Fireplaces, Heating Stoves, Flues and Chimneys - Adding a Wood Furnace to Oil Hot Air Furnace?
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parkpointer
03-02-08, 07:39 PM
I've been the wood stove routine before and found it really fairly easy to control the heat for a one story home with basement. I've been living in a 2-story with basement (2800 sf including basement) and hear neighbors complain about wood stoves and uneven heat in their 2-story homes.
To offset the heating in our home I'd like to add a Wood Furnace to our existing hot air heat system. Does anyone have any experience with add-on wood furnaces? I have found a supplier in a nearby county, but have yet to visit them. Thought I'd check these forums for ideas. Any help would be appreciated.
To offset the heating in our home I'd like to add a Wood Furnace to our existing hot air heat system. Does anyone have any experience with add-on wood furnaces? I have found a supplier in a nearby county, but have yet to visit them. Thought I'd check these forums for ideas. Any help would be appreciated.
GregH
03-02-08, 08:34 PM
Here is one type of add on wood burner:
Click image:
http://www.yukon-eagle.com/images/bigjack1.jpg (http://www.yukon-eagle.com/FURNACES/BIGJACKADDONWOODFURNACE/tabid/169/Default.aspx)
Image courtesy of yukon-eagle.com
This is the type of wood furnace we have attached to our electric forced air furnace.
The electric sits on a plenum beside the wood burner and discharges the air through the side of the wood burner and out the top.
When you go shopping for a wood burner like this take a sketch of your existing furnace layout.
You need to have accurate measurements of clearances around the furnace as the code requirements for this type of heat are quite strict.
Take some photos as well and then the sales people would be able to give you an accurate estimate.
The heat when using this type of wood burner will have the same distribution as the oil furnace.
Problems with air distribution in two story homes is quite common due to bad duct design.
Click image:
http://www.yukon-eagle.com/images/bigjack1.jpg (http://www.yukon-eagle.com/FURNACES/BIGJACKADDONWOODFURNACE/tabid/169/Default.aspx)
Image courtesy of yukon-eagle.com
This is the type of wood furnace we have attached to our electric forced air furnace.
The electric sits on a plenum beside the wood burner and discharges the air through the side of the wood burner and out the top.
When you go shopping for a wood burner like this take a sketch of your existing furnace layout.
You need to have accurate measurements of clearances around the furnace as the code requirements for this type of heat are quite strict.
Take some photos as well and then the sales people would be able to give you an accurate estimate.
The heat when using this type of wood burner will have the same distribution as the oil furnace.
Problems with air distribution in two story homes is quite common due to bad duct design.
parkpointer
03-03-08, 05:11 AM
You hit the nail right on the head. I wasn't going to name names, but the unit you describe is the same model that we were looking to add to our home.
My next question may require your expertise. We have a two flue almost center chimney home. On one side is an oil-fired hot water heater. On the other is the oil-fired hot air furnace. On the hot air furnace side there are two flue openings, as at one time we had both units plugged into that flue. We changed to each having their own flue from improper draft issues with both plumbed into the same flue.
Our idea was to add a wood stove to the other until my daughter developed allergies and that prevented the wood stove installation. It wasn't until quite recently that we learned about the wood furnace. Now with the possibility of adding one, can we plumb the wood furnace into the same flue as the hot air furnace, since both won't be running at the same time? Any help would be a blessing.
My next question may require your expertise. We have a two flue almost center chimney home. On one side is an oil-fired hot water heater. On the other is the oil-fired hot air furnace. On the hot air furnace side there are two flue openings, as at one time we had both units plugged into that flue. We changed to each having their own flue from improper draft issues with both plumbed into the same flue.
Our idea was to add a wood stove to the other until my daughter developed allergies and that prevented the wood stove installation. It wasn't until quite recently that we learned about the wood furnace. Now with the possibility of adding one, can we plumb the wood furnace into the same flue as the hot air furnace, since both won't be running at the same time? Any help would be a blessing.
GregH
03-03-08, 06:07 AM
No, you can not use a chimney from an oil burner with an wood fueled appliance.
Also, a wood burner must have its own dedicated chimney.
Here (http://www.yukon-eagle.com/Portals/0/bigjack.pdf) is a pdf of the installation manual.
You need to study it carefully as is has to be installed exactly according to the instructions in order for the approvals to be valid.
You need to check to see if you have any local codes that may affect the installation.
Also, you will need to talk to your house insurance company as the installation of a wood burner will impact your insurance rates.
Also, a wood burner must have its own dedicated chimney.
Here (http://www.yukon-eagle.com/Portals/0/bigjack.pdf) is a pdf of the installation manual.
You need to study it carefully as is has to be installed exactly according to the instructions in order for the approvals to be valid.
You need to check to see if you have any local codes that may affect the installation.
Also, you will need to talk to your house insurance company as the installation of a wood burner will impact your insurance rates.
Thonati
03-03-08, 09:11 PM
Please take Gregs advice. I have a friend that put in a supplemental wood stove in his garage. He did not pull a permit, nor did he tell his insurance company.
Well you can guess what happened. His faulty installation failed and caused a fire. Fortunately no one was injured and there was plently of time for him to put the fire out. It caused about $5000 damage and the insurance company would not pay. He also got fined by the city for not pulling a permit. They were totally PO. The fire department even got nasty with him.
I put a wood burner in my cabin and the inspector was a royal pain. However he was just doing his job and looking out for my and my families safety. I informed my insurance company and they sent their own inspector out to double check the county inspector. After all the hoop la, my insurance only went up $20 per year on $150,000 home.
It was a pain but I am glad I jumped through those flaming hoops (pun intended). Now I can sleep at night knowing I did a good job and people were looking out for me.
I plan on installing a sprinkler system as a back up just in case both of those inspectors were drunk when they looed at my install.
Well you can guess what happened. His faulty installation failed and caused a fire. Fortunately no one was injured and there was plently of time for him to put the fire out. It caused about $5000 damage and the insurance company would not pay. He also got fined by the city for not pulling a permit. They were totally PO. The fire department even got nasty with him.
I put a wood burner in my cabin and the inspector was a royal pain. However he was just doing his job and looking out for my and my families safety. I informed my insurance company and they sent their own inspector out to double check the county inspector. After all the hoop la, my insurance only went up $20 per year on $150,000 home.
It was a pain but I am glad I jumped through those flaming hoops (pun intended). Now I can sleep at night knowing I did a good job and people were looking out for me.
I plan on installing a sprinkler system as a back up just in case both of those inspectors were drunk when they looed at my install.