Some pictures & comments...

September 2009

Just wanted to express my sincere appreciation for the great service that you all offer.  

I just installed the AD-1 in my stove pipe and it went just as Reiner said it would, very simple to install, I set it
at about 30 inches from the stove top and control housing remains cool enough to touch.

I have only had the chance to run it for a short time as it is still warm here, but it did a great job on a cold start up and with
my down draft conditions I get here in the southern Rocky's I can see that it is going to be a smoke free winter, so I am looking forward to a nice snug warm place to warm my aged bones.

Thank you Reiner, it is a real pleasure doing business with a company that delivers a product and serve they way yours does.

Jeff T
Bent NM

I recently purchased the A-1 from you. While I'm very happy with it's performance, you're advice on easily switching to a single wall pipe to install it was disappointing. I was unable to replace as it didnt fit and was also too close to the wall. I went ahead and installed it on my double wall pipe. I enclosed pictures as this may help someone else. It has performed well and doesn't seem to get hot at all.

**This is not a recommended installation.

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Reiner, 

In late December, I talked with you about a downdraft problem in my wood stove and you recommended the AD-1 draft-inducer.  This machine has worked beautifully on our woodstove.  The fire lights much more easily, and the smoke does not escape through the side vents as it previously did.  Also, the fire must burn more efficiently, because there is much less ash in the stove after a fire.  The stove installer told me how the stove was supposed to perform, and assured me that a draft-induction fan was not necessary, but the stove never did what he said it would until I installed the fan!

It has been a pleasure doing business with you.  Thanks for your advice and your service.

Marc S

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Hello,

     I just wanted to send you an e-mail regarding my recent purchase of one of your AD-1 Auto-Draft Inducer's for my wood burning stove at my second home in the Pocono Mountain region of Pennsylvania. My problem was smoke backing into the room from a "cold flue" start-up and the AD-1 fixed the problem immediately. After doing some research, I purchased the AD-1 from Volko Supply and dealt with Reiner Scherzinger. Mr. Scherzinger was very helpful in answering all my questions and offered several good suggestions to make installation easier.

     I do offer some suggestions you might want to incorporate into your directions....

1.) Mr. Scherzinger suggested removing the pipe to ease installation and installing the AD-1 on the "horizontal" section of the single wall pipe that is between the stove and wall. He was right on the money on both these suggestions, it makes a very "clean" installation.

2.) I first tried using a Bosch "Roto ZIP" cutting tool to cut out the rectangle using their metal cutting saber bit. The cutting wheel attachment with metal cutting wheel made a much cleaner, faster cut. I imagine a jigsaw with fine cut metal blade would do the same clean cut. I also tried tin snips but found they do not work well.

3.) Since you have to remove the unit for cleaning, you can not use any "permanent" gasket sealer to seal the unit to the pipe. The GE Red Silicone you recommend is good but shows red against the black pipe. I used "OATEY" Fire Retardant Plumber's Fabric (black in color), cutting it into strips for a cloth gasket and held it in place with black, hi-temperature fireplace silicone. The silicone is good to 500 degrees and the fabric is good to 2500 degrees. Both are available at any plumbing/building supply store.

     I found the motor runs hot. I do not know why as the unit is mounted 28 inches above the stove and the switch housing and fan blade housing are both "room temperature" while running. The wood stove is equipped with a rear mounted cage fan and air diverter that forces the stove's hot air across the stove back to front into the room, with little heat rising straight up. I can hold my hand on the motor while it is running but it is very hot.

Thanks,

Piero S from PA

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Reiner,

I appreciate all your help and pointing me to the AD-1 fan. It works perfectly. I had balanced this wood fired rocket heater (under construction in this photo) with 48 feet of 8 inch pipe running horizontal in the bench, and 12 more feet of black stove pipe going out to the chimney. My problem had been that the heater is so efficient at siphoning off heat into the bench for storage that by the time the gases exit the room there is barely 95 degree heat coming out of the pipe. My chimney outside is not in the best location or configuration. I had been using the base of a small kerosene lamp inside the clean out of the chimney while starting the stove to provide enough heat to keep the steam/ gases going up to warm the chimney. This worked fine unless a wind gust blew down the chimney and blew the lamp out. The AD - Fan works great and does not
block the flow of air so I can use if and when I need it and skip it if its not needed.

Thanks,

Tim K
 

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Have a comment or picture for Reiner,  E-mail him at    volkosupply@yahoo.com