Fire Chief FC1000 / Shelter SF1000 - blows biometric damper door off! Do not install a BD!

[brenndatomu]

I'm one that purchased one of these too and am having issues. No puff back issues but not burning hot enough and causing too much creosote buildup!

Buy it from a retailer that would still take it back?

 

[Tparks]

Edit: Since the posted video, I have changed my stove setup and flue piping. Still experiencing "puffs", however nowhere as extreme as the posted video.

Please also check out the following thread (300+ posts) and NEVER install a biometric damper for this stove.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/fire-chief-or-shelter-epa-stoves-feedback.167418/

Now on to the video (it’s in slow motion)

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[Mrpelletburner]

I also have the SF1000 furnace. Purchased it new from Menards and installed it this year. This is my first furnace but I have had stoves in the past. My opinion is this thing is dangerous and should not be sold. It burns very dirty (lots of creosote) and I have had a similar puff experience or two where the damper blew apart. It is sad because on the few occasions where we had it running good the heat was amazing. My SF1000 will be coming out of the basement in about a week and I plan to not use it until then. I have tried everything to get puff the magic furnace to work properly. The real question is what to do with the thing now?

Did you end up pulling out the unit? If so, did you happen to purchase another unit?

 

[Tparks]

Did you end up pulling out the unit? If so, did you happen to purchase another unit?

I had to drill out the rivet on the fan then I had to build a cover for the cold air return because the furnace was getting too much cold air and that fixed the problems

 

[Mrpelletburner]

I had to drill out the rivet on the fan then I had to build a cover for the cold air return because the furnace was getting too much cold air and that fixed the problems

Any chance you can post a photo? Trying to envision the setup.

 

[Tparks]

Any chance you can post a photo? Trying to envision the setup.

Okay

 

[Mrpelletburner]

Where are you pulling the cold air return from? HY-C kept recommending to pull the cold air return from upstairs, however In my case it was not possible. The closest I could get is to pull the warm air from the ceiling.

Looks like you opened the draft below the with of the rivet?

Glad to hear things are working out better for you.

 

[Tparks]

Where are you pulling the cold air return from? HY-C kept recommending to pull the cold air return from upstairs, however In my case it was not possible. The closest I could get is to pull the warm air from the ceiling.

Looks like you opened the draft below the with of the rivet?

Glad to hear things are working out better for you.

My cold air is coming from my propane furnace duct

 

[Tparks]

My cold air is coming from my propane furnace duct

You need to open the draft about half way when you start a fire the unit doesn't get enough air so that's why you get the explosion and smoke

 

[Mrpelletburner]

You need to open the draft about half way when you start a fire the unit doesn't get enough air so that's why you get the explosion and smoke

So your not using the draft blower when you start the unit?

 

[Tparks]

So your not using the draft blower when you start the unit?

Yes turn the fan on and open the cover halfway the older model didn't have a rivet on it fc told me they put the rivet in because people would let the cover wide open and melting the cast iron once you have a fire going you should be able to put the cover back to the factory position

 

[King of the North]

Unfortunately, I bought a SF1000 before joining this site. Reviews on Menards were good so I thought it would work great. I have a 1300 sf house and this 2500 sf furnace is struggling to keep up. It seems to short cycle only running the circulation blower for 1-3 minutes then off for 2-5 minutes before the fan switch turns the circulation blower on again and the draft blower almost never shuts off. Heavy creosote build-up after only a month of use. I have a 45-degree elbow off the back to a 4 foot stretch of stainless with a cast-iron damper just before another 45 elbow going out the wall 22" to the flexline stainless 15-foot chimney liner all 6" in diameter all held together with 3 screws at each connection with no tape of sealant currently. So ruffly 23 ft of venting total. Checking draft tomorrow but if anyone has figured out how to get one of these to work correctly please let me know as this is my primary heat source this winter in northern MN and no money left for another this season.

 

[JRHAWK9]

Unfortunately, I bought a SF1000 before joining this site. Reviews on Menards were good so I thought it would work great. I have a 1300 sf house and this 2500 sf furnace is struggling to keep up. It seems to short cycle only running the circulation blower for 1-3 minutes then off for 2-5 minutes before the fan switch turns the circulation blower on again and the draft blower almost never shuts off. Heavy creosote build-up after only a month of use. I have a 45-degree elbow off the back to a 4 foot stretch of stainless with a cast-iron damper just before another 45 elbow going out the wall 22" to the flexline stainless 15-foot chimney liner all 6" in diameter all held together with 3 screws at each connection with no tape of sealant currently. So ruffly 23 ft of venting total. Checking draft tomorrow but if anyone has figured out how to get one of these to work correctly please let me know as this is my primary heat source this winter in northern MN and no money left for another this season.

Welcome to the forum!

Here's a more current thread related to someone else running this furnace.

New guy here looking for some direction

Thanks for having me here, I find the pool of knowledge and experience a great asset. Before I get too involved I could use a bit of direction. I have been heating the house for the past few years, casually mind you, with a 45 year old Little John stove, full manual of course, and I had become...

www.hearth.com

 

[Mrpelletburner]

Unfortunately, I bought a SF1000 before joining this site. Reviews on Menards were good so I thought it would work great. I have a 1300 sf house and this 2500 sf furnace is struggling to keep up. It seems to short cycle only running the circulation blower for 1-3 minutes then off for 2-5 minutes before the fan switch turns the circulation blower on again and the draft blower almost never shuts off. Heavy creosote build-up after only a month of use. I have a 45-degree elbow off the back to a 4 foot stretch of stainless with a cast-iron damper just before another 45 elbow going out the wall 22" to the flexline stainless 15-foot chimney liner all 6" in diameter all held together with 3 screws at each connection with no tape of sealant currently. So ruffly 23 ft of venting total. Checking draft tomorrow but if anyone has figured out how to get one of these to work correctly please let me know as this is my primary heat source this winter in northern MN and no money left for another this season.

Tell us what you are burning for wood?

Can you measure the moisture content of your wood? Have you tried to load ½ the fire box with ¼ cut 2x4’s and ¼ with smaller splits?

Any backpuffing?

I you don’t already, I encourage you to install an internal temp prob to measure the flue temperatures a min of 18-20” from the rear 6” exhaust port. This unit should have a min of 600f for a flue temp.

Also encourage you to measure your draft, only to verify the draft. This unit needs a good draft.

Dwyer Series Mark II 25 Molded Plastic Manometer, Inclined-Vertical Scale, 0 to 3 inH2O Measuring Range, Red Gauge Fluid, 0.826 sp. gr. Amazon product ASIN B009PAN3C8
I also had a major creosote issues and now wonder if my wood or I was to green at the time as I no longer have issues, but on my 3rd stove.

 

[King of the North]

Tell us what you are burning for wood?

Can you measure the moisture content of your wood? Have you tried to load ½ the fire box with ¼ cut 2x4’s and ¼ with smaller splits?

Any backpuffing?

I you don’t already, I encourage you to install an internal temp prob to measure the flue temperatures a min of 18-20” from the rear 6” exhaust port. This unit should have a min of 600f for a flue temp.

Also encourage you to measure your draft, only to verify the draft. This unit needs a good draft.

Dwyer Series Mark II 25 Molded Plastic Manometer, Inclined-Vertical Scale, 0 to 3 inH2O Measuring Range, Red Gauge Fluid, 0.826 sp. gr. Amazon product ASIN B009PAN3C8
I also had a major creosote issues and now wonder if my wood or I was to green at the time as I no longer have issues, but on my 3rd stove.

I am burning mostly oak mixed with a bit of other hardwoods. Dried 4 years with a moister content of 22% or less. I just switched the venting from the set-up on the ground you see with the barometric damper to the 45 angle stainless pictured. Tested the water column at -.04 today. Temp on my flue was 650f. I have installed another honeywell limit switch with an 8-inch coil, set it at 90-170 and have gotten double the circulation blower cycle (5-7 minutes) than I was getting from the honeywell with a 5-inch coil set at 100-160 that came with the furnace. I am going to burn this for a week and check the creosote build-up in the new stovepipe and see if I still have an issue or not.

I don't have much of a back puffing issue, just a little on initial firing.

 

[brenndatomu]

to the 45 angle stainless pictured.

That cant be stainless...stainless turns purple when overheated...galvanized steel turns white like that there at the 1st elbow when its overheated...it also off gasses some poisonous fumes when this happens. Galvanized shouldn't be used for a wood stove flue pipe at all, especially one like this unit that blows a ton of heat up the stack!

 

[maple1]

Hmm ya, that whole things looks like galvanized heat duct.

 

[Mrpelletburner]

Is that a white ring on the back of the stove? Look at the black portion around when the black stove pipe connects. My stove, as hot as it got, never discolored in that area.

 

[brenndatomu]

Is that a white ring on the back of the stove? Look at the black portion around when the black stove pipe connects. My stove, as hot as it got, never discolored in that area.

When shopping for used stoves, look for the black high temp that looks ashy and white...classic sign of overfired...

 

[King of the North]

Glad I shared the pictures! Great catch on the galvanized! Picked those pieces up at L&M supply labeled stove pipe and because they were shinny I assumed stainless. Have new pieces on order and letting the fire go out until they come in.

Parts will be in early next week. Should I keep the cast iron damper in or just go without?

 

[Mrpelletburner]

Do you have a Lowe’s or HomeDepot or ACE hardware around?

 

[King of the North]

Do you have a Lowe’s or HomeDepot or ACE hardware around?

I have a home depot and ace. The home depot did not have stainless, not sure about ace (stores up here have a very limited to 0 supply on a lot of things) but the parts are on order and temps will not be below 0 for the rest of the week (so they say). The discoloration must have come from the elbow as it was not there before that. The 1st burn with the setup was yesterday and overnight. Almost immediately the elbow changed color and the white ring showed up at the same time.

 

[King of the North]

but on my 3rd stove

What are you using now? What was your circulation blower average run time on the fire chief?

 

[Mrpelletburner]

What are you using now? What was your circulation blower average run time on the fire chief?

I think the distribution blower would run for at least two hours if not longer. The problem was when the stove went to idle mode. This was the first encounter with a wood furnace. All comes down to fuel... you need dry wood.

Now have the HeatMax II - 1 month in, jury is still out

 

[King of the North]

distribution blower would run for at least two hours if not longer

New to the terminology but you are referring to the blower on the back of the unit correct (not the front little guy)? If so I can't get mine to run for more than 7 minutes with a very hot fire. It seems to push to much air and cool off very quickly.