Outdoor Wood Furnace Info
Outdoor Furnaces - Manufacturers WITH EPA-Certified Models => Central Boiler => Topic started by: Roger2561 on November 28, 2011, 10:40:43 AM
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Hi all, I trust everyone had a good Thanksgiving break. I ate too much but I certainly enjoyed it. Now, I gotta get busy on the treadmill again.
I have been kicking myself in the backside since I had the CB E-Classic 1400 OWB installed. It never occurred to me to have the domestic hotwater heated by the OWB. Presently I heat the domestic hotwater using my oil burner. Man, I hate hearing that thing run. Everytime it turns on, I cringe knowing my dollars are going places I have never been and never will go in my life time. Next spring when I shutdown the OWB for the summer, I'll have the domestic hotwater tied into the OWB for the fall, winter and spring heating cycle. I guess one lives and learns. Roger
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Don't feel bad. Mine was a after thought too. Within 30 days of ownership I added the 20 plate to heat hot water . Don't think I would of had much of a heat load without it. You won't regret it.
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Roger,
Figure out what all you need for parts, and get'r'done. Not at all complicated and even easier with a half-arsed plumber buddy!
Really, this benefit of the OWB, you just can't be with-out. Give the specifics of your current system and you'll surely get sound advice for the forum here.
Bill G.
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It isn't a big deal to do it now. You should only have to shut the pump off for a little while. (I hope they put shut off valves on the boiler)
Just get a 20 plate and find a good spot to mount it. You can run the domestic water lines to it easier that running the boiler lines where the water pipes are.
Then just cut the pipe and put onto the plate heat exchanger. The actual cutting the pipe and putting onto the heat exchanger could easily be done in 5 minutes once everything is all setup.
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Roger,
Figure out what all you need for parts, and get'r'done. Not at all complicated and even easier with a half-arsed plumber buddy!
Really, this benefit of the OWB, you just can't be with-out. Give the specifics of your current system and you'll surely get sound advice for the forum here.
Bill G.
Bill G. I have no external tank which holds the hot water. The oil furnace acts like an on-demand system. How would I set up the system so that when the OWB is down for the summer, the oil furnace provides the domestic hot water but when I'm using the OWB in the fall, winter and spring the hot water is provided by the OWB without the need of a hot water tank? Also, please, explain in laymens terms what I need, some of the terminology is still very foreign to me.
Thanks for your help.
Roger
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You just put the plate heat exchanger in series with the oil furnace. You can turn it off when the OWB is running then.
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What would be most helpful to me are pictures or diagrams of how this should be plumbed. Pictures mean more to me than words due to the terminology.
Thanks in advance for you help.
Roger
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I have a hot water tank, I have it set up like another zone so it uses the OWB and no oil, that might be a good setup for you if you already have a source of hot water then you just need a place to transfer the heat and store the hot water you use.
OWB Noob MA
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I have a hot water tank, I have it set up like another zone so it uses the OWB and no oil, that might be a good setup for you if you already have a source of hot water then you just need a place to transfer the heat and store the hot water you use.
OWB Noob MA
I think I answered your question but in a different posting. See "E-Classic 1400 operating like a champ". Essentially, I'm going to use the 4th unused zone coming from my oil furnace and pipe to the tank to heat the water. My OWB is piped through the oil furnace (aquistat setting lowered) in the event I lose the fire in the OWB I'll still be warm.
BTW - It's operating brilliantly. 15 degrees outside the past 3 morning and toasty warm in the house and no oil furnace sounds...I love the silence.
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Roger,
Been awhile Buddy! My propane boiler used to make my hot water and I have a 75 gal storage tank. It is a zone of itself and sure is overkill for our house.
This is also my first year with OWB, so I am going to get a electric hot water heater for summer use. Thinking a 40 gal one would suffice.
I would think you would get away far cheaper that way than burning oil or my propane. You could just shut off electric when OWB at work.
Bill
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BillG-
And imagine if you put the hwh on a timer so it's only operating when you needed it!!! (hint hint)
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As always, great suggestion Ridge!
Haven't searched out prices for an elect. unit yet, any rough guesses on a 40 gal job?
Thus far I'm using far less wood than I did with the Quandrafire 4200. No complaints there.
Enjoy following your monitoring posts, Ridge, but you've gone a good deal beyond my "electronic non-abilities"!!!
Interested, none the less....
Bill
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No clue on hwh pricing. Knock on wood mine has lasted 19 years so far! (I'm sure I just jinxed myself)
The hardest part of the install of temp monitor was the sensor cabling. Second hardest part was changing default ip address to LAN address. I love the setup and am glad your are too! Lol
Gmviso just installed the same monitor. Looking forward to seeing his setup. If you ever decide to get get one, you have two techies that can help with the install if you can get past the "hardest parts" of the setup! That goes to anyone considering installing one.
And as far as wood consumption? Same here! I predicted one cord for Dec and am far below that as an estimate. Electric use? So far estimate is 950kwh for Dec. New record if I can keep it going.
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An electric hot water heater on a timer for summer use; winter plumbed to OWB; I'm thinking of building a solar collector so I can heat the water in summer time to cut down on the electrical use.
Roger
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Instead of a solar collector, look at PV panels with micro controller/inverter run to an electric hotwater heater element. It's much cheaper and more reliable than a solar water collector that may develop a vacuum in the lines or may not drain back properly.
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Instead of a solar collector, look at PV panels with micro controller/inverter run to an electric hotwater heater element. It's much cheaper and more reliable than a solar water collector that may develop a vacuum in the lines or may not drain back properly.
The cost and area needed to heat the same amount of water is much lower heating water with vacuum solar than PV panels.
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Instead of a solar collector, look at PV panels with micro controller/inverter run to an electric hotwater heater element. It's much cheaper and more reliable than a solar water collector that may develop a vacuum in the lines or may not drain back properly.
The cost and area needed to heat the same amount of water is much lower heating water with vacuum solar than PV panels.
The price of PV panels have dropped substantially over the past three years. If we are just talking about heating domestic hot water only, I would definitely go with the PV panels. I looked at this recently for my home before I bought my OWB this past spring. It was cheaper for PV panels in my application and safer due to the possibility of freezes practically anytime where I live.
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You do need a lot more surface area to heat the same amount of water though don't you? I haven't really looked that much at them but it looked like the payback would be about 1/3 the time from the numbers I have seen.
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You do need a lot more surface area to heat the same amount of water though don't you? I haven't really looked that much at them but it looked like the payback would be about 1/3 the time from the numbers I have seen.
yes, you would need more "surface" area, but now you can buy PV panels that have more capacity at a reduced price per watt. For instance, when I bought my 190 watt panels three years ago, I paid $450 which was the cheapest price I could find. (I was quoted as high as $1200/panel.) Now you can buy 280 watt panels for $330 each. That's over a 47% increase in production for a 27% reduction in cost. Consider also that you don't need pumps (electricity to run), insulated water lines, and valves to install.
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MTJAG, do you have a link to the panels you are talking about?
Thanks
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MTJAG,
Makes 2 of us interested in your pv panels. Thank-you for your advise, and appreciate the specifics.
Bill
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MTJAG, do you have a link to the panels you are talking about?
Thanks
Here it is: http://www.sunelec.com/suntech-solar-panel-280-watts-3520-vmp-p-1718.html (http://www.sunelec.com/suntech-solar-panel-280-watts-3520-vmp-p-1718.html)
This is the place I bought my panels from three years ago.
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I have talked to them before and the person I got on the phone could barely speak english and the shipping was a rip off.
I like http://www.solarblvd.com/ (http://www.solarblvd.com/) much better.
If dealing with Sunelec this is much cheaper http://www.sunelec.com/solar-laminate-c-47.html (http://www.sunelec.com/solar-laminate-c-47.html)
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I need a 4" temp display those cb designers must have good eyes
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In regards to heating hot water, my hot water heater hasn't been on in 3 years since I install my OWB I keep it running year round. In the summer I put wood in the boiler maybe 3 time's a week I close inlet valve to my exchanger for the Air handler its worked good for me. :thumbup:
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Roger,
Been a while, any progress? I'm sure it is a priority for you but I can understand how these things can take time to get accomplished.
Hope all's well and keep chuggin'!
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Hello Bill,
I'm waiting until the summer to have my domestic hot water connected to the OWB. Gotta save my pennies before I can do anything with it. Christmas used alot of my cash...
As for the operation of the eclassic 1400; It's hard to believe that something that's approximately 30 feet from my house is providing me with all the heat I need to stay warm. I had forgotten how wonderful it is to come home from work and find a warm house. When I used to heat with my wood stove, the house was cold when I got home. By the time I was ready for bed, it finally got comfortable only to wake in the morning to cold house again. It is the understatement of the year to say I do not miss those cold days and nights. Thanks for checking in, Bill. Happy New Year! Roger
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Happy New Year, Roger and all on the forum!!!!
Understand the need to save up funds part! You'll get there, and as you well know this is a money savings adventure! Heating your hot water is an expense, unless it is tied to your OWB. Then it is a fruit of your labor, derived from cutting and splitting fire wood. The money saved will, or should be noticeable every month the OWB is burning.
Just as the house is always warm, so will be your water for washing dishes, showers, baths etc. At the right price also.
You'll get there, again, Happy New Years!!!
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Nothing better than free heat and hot water! Surprised the electric company hasn't showed up yet tellin me there is something wrong with my meter!
Like Bill said, when you get it installed it will be another great investment!
Happy New Year to all!
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I have seen several different replys you posted and am now confused. Is your oil burner different than the main indoor boiler?
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I have seen several different replys you posted and am now confused. Is your oil burner different than the main indoor boiler?
Hi RSI: Sorry for the confusion. I'll try to clarify my description of the different units. From now on when I refer to my outdoor wood fired boiler I'll refer to it as OWB... If I have a need to mention the oil furnace, I'll call it just that, an oil furnace. Now, my OWB heats my house (rather well too). The oil furnace heats my potable hot water. I hope I have cleared the muddy waters for you. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. Roger