

Me: "Oh. Huh. They also included this little poker."
SIL: "WHAT? Now I'm jealous!"

I couldn't help but laugh. The extra performance was worth the extra $3000 for a Kuuma, but throw in a shovel and poker and maybe they would have saved $3000 with a Tundra.

Hmm, maybe I should offer to sell her my old car if I include floormats.

By the way, this is no knock on Kuuma, I secretly want one but didn't have the funds. I suppose if I ever upgrade I'll have a worthy shovel.

The Kuuma comes with a -combination ash sweeper and coal mover- though. It's made so you first sweep the ashes in front down the grate and then pull the coals to the front, like shown -HERE-. There's no need to nor should they be having to shovel the ashes anywhere. I don't use a shovel or a poker. Just sweep, pull forward and reload.

 

[brenndatomu]

Random story that makes me laugh...

My sister-in-law and her husband have a Kuuma furnace. She came to visit. I was showing her my Tundra and our conversation went something like:

Me: "blah-blah...damper opens and closes...secondary burn tubes...blah-blah..."
SIL: "WAIT! Where did you get that ash shovel???"

Me: "Oh that? Well it came with the furnace."
SIL: "No way! We've been looking for over a year for a shovel that sturdy!"

Me: "Oh. Huh. They also included this little poker."
SIL: "WHAT? Now I'm jealous!"

I couldn't help but laugh. The extra performance was worth the extra $3000 for a Kuuma, but throw in a shovel and poker and maybe they would have saved $3000 with a Tundra.

Hmm, maybe I should offer to sell her my old car if I include floormats.

By the way, this is no knock on Kuuma, I secretly want one but didn't have the funds. I suppose if I ever upgrade I'll have a worthy shovel.

You should have offered to swap, Tundra with all those AWESOME tools for their Kuuma, with 1 "generic" combo tool!

 

[DoubleB]

The Kuuma comes with a -combination ash sweeper and coal mover- though.

I didn't know that. I'll have to ask next time I see them. Thanks for noting.

You should have offered to swap, Tundra with all those AWESOME tools for their Kuuma, with 1 "generic" combo tool!

She also really liked the window. When I remind her of that, I bet a swap will be nearly inevitable.

But if not, that gives me an idea: Maybe they'll be even further likely to buy my old car if, along with the floormats, I throw in a clean windshield so they can monitor their driving progress!

 

[bpwelding2005]

anyone else ever have any cracks form on the front of the tundra?? There were A bunch of us around where i live that put in tundras over the summer and i know of at least three of them that have this problem. Anyone that is running these should look them over very closely.

bottom right corner heat exchanger clean out door (sorry pic is turned 90*) (broken image removed) bottom left corner heat ex clean out

bottom left corner main loading door (glass door) (broken image removed) bottom right corner loading door. first time trying to post pics so sorry if they suck plus there from my flip phone wish i could do better