Alaska Channing III Direct Vent Should I Buy or Pass?
I am looking to buy a Direct vent coal stoker for the basement of my ranch home, since the direct vent has a smaller pipe I thought it would be easier to install. But after reading about people having hopper fires with them I was wondering if I should reconsider, I found a used one for $1000, but now I'm not sure.
-
- Member
- Posts: 136
- Joined: Thu. Jan. 13, 2011 3:00 pm
Worth every penny ! it's a great Stove.
Properly maintained it's as a good stove as any other stove if not better.
Air leak can cause any stove to have a hopper fire, the new Channing grate is designed to prevent such a fire from starting, by having a better seal between the grate area and the coal feed area.
Whether a stove has a top vent or a bottom one, it does not affect its functionality, having a bottom vent is easier to adapt a stove to an existing fire place.
Properly maintained it's as a good stove as any other stove if not better.
Air leak can cause any stove to have a hopper fire, the new Channing grate is designed to prevent such a fire from starting, by having a better seal between the grate area and the coal feed area.
Whether a stove has a top vent or a bottom one, it does not affect its functionality, having a bottom vent is easier to adapt a stove to an existing fire place.
I guess then my only other question would be can it be put in the basement? it has the direct vent on it but in the manual (got it online) it says to go straight out through the wall, I would need a 90 degree elbow at the back and then a 90 degree elbow higher up the wall where it could go through, would that work?
- k9 Bara
- Member
- Posts: 499
- Joined: Mon. Mar. 31, 2008 11:27 am
- Location: Red Creek, Fair Haven area NY
- Stoker Coal Boiler: 1996 EFM 520 DF
- Coal Size/Type: Buck / Reading
To put a 90* in is no problem. Power Vents can have longer runs that direct vents if I remember correctly. Do not hesitate to purchase a used stove, especially an Alaska Stove. I have refurbed many of the in the past year. Just be sure to clean it and replace all gaskets. The "strong back" gasket at the rear of the grate is a must. This is the main problem with hopper fires that I have seen. I did see one hopper fire from running a power vent to high, without a draft gauge or rheostat. But that was fixed quickly. Alaska's are great stoves and you can call them directly for parts / gaskets without issue and very helpful. Good luck.
Alaska Stove Company 570 387 0260
Alaska Stove Company 570 387 0260
- freetown fred
- Member
- Posts: 30293
- Joined: Thu. Dec. 31, 2009 12:33 pm
- Location: Freetown,NY 13803
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: HITZER 50-93
- Coal Size/Type: BLASCHAK Nut
My buddy has one up the road & has 2 90's in it. He's been burning fine for 3 seasons. Nary a problem. He just does prescribed maintenance every year at the end of the season.
-
- Member
- Posts: 137
- Joined: Sun. Jul. 06, 2008 11:03 am
- Location: Greenwich NY
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Alaska Channing 3
hello, I have a Alska 3 channing in my basement. Bought it used with a direct vent. Had an installer come in and we had to buy a power vent as he was afraid the direct vent would not have enough power to properly vent the stove. I am glad we did that, I have a variable speed on my power venter (along with a manometer) and a baro damper and can control my draft (vacumm) to optimize my stove. Also there is no positive pressure as a direct vent system would have, theres a vacumm (or draft being pulled) which there is no worry of exhaust (carbon monoxide) being released in the basement with the power venter. You need to do yearly maintenance with the power venter as needed as they are expensive (stainless steel recomended).
I'm currently using a Englander 25 pdvc, the manual list 3 different stoves but this one has two augers, first for me. My first pellet stove was a king stove and was great but now I'm looking at a Channing 3 coal burner used but looks great. The Harding I got for 200.00 and it's in fair condition, works great, sometimes uses a full bag in 12-14 hrs sometimes half a bag. Hope the coal stoves does better, time will tell, and the difference in fuel cost to operate.
Last edited by k4who on Mon. Jan. 05, 2015 8:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Of course the manufacturer is going to say exactly what they have in their manual. If it wouldn't work as a direct vent then why do they sell them that way? I knew a guy who had a direct vent stoker. It had a rear bottom vent, to a 90, 6 feet up the wall to a 90 then through the wall. It kept his whole house heated. I cleaned it for him twice a season or more if he burned a lot. We cleaned it once at Thanksgiving holiday to make sure everything was good and then again at the first warm up spell after New Years. Never a problem except he developed this habit of throwing cigarette butts into the hopper. It clogged the feed chute. Scooped out the coal took out the cigarette butts and told him to use and ash tray and to stop using the hopper as his ash tray.
copied from earlier post in this thread......
Lee1 On: Fri Oct 28, 2011 11:14 am
hello, I have a Alska 3 channing in my basement. Bought it used with a direct vent. Had an installer come in and we had to buy a power vent as he was afraid the direct vent would not have enough power to properly vent the stove. .
Hmmm just a guess but I bet he just happened to have one to sell correct?
Advise to those who see this OLD thread, Put it in and run it. Install some CO detectors and burn the coal.
copied from earlier post in this thread......
Lee1 On: Fri Oct 28, 2011 11:14 am
hello, I have a Alska 3 channing in my basement. Bought it used with a direct vent. Had an installer come in and we had to buy a power vent as he was afraid the direct vent would not have enough power to properly vent the stove. .
Hmmm just a guess but I bet he just happened to have one to sell correct?
Advise to those who see this OLD thread, Put it in and run it. Install some CO detectors and burn the coal.
- ddersch4
- Member
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Tue. Mar. 01, 2011 10:09 am
- Location: Lehigh Tsp., Pa
- Coal Size/Type: Rice
- Other Heating: Heat Pumps
$1000 for an Alaska is a good price. It will only cost you $30-$40 to replace all the gaskets, which I assume you would do anyway. I have a power vented Leisure Line and prefer this method over direct vent. For me like many others a power vent and direct vent is just a stepping stone until you upgrade to a Chimney.
- dutch
- Member
- Posts: 205
- Joined: Mon. Dec. 11, 2006 4:38 pm
- Location: UPstate NY
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: Alaska Channing III
Here is my thread on installing a used Channing III that I bought,
installed in the basement, direct vent, up and outside above grade outside.
Has worked flawlessly now in it's 2nd year, added Coal Trol this year
and it is amazing at how well that works!
Back in Black
installed in the basement, direct vent, up and outside above grade outside.
Has worked flawlessly now in it's 2nd year, added Coal Trol this year
and it is amazing at how well that works!
Back in Black
-
- New Member
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Sat. Jan. 10, 2015 6:43 pm
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Wonderluxe
I'm working on buying my first stoked, received a good price from dealer on a channing 3 with direct vent piping included for $2500. It is on layaway until tax return !!
I am most likely going to purchase a used Channing III direct vent. I have not yet seen the stove but want/need to service it and get it going as soon after purchase as possible. I have a question in regards to the gaskets that will need to be replaced. Are these some specialty gaskets or simply rope gaskets I can pick up locally? Does anyone know the size of the gaskets and how many feet I would need?k9 Bara wrote:To put a 90* in is no problem. Power Vents can have longer runs that direct vents if I remember correctly. Do not hesitate to purchase a used stove, especially an Alaska Stove. I have refurbed many of the in the past year. Just be sure to clean it and replace all gaskets. The "strong back" gasket at the rear of the grate is a must. This is the main problem with hopper fires that I have seen. I did see one hopper fire from running a power vent to high, without a draft gauge or rheostat. But that was fixed quickly. Alaska's are great stoves and you can call them directly for parts / gaskets without issue and very helpful. Good luck.
Alaska Stove Company 570 387 0260
What kind of stove pipe do you use? Where do you get the 90's and the pipe?freetown fred wrote:My buddy has one up the road & has 2 90's in it. He's been burning fine for 3 seasons. Nary a problem. He just does prescribed maintenance every year at the end of the season.