I have a 374 sq ft uninsulated (for now) garage/workshop that I am attempting to heat using a open loop (no boiler effect) wood fired firebox (outdoors) which will have a coil of copper tubing and a one-way check valve feeding a radiator in the garage. This is very much how a coffee maker works, at least in principle.
As this is all an experiment, I'm going cheap till I know it works and only buying thing that are REQUIRED. It's never the big things, but all the nickle and dime stuff that kills ya... $3 here, $7 there, it starts to add up quickly.
My "firebox" is a newspaper rack that I will line with custom molded concrete blocks as I already have the concrete. The "radiator" are the cores for an OLD Montgomery Wards window air conditioner that I've harvested. I have a 20" temp controlled box fan to blow across the radiator. The "reservoir" will (more than likely be) a 5 gallon bucket hung on the outside wall with a float valve to maintain it's water level (once I run supply line to it that is, till then the garden hose).
FLOW:
1) Firebox with copper coil
2) Radiator in garage
3) Bucket reservoir gravity fed to firebox
4) one way check valve
5) Back to #1, lather, rinse, repeat.
I'm at 2500 feet elevation, water boils around 207F.
I'm in a VERY HIGH FIRE HAZARD ZONE, and would rather not have a stove/firebox IN the garage.
The average low at the coldest time of year is 28F, a 35F rise would be awesome (63F).
If I could just reduce humidity levels during the night, that would help prevent tools from rusting at least.
As a reference, BTU calculator says I need 34,000 BTU/hr. Once I insulate, it'll be less.
I need to use a dust collector much of the time, which will exhaust to the outside at 900 CFM.
I have a MrHeater Big Buddy 'indoor safe' propane heater (18,000 BTU) on a 5 gallon tank that I can use to supplement as needed.
I have NOT bought he copper tubing yet, but I do have a piece of 1/4" thick-wall stainless steel tubing I'm going to try/test things out with first on the bbq before attempting with firebox.
As of now, the core are 1/4" tubing, and I plan on using 1/4" PE tubing between the firebox coil and the radiator. I really don't know what capacities I really need, so this is a start and could always jump up to a car radiator and 1/2" tubing. I don't *think* I would ever need to go any larger than that, but I guess we'll see how it goes.
In my wood stove, there is a reburner(?) pipe that jets the woodgas once it's up to temp. I'd like to replicate that in my ghetto firebox, but I haven't seen (photos/video) of how wood stoves are designed to do that. Links would be appreciated.
This all sounds good... on paper. But we all know nothing ever works out as planned =)
Does anyone have any positive thoughts/suggestions that might help improve what I've outlined above, or to avoid any mistakes/gotchas that I may encounter?
As this is all an experiment, I'm going cheap till I know it works and only buying thing that are REQUIRED. It's never the big things, but all the nickle and dime stuff that kills ya... $3 here, $7 there, it starts to add up quickly.
My "firebox" is a newspaper rack that I will line with custom molded concrete blocks as I already have the concrete. The "radiator" are the cores for an OLD Montgomery Wards window air conditioner that I've harvested. I have a 20" temp controlled box fan to blow across the radiator. The "reservoir" will (more than likely be) a 5 gallon bucket hung on the outside wall with a float valve to maintain it's water level (once I run supply line to it that is, till then the garden hose).
FLOW:
1) Firebox with copper coil
2) Radiator in garage
3) Bucket reservoir gravity fed to firebox
4) one way check valve
5) Back to #1, lather, rinse, repeat.
I'm at 2500 feet elevation, water boils around 207F.
I'm in a VERY HIGH FIRE HAZARD ZONE, and would rather not have a stove/firebox IN the garage.
The average low at the coldest time of year is 28F, a 35F rise would be awesome (63F).
If I could just reduce humidity levels during the night, that would help prevent tools from rusting at least.
As a reference, BTU calculator says I need 34,000 BTU/hr. Once I insulate, it'll be less.
I need to use a dust collector much of the time, which will exhaust to the outside at 900 CFM.
I have a MrHeater Big Buddy 'indoor safe' propane heater (18,000 BTU) on a 5 gallon tank that I can use to supplement as needed.
I have NOT bought he copper tubing yet, but I do have a piece of 1/4" thick-wall stainless steel tubing I'm going to try/test things out with first on the bbq before attempting with firebox.
As of now, the core are 1/4" tubing, and I plan on using 1/4" PE tubing between the firebox coil and the radiator. I really don't know what capacities I really need, so this is a start and could always jump up to a car radiator and 1/2" tubing. I don't *think* I would ever need to go any larger than that, but I guess we'll see how it goes.
In my wood stove, there is a reburner(?) pipe that jets the woodgas once it's up to temp. I'd like to replicate that in my ghetto firebox, but I haven't seen (photos/video) of how wood stoves are designed to do that. Links would be appreciated.
This all sounds good... on paper. But we all know nothing ever works out as planned =)
Does anyone have any positive thoughts/suggestions that might help improve what I've outlined above, or to avoid any mistakes/gotchas that I may encounter?
