Is there such a thing as a wood stove that heats water?

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Joe Rampey

Member
Dec 29, 2012
21
North Carolina
I've been lurking around this forum for a couple of months now... got lots of good ideas - I currently have an old Consolidated Dutchwest stove. I am currently rebuilding it - discovered a crack in the inner top and had it welded.

This stove has served me well in my basement workshop. It warms the basement well, spilling heat upstairs to help with the main house.

Here's the question - I recently added solar water heating collectors to my roof - I want to be able to heat water with my stove for those days when the sun doesn't shine... I still want the traditional stove to warm the basement - just want a little of the heat to be used to warm the hot water storage if needed.

I'm already experimenting... as I reassemble the CDW I'm wrapping 1/2" copper tubing around the firebox. Don't worry I've read the articles about homemade boilers blowing up... I will make sure that I have a pressure relief valve adjacent to the stove. A pump, differential controller, and pipe and I should be ready to go?

But, Is there a stove out there that is a hybrid of sorts? If so, I may retire the CDW and go with it. I still want to be able warm up to the fire when I'm working but, I want to get some warm water at times also.

Thanks for your input.
 
National Stove Works or Thermo-Control Heating makes stoves with water tubes. They make conventional boilers also that throw off quite a bit of radiant heat that might work well also. Google them for their web site.
 
I've been lurking around this forum for a couple of months now... got lots of good ideas - I currently have an old Consolidated Dutchwest stove. I am currently rebuilding it - discovered a crack in the inner top and had it welded.

This stove has served me well in my basement workshop. It warms the basement well, spilling heat upstairs to help with the main house.

Here's the question - I recently added solar water heating collectors to my roof - I want to be able to heat water with my stove for those days when the sun doesn't shine... I still want the traditional stove to warm the basement - just want a little of the heat to be used to warm the hot water storage if needed.

I'm already experimenting... as I reassemble the CDW I'm wrapping 1/2" copper tubing around the firebox. Don't worry I've read the articles about homemade boilers blowing up... I will make sure that I have a pressure relief valve adjacent to the stove. A pump, differential controller, and pipe and I should be ready to go?

But, Is there a stove out there that is a hybrid of sorts? If so, I may retire the CDW and go with it. I still want to be able warm up to the fire when I'm working but, I want to get some warm water at times also.

Thanks for your input.
There once was a company in Assonet, Massachusetts call Russo that made a woodstove of plate steel with a box configuration on the top of the stove. The top was for water with threaded input and output on each end. Long story short. I purchased one and place it in my basement. I ran the pipe, etc. First problem was pressure release valve. OK. I finally fixed by placing an aquastat on the pipe and wiring it to my most northern first floor zone. The temp would reach 210 and start the cirulator until the temp dipped to 130 and turn off. And then around and around we go. It worked real great. Later, there were other companies that came out with simular models. For its time, Russo was pretty big and popular. As most things it dwindled in the past for newer inventions.
 
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