power venter

Curtis H.

I am considering using a sidewall vent system in my house so I can use my chimney for a wood furnace. I was looking at using a Tjerlund side shot. I have been talking to a few people and have got mixed reviews about power venters. Complaints include, noise, break downs, get dirty then break down, expensive parts.....however this looks like my only option outside of building a new chimney or spending a ton of money on a combonation furnace neither of wich I really want to do. Anyone have any experience,comments,compaints ect.. with power venters???? Thanks

Steve_35

If you're going to use a power vent

Tjernlund is the way to go, IMO. You don't mention what fuel you have. IF it's oil you'll want to use an SS1 or SS2. They each have their pluses and minuses.

The SS2 is easier to install, but the end of the pressure tube has a tendency to plug.

The SS1 has a tendency for the blower wheel to go out of balance. There doesn't seem to be any pattern to it either. We've got clients whose wheel went out of balance a couple of times in 5 years requiring that the wheel be replaced. I've had an SS1 in my home for almost 15 years and have never had that issue.

All in all, I'd probably go with the SS2.

Leo_9

Use a pellet stove

Power venters work if maintained. They do wear out, complaints are they are loud and the exhaust bothers people. If the power vent is oil and you use it for hot water it runs year round. Get a pellett stove, side wall vented and only runs in the cold season. No chimney fires either.

Leo

Jim Patterson / Orchard Valley Heating and Cooling

run for your life

I don't even offer this option to clients with oil. I have bunch of "soot smile" photos I share that show the results of power venting on the outside of your home. Even the balance flu type boilers ( a band-aid to correct the lack of a chimney) are poor options. I have had clients remove the venters and install all fuel chimneys after a few years as they grew weary of the issues and smells

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kpc_9

ditto....

pay now or pay later....chimneys rule.

Curtis H.

power venter

Thanks for the advice, it would be venting a oil furnace, however the furnace is only used for heting in the winter. Also I want to put a wood add-on furnace next to the oil furnace. Chances are that the oil furnace would only run for an hour during the night when the wood fire went out if it ran at all so its not like the power venter would be runnning around the clock. Does this change anything....thanks

Jack

If you choose to

use a power venter I would recommend that you use the SS2 from Tjernlund. Just because you think you will use this infrequently is no reason to "short" design or system components. At some point you may choose to sell the house and it will operate better, more economically and require less maintanence if done properly at the start. One of the biggest problems with PV's is that they are frequently starved for combustion air, which leads to sooting. You could very well find the same situation with your wood burner.

Steve_35

I agree with this.

In most ways the SS2 is a better unit than the SS1.

You made the statement "One of the biggest problems with PV's is that they are frequently starved for combustion air". While I agree with this too, I would expand it to include almost ALL fossil fuel fired appliances.

This is one of the most common problems we find with any installation. You could almost make the argument that at least with a PV folks know they have a problem. With a chimney the soot is out of sight, out of mind.