Thermostatically Controlled Actuator for Combustion Air

So I finally got around to installing the combustion air actuator. It's a Johnson Controls that I found on Ebay for about $50.
I ran some nylon rope thru an eye bolt on the floor joist so it could make the turn towards the ash door.
Here is a shot of the whole line.
Here's a couple pics of the auxiliary combustion air that is controlled by the actuator. Its mounted where the spinner used to be. I mounted it to a floor flange and bolted it to the ash door. Some parts I bought from another member here.
Along with the primary open (measured 10 inches from the floor see pic) the stove plateaued in the upper 400's over the load door. No problems over firing so far lol.

I've been using the actuator for a few days now. It's having very good results. I can set the furnace in "cruise" mode and the thermostat will kick open the combustion air if the living room cools down, then close it once thermostat is happy..

Oh how we like to play............

oliver power wrote:Oh how we like to play............

Hey, it's getting there lol
Next up is the electric grate shaker..

I bet you always won that game "Mousetrap" when you were a kid!

Looks good bro...if I may suggest a steel wire instead of the nylon rope as the nylon may stretch... and is there a way for the rope' angle coming down from the ceiling parallel or slightly acute to allow for more movement. I'm thinking of getting a bi-metal one for my box stove
I love the exhaust pipe flapper Hot Blast turned us on to

Nice! love the ingenuity we all have! Reminds me of some of the old thermostatic spring controlled dampers on the old furnaces. or the old pulley and chains

I picked up a couple digital Temp. controllers (10amp relay) off Ebay. I have one in my neighbors house to monitor low temperature (50 deg) and turn on a Light (he goes to FL for the winter) . So I know if the boiler is not functioning properly. I have a couple more I might use for the blower on the heat jacket control. the snap switch sometimes doesn't always turn on or off at times.

Another view.

titleist1 wrote:I bet you always won that game "Mousetrap" when you were a kid!

So you think ol Rube would be proud?

michaelanthony wrote:Looks good bro...if I may suggest a steel wire instead of the nylon rope as the nylon may stretch... and is there a way for the rope' angle coming down from the ceiling parallel or slightly acute to allow for more movement. I'm thinking of getting a bi-metal one for my box stove
I love the exhaust pipe flapper Hot Blast turned us on to

I considered steel line also, I'm not sure how it would fare making the bend at the eye hook. Thought maybe it would get weak and break. You know how metal behaves when its bent time and time again. I posted a better view above, I tried to keep the line away from the stove. I can take up slack in the line in small increments with knots.

WNY wrote:Nice! love the ingenuity we all have! Reminds me of some of the old thermostatic spring controlled dampers on the old furnaces. or the old pulley and chains

I picked up a couple digital Temp. controllers (10amp relay) off Ebay. I have one in my neighbors house to monitor low temperature (50 deg) and turn on a Light (he goes to FL for the winter) . So I know if the boiler is not functioning properly. I have a couple more I might use for the blower on the heat jacket control. the snap switch sometimes doesn't always turn on or off at times.

Sounds like you have some creative ingenuity of your own WNY!

Thank you for the comments and suggestions!

Next I want to put a LED in my monitoring station so I know when the thermostat is calling for heat while I'm not home.

Lightning wrote:

oliver power wrote:Oh how we like to play............

Hey, it's getting there lol
Next up is the electric grate shaker..

Now that I'ld like to see. Excellent job Lee. Hey, how about some small pulleys rather than eye bolts? I've seem some reasonable ones at the hardware stores.

Thanks Joe, a pulley is an excellent idea.

For the electric grate shaker I need a piston drive shaft that goes to a small two cylinder engine. By small I mean an engine that would be used for a model airplane or small twin chain saw engine if there is such a thing.

EFM

Wait....forced hot air?

Keystoker

I like to tinker also.

A Stepper motor maybe with a gear reduction for torque with eccentric wheel hooked to the shaker handle.

Lightning wrote:For the electric grate shaker I need a piston drive shaft that goes to a small two cylinder engine. By small I mean an engine that would be used for a model airplane or small twin chain saw engine if there is such a thing.

Air power, no fumes indoors, no fuel....a small pancake compressor will do it....I suggest a two way air cylinder and a 5 position solenoid. you need something to activate the solenoid like a windshield wiper motor. Air cylinder on eBay is about $15, solenoid is about $15, wiper motor is about $30. You'd have to make the pivot frame for the air cylinder, something out of angle iron would be stout enough, it would need to be anchored somehow, maybe to the stove legs.....

A chainsaw crank with an electric motor on it would work fine for a shaker. Possibly even one from a car. You can even decide how long of a stroke you need and get the right sized one that way. Leave a piston rod on to hook up to your shaker. that might not be gadgetty enough though

Michael may have meant a steel cable and not steel wire to replace the rope. If you add pulleys you'll never wear out a strong cable, but may have it stretch just a little at first.

Wouldnt it be easier to hook a thermostat onto a window to have the window open when it gets too hot?

Whatever type of automation you do Lee, make sure there is some type of fail-safe to close that valve to prevent a runaway in the event of a failure