OK guys, think quick...

[i_got_ideas]

It's now 8:45 on the 18th....I need input tonight...

Occasionally we have a "goof-off" day at the shop. They're fun. Tommorrow we are going to be doing some hard core inventing. I am to design it and together we'll all build it.

I have a design but am seeking other's input.

Ok, the product is for a Corn burning stove, like a wood stove. During the burn procees small ash is carried throught the exhaust and it creates quiet a mess. The product is to remove the ash by filteration or otherwise. It should be able to go no less than 1 week between cleanings. Here are some things to consider...

The flue pipe is 3" pelletvent
The exhaust temp is 120 degrees
The canister that catches the ash must be inside, so it must be sealed tight.
The canister could bemade out of plastic but all we have is metal for now.
It is power vented so it can vent horizontally like a 90+% furnace.

Give it some thought. I have a good design but 26,000+ minds think better than mine alone.

[chucko615]

1; How far is it going to vent?
2; What are the spec's for the power venter?

[Guy]

Monster HVAC Garage?

[i_got_ideas]

Originally posted by Guy
Monster HVAC Garage?


Yep :D

My favorite is the furnace that is in my house. A gas/electric hybrid. Stage one gas 90%'er, stage 2 is an 8kw resistance heater. It was done as an experiment since when I remodeled the entire house the furnace was then undersized and I found my house was getting cold. Like I said it was an experiment but it works so good I have no intentions of changing it. The strip heater is powered by the same breaker as my condensing unit since they can't run at the same time. There is also a safety relay in line so the strip heater can't come on until the gas valve closes, hence if the fan fails, nothing comes on. It looks great too, like a factory did it. Around here we get a dewpoint of 70 when it's 70 outside so the air doesn't run but it's humid. I hate being humid so I have thought about using a dehumidistat and building a custom control to turn the a/c and the heat strip at the same time to just dehumidify. Ofcourse I'd have to put the strip on another breaker and no, it wouldn't be efficient but it would do the job and maintain a drier indoor climate. I suppose I could just spend big bucks for the Aprilaire dehumidifier but what fun would that be :D .

[i_got_ideas]

Originally posted by chucko615
1; How far is it going to vent?
2; What are the spec's for the power venter?


Vent runs about 7 feet with one 90 elbow....so 17 feet.

The power vent is no different than an induced draft blower on a 90% furnace.

[mayguy]

"using a dehumidistat and building a custom control to turn the a/c and the heat strip at the same time to just dehumidify"

I done that a few times for office space in old malls where the A/C was way over sized, and humidity was important for some office machine.. Had good luck w/ that.

[Green Mountain]

Get an ice machine pump and create a water curtain in a chamber that the flue gases have to pass throught. Clean out the sump once a week. Then on your next project you can invent the "Drain-o-matic."

[i_got_ideas]

Thought about that too benny....

Our goof off day is turning out to be a work our a$$es off day. I am sitting here eating lunch and dreading going back. I and another guy have to go to a lady's house. Her sewer backed up and she has raw sewage a foot deep in her basement. We're suppose to go take a peek at the furnace for the insurance company :eek: , the furnace is 3 months old.
There's been several other calls too including a gas leak, etc.

So, we may get some inventing done today but it won't be done by far.

[Edmund Forsthe]

got any of those thing you wear when you go fly fishing? at least keep the **** off your shoes.

[Shophound]

Why can't the crap be sucked out of the basement before you guys have to go check the furnace? Gas leak? Shut it off at the meter, suck out the sewage, sanitize the place with bleach, THEN call in the HVAC guy to check the furnace. Seems like the insurance co. would want the crap out of there first thing to minimize any further damage. :confused:

[i_got_ideas]

Thank god, all the poopoo was gone and the lady had exagerated when she said a foot deep. The furnace is up on a 4" high platform and the poo was only like 3 7/8" deep :D . Oh but it stunk though.

Ended up it was the cities fault. They are doing some storm sewer work there and they had accidentally hooked the storm drain to the sanitary sewer and we got 1.55" of rain in 45 minutes last night :eek: . The city was there fixing it while we were too so we had to give them some crap (pun intended) for it.


The gas leak was a leaking gasket on a gas valve on a Coleman mobile home unit, no biggy. It only leaks when the furnace is firing and the lady said she's smelled it for a few days....so that tells ya how cold it is here :rolleyes:


As far as our inventing, didn't even get started on it. Had a couple calls for estimates to do. One a furnace retrofit and the other an HRV install with a UV light with oxy.

[Edited by i_got_ideas on 08-19-2004 at 07:26 PM]