Outdoor Wood Furnace Info
Outdoor Furnaces - Manufacturers WITH EPA-Certified Models => HeatMaster => Topic started by: kybaseball on January 22, 2012, 06:20:26 PM
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What do you keep you OWB temp at? I have been keeping ours at 160 with minus 7 cool down. It is doing good just want to make sure that I am not hurting the stove in any way.
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There is studies that show more oxygen is present in water at lower temps than 180.
I run my stove at 165 with a 15 degree swing..
I think you'll be fine!
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Thanks a lot Scott. The OWB is doing so good I was just making sure that I wasn't hurting it in anyway. Seems like if you can run at a lower temp. than it will save on wood consumption.
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Thanks a lot Scott. The OWB is doing so good I was just making sure that I wasn't hurting it in anyway. Seems like if you can run at a lower temp. than it will save on wood consumption.
I tend to think that it does...
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I run mine anywhere from 150 to 185 depending on how much heat I want in my home. I like in a 90 year old house that requires a lot of heat when its cold. The differential setting also varies, the longer burn times are good because it will burn cleaner. However if you ever have trouble with the fire going out you can drop that number down some. I got a bad load of coal in this winter and it wants to go out even when the furnace has plenty of fuel. I dropped the differential down to 4 and it has helped a lot.
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Hey yoder, did lowering your diff change your burn times that you could tell
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So if I keep the temp. at 160-165 with a 10-15 difference is that going to make for less wood usage and a better burn time with less smoke?
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Definitely burns cleaner with a 15 degree swing in my opinion
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I change the difference this morning before I went to work and my wife called and said I think the stove has gone out. I said why do you think that she said I haven't seen any smoke come out of it all day. So that is great.
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Yep, as long as you have good wood it can go all day and never kick on at all and take right back off when it's ready.
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I've never tried burning with a 15 degree differential. I don't think it would work well with coal, when I go back to wood I will try it and see what I think. Long burn cycles do lead to less smoking in my opinion.
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I've never tried burning with a 15 degree differential. I don't think it would work well with coal, when I go back to wood I will try it and see what I think. Long burn cycles do lead to less smoking in my opinion.
I've been burning a little coal, not much, but it works on 15, may work better on 5 with straight coal tho
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Can you burn both together?
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I was wondering the other day if I might be able to get a lower differential between supply/return temps if I changed my OWB diff from 10 to 5. Any idea? I burn hardwood mixed with a couple pieces of poplar (trying to get rid of it!)
I'll say too that I started running my secondary draft wide open, I think it burns more efficiently with it open. I'll just clean the pipe out every so often unless you guys advise against that.
Michael
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Can you burn both together?
Yes you can.. It works great when you mix, if you go straight coal, you have to lower the differential to I'd say 5-8 degrees
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I was wondering the other day if I might be able to get a lower differential between supply/return temps if I changed my OWB diff from 10 to 5. Any idea? I burn hardwood mixed with a couple pieces of poplar (trying to get rid of it!)
I'll say too that I started running my secondary draft wide open, I think it burns more efficiently with it open. I'll just clean the pipe out every so often unless you guys advise against that.
Michael
That wouldn't change the temp difference in supply and return any at all
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That is pretty cool didn't know you could mix the 2. Just wondering what are the prices of coal and where do you get it at?
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Clostest place to me is on us 23 or in wrigley ky...
not sure about your area. I have a friend who works at a commercial coal dock and I brought home about 3500 pound this evening.
Most all of the good coal gets put on barges here and goes straight to china!
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Thanks Scott
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mcarter, so long as you clean the pipe out periodically it should burn cleaner and more efficiently with the secondary draft open.
kybaseball, I am paying $140 per ton for coal here in Va.
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How long does a ton last?
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Well.... It all depends on your heating load... But I think a pick up load of coal is worth 4 truck loads of hardwood.
Here in eastern ky it's between 90-120 dollars per ton.
I had about 3500 pound on my truck yesterday which is a big load for a short bed
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I live in a 90 year old house that is rather hard to heat. When its cold and the wind blows I can easily burn 100lbs a day. Then again I have been known to burn a pickup load of wood in three days as well. Each house is different although I doubt there are as many as bad as mine.
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I live in a 90 year old house that is rather hard to heat. When its cold and the wind blows I can easily burn 100lbs a day. Then again I have been known to burn a pickup load of wood in three days as well. Each house is different although I doubt there are as many as bad as mine.
Wow yoder! That's a Lot of btu's!!!!
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I couldn't afford any other form of heat!
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That's for sure! I can't imagine lol
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Well I have been keeping a very close eye on our electric usage the past week. In the past we were using around 250 to 300 kilowatts a day with the strips kicking in 90% of the time. We are down to using right at 55 kilowatts a day right now!!!! I wouldn't have never thought it would make that much of a difference but man has it ever. By the way we are keeping the house at 74 nice a warm instead of 69 and freezing. If I have figured right I will be saving right at 750 to 800 dollars a month. Man I wish I would have done this earlier maybe could have retired maybe not that far but I would have been able to take a good vacation.
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Baseball I told you when you called a few months ago that I thought it would drop your bill 80% lol. Looks like it's gonna be close! Glad your enjoying your 10000E
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Sorry to reactivate this old thread, but have some burning questions.
Have the Heatmaster MF5000SS
Love the thing, but have definitely got to tweak it some as I am ripping up about 18-20cord of wood a year and I only heat from October - March on average.
I live in Mid Michigan. Winters can be harsh, but not in my opinion what I call horrible. I have played with coal, both bituminous and anthracite and learned that anthracite is definitely out.
When the unit was installed, I believe 5 winters ago now, the dealer set it at 180max temp with a 20 degree swing. I have never lowered the max temp but I have lowered the swing a few times and always end up setting it back to 20. I think partially because I am just not familiar enough with the unit to fine tune it and if the dealer said do it, I listened.
Well, after reading here, I believe I should lower the max temp some and my swing. Seems like I will use less wood. What I haven't been able to find information on is what to have to draft/blower set to in the back of the unit? I believe it's set at 1/4 or might even be at 1/2. I haven't looked at it in a while but it's getting to be about that time to fire her up again and I would like to try to be as efficient at possible this winter. What is the setting for on the fan duct and are there advantages to having it at one setting for wood where another setting would be better for coal? I primarily burn red and white oak seasoned and this year will probably burn 50% wood and 50% coal.
Any help of suggestions would be appreciated. Just trying to get more bang for the buck. Incidentally we calculated that even with buy the wood by the semi load, the unit paid for itself in 3.5 years. I don't run it all summer because my gas bill is minimal for hot water usage in the summer.
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That's what were here for is questions
Can you please tell us what your heating, length of the runs, and such
As far as your temps, I'd leave them alone. I used tone a fan of running my stove cooler, but u learn as you go. The lower you run the temp the more likely you are to cause corrosion in the firebox.
Let me explain, burning wood gives off moisture, that moisture will collect on any metal surface below 140. So if your stove is 160,the heat is on, the kids are taking a bath, your return water could be coming back 110-120 degrees, that return water could cool the steel on the firebox perhaps on one side or one spot, then the moisture from the wood will want to gather there and drip down into the coals causing an acidic problem.
But until I learn ore about your application and installs I can't be of much help. The adjustments as far as air n such sound right.
Feel free to give me a call
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I am heating a 2800 sq ft ranch on a basement. There are 2 furnaces installed both with coils installed in their plenums for the heat. I also have a plate exchanger for my domestic hot water.
OWB is 65' from the house. Thermopex is trenched 4' deep to the house and enters through the basement wall, to the hot water heater and on to furnace one then to furnace two before returning.
Total loop is approximately 250' with 130' of that being in the ground. Only using one outlet on the stove with one pump.
I usually fill the thing 3 times a day during the winter. Morning before work, Evening as soon as I return from work and Bedtime just as a follow up to be sure there is adequate fuel in there as nobody likes the 3am nostril icicles.
I have read here and other places that people have their top temp set lower than mine. After reading around, I just questioned if the 180 and 20 degree swing was too much. Since I intend to burn primarily bituminous coal this season, I know there are a few changes that I need to make, just trying to figure them out in advance.
The whole draft fan setting in the rear is what I think confuses me most. When I am burning coal, wouldn't I want that wide open so as to stoke the coal with more air flow? And from what I have seen wouldn't I also absolutely want to change the swing from 20 degrees to far less like closer to 8 degrees so the coal has less of a chance of going out?
I appreciate the help and tips.
-Jeff
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Burning coal can require a tighter swing of likenyou mentioned, 8-10 degrees
I still can't fathom how your going through so much wood, has it always been that way?
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Running the furnace at a higher temperature will use more wood but not a significant amount so long as the furnace and pipe is well insulated. I have been back to do a service call on a furnace I installed and would hear complaints about the furnace burning to much wood. Then I would open the back of the furnace and they had removed some of the insulation. People continue to amaze me.
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Scott,
Yes it's always been that way. Unit is bone stock as it was installed. Haven't removed any insulation or anything.
I get the wood trucked in 20 pulp cord at a time, (semi load) and it lasts about a season and a half at best. Coal is much cheaper, but it's harder to get up here and I don't have the means to haul large quantities. Can only haul about 1 ton at a time. Don't have room to get a 24 ton load delivered, but I sure would love it!
I also haven't cleaned the stove other than the inside at the end of the season and obviously the ash pan. I figured something could be tweaked with the water temps a little and maybe that would help, which is why I posted in here. Almost everybody I have spoken with thinks that 180 with a 20 degree swing is excessive. I may drop down to 170 this season and give that a shot. I probably have about 7-9 cord on the ground and I am hoping to supplement with coal to make it last this winter.
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Are you sure you are really getting 20 cords? Unless it is super dry there is no way they can haul that much just because of the weight. Around here 10 is the limit unless they have a light weight trailer they can do 12.
A cord of logs usually weighs 6000+ Lbs when green.
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Twenty pulp cord, tandem trailer semi load. I know it's not a full 20 cord, but it's common here in Michigan. 8' logs mostly red oak. They can haul up to 80,000lbs here in Michigan.....
I don't buy fresh cut, I buy 1 year seasoned, although they are still pretty green not being cut or split until I get them.
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What is the insulation quality of the home? Never heard of anyone using that much with a heatmaster.
180-170, won't make much difference at all, likely won't be able to tell a difference
Are both of those furnaces on the same loop?
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Insulation is fair. It's a 1970's home, remodeled a couple of times. I don't have any drafts that I have found in all the years I have been here.
Both furnaces are on the same loop. It heats the house very well, no complaints there. Just really surprised how much wood I pump through it. Unfortunately, I am a considerable amount North from you so it's like comparing apples to oranges. Or temps are regularly 20 degree's or lower here in the winter. The burner essentially has zero protection from the elements. I only have the stubby chimney no added pipe.
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Im not comparing my personal stove, just from other customers/folks in your region and further north.
Well, my point about 2 stoves on the same loop was more in concern for your boiler, not heating the home.
If your return water is coming back under 140 your going to greatly shorten the life of the boiler, I would def not run it any lower than 180 in your case
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That makes sense. I will check it when I fire it up in a couple of weeks. I don't think there is that much heat loss in the return line, however, I honestly have never checked it.
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It seems to me it would be worth installing an inline thermometer on the return line at least for your piece of mind. It may help you decide if you can safely drop your operating temperature.
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Another great tip! That's something I will get on immediately. Until I started reading this forum again a few days ago, I didn't even realize the importance of the return temp. Will work on getting that installed this weekend and since I have had the parts for 2 years, maybe I will cut in the hot tub at that same time.
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Your delta T is what your checking. If the water enters ur first exchanger at 180 and it pulls off 20 degrees, then your delta T is 20.
So if your next furnace is also on, and it takes 20, your already down to 140. We dong know if anyone is taking a bath right now either lol
So it's likely your already crossing that danger zone at certain times, it's not good to do that, let's hope your not keeping it below 140 much