Print

[theronbt]

I have a Hardy own that is about 25 yes old. I have done everything possible that I have found to make it more efficient. I have been thinking about putting a dampner in the chimney like an inside woodburner. Has anybody ever tried this? I wouldnt keep it fully closed just about half or so, that way it could still fire up when needed. I have the plate above the 2 pipes which is very helpful but thought a dampner would be even better. When I first purchased my stove it didn't have a plate above the pipes and it sure went through the wood that year. I didn't know it was supposed to have one until the following year.

[d conover]

How are your water lines insulated?  The biggest single thing I ever did with my Hardy was get some well insulated lines.

Even now the Hardy dealers around here don't mention or recommend insulated pipes.

[yoderheating]

 DO WHAT?!?!?! Don't recommend insulated pipes???

[d conover]

When I bought my H4 last year,  I asked the dealer what he put the water lines in. he said " about 18" deep" I said yes but how are they insulated and he said" that is plenty they won't freeze"

I didn't listen to anything else he said.

I went to another dealer and bought and installed myself. All he did was put them in 4" sewer and drain if he did the install. But he had heard of people insulating the lines...... He said it would probably help.

I pretty much cut my wood consumption in half when I went from a non insulated line H2 to a H4 with good insulation

[yoderheating]

 Uh yea! Holy mackerel,  I have had individuals tell me they didn't insulate their lines but I've never heard of a dealer not doing it. That is incredible.

[jcc273]

I have a hardy as well and my lines are uninsulated Polybutelene : /.  I did not install it, it was installed in the 80s when Polybutelene was all the rage.  Luckily my boiler is only about 10 feet from my house.

Anyways theronbot, there are previous posts on this forum about the same type of thing.  Some guy in Ohio makes what he calls Hardy Efficiency plates.  same idea, basically restrict the exhaust flow to cause more contact with the water jacket.

He has a different plate insert for the H4s and a corkscrew type insert for the chimneys on the H2:

http://outdoorwoodfurnaceinfo.com/forum/index.php?topic=2418

I do plan to get the corkscrew one and try it out one of these days, but i don't use that much wood already so it hasn't really been a priority haha.

[Scott7m]

Yes yoder, many hardy dealers don't insulate the piping at all

My local dealer who sells a lot of stoves just slaps some frost king on them and pulls em through PVC, it's a joke

[yoderheating]

 As if the Hardy isn't inefficient enough, good grief. I would refuse to do a job if the home owner didn't use insulated pipe.

[Scott7m]

As if the Hardy isn't inefficient enough, good grief. I would refuse to do a job if the home owner didn't use insulated pipe.

Me too......  It's crazy

[jcc273]

As if the Hardy isn't inefficient enough, good grief. I would refuse to do a job if the home owner didn't use insulated pipe.

Me too......  It's crazy

Guess they are a good choice for people who reeealllly love cutting wood ; )

[DaveWertz]

As Scott said, they slap frost king on the and pull them threw the line. Let me be the first to say it is a pain in the azz to get all that frost king out of the pipe that came off the water lines!!!! I just replace my lines with insulated lines and the hardest part was getting the crappy foam wrap out of the pipe! Took me a good 12hrs total.... I got so made I dug a 3ft hole (by hand) down to the tile and was ready to trash that pipe to get the foam out. I could not get the new lines in because the foam got all balled up in there. Boy am I glad that is over 

[DaveWertz]

I would like an update on them hardy  Efficiency plates. There were some other threads about them but no updates? I want to know if they actually work like them claim... Might be worth buying?