How I make hot water in winter

[Walter2]

120 gallon top element water heater connected to two flat plat collectors , wood for the cloudy days.

 

[Lighting Up]

I wish you well with this, I've wonder if it was possible too ...but how do you by-pass the water when it's up to temp...? Also is that duck work for your stove pipe?

 

[moey]

Do you have a circulator somewhere? Is that a buffer tank or your main tank? Are both elements off?

 

[Walter2]

No pump,thermo siphon. No shut off I just close the damper. No duct work.
I have been running like this over two yrs with no trouble, simply works.
This is the main tank,60 gallon tempering tank is in the works.

 

[Walter2]

The coil is from hillcoil New York .
It is schedule 40 stainless and suitable for domestic water.

 

[Walter2]

Here is a pic of the mixing valve and heat trap so no one gets scalded.

 

[valley ranch]

Is there a small expansion tank in line some where. Do those two uprights with valves have captive air for expansion? Thanks for posting this.

Richard

 

[Walter2]

Is there a small expansion tank in line some where. Do those two uprights with valves have captive air for expansion? Thanks for posting this.

Richard

The stubs are now connected to solar panels,in/out .

 

[Walter2]

No ex.tank, but should have one. That said its never had a problem.

 

[valley ranch]

I guess you drain the solar panels in winter? Or is that a closed system with Antifreeze?

Looks good, glad it works for you. Nice to get a system like that done instead of just thinking about it. Good for you.

 

[Walter2]

I guess you drain the solar panels in winter? Or is that a closed system with Antifreeze?

Looks good, glad it works for you. Nice to get a system like that done instead of just thinking about it. Good for you.

Solar is a drain back system, it uses water. When the panels reach temp a controller starts a pump and fills the panels and when temp goes down pump stops and water gravity feed back into a 15 gallon drain back tank. The d.b.t. Has a heat exchange coil connected to the 120gal. Domestic h.w.t. Solar panel water and domestic water never mix.

 

[GENECOP]

Nice..

 

[fbelec]

if you had a cloudy few days in a row and had to run the wood heater how does it run for you? do you run out or does it keep up?

 

[Beardog]

That is nice. My grandfather had a similar setup through a coal stove in his basement.

 

[Walter2]

if you had a cloudy few days in a row and had to run the wood heater how does it run for you? do you run out or does it keep up?

It keeps up.....easily. I went one full winter using just the wood generating hot water for four people!

 

[Ehouse]

I'm really interested in this thread. It's a good ,simple , low cost approach. I've been thinking of a similar setup adding a radiator loop directly above the stove to heat the bedrooms. I'm also thinking that a HPWH in the basement or somewhere in the loop would enhance it.

 

[GENECOP]

Yes it's an interesting approach to heating water...it's something I know I have thought about but never got around to doing. It also goes to show that you don't have to break the bank like many of our systems do..

 

[JustWood]

Nice work !
I'm in the process of scrounging together cheap/free parts/fittings/pipe for a tempering tank set behind the furnace with a short coil looped on the front around the door.

 

[Ehouse]

Yes it's an interesting approach to heating water...it's something I know I have thought about but never got around to doing. It also goes to show that you don't have to break the bank like many of our systems do..[/quote

......and, once you heat water, you have a medium for heat distribution. Lots of possibilities here. I like thermosyphon, and the fact that the system is mostly in the living space. An independent heat and hot water system. no electricity required just like the old time setups but with modern improvements. You could start with something like the stove with a coil that pops up here (Wall Therm?) or go DIY like the OP. I've got a closet right above the stove for the WH. I could run my RADs direct from there.

 

[TradEddie]

Nice. Many houses in the UK and Ireland, including the house I grew up in, have these built into an open fireplace for hot water and/or radiator heating, where they are called "back boilers" or "fireback boilers". Due to the obvious dangers, there are strict requirements which must be met.

TE

 

[Ehouse]

Nice. Many houses in the UK and Ireland, including the house I grew up in, have these built into an open fireplace for hot water and/or radiator heating, where they are called "back boilers" or "fireback boilers". Due to the obvious dangers, there are strict requirements which must be met.

TE

As to the obvious dangers, what safety/convenience features would be needed for this? Mixing valve, Pressure relief valve, Air purge, ex. tank, shutoffs etc.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

Nice work !
I'm in the process of scrounging together cheap/free parts/fittings/pipe for a tempering tank set behind the furnace with a short coil looped on the front around the door.

Tempering tank is half the battle. Bring that 45 degree water up to 75 degrees means a lot.

 

[JustWood]

Tempering tank is half the battle. Bring that 45 degree water up to 75 degrees means a lot.

I'm thinking with a coil even on the outside of the door I'll achieve 100+.
Really want to ad a passive solar earth berm room to the south side of the house this year but don't know what finances will be like. Plan on water storage/heat sink, green house,built in root cellar, and a modified oil furnace that I can run off an endless supply of veggie oil from a restaurant the lil woman manages. With the propane situation lately I'd like to have another source of heat.

 

[Walter2]

Really want to ad a passive solar earth berm room to the south side of the house this year but don't know what finances will be like. Plan on water storage/heat sink, green house,built in root cellar, and a modified oil furnace that I can run off an endless supply of veggie oil from a restaurant the lil woman manages. With the propane situation lately I'd like to have another source of heat.

Veg is a pain to run in a boiler...I run my truck on veg and it is the way to go! I have a kit for a vw tdi pre 2003 if you have interest.

 

[fbelec]

walter do have any idea what the water temps are going in and coming out of your unit?

frank