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[hondaracer2oo4]

I have this sidearm

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Side-Arm-Heat-Exchanger-Outdoor-Furnace-Boiler-Stove-/160508275258?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item255f09ea3a

Does anyone else have this type vs. the long 1 tube over 1 tube design? My question is about how it should be mounted. WillieG pm'd me and clued me in to the fact that I may have mine plumbed wrong. I was only getting the top 1/3 of the tank full of hot water. Well that is about how long my sidearm is in length (17 inches I think) and I have it mounted basically right up high where it goes into the pressure relief valve which enters the side of the tank(pressure relief is plumbed into the side of the tank vs on top of the tank). WillieG told me that it actually needs to be mounted all the way down at the bottom of the tank so that water will continue to thermosiphon all the way down to the bottom of the tank. I wanted to know if anyone else has one of these types of exchangers and how they mounted it along with how it works for them.

[hondaracer2oo4]

Nobody has this type of sidearm?

[juddspaintballs]

I have the long single tube inside of a bigger tube version.  I also have a stainless steel circulator on my domestic water side to circulate the water in the tank so my entire tank is always hot.  With the circulation in my tank, I don't have to rely on thermosiphon (but I can if I turn the pump off) and my hot water is essentially unlimited.

[racnruss]

Mount is as close to the bottom of your water heater as possible.  T off your drain valve.  Then extend above the heat exchanger up to your popoff valve and T into that.   Water will then thermosiphon from the bottom to the top.   I went to the bottom of Heat exchanger first with boiler water and then on to Furnace from the top of the heat exchanger, but it will work either way, I just wanted the hottest water at the lowest point.

[hondaracer2oo4]

Racnruss, so you have the same one that I have? How fast are your recovery times? Thanks.

[racnruss]

mine is similar but not exactly the same.

Install is the same though.

Mine was built by a local guy that sells Nature's Comfort.  He is a HVAC guy that is pretty handy.   The one I bought from him actually divides into 5 smaller tubes inside the large outer shell for more surface area heat transfer.

When I installed it on my 40 gallon water heater, it took about an hour to get it up to 150 degrees.  And it was cold water because the water heater had been shut off for a month just using the plate exchanger.

[ffbare]

This looks like a good side arm. I'm just wondering if hard water would clog the small tubes inside after time?

[hondaracer2oo4]

I have had it hooked up for 3 seasons now. I used to have hard water until I put in a softener. The reason I went with a sidearm originally instead of a plate exchanger was because of the hard water. I have not had an issue yet with plugging I believe. I do have mine installed incorrectly as was stated since I mounted it at the top of the water heater instead of the bottom which was only yielding about 1 foot of hot water at the top of the tank. I was told this year that it needs to be mounted at the bottom so that everything about the sidearm will heat in the water tank. I added a pump this year that is thermostatically controlled before I knew about this mistake. I get endless hot water now and quick recovery. I am going to fix it next season though with no pump.

[ffbare]

Ok thanks for that I'm going to do a side arm than.  Once I get a boiler. This indoor wood stove is great but loading every hour gets old and obviously my gas home furnace heats  at night and while I'm at work which is costing me money I don't have.

[Oakhillhounds]

Honda, do you have  a mixing valve on it, also I am assuming your owb is running at 180, was wondering what the  exchange was in you water tank for a temp?  I am doing a similar set up this spring!