Any thoughts on using a draft induced blower on a wood furnace? My Woodchuck wood furnace in my shop has a place for an optional draft induced blower and I’ve always wanted to try one. I found one used that it a complete setup with blower fan, draft blower, and control switch box with wiring I’m going to go pickup today to bring home to play with. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
My furnace has one. Not sure about not having one , when it was given to me that's the way it was. So for me if it ain't broke don't mess with it.
Can always try it; I would say it would work.. we had a member here that put one in a woodstove with front loading door
My reasoning is that it can go from too hot to chilly in the shop. I want to try filling it up with the good stuff and let the thermostat and draft blower replace me walking over to open and close the draft. I must conserve my energy you know. That’s the reason. My wife calls it my laziness. Women… Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I’ve never used one on my furnace. It has a port for one. I’ve read that it really burns through the wood. I believe they installed them to meet cleaner epa requirement. Blowing air on a fire makes it burner hotter and cleaner. It also makes it burn faster which equates to more wood.
If I don't need it I can shut it off and close down the damper as needed. It helps get things going and many times once fire is good I will shut it off and close the air inlet.
I hate 'em! I quit using the one I had...ever ride with someone that can't regulate the gas pedal, they maintain their speed by letting off, then mashing the pedal, letting off...on and on, makes me sick (literally) That's what using a forced draft furnace is like...it'll blast you out (and your wood too!) and then when it shuts off the roaring fire burns dirty because it is starving for air...then when the fire finally reestablishes itself in a low burn, the tstat calls for heat and it all starts over...then whatever steps you saved opening/closing the draft, gets used by loading more wood, and climbing the ladder to clean the chimney more often! Hate 'em! I quit using it and just started using it like a forced air whole house/central wood stove. But I MUCH prefer the full automation of my Kuuma furnace now! Let us know how it works out for you, but I'd bet its not gonna be a long term way of running things...
Thanks for the info. I was wondering if wood consumption would go up. I was hoping it would work kinda like you guys with the outdoor wood boilers. Got all the bits installed and wired last night and tested it for operation with a propane torch. I’ll build a fire and see how things go today. It’s not a big deal tending the stove by hand I’m just curious. It’s got to be a lot less dusty starting a fire from scratch or coals than using my leaf blower! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I have to say that mine isn’t exhibiting the problems mentioned in this thread so far. I turn the thermostat on after I load and light the fire from a cold start, the draft blower comes on. As the plenum temperature rises to a comfortable temperature (I placed the fan limit switch sensor about 2’ above the stove, the circulation blower comes on and the draft blower turns off. When the stove plenum air temp cools to slightly cool, the reverse happens. All in all, working well as I wanted. No off and on yet. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Have you tried accurately checking wood consumption with and without using it? It’s physics. Anytime you blow air on a fire it burns faster. These types of stoves aren’t very efficient in their original form and adding a blower reduces it more but cleans up the gases and particulates that met epa rating for that time period. I have an old Clayton now which eats wood like crazy and I wouldn’t want to add one. Having said that my chimney has exceptional draft, so much to the point that I need two manual pipe dampers and a barometric damper to tame it. Everyone’s situation and demands are different though. Is using the draft blower going to make hot air quicker, which is what he is after? Absolutely, but it will burn more wood and that may not matter. I live on the prairie with hardly a tree in site. Wood is like gold around here.
I am right there with everyone including especially figor. I’ve have had two Clayton 7.2/1800’s First one from 1986-1998 had the forced blower. I was later told that was to be used for when you wanted to burn coal. Note also I had an 8 inch clay tile flue 25’ high. Outlet on furnace was 6”. Build new home in 1998 and I tell Clayton I do not want forced air blower was not needed and I had just learned to regulate fire. They responded that I had again gotten the wrong thing and I needed the natural draft. It is like a carburetor butterfly at the front air inlet and is operated by wall thermostat. Sounded good but again learned it was not necessary. Simply learn how to regulate fire and you won’t need either one of the things mentioned above by me. New home has 40’ flue 8” clay tile with again furnace outlet of 6” Now fast forward to January of 2022. Long story but I had 6” stainless all one piece flue liner put in by an approved installer with mixture poured in around it. I’m like figor, my Clayton now cannot last through the night and eats wood since the flue change. My gosh the draw on that firebox is so intense now I can’t slow it down even with dampers shut all the way down etc. (Clayton makes their spin caps so you cannot completely snuff out you fire.) Going from the 8” clay tile to now the 6” all one piece SS liner has increased the draw so much that there is a SUBSTANTIAL difference in performance. I even went and put all new gaskets around doors too. I’ll say this. The house don’t even get remotely cool. Each situation is different. Consider all the factors.
