barrel stove outside to heat water for inside heat exchanger?

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murinsky

Member
Jan 11, 2011
29
SW CT
Hi guys,

I posted awhile with some questions about a fireplace insert, and the result was pretty much that without major HVAC rework, I would not only be unable to heat my house very well but would also create safety issues not to mention code violations. Thanks guys, maybe you saved my life!! So that idea pretty much went out the window. Since, I have been trying to figure out a new way to use all this wood I have to enjoyably keep my house toasty warm.

So from the header you already know the gist of it...

The idea is to build a barrel stove, but not any barrel stove....I read an article where someone put a 30 gallon drum inside a 55 gallon drum, to create a more controlled burn, apparently with good results. They filled the space with sand. Here is the link: http://www.homestead-hearth.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=67&t=999&p=4083#p4083

So I am wondering, if I did this, and instead of (or in addition to?) the sand, I put 50 or so feet of 1/2" copper tubing wound around the small barrel, plumbed with an expansion tank, filled with antifreeze solution, with a freshwater feed and a thermostat-controlled circulating pump, to a heat exchanger that lived in my HVAC plenum, what do you think would happen?

My HVAC fan runs 24/7 on a low setting to prevent stratification in the house and to keep the finished basement from getting damp. No need to wire to force the fan on or off. I could manually turn the fan off with my HVAC thermostat if I got too hot, not sure if that would ever even happen.

The barrel stove would live outside on the cement pad under my covered deck to stay "mostly" dry, but would definitely be out in the cold. Not sure what to do about the flue and how much of a draft would really need to be created (read: single wall flue). Probably supported by my deck with big standoffs.

I am a confident DIY'er and have no doubt I could build it....but, question is.. would it work??

Thanks for reading,

Mike
 
Those are always tricky Mike. Have you considered buying a water heater that uses wood?
 
Hi Dennis, for me the cost of a true outdoor boiler is prohibitive. Especially as I don't think this is something I will be using enough to make something like that worthwhile. I would like to think I will use it all the time, but in reality this would mostly be a hobby for weekends or if it was super cold. My investment in this would be negligible, maybe $500 tops. Would you say it is a total waste of time, or worth a shot? What haven't I thought of?

Thanks for the reply
 
Not talking of an OWB at all. Just a water heater. I'll see if I can find a link for you.
 
Cool, I am definitely interested!!
 
water heater

Water heater-2

There are a couple to fire your imagination. I don't think there are as many for sale now as there were in the past but still something to think about. I have also considered one but not done anything just yet.
 
Backwoods Savage said:
water heater

Water heater-2

There are a couple to fire your imagination. I don't think there are as many for sale now as there were in the past but still something to think about. I have also considered one but not done anything just yet.
Hey Dennis, did you notice that the first one seems to no longer be available and the other is not UL tested?
 
Yes I did Steve. Like I stated, there aren't as many available as there used to be. Sort of makes me wish I had my mother's old wood cook stove with the large water reservoir.
 
Looks like these might suffer from the smokiness that the old OWB are known for, right? The firebox is surrounded by water and never able to get hot enough for a complete burn? That is one thing I thought would be a plus of my invention - less btu's, but allows the fire to get hot enough for a cleaner burn and less offensive smoke levels as far as my neighbors are concerned.

Thanks for the links Dennis, definitely interesting.

Mike
 
Mike, please keep in touch. Many, I am sure, will be interested in what you end up with. Good luck.
 
List of reasons against this setup
1. No afterburn ,smoke dragon performance possible code violations and neighbor complaints.
2. Lost heat (and there will be a lot of lost heat) is lost to the outdoors instead of inside the house.
3. Consume a lot of wood for liittle to no gain.
 
I agree with Trump.

But, if we are just going out in the shop to play then I'm all for it!

I seen a homemade wood fired water heater made by building a fire box with an old LP or natural gas hot water tank fixed on top of it for a flue. I don't think that set up would heat water fast enough to operate a remote heat exchanger because the hot water tank only has a 3 or 4 inch exaust. But the unit that I seen did heat well enough for people to take showers.
 
IF you want hot air you just cant beat an EPA cert. INDOOR wood stove.
IF you want hot water you just cant beat an EPA cert. INDOOR wood gasification boiler.

I must have 8 or 9 different wood burners ranging from home made to store bought,from 10 years old to 2 days old . One by one im replacing the smoke dragons,home made and PRe EPA stoves with high efficiency wood stoves ...... Why?

1.More heat.
2. Way way longer burn times.
3. Less wood consumed per btu of heat made.
4. No chimney fires from creosote buildup.
5. NO smoke ,angry neighbors ect.

Any one of these reasons alone is enough to make this change,all of them together is a no brainer.

IF you change your stove and achieve 30-40% more efficiency ,thats 30-40% LESS cutting,hauling,splitting,stacking,carrying,loading,chimney cleaning,you will be doing.
 
Thanks guys for all the suggestions and comments. I am still not sure if I will try this, but if I do, I will post the results.

Mike
 
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