manometer install

hi Greg , i mounted and leveled to the wall. turned zero counterclockwise till it stopped , then out 3 turns clockwise. filled it to about zero. turned knob to zero it in. the 4 lines is 4 lines from zero to the right. no numbers involved. to got it to .o1 i have the damper all the way open , but i'm not getting any heat. i pushed it in half way and i'm getting good heat. coalkirk is at 3 lines , i'm 4.

Ken, where are you taking your tap for the manometer in the pipe.?

It's graduated from 0 - .1 all the way up to 3 , therefore, each line is .01, so you probably need to be between lines 2 and 4 (.02-.04)

it's a DV unit. i'm taking the reading from a small hole next to the ash door. i don't have it attached to the stove. i put a 6" pc of brake line in the hose and put it to the hole. so coalkirk picture is where you want to be when dialed in? he's on 3 lines from zero and i'm 4 lines from zero. i'm nowheres near any of the numbers on the gauge. .01-.02-.03-.05. is that where i want to be or reading on the numbers?

ken wrote:....and i'm 4 lines from zero. i'm nowheres near any of the numbers on the gauge. ...

Hopefully you are 4 lines to the right of zero and your hose is on the low side port.

Its OK, we don't need no stinkin numbers! You are right about where you should be given the naturE of your stove. The only thing you might play with a little more is the cover on the combustion fan VS the rheostat on the DV to make sure you are not compensating for one or the other being mis-adjusted. Start with the cover 2/3 over the opening and then adjust the rheostat to achieve the .03 to .04 (yeah I know there are no numbers ), then go back and tweek that cover just a bit open, if the draft moves drastically then you need to increase the rheostat a little and start over. You want to make sure you are bleeding just a little air through the port on the DV so you a can also check with a match or cigarette to see if that is sucking too much or not enough room air in. It's all a balancing act. Europachris probably has some tips as well.

have fun and keep us posted as you measure the draft without numbers.

Yeah, I've found my "sweet spot" with the combustion blower 1/2 open and the draft set at 0.03 or so. My air bleed is fixed, but I do have it partially taped up with some aluminum tape (maybe 40% closed) as my "gut feel" said it was too big a hole. I run the DV rheostat at about 75% of full speed. Going up to full speed increases draft by .01 to .02", not much. The combustion air adjustment is a lot more 'touchy' with respect to the draft.

To be honest, as long as you have 0.01 to 0.05 draft, you're fine. I've run it anywhere in there with no issues. Only time I had problems was trying to run straight buckwheat with too much draft. That ended in a hopper fire and the nylon cam and screws on the stoker returning to their pre-molded state....

The DV Gate adjustment (A little T-Handle and allen screw on the back of the DV) and combustion blower cover will affect the draft a bit.

GO back in this thread a page or two, we have posted pics of the manometer and where it should be at or around...you are only using a very small part of the bottom of the scale.

manometer install

It shouldn't be anywhere close to the .1, .2 , 3 etc...it will be only a few lines up the scale (to the right) if hooked up correctly.

Need anything else, just ask!

so i'm a little on the slow side i guess lol. i thought the red fluid had to be between .20 and .40 lol thanks for the pic WNY , i must of missed that. so i'm at .02 with great heat. cool

No problem!

A few days ago it was blowing hard, probly 25mph with gusts to 30mph. I have a plastic bag over the baro damper so heat won't be pulled from the room (currently heating with a kerosene space heater vented separately of course). My new manometer was reading .18 with gusts to about .28 . It pulls .02 with very little wind and .04 with an average wind of about 12mph. When I get the coal fired up again next fall I guess I will have enough draft.

Just ordered a MK II 25 manometer and a IF thermometer from Jils today.I want to see what all the fuss is about.I'll keep you guys posted,but I wont be burning for a month or so.
DON

Before I installed my manometer I would turn the rheostat all the way down until the baro stopped moving and then turn it up until the baro barely moved. Not very scientific.

Well I just made up some charts to see what the baro does this winter.This is what I'll be mesuring.

house temp
outside temp
stack temp i.r.
stack temp dial
furnace temp
draft setting(baro)
duct temp

I know how much coal I've burned in the past 2 years so I'll keep track of the too.(I buy bags)

I'll take the readings @ 9 PM (about 3 hours after I load)
I always had a baro but this year I'm using it.See what difference it makes.
DON

I have a direct vent and was able to install the baro before the DV unit and lug the venturi hole in the DV unit. For me I didn't see any real savings of coal. The rheostat on the DV unit made the biggest difference. I do feel safer with the baro so if I forget to load the hopper and it runs low I won't get a hopper fire.

Got my manometer today and had to play.Threw in a bunch of newspaper and took a reading.the baro was set to .02 and was starting to open but the meter was at .05.I guess the baro is a little off.Can't wait 'till it gets colder.
DON

Many have suggested using an old auto brake line as a method of attaching a monometer to the stovepipe. The attached photos show how I did mine. I cut a 1-1/4 inch band of stovepipe material long enough the reach around my stovepipe. To this I brazed a 3/8 inch NFT nut using silver bearing solder. Note this requires an Ox/Accy torch. The brake line attachment fitting will thread directly into this nut. Then I bent tabs on the strap to make a "hose clamp". The final photo shows the installation. I find the tubing to the manometer no longer melts as it did when it was connected much closer to the stovepipe using the brass fittings that came with the manometer. I expect my adapter to out last the stove pipe and it will be easily transfered to its replacement.