I checked this site out a few years ago for info on acme but didn't find anything. I was doing a little surfing and ran across this now. I would run far and fast from the acme furnace. I have the 340 model its suppose to heat 8500sqft yea right try 4000sqft and that's feeding it every 5 hours. Plan on replacing the poorly designed seal on the door at least 2 to 3 times a winter and I burn seasoned wood. ( doing it again today 15 degrees out Great!) no way to check the water level other than waiting for it to pour out the back. Tiny door to load wood make sure to split small pieces or you'll be smashing your fingers. If you do have to burn any green wood prop a ladder up against it cause you will have to run a pipe down the chimney everyday to unplug it from the creosote build up. At least now they come with a solenoid to open and close the blower mine did not so once the gasket goes out it had perfect air flow to constantly boil over on warm days. I've now installed a solenoid and door to close off the blower when not needed. the recovery time is horrible to much water not enough fire. They brag about the air blowing from under like a blacksmith forge what good does that do when the grate only cover less than half the floor so the rest of the wood burns like a normal fireplace. I also have a central boiler 5036 bought it used cant afford new the air blows over the fire what acme says is no good the 5036 is set to come on at 170 off 190 about 20 minute recovery time and 1/4 of a load of wood. The 340 set to come on at 180 off 190 takes a minimum of an hour and a 3/4 load of wood. They talk about how great the ash draw is what a pain the butt. every other day clean it out with a hoe suck the ash in your lungs then use your hand to clean out around the door so it will close then shovel the ash in to the wheel barrow. central boiler every couple weeks take a couple scoops out with a shovel stand up wind an dump it in the wheel barrow no down time like Keith says.
I bought the 340 so I could also heat my shop 3000sqft so a total of 7000sqft and it worked great when it was 50 degrees outside. The first day we hit 13 I feed the stove every hour day and night to try to keep the shop at 32 degrees the stove never shut off once. Cut the line to the shop and blew the water out. Back to working in a cold shop but going to start building my own stove for next year use the acme for a boat anchor. Forgot to mention have never replaced the seal on the central boiler going on 4 years I've had it and 3 years previous owner.
You do get what you pay I don't know how acme figures the sqft that the stoves will heat I imagine its numbers on paper not real life scenarios. I would make sure and figure it half of what they claim unless you would like to feed it every hour me I prefer every 12 with the CB. Talk to your local welder they maybe able to build you one similar to acme but for less money and no shipping.
Sorry you had bad luck with yours. I heat a 3400 + sq. foot home and have the domestic water coil inside the furnace. I get 10 to 12 hours of burn time when it is really cold out, and we use a TON of domestic hot water too. My underground pipes aren't buried as deep as I should have gone, so I think I have some heat loss there. The snow will melt over the pipes I buried first once it gets above freezing.
I will either get a silicone gasket for the door from Portage and Main, or coat the door gasket I already bought with the silicone. My door gasket was toast after burning green wood in it, and creosote built up on the gasket. I haven't had to clean the flue pipe. I like the ash door and have to remove ashes twice a week at the worst. The furnace doesn't (seem) to create anymore ash then my inside wood stove used to. I burn oak in my furnace.
I wouldn't have bought mine if it didn't have the flap with the solenoid that covers the blower when off, and opens the flap when the blower is on. I only "fill" my furnace once a week with water, and it doesn't evaporate water much at all. I just go real slow when adding the water, and do it when the stove is about ready to shut off or has just shut off. I do it when the stove is the hottest to ensure that it is full of water. If you do it when the stove is about ready, or has just come on, it will overflow with water when the water is at its hottest point of the cycle.
If one had the means to build their own furnace, you could incorporate all the good features in each furnace on the market and really have a perfect furnace!
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Topic: I LOVE MY ACME FURANCE (Read 10485 times)