Newbie In Need of Some Help!

[brickman]

Seems clear to me. I also thought about going thru at the ribbon joist (i think this is the joist you are talking about) but am unsure of the clearance needed for the hot air duct. Does the duct get very hot at the point where it goes thru the wall?

 

[mike1234]

The plenum above the wood furnace is about 150 - 180, I don't really think that at 6' away and 3 90 degree turns later that heat would be a problem, in fact I think 6' and 1 90 is code to touch wood. But just to be safe what I did when I went through the ribbon joists (thanks for the correct term) was use the furnace gasket rope to create a gasket between the joists and the metal. I have temped the wood it is never over 100. It gets 100 in the heat of the summer!

 

[CAPPY77]

Hey All,

Earlier this week our LP bill went up to $287/month. We are on the budget currently so we will be paying that monthly. Needless to say I'm ready to try something else. My neighbor and some other ppl I know have the outdoor wood furnaces and I was seriously considering it until I started looking at indoor wood furnaces.

I have been looking at the Yukon-Eagle SuperJack add-on and have a ton of questions. I have a chimney that goes from the basement all the way up (obviously) but I'm guessing I will need to have a flue put in. Nothing else is using the chimney so I'm good there. I have the room in my basement as well so that's not a problem.

We are comfortable at about 65-67 degrees...How often would i have to resupply wood to the fire (very rough I know)?
Is our house going to have a "smokey" smell?
Will I have a problem with our insurance company about this....we have 7' ceilings in the basement.
And lastly the furnace costs about $2500...how much will I spend after it is said and done? I know someone who will install it and probably not charge me anything.

Thanks in advance..I really appreciate the help.

Shaw

I"ve had a Yukon Husky (now called Eagle 1) combination wood oil furnace for almost 20 years. It works great We don't burn much oil at all, about "50" gallons a year, mostly during Spring and Fall when it's not cold enough to start a fire. When it's cold enough we burn STRICTLY wood, about 6 cords a year. Our house (1,300 sq. ft. 2 floors + basement) is old and not very well insulated with old single pain windows but the furnace really pumps the heat out. 70+ degrees all the time. Last night it was about 5 degrees. I filled it at 11:00 PM and set the thermostat at 65. Got up at 5:30 AM to a small bed of coals. Stoked it up and went to work. Normally I load wood every 4 hours. I find smaller fires loaded more often work better then loading it full. At night I do load it and burn times go about 5 to 7 hours.
I had to put a stainless steel liner in my chimney. My chimney is just square plain brick with no liner. They are pricey,$700.00 20years ago. Have a professional inspect your chimney and advise you as to what you need. It may be fine as it is.
We do get a whiff of smoke now and then. I don't know if you'll be able to avoid it. we're used to it now.
What little extra insurance you pay will be nothing compared to what you save on your LP bill.
It will require some duct work to combine it with your LP furnace. I lucked out there, The Husky replaced my old furnace.
Have you considered any other style add on furnace? Check out the Englander 28-3500 add on furnace. http://englandsstoveworks.com/28-3500.html They sell them right at Home Depot. They may have one on display at a Home Depot near you. It would be worth the trip there to check it out. It's a little plain looking, almost looks like a regular wood stove but don't be fooled by its appearance, I helped a friend install one in his basement and he is extremely happy with it. It has an 850 CFM blower on it connected to an automatic thermostat switch just like a regular hot air furnace has. Plugs in to an outlet. Very simple The flue outlet is only 6" A 6" Stainless Steel flue liner will probably be cheaper then an 8" liner. (If you need one). On the top of the unit is an 8" round outlet for the hot air connection. It will probably be cheaper to connect this furnace to your LP furnace using 8" round duct pipe then connecting the Yukon to it. It's only an 8" round outlet but the hot air really comes poring out of it. My friend has a big ranch and it easily heats the whole house and basement. Another nice feature it has is a glass door so you can see the fire. It doesn't have an automatic damper on it like the Yukon does but my friends found after a little trial and error they found it easy to regulate it by hand and don't move the damper much any more.
It is much less expensive too At Home Depot it's only about $1,500.00. Don't be fooled by the lower price, my friend says you get a lot of stove for the price.
Either way you go... good luck and welcome to the warm world of wood burning.
Cappy77

 

[CrappieKeith]

Would I need to have a supply of fresh air or will the air in my basement be sufficient?

Think of your chimney as a drain.It's taking all of the air through your furnace and bringing it outside. Where is the air coming from to replace it for combustion?
If there are any other appliances burning a fuel they need oxygen too.
Combustion Air Download this document

Homes need to breathe. Fresh air is needed for combustion in furnaces, fireplaces, wood stoves, gas water heaters and clothes dryers. As people make their homes more energy efficient by sealing cracks, adding insulation and doing other things to prevent heat loss, homes can become starved for air. This is especially true when you're using exhaust fans and vented appliances which draw more and more air from inside the house; air from the outside can be pulled into the home, possibly down the furnace vent or fireplace chimney. This is called "backdrafting" and can cause carbon monoxide (CO) to form.

CO is a colorless, odorless gas produced when fuel is not burned completely. Automobiles, charcoal or wood fires and improperly vented or air-starved coal, oil and gas furnaces can produce CO.

Be aware of these CO signals:

Headaches, nausea, dizziness
Excessive humidity, heavily frosted windows
Fireplace smokes, won't draw
Furnace vent backdrafts (See Fresh Air Check below.)
To prevent homes from becoming starved for air, the Minnesota Uniform Mechanical Code requires that all new homes be built with a special duct that brings outside air directly to the heating system. All furnace and boiler installations in existing homes are also required to have a combustion air duct.

Fresh Air Check Return to top


To determine if your home is receiving sufficient fresh air:

Close all doors and windows.
If you have a fireplace(s), build a fire. Wait until the flames are burning vigorously.
Turn on all exhausting devices, such as:
Kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans
Dryers (gas and electric)
Attic fans
Turn on all exhausting devices, such as:
Heating equipment
Water heater
Turn on all vented gas appliances, such as:
Wait 10 minutes for drafts to stabilize.
Hold a lit match below the heating system draft hood air intake (see illustration at right).
If the match remains lit and the match flame pulls toward the draft hood, this indicates sufficient fresh air. Check draft hoods on all other equipment also (gas space heaters, water heaters and additional heating systems). Return appliances and exhausting devices to their original condition.
If the match goes out, it means the vent may be plugged and/or the air supply in your home may be inadequate.
Check for plugged vent connectors and chimneys. Repair stoppage and test again.
If the match goes out even when vent is clear, additional air must be brought into the structure from outside. Refer to the Minnesota Uniform Mechanical Code or contact a qualified heating contractor or your local gas utility service department.
If your house is starving for air, a vent or fresh air intake needs to be installed directly to the furnace area; until it is installed, limit use of clothes dryers, fireplaces, furnaces, and mechanical exhaust fans. Operating more than one of these devices at a time can contribute to backdrafting if your home doesn't have an adequate fresh air supply.

Materials used for ducting must meet standards described in the Minnesota Uniform Mechanical Code. Flexible ducting is not recommended because ridges create turbulence which reduces air flow. Before installing a duct, check with your local Building Codes office for size and materials. Here are examples of installations of fresh air ducts.

Duct Supplying Outside Air to Floor in Furnace Area Return to top


Be sure duct is sized in accordance with the Minnesota Uniform Mechanical Code.
Place the outside air intake duct (A) at least one foot above grade level.

Cover the air intake with 1/4-inch mesh screen and hood.
The duct must discharge the fresh air at a level no more than one foot off the floor (B).
To help keep incoming cold air in one place instead of allowing it to spread across your basement floor, build a closed-bottom containment box out of sheet metal or use a 5-gallon bucket that allows air to flow freely in and out. Drop the combustion air supply duct into the containment box and attach the duct permanently to it. To avoid restricting airflow, the box or bucket cannot be more than one foot high.


Duct Supplying Outside Air into the Cold Air Return Return to top


This method is permitted by code. However, experience indicates potential problems such as shorter equipment life, poorer performance in unusually cold temperatures and possibly voided warranties.

Be sure the duct is sized in accordance with the Minnesota Uniform Mechanical Code.
Place the air intake duct (A) at least one foot above grade level.
Cover the air intake duct with 1/4-inch mesh screen and weather hood.
Install duct in the return side of the heating system (B).
A register without a damper (C) must be installed in the plenum of the furnace. Its free area size must be at least one half the free area of the common vent.



Air Supply to a Furnace Installed in a Small Utility Room or Confined Area Return to top


Be sure the fresh air duct (A) is sized in accordance with the Minnesota Uniform Mechanical Code.
The duct must discharge the fresh air at a level no more than one foot off the floor (B).
Ventilation air must be supplied to the furnace area through two openings to the main house area located as follows:

A ventilation air outlet grille located in a wall or door, at a level higher (C) than the draft hood opening. The area of the grille must provide 1 square inch of free area for every 2,000 Btus per hour of natural gas input to the gas equipment in the area.
A ventilation air inlet grille located in the wall or door, level with or below (D) the combustion air inlet to the lowest burner. The area of the grille must provide 1 square inch for every 2,000 Btus per hour of natural gas input to gas equipment in the area. See following example.