The explosion furnace

[Blue85]

I haven't ruled a pump out, but I'm afraid of freezing one. My only other provisions for freezing are a rubber cap at the bottom of the drain tee - just hoping that would pop off in a freeze and prevent cracking. Obviously the worst thing to crack would be the condensers, but the Install manual only addresses the drain.

 

[campfire]

I haven't ruled a pump out, but I'm afraid of freezing one. My only other provisions for freezing are a rubber cap at the bottom of the drain tee - just hoping that would pop off in a freeze and prevent cracking. Obviously the worst thing to crack would be the condensers, but the Install manual only addresses the drain.

How is freezing a pump worse than freezing any other type of drain? If the line leaving the furnace freezes, that's going to be an issue regardless of whether it dumps into a pump or onto the floor. If the pump fails, the condensate will overflow and it will still wind up going through that floor drain. But the other 99% of the time you won't need to worry about damaging the concrete. Seems like a win-win solution, to me. Eh?

 

[Blue85]

Well, if running across the concrete is out, then there has to be a tube on the floor, since the drain is in the center and a pump doesn't fix that. Since the furnace is in the corner, the condensate can go down the side wall and pass under a car (drive-over tube), or go along the back wall, then be underfoot by the workbenches on the way down between the two cars. A pump just allows part of that second option to be overhead. It seems like a vertical tube coming down from the ceiling would in the way a lot (plus the ceiling fan is up there).

Or I could have something come apart or roll up when not in use - as an alternative to emptying a bucket.

 

[Blue85]

Is it bad to use a vent option like this?

The manual only talks about the distances and lengths of pipes.

 

[Lolz_cats]

Cut a small trench drain in the concrete. There are grates available in many sizes to give it a nice finished look.

 

[Blue85]

I like this idea, but can't find anything smaller than 4". What if I just put a masonry blade in the Skilsaw, open up the seam a little and coat the interior with epoxy? Setting a length of 1/4-3/8 PEX seems feasible, but would almost surely freeze, especially when chunks of snow from the car are laying on it.

 

[Blue85]

I've been running this furnace off a barbeque tank, as Ferrelgas has been giving me the runaround on a tank for 3 months. Yesterday I contacted them again and they said the tank would be set tomorrow (today). I said "That's good. Was anybody going to contact me?" I never did get a call or email. But yesterday working on my broken snowblowers, the furnace quit! I cleaned the spark plug, checked both flappers, fixed a leak and took off the exhaust to be sure there was no restriction. Gas was flowing, spark verified, but wouldn't light. Wouldn't light again this morning, so I gave up and reconnected to the outside line, planning to just say "Oh, I guess I'll have to get it serviced." They have to check flow and for leaks, so I didn't know what would happen.

But on the new tank, it lit right up! He had me start and stop it a few times and it lit on the first try each time. I had verified the manifold pressure at 9" w.c., so I'm confused what the difference is. Can you get bad propane - like too wet? Could a red heater regulator have too much pressure that messes up the furnace gas valve? There are a few safety things in there - not just an on/off gas valve.

Anyway, I now have real heat in time for winter. I never solved the drain line issue - I just empty the bucket every so often.

 

[Blue85]

I did put that vent shown above on the side of the house. It's quite unobtrusive, but I'm disappointed with how much condensate is dripping on the side of the house. The pipes sticking out wouldn't have that issue.

 

[HankScorpio]

I've been running this furnace off a barbeque tank, as Ferrelgas has been giving me the runaround on a tank for 3 months. Yesterday I contacted them again and they said the tank would be set tomorrow (today). I said "That's good. Was anybody going to contact me?" I never did get a call or email. But yesterday working on my broken snowblowers, the furnace quit! I cleaned the spark plug, checked both flappers, fixed a leak and took off the exhaust to be sure there was no restriction. Gas was flowing, spark verified, but wouldn't light. Wouldn't light again this morning, so I gave up and reconnected to the outside line, planning to just say "Oh, I guess I'll have to get it serviced." They have to check flow and for leaks, so I didn't know what would happen.

But on the new tank, it lit right up! He had me start and stop it a few times and it lit on the first try each time. I had verified the manifold pressure at 9" w.c., so I'm confused what the difference is. Can you get bad propane - like too wet? Could a red heater regulator have too much pressure that messes up the furnace gas valve? There are a few safety things in there - not just an on/off gas valve.

Anyway, I now have real heat in time for winter. I never solved the drain line issue - I just empty the bucket every so often.

Vapor pressure is your problem. The tank pressure doesn't stay consistent with the small bottles. Sounds like you have it solved now but you would want a 100lb bottle or better for good results on a furnace.

 

[Blue85]

Vapor pressure is your problem. The tank pressure doesn't stay consistent with the small bottles. Sounds like you have it solved now but you would want a 100lb bottle or better for good results on a furnace.

Could be, but I never had problems before when the tank hadn't been run in a while. Yes, with a low tank, it would freeze, but I was able to get them all the way empty. It's only 60k BTU input. This is a 100gal tank, so it shouldn't be a problem.

I was wondering if the cold combustion air could be a problem because this is the first time it has run with cold outside air.

Also wondered if the vent blower is too strong, not letting enough propane build up to get started, because my plumbing is unusually short. What goes against that theory is the fact I ran it a bit last winter with no combustion air plumbing.

Here's the louvers in cozy warmth mode.

 

[HankScorpio]

Cant say with a pulse for certain but I have seen weird, no light conditions on other furnaces that were plumbed to small bottles.

 

[Blue85]

Kind of a cheat with this "heat wave", but it's cycling on about once an hour. Now taking it from 40F to 60F does take 30 min or so, but 1st-world problems.

(Wood stove is in basement, with a bit of forced air between floors)