New use for an old Earth Stove

[Jags]

A SWIMMING POOL HEATER. Yep, thats right. Dug the old stove out of the shed, and after reviewing, decided that the stove will not get installed into any structure ever again. Sooo....I got the hair brained idea to run some plumbing inside the thing and heat some water.

I used standard black pipe nipples and fittings to create a zig-zag pipe run at the ceiling of the stove. Drilled a couple of holes to run the inlet and outlet pipe through, a couple of holes in the top so that I could fasten the plumbing to the top of the stove and I gots me a heater.

I had an old brass pump/motor combo that hasn't been used in years to move the water (at 450 gal per hour). Converted the standard pipe threads to garden hose for ease of use and tadaaaa!

With a total of about 16ft of 1/2" pipe internal to the stove, it will heat the water 10 deg. F from intake temp at a rate of 450 gal per hour. Not bad for some hillbilly engineering. Note: this is an open system, so no pressure should ever buildup to anything close to dangerous.

Mods - this may not be the appropriate room for this post - move at your discretion. (but heck, it is about a stove)

 

[begreen]

Purty clever dude. Though sorry, the neatly mown lawn and stainless flue pipe violates the hillbilly code. It needs a filing cabinet on top so it does double duty as a smoker.

Here's a link to another hillbilly pool.

http://stkappleto.blogspot.com/2008/04/hillbilly-swimming-pool.html

 

[Jags]

It needs a filing cabinet on top so it does double duty as a smoker.

Hmmmm...A pulled pork samich after a day of swimming does sound good. BroB would be proud.

As far as the neatly mowed lawn...the 2 pictures of this stove are about centered from East to West in the back half of my lawn. I got more dang lawn then anybody needs. If you see any little "puffs" of weeds in the grass, that is probably a tree. Planted 89 trees in the last 2 years.

 

[fossil]

Well, I dunno how yer gonna get a day of swimming in unless you hire somebody to stoke the stove for you. I like it. If you find you have a problem with draft, I've got about 6 more feet of 8" stainless chimney with a cap you can have...from the old (now gone) Lopi M530 that was here...which, interestingly enough, had a water heat exchanger built right into it. That thing's cool, man. Er, I mean hot! :cheese: Rick

 

[Jags]

Well, I dunno how yer gonna get a day of swimming in unless you hire somebody to stoke the stove for you. I like it. If you find you have a problem with draft, I've got about 6 more feet of 8" stainless chimney with a cap you can have...from the old (now gone) Lopi M530 that was here...which, interestingly enough, had a water heat exchanger built right into it. That thing's cool, man. Er, I mean hot! :cheese: Rick

Actually, I found that using up the junk wood, I was loading it about every 3 to 4 hours. I still have about 8 more feet of stainless myself, but I'll be darned if that thing doesn't burn just fine with only 8ft on it. I HAVE forgotten how hard it is to get the old smoke dragons dialed in for a clean burn, but I gotter' done. Only smoke I really had was when I was reloading, and part of that was from the massive amount of bark and other junk that I was trying to burn up. It was all junk that was going to go the fire hole out back anyhow, so might as well make hot water.

Its kinda neat having that thing outside, not really caring about hitting over fire temps. Just load'er to the gills and let it rip. Never saw anything over 550 on the temp gauge, but that probably has something to do with the short stack and fuel. It was kind of a fun little project to take on. I really only have about 2.5 hrs into the whole mess.

I wonder if the guys in the "Boiler Room" will let me play in their sand box now??

 

[savageactor7]

Good idea Jags...you've just extended your swimming season.

 

[fossil]

I wonder if the guys in the "Boiler Room" will let me play in their sand box now??

I think you might be overqualified. :cheese: Rick

 

[Adios Pantalones]

LOL- kick butt. Here's a case where an occasional chimney fire may be the best way to clean the flue