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[benj1975]

Homemade outdoor wood boiler Michigan #2

[Homerglide]

Hey Benj,

You have done an awesome job on both your heating system and the video. Good for you to turn the utilities away and pocket your dough for wherever else.

Do you have a temperature limit on your domestic hot water, and if so what did you to to accomplish that? I am going to plumb something in for my dhw also but have not decided on exactly what to do. My concern is someone being scalded.

How is your heater doing for water, as in how much do you add and how often? Or maybe you don't lose any to the atmosphere. How is your wood consumption so far. We pay 85 a cord for 8 foot hardwood here.

I am now in Reed City after spending a lifetime in southeast, where abouts are ya?

[benj1975]

I have no temperature limit on it we have just been careful. We never run out of hot water now and I have six kids. I just added one gallon of water to it today and that's the first time in three months.                         Not sure on my wood use yet but if I had to guess I would say 15 to 20 face cord will get me thru the season. October up to April.                                                                                                                      I live in central Michigan.

[Roger2561]

Hey Benj,

You have done an awesome job on both your heating system and the video. Good for you to turn the utilities away and pocket your dough for wherever else.

Do you have a temperature limit on your domestic hot water, and if so what did you to to accomplish that? I am going to plumb something in for my dhw also but have not decided on exactly what to do. My concern is someone being scalded.

How is your heater doing for water, as in how much do you add and how often? Or maybe you don't lose any to the atmosphere. How is your wood consumption so far. We pay 85 a cord for 8 foot hardwood here.

I am now in Reed City after spending a lifetime in southeast, where abouts are ya?

Hello Homerglide.  Happy New Year!  I don't know about your local plumbing codes but where I live it is a must to have a thermostatic mixing valve on the hot water line going from the tank to faucet.  The valve is "T" shaped.  Hot water coming from the tank enters one side of the valve and exits out the end.  One the other side of "T", your domestic cold water is piped in.  There is an open and close valve on the top that when turned will add or limit the amount of cold water to the hot water depending on the rotation.  The one I installed has a dial thermometer on it so I know how hot the water is going to the faucet is without having to feel it and possibly burning my hand.  As a former medic I saw my fair share of burn victims; it ain't pretty.  If you have children around, you cannot have enough safety measures in place. Children love to play with water (watch them around a mud puddle after a rain storm) unless it's time to eat and then you can't get them close to the water.  I'm sorry if it appears I'm preaching. I just hate to see people, especially children, get burned when it's preventable.