Outdoor Wood Furnace Info
All-Purpose OWF Discussions => Plumbing => Topic started by: bigbird1 on November 27, 2011, 10:05:51 AM
-
let me start out saying this site is great, I just got done with my third propane tank stove build (first one 15 years ago) second one 8 years ago) it has a awesome hinge setup with ball bearings , water cooled door and 6 foot of water cooled exhaust that hangs down inside the tank. so what works best for endless hot water with a 2 gpm shower head. and also any brands to stay away from? the wife thinks she needs to use more than a 40 gallon tank full when she takes a bath ;D thanks
-
I use a 20 plate with a 50 gallon tank. More than enough Hot water. Even for my hot water deprived wife!
OH, and Welcome to the site!!
-
Welcome-
I use a 44" copper side arm exchanger on my old Bradford White Heater with a mixing valve. The 185* water, with the addition of the tempering valve, makes my hwh think it's way bigger than it actually is. We very rarely run out of hot water. I leave my hwh on all the time, and I'm sure it kicks on a couple times a month, but momma stays happy because she almost never runs out of hot water. My electric bill goes down around $65-$80 dollars a month when the OWB is running.
Marty
-
I install 20 plate heat exchangers and it will not run out of hot water as long as you have fire in the firebox.
Just make sure you get one with 1" ports, they make nearly twice the heat as those with 3/4" ports
-
big bird..if you made your own stove why nto make your own heater for your water? i used a 12 inch pipe about 24 inches long and made a coil out of a 50 foot length of 1/2 inch copper tube. domestic water runs in the copper pipe and furnace water in the pipe. at the time the copper cost me (with all the fittings) just over 50 bucks. it has been in operation for 10 seasons
-
big bird..if you made your own stove why nto make your own heater for your water? i used a 12 inch pipe about 24 inches long and made a coil out of a 50 foot length of 1/2 inch copper tube. domestic water runs in the copper pipe and furnace water in the pipe. at the time the copper cost me (with all the fittings) just over 50 bucks. it has been in operation for 10 seasons
not a bad idea, I think I have the 3/4 copper laying around , I'll give it some thought, did you run the copper inside the pipe or on the outside, looks like it would transfer heat better on the inside. I would need a bigger pipe than 12" for the 3/4 tube. ????
-
i used 1/2 soft copper and rolled it ove an 8 inch pipe it sprung out to about 10" and fit nicely inside the 12
i dont think you need to use 3/4 copper as most homes (well my home anyway) is plumbed with 1/2 inch copper thorughout
this is about the same way that OWB dealers sell pool heaters (but i think they are made with stainless steel) i jsut thought i would try it with black pipe and see how it went. this will be winter number 11, i hope it holds out for another 1 or 2 years to give me time to scrounge up enough stainless to make a new one.
-
Willie, my Hardy has a 60 foot coil in the stove. I figured there is 9.5 gallons of water (cold) in the pex between the stove and hot water heater, what would be the best way to circulate the water in the line?
-
Willie, my Hardy has a 60 foot coil in the stove. I figured there is 9.5 gallons of water (cold) in the pex between the stove and hot water heater, what would be the best way to circulate the water in the line?
im not sure i follow you bull..if your stove has a water coil in it for your domestic water i think you just hook your domestic water to it ? what i built is sitting right at my hot water tank in the house.
-
Willie, my Hardy has a 60 foot coil in the stove. I figured there is 9.5 gallons of water (cold) in the pex between the stove and hot water heater, what would be the best way to circulate the water in the line?
Just get a DHW recirc pump.
-
im not sure i would use that attachment if i needed another pump. i think it would be cheaper in the long run to use a plate exchanger or a siphon type heater at the tank and hook into the main line? why run another pump if you dont have too?
or maybe i am not understanding this ?
-
I will disagree with Scott on this one. A 3/4 30 plate actually produces better hot water than a 1 inch 20 plate. I've experimented with both over the years and now exclusively use 3/4 30 plates.
-
im not sure i would use that attachment if i needed another pump. i think it would be cheaper in the long run to use a plate exchanger or a siphon type heater at the tank and hook into the main line? why run another pump if you dont have too?
or maybe i am not understanding this ?
I think I will change over to a plate exchanger, it will be cheaper than another pump and less to go wrong.
Thanks
-
I will disagree with Scott on this one. A 3/4 30 plate actually produces better hot water than a 1 inch 20 plate. I've experimented with both over the years and now exclusively use 3/4 30 plates.
But a 3/4 20 plate won't keep up with a 1" 20 plate. I was just lookin in the heatmaster parts book and it shows a 50k btu difference. What have you found to be reality for them?
-
No I use 3/4 30 plates. They seem to heat a little better than a 1 inch 20 plate, at least from my experience.
-
Hmm... I donno.
My book from heatmaster shows a 3/4" 20 plate making 50k btu
1" 20 plate making 100kbtu
And a 3/4 30 plate making 75k btu
I have no experience with any of them other than the 10 plate and 20 plated 1" plates
I was just going off the numbers and not experience
-
But no matter what we install before our hot water heater (plate or sidearm), we will always install a tempering valve to protect our family members from scalds, right Scott?
-
lol, If you can convince a customer to buy one sure lol
So many folks only want the basics tho. That's why I'm working on a paper for them to sign a release for me at this time...
-
Wise move, grasshopper!
-
just to let you know I put in a 30 plate , works great , really sucks the heat out of 275 gal tank when the wife tryes it out!!!! now I just need a mixing valve. you really have to watch the sinks and shower , they get HOT!!!
-
just to let you know I put in a 30 plate , works great , really sucks the heat out of 275 gal tank when the wife tryes it out!!!! now I just need a mixing valve. you really have to watch the sinks and shower , they get HOT!!!
I just put a 10 plate in mine on the hot side of the hot water heater, so I have the water heater turned off completely and the water comes out of the tank cold then goes through the 10 plate exchanger. It's amazing that cold water can enter that little 10 plate cold and be close to 170 degrees when it comes out the other side. I love it. Probably should have got a 20 plate at least because I've read that the 10's can restrict flow, but dealer sold me this and I didn't know any better. I love on demand hot water!
-
willieg how did you bring the copper out of the pipe and did you weld the ends on i wont to make one like yours at the price of copper dont wont to make mistaks on gussing
-
i did weld the ends on figuring i would make one later tha was "fixable" well it's been ten winters so far and i have not had to fix it nor have i got around to making a new one :o
i welded on steel couplings and screwed into them thresded to solder connections. in the soldered connections there is a little "bump" so when you shove the copper in under normal conditions it will stop about the halfway mark. i drilled this out so i could slide the end of the coil out far enough to usea soldered coupler. after i had everything in place (and all threaded connections tight) i soldered the coil in the connectors and there she was.
i did something simmilar for my closed loop to the shop but did make the ends bolt in on it.
i should be more clear..i used 1/2 inside for the domestic water and the screwed threaded to solder copper i used 3/4 to allow me some room to manouver the coil into place. then i used a small chunck of 3/4 in this and then a 3/4 to1/2 in reducer with the 1/2 drilled out to allow the coild to slip through. check link below for photo
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h308/billie_boy7/001-1.jpg (http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h308/billie_boy7/001-1.jpg)