new Vapor Fire 100 with very poor heat

[gary38532]

This is what I got with the VF100 Blower is on low closest duct from the stove about 3 feet away

 

[JRHAWK9]

wait a second............return air is WARMER than the temp is upstairs. This tells me you don't have very good return air circulation. The basement area at the floor, should be the coldest part of the house, if things are working the way they should be.

 

[gary38532]

Well I'm going to have the switch it back then. I still got the old Clayton in the basement just not hooked up.

In 40 I had to open the windows with the clayton th

wait a second............return air is WARMER than the temp is upstairs. This tells me you don't have very good return air circulation. The basement area, especially at the floor, should be the coldest part of the house.

Should I turn the fan back on high?

 

[laynes69]

Looking at your humidity levels in your pictures....they are low indicating high levels of air infiltration.

 

[maple1]

wait a second............return air is WARMER than the temp is upstairs. This tells me you don't have very good return air circulation. The basement area at the floor, should be the coldest part of the house, if things are working the way they should be.

Aren't we seeing 66 return and 96 supply?

 

[JRHAWK9]

Looking at your humidity levels in your pictures....they are low indicating high levels of air infiltration.

Looks like his dew point is 20°......which is darn dry for the temps he's seeing.

I know we lose a fair amount of heat through the roof as in the dead of winter we will got down to single digit RH in the house. Having said that, our current dew point in the house is 40° (73° and 30% RH).

 

[JRHAWK9]

Aren't we seeing 66 return and 96 supply?

correct, but 66° return and 63° in the house upstairs (assuming it's upstairs). Back when I had my cold air on the basement floor, it was ALWAYS the coldest air in the house....and should be if convection air movement in the house is proper.

 

[gary38532]

I just shut half the house off. Only heating the side with the water and bedrooms. It just happens to be the better insulated side of the house too.

 

[maple1]

correct, but 66° return and 63° in the house upstairs (assuming it's upstairs). Back when I had my cold air on the basement floor, it was ALWAYS the coldest air in the house....and should be if convection air movement in the house is proper.

Gotcha.

 

[gary38532]

correct, but 66° return and 63° in the house upstairs (assuming it's upstairs). Back when I had my cold air on the basement floor, it was ALWAYS the coldest air in the house....and should be if convection air movement in the house is proper.

that was upstairs yes

 

[JRHAWK9]

Years ago I experimented with closing the door to the room with the wood furnace in it, forcing the return air to come from the clothes shoot (which extends all the way up to the loft) and totally disrupting the natural return air convection air pattern. Lets just say it was a noticeable difference and not for the better. Did it one night and the house temp dropped. I even told my other half in the morning how that did not work out so well.

What I learned from that is having proper return air flow is rather important. I'm wondering if this is part of the issue. No idea, but having your house temp colder than your actual basement floor (return air) temp is not normal and not right.

 

[gary38532]

Years ago I experimented with closing the door to the room with the wood furnace in it, forcing the return air to come from the clothes shoot (which extends all the way up to the loft) and totally disrupting the natural return air convection air pattern. Lets just say it was a noticeable difference and not for the better. Did it one night and the house temp dropped. I even told my other half in the morning how that did not work out so well.

What I learned from that is having proper return air flow is rather important. I'm wondering if this is part of the issue. No idea, but having your house temp colder than your actual basement floor (return air) temp is not normal and not right.

I dont know i dont see how its not geting back to the stove its wide open.

 

[maple1]

Years ago I experimented with closing the door to the room with the wood furnace in it, forcing the return air to come from the clothes shoot (which extends all the way up to the loft) and totally disrupting the natural return air convection air pattern. Lets just say it was a noticeable difference and not for the better. Did it one night and the house temp dropped. I even told my other half in the morning how that did not work out so well.

What I learned from that is having proper return air flow is rather important. I'm wondering if this is part of the issue. No idea, but having your house temp colder than your actual basement floor (return air) temp is not normal and not right.

Maybe it's just outside air infiltration affecting the upstairs more than the basement?

 

[gary38532]

Looking at your humidity levels in your pictures....they are low indicating high levels of air infiltration.

I noticed that too. The only time I got low humidity levels like that was in Jan/Feb. Useally like 35% this time of year. With the VF100 Im geting them now in Nov/Dec

 

[maple1]

I noticed that too. The only time I got low humidity levels like that was in Jan/Feb. Useally like 35% this time of year. With the VF100 Im geting them now in Nov/Dec

Do you have more than one humidity measurer? I've had them go wonky sometimes.

 

[gary38532]

Do you have more than one humidity measurer? I've had them go wonky sometimes.

yes I have two and they macth

 

[woodey]

I realize this very unlikely but a few years ago I called and talked to Dale (Lamppa MFG) and he mentioned a case where someone was not getting enough heat from their VF and the problem was that a mouse had managed to get into the primary air damper and effect the air flow to the furnace.

 

[gary38532]

I realize this very unlikely but a few years ago I called and talked to Dale (Lamppa MFG) and he mentioned a case where someone was not getting enough heat from their VF and the problem was that a mouse had managed to get into the primary air damper and effect the air flow to the furnace.

lol thats funny. I dont think thats what going on in my case though you can hear the air being pulled into the furnace.

 

[Case1030]

How often did you have to feed your clayton in this exact weather?

The VF will produce quite a bit more heat per pound of wood. But you won't be able to load the same amount as a non epa.

I know you mentioned 1/2 loads (clayton) would heat your house well... but how often are loading to keep up? I doubt you can go 10 hours between fills.

The clayton can chew through alot of wood fast = more raw heat.

Sounds like you can't burn enough wood to keep up with heat load.

All you can do is reduce heat loss. Proper return air and fix air infiltration (spayfoam cans and silicon cocking). If all fails at least your house is easier to heat for the clayton.

 

[gary38532]

How often did you have to feed your clayton in this exact weather?

The VF will produce quite a bit more heat per pound of wood. But you won't be able to load the same amount as a non epa.

I know you mentioned 1/2 loads (clayton) would heat your house well... but how often are loading to keep up? I doubt you can go 10 hours between fills.

The clayton can chew through alot of wood fast = more raw heat.

Sounds like you can't burn enough wood to keep up with heat load.

All you can do is reduce heat loss. Proper return air and fix air infiltration (spayfoam cans and silicon cocking). If all fails at least your house is easier to heat for the clayton.

I was filling the clayton like 3 times a day it would be cooled down to about 65 when I got home from work (11 hours later) it would quickly warm in back up though. I would fill at 5 in the morning when I got up for work. Once I got home at 5 again and then once before bed. I think the clayton was hiding probelms in the house. I might call usa insulation tomorrow and see if they can get some to come out and audit the house. today the vf100 was only able to rasie the temperture one degree going from 63 to 64

 

[brenndatomu]

I'm not sure if its right or not, but what I looked up said the Clayton 1800 has a 9 CF firebox?! (over double the VF) And an 8" flue...sounds like some pretty serious firepower to me...

 

[gary38532]

I'm not sure if its right or not, but what I looked up said the Clayton 1800 has a 9 CF firebox?! (over double the VF) And an 8" flue...sounds like some pretty serious firepower to me...

Yup its a big one

 

[gary38532]

I'm not sure if its right or not, but what I looked up said the Clayton 1800 has a 9 CF firebox?! (over double the VF) And an 8" flue...sounds like some pretty serious firepower to me...

I never filled it to the max though because it would be to long for my spliter so I used 24 inch pieces

 

[brenndatomu]

Sounds like you can't burn enough wood to keep up with heat load.

All you can do is reduce heat loss. Proper return air and fix air infiltration (spayfoam cans and silicon cocking). If all fails at least your house is easier to heat for the clayton.

I doubt you could burn 9 cords of wood in a season in a VF if your life depended on it.
Yes a few cans of spray foam/caulk can sometimes pay some huge dividends...even with "good" insulation, air sealing can still be a real issue.
I bought a Seek infrared camera like @laynes69 mentioned earlier...was only $100...for me it showed me that there was no real bad air leaks, just areas that need more insulation...still working on that.

 

[gary38532]

I doubt you could burn 9 cords of wood in a season in a VF if your life depended on it.
Yes a few cans of spray foam/caulk can sometimes pay some huge dividends...even with "good" insulation, air sealing can still be a real issue.
I bought a Seek infrared camera like @laynes69 mentioned earlier...was only $100...for me it showed me that there was no real bad air leaks, just areas that need more insulation...still working on that.

In my house theres is going to be areas I cant fix though like the ceiling in the living room is a cathedral and its full of insulation all ready