Hot Air

Considering a Hyfire instead of the Pioneer,due to limited space in my partial dirt floor basement and 16 inch fieldstone foundation walls installing next to the oil burner and tying into the existing cold-air return as recommended on LL website is near impossible/much more expensive than other alternatives.Why can the hotair sleeve/supply from the Hyfire not go directly to the hot air supply in the living room(where the hyfire would be)using the 14 inch fan that comes as an option?Seems like it would move enough heat thru the ducts to keep the house warm. The oil burner thermostat would be on 50 so it would only run if the coal fire went out. Rich

Hey Rich:

I installed my Keystoker Koker with the configuration you are talking about. I divided the Koker's output to equally feed my two zones (upstairs and downstairs); and, tapped into the cold air return to feed the Koker's convection fan input. This configuration worked OK; but, the Koker's 1530 CFM fan just didn't provide enough flow. The Koker had plenty of BTUs available, I just wasn't moving heat around the house as well as I wanted. We didn't have many sub-zero days last winter; but, when it was sub-zero, I couldn't get my upstairs above 68*. During most "normal" winter weather, the heat distribution throughout my house was outstanding---the whole house (2 story 4000 sq ft colonial) was +/- 1 to 2 degrees.

I'm going to convert my system to the LL suggested configuration during the off season: my Koker's output will feed my existing FHA furnace cold air return input. I've already completed the wiring. The FHA furnace convection fan (~3000 CFM) wlll be enabled by the Koker's convection fan thermostat.

If you only have one zone; and, you're confident the Hyfire II's optional convection fan (?? CFM) will move enough air for your application, piping the furnace output directly to your supply duct work is a viable solution.

I actually just cut a hole (8") in the top of the hyfire cover and ducted it into my existing furnance and blocked off the front vents. I used the built in blowers and it worked okay, but I know I can get more heat from it, i could only do about 66-68 on the first floor of the house and about 5 degrees cooler on the second floor. My furnance is only convection, no blowers, so I had to hook it up as shown. the hot air exits right into the living room.

I believe the built in blowers are 365 CFM each, so that's 730CFM for both.

I WIll be adding the heat jacket for this winter to gain more radiant heat from the sides.

I have my thermostat on the furnance set at 60. It never came on even on the coldest days. I added the CoalTrol and it maintains the temps really well and varies the blowers accordingly. Most of the time you don't even know they are on, I think around 20-30% and it moves just enough warm air to keep the temps very constant. When's its really cold, they kick up to 75-100% and you can really feel the air moving.

Hello Bustedwing, your suggested ducting will work, but you need to have the supply air to the circulating fan to be return air from the heated part of the house,, not the cold air from the basement.. You want to try to duct the Hyfire just like a furnace. Furnaces always reheat returned air which is returned to the furnace through the cold-air return ducts..

So if you duct return air from upstairs to the hyfire you will get much hotter air from the supply duct and much better circulation of heat through your house.
Otherwise you are heating the coldest air in the house,, the cold air from the basement floor.

Greg L

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Also by pulling the cold air out of the room, it allows the warm air in. Otherwise you are pressurizing a room, and at the same time creating a vaccuum in your heating room. If you get the full circle you'll be very efficient.