Riteway 37 and the Rite Heat Regulator
Posted: Tue. Jul. 05, 2011 4:11 pm
Well after 20 years, I'm going to get brave (thanks to the high cost of oil and impossibility of being retired) and try the Riteway 37 wood burning furnace that came with the house I bought in 1990. It was installed to utilize the hot air system of my oil furnace. A sheet metal casing was built around the wood furnace which houses a blower; the blower sucks in the old air from the RETURNS in the house and then it passes back out through the vent pipe in the roof of the sheet metal encasing to the ductwork of the house.
I'm not sure if I will be using both blowers; that is, the much smaller blower in the wood furnace and the blower in the oil-fired unit. Note that the wood furnace has it's two ducts coming from and going to the encasement of the oil-fired furnace.
Attached to the side of the Riteway 37 is a RITE HEAT REGULATOR. Its purpose is to open and close a little trap door which leads to the ashpit of the furnace. I can reach in there with my hand and lift and lower a chain that opens and closes the trap door. There is a knob on the outside of this REGULATOR where you can set this dial to a warmer or cooler number. The knob does nothing when I turn it; it just goes around in a complete circle. I see two screws in the area of this knob and I'm thinking that those screews provided some form of power. Before I try this furnace out and smoke out my family, I'd like to get this part of the furnace figured out. If I can't get the knob to control the door, I can probably rig it so I can adjust it manually, eh? Would closed be cool and open be hot?
One other question. The damper on the side of the fire pit leading to the flu pipe and chimney, I would think open it to start the fire, but how else should I use it?
Any help would be greatfully appreciated.
Thanks,
Ron
I'm not sure if I will be using both blowers; that is, the much smaller blower in the wood furnace and the blower in the oil-fired unit. Note that the wood furnace has it's two ducts coming from and going to the encasement of the oil-fired furnace.
Attached to the side of the Riteway 37 is a RITE HEAT REGULATOR. Its purpose is to open and close a little trap door which leads to the ashpit of the furnace. I can reach in there with my hand and lift and lower a chain that opens and closes the trap door. There is a knob on the outside of this REGULATOR where you can set this dial to a warmer or cooler number. The knob does nothing when I turn it; it just goes around in a complete circle. I see two screws in the area of this knob and I'm thinking that those screews provided some form of power. Before I try this furnace out and smoke out my family, I'd like to get this part of the furnace figured out. If I can't get the knob to control the door, I can probably rig it so I can adjust it manually, eh? Would closed be cool and open be hot?
One other question. The damper on the side of the fire pit leading to the flu pipe and chimney, I would think open it to start the fire, but how else should I use it?
Any help would be greatfully appreciated.
Thanks,
Ron