Hot Water from Wood Stove

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KDubU

Feeling the Heat
Dec 16, 2022
373
Maine
I am about to install our Jotul F55 after removing the propane fireplace that was installed by the previous owner. It turns out that in the back of the hearth, there is a hole through the concrete down into the basement right next to the hot water heater and furnace. We heat with hot water and obvious use hot water for personal use (two separate systems). I was wondering if I can run the cold water for one of these systems (likely the domestic hot water) up in behind the stove and back down so basically making an extra loop in the copper piping. I know this would only help with hot water seasonally but it would not be a hard install due to the hole being there already and right above where the lines come in. Thoughts? Anyone done this and have you used some kind of “jacket” around the pipe? Tks
 
Search my history, I have a long write up on water heating with your stove. Much of my thread was about people freaking out over blowing up the house. In the winter months most of my domestic hot water comes from the stove. It can be dangerous, you need to understand a few things to stay safe. Woodstoves are also potentially dangerous (you are building a fire in your living room). You will need a pump. You will likely get a lot less hot water than you expect. All over the world, for hundreds of years, water has been heated this way. Your insurance company may frown at you. I get a little more than 50 gallons of hot water on an average winter day. It depends how hot you are running your stove, how big and the placement of your coil and how much heat is lost to the room (I figure that is free heat in the basement).
 
Thanks and found your post. I am planning a different direction and will install a heat pump water heater that will hopefully cut my electric bill a fair amount.
 
I heat water on my sove in a pot, but thats far from what you are talking about. Seems too hard, lol...Im lazy.
 
can you post a link to that post? tried searching but got a million hits. Thanks scratch that i found it.