Fire Chief FC1500 install

[Mrpelletburner]

Well if that don't make ya crazy, this should!
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/firechief-1700.164366/page-2#post-2327605

Yea I am all over that one also.

 

[Mrpelletburner]

Calling all experts, looking for feedback besides the stove is junk.

Think anyone following this thread knows I am seeing high flue temps. What have also noticed is while I am seeing high flue temps the upper front of the stove remains at much lower temps until at least an hour after loading. I would assume that the heat from the fire would have to travel from the back of the stove to the front and into that area above the fire box. I would assume the result would be a balance between the flue temp and the front of the stove, but that is not the case.

Here is a photo of where you can clearly see the secondary burn is only at the far rear of the stove.

I am assuming the secondary burn is only at the rear of the stove because the front of the stove is not hot enough to achieve a secondary burn. However that heat is somehow making its way to the flue?

Just something seems off (please no stove jokes). So you guys have worked with stoves long enough to be able to troubleshoot. Any thoughts to the high flue temps and low temps front of the stove?

I did check to make sure the brick was pushed all the way back.

 

[brenndatomu]

Most stoves get their air from the front, and burn from the front...this one gets its air from the back, no?
Plus you can't really tell what happens in there with the door closed...the split second you open the door things change...

 

[Case1030]

Calling all experts, looking for feedback besides the stove is junk.

Think anyone following this thread knows I am seeing high flue temps. What have also noticed is while I am seeing high flue temps the upper front of the stove remains at much lower temps until at least an hour after loading. I would assume that the heat from the fire would have to travel from the back of the stove to the front and into that area above the fire box. I would assume the result would be a balance between the flue temp and the front of the stove, but that is not the case.

Here is a photo of where you can clearly see the secondary burn is only at the far rear of the stove.

View attachment 238380

I am assuming the secondary burn is only at the rear of the stove because the front of the stove is not hot enough to achieve a secondary burn. However that heat is somehow making its way to the flue?

Just something seems off (please no stove jokes). So you guys have worked with stoves long enough to be able to troubleshoot. Any thoughts to the high flue temps and low temps front of the stove?

I did check to make sure the brick was pushed all the way back.

Well to put it this way... your draft is anywhere from 0.1-0.2 and your slowly reducing your primary air.

But at the same time your secondarys are going to be like a jetstream of oxygen still feeding the fire at that current draft.

Your going to have to shut down the secondary air in half if you want to keep that heat in your stove.

That's my take on the situation and I stand by it... like I said before you could eliminate that issue all together with a flue damper if you can't find a way to cut that secondary air.

Not trying to be a buzzkill here, but there has been alot of advice and much of it is being repeated. Are you come to us for advice or your buddies over at HYC who are feeding you horse chit by the buckets?

 

[maple1]

Calling all experts, looking for feedback besides the stove is junk.

Think anyone following this thread knows I am seeing high flue temps. What have also noticed is while I am seeing high flue temps the upper front of the stove remains at much lower temps until at least an hour after loading. I would assume that the heat from the fire would have to travel from the back of the stove to the front and into that area above the fire box. I would assume the result would be a balance between the flue temp and the front of the stove, but that is not the case.

Here is a photo of where you can clearly see the secondary burn is only at the far rear of the stove.

View attachment 238380

I am assuming the secondary burn is only at the rear of the stove because the front of the stove is not hot enough to achieve a secondary burn. However that heat is somehow making its way to the flue?

Just something seems off (please no stove jokes). So you guys have worked with stoves long enough to be able to troubleshoot. Any thoughts to the high flue temps and low temps front of the stove?

I did check to make sure the brick was pushed all the way back.

I think trying to give accurate or semi-accurate feedback on that would require complete knowledge of where all the air flows through the entire stove. Complete path of all of it, from entrances, to the flue exit. Thinking likely not many of us know that without being with one & thoroughly inspecting?

But then you add in the wild card that whatever is going through it is going a mile a minute (if the intake is unrestricted, with your overdraft situation) - that might skew things. Example - I think when my boiler is overdrafting (like, from a stuck barometric damper), the incoming air has the effect of sucking the secondary flame further downstream than normal. Kinda sorta.

 

[brenndatomu]

feeding you horse chit by the buckets

 

[Mrpelletburner]

Most stoves get their air from the front, and burn from the front...this one gets its air from the back, no?
Plus you can't really tell what happens in there with the door closed...the split second you open the door things change...

Primary air openings supplied in the front, just below the front door opening.

Secondary air is supplied via the rear of the stove.

 

[Mrpelletburner]

Not trying to be a buzzkill here, but there has been alot of advice and much of it is being repeated. Are you come to us for advice or your buddies over at HYC who are feeding you horse chit by the buckets?

I have had a lot of calls/email exchanges with HY-C, mostly providing data on a 10 hour and 4 hour burn time test. They have not come back with any suggestions, just trying to capture data so they can compare (I think).

I am turning to the folks of this forum as several here have had different stoves, each with different issues. Most, if not all suggestions, have been tried and results reported back to the person that provided the suggestion.

Trying to focus in on the high flue temps, no matter the draft. Just seems odd that flue has crazy high temps where the front of the stove is cooler (smoke shield removed).

Simply can’t swing 4K on another stove right now.

 

[Mrpelletburner]

Plus you can't really tell what happens in there with the door closed...the split second you open the door things change...

True... but see where the secondary air supply tube has a black burn mark towards the back where the flame is? While I am not sure what happens when the door closes, that black marking tells me the heat is concentrated in that area. Now when the stove needs to be reloaded, that secondary air tube has that clean burn look.

 

[brenndatomu]

Remember, heat transfer takes time...its like playing hot potato...everything is fine as long as you don't hold onto that thing very long.
Might be the same way with the stove too...the fire is in the back because thats where the air comes in (secondary) and then the draft speed is so high if pulls the fire around the front edge of the baffle so fast an hard that the front of the stove takes a while to heat up.

Oh, by the way, the Tundra II is only $2500...and less if you catch a sale.
https://myfireplaceproducts.com/us_en/drolet-tundra-ii-wood-furnace-df02001 free shipping too

 

[brenndatomu]

that black marking tells me the heat is concentrated in that area.

Black mark means cold dirty burn...the lighter the color the hotter and cleaner the fire is there.

 

[Case1030]

Primary air openings supplied in the front, just below the front door opening.

Secondary air is supplied via the rear of the stove.

I guess you have somthing to work with now...

I have had a lot of calls/email exchanges with HY-C, mostly providing data on a 10 hour and 4 hour burn time test. They have not come back with any suggestions, just trying to capture data so they can compare (I think).

I am turning to the folks of this forum as several here have had different stoves, each with different issues. Most, if not all suggestions, have been tried and results reported back to the person that provided the suggestion.

Trying to focus in on the high flue temps, no matter the draft. Just seems odd that flue has crazy high temps where the front of the stove is cooler (smoke shield removed).

Simply can’t swing 4K on another stove right now.

A manual flue damper costs $8... no one is telling you to go out and spend 4k on a new stove. Most of us are just asking you to address the elephant in the room (flue draft).

If you put a simple damper in today and get back to me saying your flue is now 400-450f I'd call that a success. (Use your Dwyer to help calibrate your draft, simple simple!).

From there you can rig a tempurature controller with a timer for load and go startups using your blower fan. Once the fire is established the blower wont turn on until you reload.

Obviously their are limitations to your stove but let's give it a fair shot... try the suggestions, it's not going to break your bank.

 

[maple1]

I guess you have somthing to work with now...


A manual flue damper costs $8... no one is telling you to go out and spend 4k on a new stove. Most of us are just asking you to address the elephant in the room (flue draft).

If you put a simple damper in today and get back to me saying your flue is now 400-450f I'd call that a success. (Use your Dwyer to help calibrate your draft, simple simple!).

From there you can rig a tempurature controller with a timer for load and go startups using your blower fan. Once the fire is established the blower wont turn on until you reload.

Obviously their are limitations to your stove but let's give it a fair shot... try the suggestions, it's not going to break your bank.

What if adding a damper & getting the draft in spec, kills the secondary burn & starts making creosote?

 

[Case1030]

What if adding a damper & getting the draft in spec, kills the secondary burn & starts making creosote?

The idea isn't to kill the draft completely, just to slow it down to the manufacturers specification. Visual check of the chimney before and after damper will help determine if more draft is needed for combustion.

That's kinda like saying you will get creosote if you have a 16ft chimney opposed to 28ft. You shouldn't need 0.1- 0.2 draft to get a clean burn that unrealistic.

I personally wouldn't add a barometric if HYC doesnt think it burns clean enough to install one. But a manual damper isnt going to cool the exhaust.

 

[brenndatomu]

Oh, by the way, the Tundra II is only $2500...and less if you catch a sale.
https://myfireplaceproducts.com/us_en/drolet-tundra-ii-wood-furnace-df02001 free shipping too

And another $100 gets you semi automated with the aftermarket temp and speed control hack that has been proven to work oh so well on these things! (and others)

 

[Case1030]

From the furnace manual itself...

 

[laynes69]

Trying to focus in on the high flue temps, no matter the draft. Just seems odd that flue has crazy high temps where the front of the stove is cooler (smoke shield removed).

Draft absolutely affects flue temps. You slow draft, the furnace picks up more heat and less goes up the flue. One other thing to remember, firecheifs have overall lower efficiencies than just about all those listed in the EPA list. That also translates in higher flue temps. Plus..there's really no heat exchanger either, compared to other models.

Personally....I would reduce draft. Too much air kills secondary combustion and disrupts primary. If the furnace can't operate at .05" of water with the draft blower flap open and not maintain combustion on seasoned wood, it just won't work period.

 

[Mrpelletburner]

From the furnace manual itself...View attachment 238402

I guess that statement is a requirement by some agency, if you want to sell a wood stove.

 

[JRHAWK9]

OK, pet peeve here.......what you have and what we all have here are called wood furnaces, not stoves. Stoves are completely different and they also have a different area on this forum. They also have different EPA certifications. It's like car vs truck.

I guess that statement is a requirement by some agency, if you want to sell a wood stove.

This is true, but they are supposed to be ran according to those same specs in which is was tested when it somehow met the certification.

One other thing to remember, firecheifs have overall lower efficiencies than just about all those listed in the EPA list. That also translates in higher flue temps.

This is true, they do have some pretty crappy efficiency numbers. I forgot all about that. So, when they tested they probably passed with very high flue temps and short burn times. I seriously doubt it would pass burning as such to achieve 10-12 hour burn times.

 

[maple1]

The idea isn't to kill the draft completely, just to slow it down to the manufacturers specification. Visual check of the chimney before and after damper will help determine if more draft is needed for combustion.

That's kinda like saying you will get creosote if you have a 16ft chimney opposed to 28ft. You shouldn't need 0.1- 0.2 draft to get a clean burn that unrealistic.

That was my point though. I wasn't talking killing draft. I was talking reducing it to manual specs.

So - what if you did that, and it killed secondary combustion?

Answer - defective furnace design.

Along with some kind of hocus pocus voodoo that happened that allowed them to pass EPA stuff....

 

[brenndatomu]

So, when they tested they probably passed with very high flue temps and short burn times

Exactly...somewhere in the past the link to the EPA test on this thing was put up...this thread or one of the others like it on FC problems...the burn times were short.

 

[brenndatomu]

Let me ask you a serious question @Mrpelletburner , when you were looking to buy a wood furnace, what all models did you seriously consider?
What was the deciding factor that made you pick the FC1000?

 

[JRHAWK9]

Let me ask you a serious question @Mrpelletburner , when you were looking to buy a wood furnace, what all models did you seriously consider?
What was the deciding factor that made you pick the FC1000?

red, he liked the color red..........like someone else I know.

 

[brenndatomu]

red, he liked the color red..........like someone else I know.

I wanted blue, but couldn't find a reasonably priced high temp blue that I liked...so yup, red it is

 

[Mrpelletburner]

Let me ask you a serious question @Mrpelletburner , when you were looking to buy a wood furnace, what all models did you seriously consider?
What was the deciding factor that made you pick the FC1000?

Well I really didn’t know what to look for. Online I was watching videos of the Caddy and the FC. A local stove shop had a left over Royal something coal/wood furnace, however they didn’t have a customer service department. I called HY-C about 3 times and talked to the same person and they suggested the FC1000. Looking at the marketing material, it appeared to be the perfect stove and was only $1500 delivered. The other stove I looked into was the Caddy, another brand that had a good rep.

In the end, burn time, ease of setup and cost.

Boy did I make the wrong choice!

Still like the Caddy and it more affordable twin, however, that Cadillac of furnaces FV100 (I think that the model) would be nice.

Going to suck getting another stove down the bulkhead.