Kuuma Vapor Fire 100 Update

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KVFOhio

New Member
Nov 30, 2019
5
Ohio
It has been been about two months the KFV100 has been running. While we have had a really warm winter to this point, I will provide how it has been doing. I do not currently monitor the flue, plenum, or return air temp. This is something I plan to do. I have a Onion Omega2 board laying around and plan to order some type K thermocouples to create my own monitoring solution. All said and done I would have less than $50 into it. I am a former developer. I actually am disappointed that I haven't started the project by now.

Wood Consumed to this point: 1.5 Cord. This is a mix of cherry, ash, maple, and box elder. It mainly consists of Cherry. I know box elder isn't good, but it is free and I had to cut it down anyway.

House temp: 74-78 on low setting. When it is 40-50 degrees out, it is almost too much to run the KFV. I get cooked out of the house. I continue to get 8-10 hour burn time off a load. Currently, it is 16 degrees out and the house is 74. This is on the low setting. I truly haven't taken it off the low setting once the house reaches temp. We did go away for the holidays and I ran the furnace on the high setting to get the house back up to temp.

I have noticed some cornflake creosote at the barometric damper and at the angle pipe coming out of the stove. These are both single wall pipes. The rest of my pipe is double wall stove pipe. The double wall doesn't have any creosote on it. While it wasn't a lot, I was under the impression that I wouldn't have any. I periodically test the wood moisture and I remain to stay 20% and under.

Overall, I am very happy with the Kuuma Vapor Fire 100. I have been seeing post where people are having issues keeping their house heated. My house is a ranch with 2x6 walls with batt insulation. The first main floor is ~1900sqsf. Majority of the ceiling is 9ft. Our kitchen and living ceiling is 13ft. The basement is the same square footage (8ft ceiling) and is an unfinished walkout.
 
@KVFOhio , what part of Ohio?
I think this warmer winter is part/all of the creosote flakes...cold starts (no real amount of hot coals) are not nearly as clean as a hot reload...and if you are like me, you have done a ton of cold starts.
That box elder works pretty good for warmer weather too...
 
I am in Central Ohio (Granville). You are right. I have done cold starts and small loads during the warm periods.