how to figure heat loads and boiler size

[cvanhat]

i installed a eko 60 and 500 gal storage three years ago, i never let the fire go out as we are here all day and its easier just to keep it goin. anyway i have a work shop that is 52 X 60 with 18 foot sidewalls and has 7 500 foot 5/8 loops in the floor. we did heat it with fuel oil then switched it to waste oil, but that is a pain. thinking of runing lines from my eko out to the shop and installing 500 gal of storage and use that to help heat the shop. not sure if i have enough heat or if i should just install a 2nd wood boiler out in the shop. any help would be welcome

 

[Sawyer]

I would run a heat loss calculation on the workshop so I know how much more load I would be putting on the Eko 60. I would look at the oil usage on the workshop to double check a heat loss calculator. Would the Eko be able to handle the combined load of the house and workshop? If it can handle the load and still charge 1000 gallons (8,000btu/degree of temperature rise) of storage you can calculate how many hours of buffer without firing you have available.

 

[stee6043]

If you're never letting the fire go out does that mean your EKO is idling a fair amount?

 

[cvanhat]

yes it is at an idle for a far bit. we only run the boiler from thanksgiving untill mid april. but i dont know if it would be enough to heat the shop on its own.