Building an Addition. I Want Your Input

 
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NorthernIndiana
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Post by NorthernIndiana » Sun. Dec. 15, 2013 3:10 pm

robb wrote:I would recommend a furnace for entire house if it is in the budget. If it isn't I bought some pass through power vents that are electric to draw my stoves heat and they work great. They can go in a blocked return and suffice until a furnace is in the budget.
I'm not familiar with a "pass through power vent." Are these like mini fans that help push air from room to room. I'm going to go look at stove, boiler and furnace units tomorrow. There's a place called Miller Stove and Fireplace in a town about 30 minutes away, they have a greater selection than the local stores which only sell handfired (non-electric) units.

 
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NorthernIndiana
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Post by NorthernIndiana » Sun. Dec. 15, 2013 3:19 pm

Thanks everyone. The feedback is great, not sure what I'd do without everyone on this site. I probably would have given up when I couldn't start my coal stove 3 years ago.

As for the basement, it would best but cost is an issue. We are trying to do this without taking out a loan. Drainage is also a problem here. I can dig a posthole in the spring and hit water at 18". I have a good perimeter tile and I drain it into the ditch. So if I tie into my existing drainage system I would be okay. So between cost and a fear of subsurface water, I'm going to keep the project above ground.

 
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Post by robb » Sun. Dec. 15, 2013 5:09 pm


 
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oliver power
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Post by oliver power » Sun. Dec. 15, 2013 5:13 pm

I read your post, and said to myself, "No Way" are you going to be happy trying to heat any area from a breezeway. Then I seen the layout, and sizes, which backed up my original "No Way" thoughts. I do agree with all other replies, including full basement. Maybe, Just maybe, you'd be able to heat it all if one big basement. That being said; My brother had a wood burning furnace in his cellar. He ran some of that round insulated, flexible heat duct a long ways, out through a crawl space, and up into his kitchen. He was surprised at how well it worked. You already have the DS Machine "Basement #4" model. Isn't that set up for duct work? You could try a length of that insulated duct pipe. Put an inline fan at the addition end, and try pulling the heat. I'm not sure of cost, but it's got to be much cheaper than a whole new heating system. Kind of an experiment. If it works, your problem is solved. And of course, we all want to hear outcome.


 
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Berlin
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Post by Berlin » Sun. Dec. 15, 2013 5:29 pm

I would go with a stoker boiler or a forced air stoker. I believe EFM still makes a forced air stoker furnace.

Another option, being where you are, is to use a combustioneer as an add-on furnace. I have this setup in my home burning bituminous stoker coal (no smoke/smell etc. in a stoker, burns like anthracite as far as that goes) that can be readily found for around $100/ton or less. These furnaces really do work well and can be found in perfect operating condition for less than $1000. A combustioneer piped to your ductwork, because of your good insulation, would heat your size home without a problem.

 
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oliver power
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Post by oliver power » Sun. Dec. 15, 2013 7:38 pm

Berlin wrote:I would go with a stoker boiler or a forced air stoker. I believe EFM still makes a forced air stoker furnace.

Another option, being where you are, is to use a combustioneer as an add-on furnace. I have this setup in my home burning bituminous stoker coal (no smoke/smell etc. in a stoker, burns like anthracite as far as that goes) that can be readily found for around $100/ton or less. These furnaces really do work well and can be found in perfect operating condition for less than $1000. A combustioneer piped to your ductwork, because of your good insulation, would heat your size home without a problem.
What is a combustioneer? Is it a name brand, or a device? How does it work? Oliver

 
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NorthernIndiana
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Post by NorthernIndiana » Sun. Dec. 15, 2013 7:43 pm

robb wrote:go to this website....

http://www.rewci.com/dubofor4x10o.html
Thanks Robb. I've never seen anything like that. Looks like a nice bandaid. I'll have to remember that, especially if my AC isn't pushing enough into the new addition.

 
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NorthernIndiana
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Post by NorthernIndiana » Sun. Dec. 15, 2013 8:08 pm

oliver power wrote:I read your post, and said to myself, "No Way" are you going to be happy trying to heat any area from a breezeway. Then I seen the layout, and sizes, which backed up my original "No Way" thoughts. I do agree with all other replies, including full basement. Maybe, Just maybe, you'd be able to heat it all if one big basement. That being said; My brother had a wood burning furnace in his cellar. He ran some of that round insulated, flexible heat duct a long ways, out through a crawl space, and up into his kitchen. He was surprised at how well it worked. You already have the DS Machine "Basement #4" model. Isn't that set up for duct work? You could try a length of that insulated duct pipe. Put an inline fan at the addition end, and try pulling the heat. I'm not sure of cost, but it's got to be much cheaper than a whole new heating system. Kind of an experiment. If it works, your problem is solved. And of course, we all want to hear outcome.
It has sheet metal sides, I'd have to build a hood but I could hook it up to a length of flexible duct. It been so easy to heat the house that I never had to think about ways to move heat around. Installing a floor grate over the stove was high tech for me :)


 
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Post by Carbon12 » Sun. Dec. 15, 2013 8:12 pm

As Oliver Stated, try your existing stove. I looked it up and it is rated at 130,000 BTU. That PROBABLY will do. Figure out a way to tie in to the existing supply and return duct work and give it a try. Use the existing furnace to circulate the heat from the stove to the whole house.

 
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Post by Freddy » Mon. Dec. 16, 2013 5:54 am

robb wrote:go to this website....

http://www.rewci.com/dubofor4x10o.html
That's a cute little unit & a neat idea....but I wish it drew more than 8 watts! 8 watts isn't going to move much air..... Plus the unit takes up a lot of space. I'm thinking the device itself might block more air than it moves!

 
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Post by Berlin » Mon. Dec. 16, 2013 2:19 pm

oliver power wrote:
Berlin wrote:I would go with a stoker boiler or a forced air stoker. I believe EFM still makes a forced air stoker furnace.

Another option, being where you are, is to use a combustioneer as an add-on furnace. I have this setup in my home burning bituminous stoker coal (no smoke/smell etc. in a stoker, burns like anthracite as far as that goes) that can be readily found for around $100/ton or less. These furnaces really do work well and can be found in perfect operating condition for less than $1000. A combustioneer piped to your ductwork, because of your good insulation, would heat your size home without a problem.
What is a combustioneer? Is it a name brand, or a device? How does it work? Oliver
A combustioneer is an underfeed stoker furnace designed for burning bituminous coal. It has a hopper that holds well over 150lbs of coal and self-contained auger etc. The combustioneer 77b is fairly common as it was manufactured in large numbers by Will-burt mfg. for decades. They stopped production sometime in the late 80's if I recall correctly. 77b combustioneers are almost identical over the years. They extremely heavy well-built units; other than replacement of transmission seals and a re-wiring when I first purchased it, mine remains working w/ out replacing of any other parts since 1972 when it was made.

They were initially sold as a space heating "stove" with an integral fan; I recommend NOT using them like this at all. I recommend using them as an add-on furnace. The way they were manufactured allows for effortless conversion to forced air furnace: remove vent on top (slides off), attach hot air plenum. Remove fan on back (four screws, two wires) and cover opening w/ sheet metal. Install direct-drive squirrel-cage fan from craigslist etc. (usually less than $50 in good working cond.) on the left side of unit about 8" up from bottom (cut hole in sheet metal size of fan outlet). Make cold air return plenum around fan and screw to side of unit. attach wires from fan control and you now have an inexpensive, excellent, stoker furnace that burns inexpensive bituminous coal. Tend once/per day.

 
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Post by dlj » Mon. Dec. 16, 2013 7:56 pm

Berlin wrote: A combustioneer is an underfeed stoker furnace designed for burning bituminous coal. It has a hopper that holds well over 150lbs of coal and self-contained auger etc. The combustioneer 77b is fairly common as it was manufactured in large numbers by Will-burt mfg. for decades. They stopped production sometime in the late 80's if I recall correctly. 77b combustioneers are almost identical over the years. They extremely heavy well-built units; other than replacement of transmission seals and a re-wiring when I first purchased it, mine remains working w/ out replacing of any other parts since 1972 when it was made.

They were initially sold as a space heating "stove" with an integral fan; I recommend NOT using them like this at all. I recommend using them as an add-on furnace. The way they were manufactured allows for effortless conversion to forced air furnace: remove vent on top (slides off), attach hot air plenum. Remove fan on back (four screws, two wires) and cover opening w/ sheet metal. Install direct-drive squirrel-cage fan from craigslist etc. (usually less than $50 in good working cond.) on the left side of unit about 8" up from bottom (cut hole in sheet metal size of fan outlet). Make cold air return plenum around fan and screw to side of unit. attach wires from fan control and you now have an inexpensive, excellent, stoker furnace that burns inexpensive bituminous coal. Tend once/per day.
How well do they work with anthracite?

dj

 
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Post by Berlin » Mon. Dec. 16, 2013 8:27 pm

dlj wrote:
Berlin wrote: A combustioneer is an underfeed stoker furnace designed for burning bituminous coal. It has a hopper that holds well over 150lbs of coal and self-contained auger etc. The combustioneer 77b is fairly common as it was manufactured in large numbers by Will-burt mfg. for decades. They stopped production sometime in the late 80's if I recall correctly. 77b combustioneers are almost identical over the years. They extremely heavy well-built units; other than replacement of transmission seals and a re-wiring when I first purchased it, mine remains working w/ out replacing of any other parts since 1972 when it was made.

They were initially sold as a space heating "stove" with an integral fan; I recommend NOT using them like this at all. I recommend using them as an add-on furnace. The way they were manufactured allows for effortless conversion to forced air furnace: remove vent on top (slides off), attach hot air plenum. Remove fan on back (four screws, two wires) and cover opening w/ sheet metal. Install direct-drive squirrel-cage fan from craigslist etc. (usually less than $50 in good working cond.) on the left side of unit about 8" up from bottom (cut hole in sheet metal size of fan outlet). Make cold air return plenum around fan and screw to side of unit. attach wires from fan control and you now have an inexpensive, excellent, stoker furnace that burns inexpensive bituminous coal. Tend once/per day.
How well do they work with anthracite?

dj
They work ok, but not as well as an anthracite specific appliance - They are a clinkering type stoker, so, the clinker has to be pulled from the ash on the hearth into the little ashpan in the stove once/day or every other day in mild weather; an anthracite appliance can go much longer in mild weather because of it's (usually) large ash pan. Anthracite will produce more ash as well; one of the nice things is that it melts ash from bituminous coal (usually less ash than anthracite by a few %) into a small compact chunk of iron/glassy rock, anthracite's higher fusion temp will produce more loose, volumnous ash and prevent as good a clinker from forming for easy removal. I've burned about 2-1/2 tons of coal so far this season and have just filled one 33 gallon trash bin to the top with clinker as of yesterday; now that bin is heavy, but the volume is not bad for the amount of coal burned.

They work w/ wood pellets too, but, there's no reason to burn anthracite or pellets in this furnace, it burns bituminous coal well and for far less cost than anthracite or pellets.

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