Outdoor Wood Furnace Info
All-Purpose OWF Discussions => General Outdoor Furnace Discussion => Topic started by: mule20 on February 09, 2014, 06:00:20 PM
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does some people tie into a water source to fill your owb or run a hose or something like that to fill your stove or keep it topped off ,and do they evaporate very much water , iam new and trying to learn about these boilers.
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I have a fill valve with check valve to keep it isolated from the domestic water installed right in my cellar. I just look out the window and when it overflows I shut it off. I usually check it every 2 weeks and top it off could probably go longer but I dont. I also can open a drain right from my cellar and my sump pump takes it away.
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Some guys go all out with auto fills, check valves, low water sensors, the whole nine yards. Me? I ran garden hose and filled her up. I haven't had to add a drop since I filled it. There is a thread on here about adding water. Some guys have to add often, others don't add for several years.
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countryboy that sounds alot easier trying to learn everything i can so i dont get boofooed by a crooked welder thanks for the reply
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My well water is really really hard and the water lab did not recommend using it in the boiler. I have an unused fill line from the house, but I hauled water to fill the boiler from town. I also built a 15 gallon "nurse" tank to top off with and top off about every 2-3 weeks. It has a small pump with the tank and I have short hose I hook to the boiler, plug in the pump, and in a few seconds can top off the water. Its best to top off just after the boiler has cycled and is up to its temp, less chance for expansion and spitting out excess water!
Search on "nurse" and you can find my previous post on this, but the administrator has deleted the picture now. :-\
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It's easy to put a hose bib inside the house and fill from the laundry sink or similar, maybe some systems are different but I don't need to add anything very often. If the is a problem well that's one thing but for me it's hardly an issue.
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I steam off 2 gallons a day so I have to add often. I have a quarter turn valve T'd into my return line. I have a line off my domestic run into the quarter turn valve. I just fill for minute or so every week.
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I hooked mine into the house right above the hot water tank with a check valve and two ball valves. (thats what the inspector wanted) It was easy for me to do that since it was a new house and plumbing was being finished. Its soooo easy to top off and fill the boiler that way. Helps get the air out of my lines too.
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I have basically the same set up as ecc_33. I had to add water once in about 7 years. It does make it easy to refill when draining and refilling the system.
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thanks for the replies trying to learn all i can before i buy one of these boilers