New to Coal and New DS Machine #4 Basement Stove

jpd989 · Post by **jpd989** » Thu. Oct. 21, 2010 2:06 pm

I have the #3 model and I am very happy with its performance. keeps my 1000sqft home very warm. I had a plenum made to go over the top of stove and duct it to floor registers.

CapeCoaler · Post by **CapeCoaler** » Thu. Oct. 21, 2010 2:42 pm

Baro damper is installed I assume...
Just a minor correction...
Your stove is not a Stoker but a Hand Fed stove...
You have the hopper, right...
$1100 is a good price who did you buy it from...
I have open joists above my Basement #4 not hot enough to worry about the sheetrock...
I run Pea Coal in the spring and fall to keep the stove temps down...

CapeCoaler · Post by **CapeCoaler** » Thu. Oct. 21, 2010 9:04 pm

Pea Coal in the hopper spring and fall...
Idles at 180* and get 3 day burns shaking every 24 hours...
I just removed the cold air returns duct work and let the air fall to the basement...
I have a large 24"x36" grill for hot air to rise up into the center of the house...
Works great no fans...
The NG furnace fan runs 10 min every hour to filter the air...

CapeCoaler · Post by **CapeCoaler** » Fri. Oct. 22, 2010 12:45 pm

Just disconnect the elbows at the floor return...
Or take a section out of the return trunk just before the furnace...
Either way you can put it back later...
You have to move a large volume of air for natural convection to work...
You just want to make it easy for the cold air to fall to the basement where the stove is...

CapeCoaler · Post by **CapeCoaler** » Fri. Oct. 22, 2010 2:40 pm

Yes the cold air will drop to the floor thru the open return and heat will rise thru your open stair door to the first floor...
Or you can run the fans with the system as it is now...
Or you can open the return trunk back at the ceiling...
Elbow it down and let the furnace fan suck the stove warmed air at the ceiling into the cold return for circulation to the house...

lobsterman · Post by **lobsterman** » Sat. Oct. 23, 2010 8:43 am

You will have at least two air paths to the basement, the staircase and the duct work and/or holes that you may cut. My suggestion is to fire up the stove and then look at the natural convection path in the house. I used strips of papers that flap with the air flow, other people use candles or incense. Convection is insanely complicated so you might be surprised at the result. The best scenario is that you are happy with no fan. If you do need a fan, use it to blow cold air to the stove along the natural convection path. BTW, very nice looking installation. Everybody that has a DS machine seems to love it.

PS if your house is very tight, it may actually help to crack a window open in a strategic location not near the stove to supply enough air to support the burn.

Coalfire · Post by **Coalfire** » Sat. Oct. 23, 2010 2:14 pm

I will second what lobsterman said, forget the fans and duct modification if you can. I heat a ranch 1500sqft first floor and 1300sgft basement, not problems and no ducts. I would wait and see how it works. I have a DS #4 circulator and so far love it. You will like yours too.
Have a great weekend, Eric

CapeCoaler · Post by **CapeCoaler** » Sat. Oct. 23, 2010 11:21 pm

Just remove the boot from a few return grills on the first floor...
No holes to patch...

CapeCoaler · Post by **CapeCoaler** » Sun. Oct. 24, 2010 9:18 am

At least you had ducts...
Just a floor furnace when we bought this place...
But it had died...
So we had to install new furnace and ducts to get a mortgage from the bank...
And a huge gas bill for heat...
No insulation in the outside walls...
But I kept the old floor furnace grate 24"x36"...
That is what gives the house the ability to circulate the heat from the basement...
The cold air drops from the cold air returns with the boots removed...
Nice even heat...
The furnace runs 10 minutes every hour just to filter the air...