Outdoor Wood Furnace Info

All-Purpose OWF Discussions => Plumbing => Topic started by: Greek on January 01, 2012, 08:23:16 PM

Title: Hook up outside wood stove to inside oil boiler
Post by: Greek on January 01, 2012, 08:23:16 PM
I am installing a used Hicks outdoor wood stove.  I want to hook it up to my oil boiler.  It is a closed system with hot water baseboard heaters.  I need to know how to install my outdoor stove to my boiler.  Can you please help in the directions and what I need to install the stove to the boiler.  I know that if I don't do it the right way, it will drain the system.  Any informatiion can help, or where I can get help.

Thanks

RGrimes
Title: Re: Hook up outside wood stove to inside oil boiler
Post by: Bull on January 01, 2012, 08:26:01 PM
Welcome to the site Greek, we have others on here with that setup and I am sure they will be along shortly to help you out.
Title: Re: Hook up outside wood stove to inside oil boiler
Post by: Greek on January 01, 2012, 08:30:40 PM
Bull,
Thanks for the info.
Title: Re: Hook up outside wood stove to inside oil boiler
Post by: beeman on January 01, 2012, 08:34:13 PM
a sidearm is my thinking this way both are separte willeg has a neat one that i will try to copy welcom to the site
Title: Re: Hook up outside wood stove to inside oil boiler
Post by: RSI on January 01, 2012, 10:59:43 PM
You will need a flat plate heat exchanger or a large shell in tube heat exchanger.
The size you need depends on the operating temperature of both the wood burner and the oil boiler and how much heat you need in the house.
40 to 60 plate are common sizes used.
Title: Re: Hook up outside wood stove to inside oil boiler
Post by: Roger2561 on January 02, 2012, 04:10:39 AM
I am installing a used Hicks outdoor wood stove.  I want to hook it up to my oil boiler.  It is a closed system with hot water baseboard heaters.  I need to know how to install my outdoor stove to my boiler.  Can you please help in the directions and what I need to install the stove to the boiler.  I know that if I don't do it the right way, it will drain the system.  Any informatiion can help, or where I can get help.

Thanks

RGrimes

Welcome to the site Greek.  You'll find many knowledgeable people on this site who are willing to help out they best they can.

I have a Central Boiler E-Classic 1400 that is connected to my oil furnace.  This was done in the event I lose the fire in the OWB, the oil furnace will take over the duties.  If I get a bit of time today, I'll take pics of my set up and post them for you to see with a narrative of the theory behind it.  It has worked flawlessly for me. 

Roger 
Title: Re: Hook up outside wood stove to inside oil boiler
Post by: mikenc on January 02, 2012, 05:17:03 AM
Welcome to sight Greek .RSI has already mentioned using a flat plate HX. That is the way I have mine tied into my  existing Oil boiler. I used a 60 plate and it works fine. That way your existing is kept a presurized system and OWB is non presurized. The owb with HX heats your existing boiler loop which remaims intact.
Piping in pic on left side is from OWB right side is returns from heating system going back to Oil boiler. Pump circulates water through HX 24/7 which maintains water temp. By pass is installed from oil boiler  supply back to HX inlet. I think there is a pic of return in gallery under mikenc. If not i will try and post one. Hope this helps.
 

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Title: Re: Hook up outside wood stove to inside oil boiler
Post by: johnybcold on January 02, 2012, 06:43:45 AM
How to install your unit man I went crazy looking into that when I did mine, there are different ways and they can all be correct ( in my newbie opinion) it depends on how your boiler is set up and what kind you have, I was going to use a exchanger but after reading that there is a 20% heat loss in the exchange and the need for another pump I just did a direct hookup to the boiler with one pump outside
Title: Re: Hook up outside wood stove to inside oil boiler
Post by: johnybcold on January 02, 2012, 07:07:12 AM
Central boiler has some good install diagrams on there site
Title: Re: Hook up outside wood stove to inside oil boiler
Post by: Ridgekid on January 02, 2012, 07:14:59 AM
 :post:

Even if it's not exactly what your looking for, CB does provide some good guidelines for installation.
Title: Re: Hook up outside wood stove to inside oil boiler
Post by: martyinmi on January 02, 2012, 04:28:26 PM
How to install your unit man I went crazy looking into that when I did mine, there are different ways and they can all be correct ( in my newbie opinion) it depends on how your boiler is set up and what kind you have, I was going to use a exchanger but after reading that there is a 20% heat loss in the exchange and the need for another pump I just did a direct hookup to the boiler with one pump outside
Are you pressurizing your 1400 or are you running indoor boiler without pressure?
Title: Re: Hook up outside wood stove to inside oil boiler
Post by: MattyNH on January 02, 2012, 04:54:53 PM
How to install your unit man I went crazy looking into that when I did mine, there are different ways and they can all be correct ( in my newbie opinion) it depends on how your boiler is set up and what kind you have, I was going to use a exchanger but after reading that there is a 20% heat loss in the exchange and the need for another pump I just did a direct hookup to the boiler with one pump outside
Are you pressurizing your 1400 or are you running indoor boiler without pressure?
Only way way to hook up a CB 1400 or any "open OWB" direct (no heat exchangers)  is to depressurized the existing one in your basement..One problem doing that being a open system (owb) is that all your house heating  plumbing is now exposed to the atmosphere (oxygen)..Also the boiler has to be higher than your house other wise you will drain the heating pipes. Friend of mine hooked up a cb boiler at first with no heat exchangers..Boiler is below house grade..It completely drain the water out of his baseboard heat pipes..Water was coming  out of the top vent..He had to add the heat exchangers
Title: Re: Hook up outside wood stove to inside oil boiler
Post by: johnybcold on January 02, 2012, 08:25:30 PM
My boiler is not pressurized and I have no clue it the outdoor unit is higher then the indoor furnace I have been using it for 2 weeks it seems to be working ok
Title: Re: Hook up outside wood stove to inside oil boiler
Post by: Roger2561 on January 03, 2012, 09:54:51 AM
This is a pic of the return to the OWB.  The angle of the ball valve.  It allows a bit of restriction in the water line to keep the oil furnace pressurized.
Title: Re: Hook up outside wood stove to inside oil boiler
Post by: Roger2561 on January 03, 2012, 10:22:08 AM
Perhaps I should show the incoming connections as well.  The black thing is a thermostatic valve.  It will only allow the heated water from the OWB to circulate through the system if the water temp is greater than 150 degrees.  Anything less than that, the valve will not allow the water through, it will be returned to the OWB for reheating.  It has something to do with condensation if the water is less than 150 degrees.