Blower - AUF for barrel stove

[DJ Lasell]

Last year I made the step from stock pots to a double barrel stove with a 18x33 (old warming pan) and roasting pans.
I was able to build a nice fire (beech and ash limb-wood) but it would generate a 10 inch deep bed of coals and not allow more wood to be fed into the fire. eventually blocking off draft inlets.
I believe I need to add a blower?
I have access to 3 different types of "free" blowers
Will any of these be worth the time to try?
1. Hair dryer (with burnt out element)?
2. Small shop vac exhaust port (canister is broken)?
3. 3" diameter squirrel cage type blower - 33cfm (electric equip cooling fan)?

Also - I have read that bigger systems have airtight door(s) and gasket between the pan and arch?
I have been leaving the door open a crack in an attempt to get more draft.
Will I be getting sparks and smoke out around the door and other cracks once I add a blower?
DJ

[TerryEspo]

A pic of inside your firebox would help out with all answers but I will try to answer some.

Adding any blower will allow smoke and fire to come out of all cracks, door included. Adding a blower will also get rid of your coals much faster. I love having a blower and is worth any effort to hook one onto your arch.

Can you install the blower under your fire? Hopefully you have a grate and air space below the grate to place the blower.

You mentioned a 3" squirrel cage blower, I like that one.

Good luck and post pics if possible,

Terry

[lpakiz]

A real good blower can be found on direct-vent water heaters or furnaces. The kind with PVC for exhaust pipe.

[MunsterMapler]

I bought a Dayton squirrel cage blower from amazon, I think it blows about 270cfm. Seemed to work pretty well when I test boiled. An inducer blower from a furnace would work well too

[maplestudent]

I have a barrel stove setup, using 1 barrel with an extension off the upper back end that holds 4 full size steam table pans. I have been having the same coal-buildup problem as you did. Last year at the last minute I added AUF using a repurposed ceiling fan with output of 50 CFM. I ran a basic 4" dia. vent pipe under my grate (it was sort of squished into an oval shape) and out the back, where I connected the fan (which was about 2 ft outside the barrel). The 4" round adapter on the fan box is plastic....which worked okay until the time I wanted to knock down the fire a little bit and turned the fan off....some of it started melting. I replaced it with aluminum tape.

Before using the fan I also needed to leave my door open a bit, but not with the fan. I used stainless steel bolts through the door to hang insulation on the inside of the door to protect it from the heat (otherwise it will glow). Did not use a gasket, but did get a little smoke/heat seepage. Also if you didn't insulate the barrel (on the inside), you probably will need to. The heat can be incredible with a blower.

I went most of the season with no coals to speak of, except for when I ran out of dry wood and had to use wood that wasn't completely dry.

[wobbletop]

Last year was the first for using AUF. I have a barrel setup and just used a hairdryer feeding a rolled up aluminum tube passed through a hole under the front door and directed under the grate holding the wood fire. Wouldn't get much of a boil without the hairdryer going. Made it easy to reduce the boil when I wanted.

Downside is that the hairdryer is loud (high pitched and annoying). You need to keep the door closed otherwise the smoke will come out the door instead of the stack. I used aluminum foil around the edges of my steam pans to keep the heat/smoke inside the barrel.

Looking for a better/quieter solution this year but am usually scrambling to get something together.

You can barely see it at the bottom of this video... but you can hear it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo1DPamHQ68

[wbreitbarth]

If the squirrel cage does not work for you. You could use a leaf blower or a shop vac! It also doubles as a forge in the off season :lol:

[DJ Lasell]

I went most of the season with no coals to speak of, except for when I ran out of dry wood and had to use wood that wasn't completely dry.

I have insulated and bricked the firebox sides - still need to do the door and back -
I found what appears to be a good blower???? old Kenmore vacuum cleaner exhaust port.
It has a powerful flow that can be felt 10 feet away.
I still need to mount and install a manifold - Pipe with several holes drilled.
You mentioned "No Coals to speak of"
1. Does this eliminate the need for an ash door?
2. If there are almost no ashes left in the bottom, does this mean there will be lots of ashes out the stack to land on the ground nearby (or car, deck, ect)?

[maplestudent]

first....when I said I repurposed a ceiling fan, I meant a ceiling vent fan.

as for "no ash buildup to speak of"....I'd let the blower run until there was nothing left to burn....all I would have is a dusting of ashes. When I was using good dry wood, the result was it took less wood to get a good flame and I believe the wood burned very efficiently. I'd stoke it so there was a row of wood pieces going straight in, then the next row I'd put in on an angle, and kept alternating, with spaces between the pieces. but I also had to stoke it more often. by the way, my boils would usually go for 10 or 12 hours straight.

When I started getting into the wood that wasn't completely dry, it did not burn as good and I would get coal buildup after a few hours.....really affected my boil rate. It was kind of agonizing after the success I had had on previous boils.

the 4" diameter vent pipe I ran under the grate, I drilled a series of 3/8" diameter (I think) holes at 10, 12, and 2 o'clock between every cross member of the grate. I've been thinking about either adding more holes (maybe a pair at each set) or making them larger.

I don't know if there is any kind of formula or target ratio for outlet holes versus pipe capacity and/or CFM output of the blower. But i'd sure like to be educated on it if anyone does know of one.