Power Vent + Combustion Fans Cooling Basement

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LTStorm07
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Post by LTStorm07 » Thu. Jan. 03, 2013 11:00 am

Good morning all,
I am trying to make my system more efficient but I need some advise weather this would be a good idea or not.. I currently have an Alaska 140 dual burner run by a Coal-Trol that it connected to my duct work throughout my house and it does have a return setup in place. For reference sake, I am heating a 1950, 2400 sqft two story 1/2 brick, 1/2 vinyl home that is moderately insulated (about the best possible you can do to it including blown in through the attic) solely with coal. I also have an unfinished/half dirt basement. I use a power vent with a rheostat and a FC baro between the stove and the power vet in a vertical section. The total distance between the stove exit and the power vent is about 6 feet of piping. I have attached to pictures to show it.

So with that info out of the way, the problem is that I feel I am sucking too much heat out of the basement and then also cooling the house down because it I can feel a draft around some windows (not all but some) and it's tiny little air leaks it feels like. I have newer (10 years old or so) windows and they are chalked but I feel the air must be tiny pin prick holes it's coming through. As for my basement temperature never goes above 75. I feel like the stove is sucking all the air from the house and sending it outside and thus fresh air is coming in any way it can. When it gets in the 20s the stove can't keep up with one burner (drops to 69ish degrees.) I can keep almost any draft I with my vent providing it's at least .04 because if I try to slow it down and less with my current setup my powervent actually stops or close to it (maybe over heating?) This is a brand new power vent that I got last year (had same issue last year just didn't worry about it). My concern with the draft is my baro has to stay fully open to maintain that lower draft, if I close my baro down at all my draft will go .05 - .1. The power vent can even draw a full 1.0+ if I let it run full out. I feel like it's a vacuum going through the baro which has me thinking that is sucking a ton of air + the combustion fans. Would it be crazy to not only fresh air vent the combustion fans, but also the baro to help cut down on the air getting sucked out of the house? I would hope this helps the house retain heat because I feel that I'm losing a ton of it. I know normally a big no no for the baro but this is on a power vent, I've ran my stove when it hit 85 degrees out and I could vacuum my basement with that thing..

For the record, I burnt 6 1/2 tons last year starting Oct 16th and shutting down the first week of May temp of house is about 72ish on average. (First year in the house and using coal)

If anyone needs anymore info I'd be glad to answer or take more pictures
Thanks and sorry for the long winded post,
Storm

Attachments

20121208_005740.jpg

Exit of stove, with baro and mano meter

.JPG | 160.3KB | 20121208_005740.jpg
20121208_005729.jpg

Where the pipe connects to power vent on wall behind stove cant see due to ductwork..

.JPG | 129.4KB | 20121208_005729.jpg

 
Rigar
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Post by Rigar » Thu. Jan. 03, 2013 11:16 am

I would certainly start by supplying OUTSIDE AIR to the combustion blower...
... even though combustion blowers draw small amount of air... it is 24 hours a day... 7 days a week. that is a ton of air... and your house will make up for it somewhere... usually through windows and doors... letting in cold outside air in places you definitely don't want it.
.... I'm a little perplexed by your overdrafting... I would think your power vent could be regulated in some way...?

 
LTStorm07
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Post by LTStorm07 » Thu. Jan. 03, 2013 11:24 am

It is by a rheostat, but like I mentioned, if I try to dial it down too far, after a period of time the vent motor itself seems to either stop or go from just right to about stopped all by itself without me adjust the rheostat. The rheostat is also a new one because the one I had failed (it also did the same thing this one does) It acts like the motor over heats or something of that nature that stalls or close to stalls.


 
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steamup
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Post by steamup » Thu. Jan. 03, 2013 1:02 pm

First of all, 6.5 tons doesn't seem too out of line for 2400 sq ft in a 1950's house. I probably burn that much for my 1500 sq ft. 1880's drafty farm house.

Second, the amount of air needed for combust and draft regulation is constant. If you duct air in from the outside, the area near the stove will be cold. That may be ok for you. There will be no savings from the air used for combustion because that is still heated but combustion. There will be some savings if you are using cooler air for draft regulation by if what is bypassed through the barometric is cooler than what the house is heated too. I would not expect the savings to be huge but it would help with what you describe as a possible negative air situation on your house.

 
LTStorm07
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Location: Stillwater, PA
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Post by LTStorm07 » Thu. Jan. 03, 2013 1:09 pm

Thanks! I was hoping to primarily cut down on the negative pressure the house is under which I felt would help out since I'm bringing cold in all over rather than a central place next to the furnace. Plus with my ducting and return ducts that "cold air" coming in through the small air leaks around the house is just cooling the air down which is being returned to the furnace to be heated and sent back to the house. I would think it would help ease the burden on the furnace quite a bit. As far as fresh air feeding the combustion and baro, I was just going to run flex tubing (4-6 inches dia) that terminates right next to the openings to the combustion fans and the baro. I would think this would help to prevent too much cool down of the air around the furnace. Hopefully this makes sense and I'm on the right path.

Thanks,
Storm

Edit: Draft is great but I can use the baro like a shop vac currently, with adding a fresh air intake to it, I guess then I wouldn't have to worry about the baro being a vacuum then..

 
CoaLen
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Post by CoaLen » Thu. Jan. 03, 2013 1:38 pm

By: LTStorm07
...if I try to slow it down and less with my current setup my power vent actually stops or close to it (maybe over heating?)

Draft is great but I can use the baro like a shop vac currently,...
I know nothing about power vents other than they draw gas out of the furnace through the vent pipe. But it sounds to me like your power vent is over sized for what you need to do. Could it be that a smaller sized vent would work better? :?

(Feel free to disregard if I'm way off base.) ;)


 
Bity454
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Post by Bity454 » Thu. Jan. 03, 2013 2:25 pm

I have the same problem with my power vents also!!! Anyone know why they shut down at lower speeds? Are the motors in them not the type to be regulated????????

 
Bity454
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Post by Bity454 » Thu. Jan. 03, 2013 2:27 pm

P.S. power venters are way to powerful for drafting coal stoves !!!!!

 
LTStorm07
Member
Posts: 106
Joined: Tue. Sep. 11, 2012 8:32 pm
Location: Stillwater, PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1980 EFM DF520
Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: Alaska Stoker II
Coal Size/Type: Rice
Other Heating: Heat pump / Propane

Post by LTStorm07 » Thu. Jan. 03, 2013 2:48 pm

This is actually the one they sell with all the stoves I believe and yes it is CRAZY strong. This thing can vent in 80+ degrees with a hurricane blowing I swear. So I'm not the only one who has had it shut down? Scary if it happens, as long as I don't touch it/turn it too low it keeps going.

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