Plumbing advice for owb

[Brizzy]

I’d like to start this off by letting everyone know my only knowledge of owb’s is what I’ve read online in the past month. I’m not a plumber, and don’t understand half of it. I was considering a wood stove in my basement when I was talked into buying a used owb. At work I am responsible for cutting wood, filling and cleaning one during the winter, but that’s about all I do with it. Apologies for whatever incorrect terminology I use.

Anyway getting ready to run my underground lines and set the owb this week and I need to figure out what I am doing inside. For now I would like to put some kind of forced air heater in my basement and a heat exchanger on my hot water heater. In order to do this do I need to have a manifold with a heat exchanger and seperate zones?(not sure if that what to call it) or can I just run everything in one line? Looking at diagrams online it looks to me like I can run it on one line, but my stepfather plumber tells me I cannot. He’s my stepfather, so of course I can’t just take his advice. I will have 80’ or less of line in the ground and about 30’ to my hot water heater.

 

[maple1]

Hope this goes well, lots of potential for disappointment just starting with a used OWB.

What are you using for underground piping? That would be the other major potential source of disappointment. The right stuff the right size is very important. And kind of expensive.

Yes, it is possible to run in one loop.

Said without knowing anything about your inside stuff.

 

[Brizzy]

I knew it needed work when I bought it, the previous owner decided to burn some garbage wood in it without the water circulating, so it is stripped down right now getting new insulation and pretty much all new wiring. No water leaks (yet).

Underground will be thermopex. Inside I would like a 50,000 btu heater and a 20 plate heat exchanger on the hot water heater.

 

[salecker]

I knew it needed work when I bought it, the previous owner decided to burn some garbage wood in it without the water circulating, so it is stripped down right now getting new insulation and pretty much all new wiring. No water leaks (yet).

Underground will be thermopex. Inside I would like a 50,000 btu heater and a 20 plate heat exchanger on the hot water heater.

Before you get to deep into that OWB you should post a few pictures and make model of said unit.
There is a chance that you may want to concider passing on the one you have,and upgrading to a different unit.

 

[Medic21]

How many in your family for hot water? What btu is your furnace?

I documented my install pretty much from start to
Finish. I was learning also as I went.

Plans finally coming together

Piece of chit SF1000 has been set in the shop for modifications in making it a conventional stove. Picked this up last Friday, 1 1/4” Thermopex. More pics Sunday after I pick up the boiler and install picks coming...

www.hearth.com

 

[Brizzy]

Appreciate the attempt to help me, but I’m stuck with this piece now. Owb was never really in my budget, this was $500 with 85’ of thermopex. My boss talked me into it by reminding me I can get plenty of free wood. It is a central boiler cL-17

4 in my family for hot water, two teenagers they might account for more. I don’t have a furnace or anything at the moment but was planning on putting a 50,000 btu heater in my Basement, there is not insulation in the ceiling and maybe some vents will help. I know a few others who heat there home like this with decent results. Plan is to see how this does and add on in the future.

When I have some time I will start another thread on this whole project

 

[Medic21]

Appreciate the attempt to help me, but I’m stuck with this piece now. Owb was never really in my budget, this was $500 with 85’ of thermopex. My boss talked me into it by reminding me I can get plenty of free wood. It is a central boiler cL-17

4 in my family for hot water, two teenagers they might account for more. I don’t have a furnace or anything at the moment but was planning on putting a 50,000 btu heater in my Basement, there is not insulation in the ceiling and maybe some vents will help. I know a few others who heat there home like this with decent results. Plan is to see how this does and add on in the future.

When I have some time I will start another thread on this whole projectView attachment 249894

So, your planning on heating your house by heating the basement and letting the radiant heat rise?

plumb in a 20 plate exchanger with you water heater and you will have all the hot water you can use.

I hope you like cutting and splitting wood. Your gonna need a bunch of it heatingbthat way.

 

[E Yoder]

I'd plumb the 20 plate first in the loop, then the forced air heat exchanger. In one loop. It won't be perfect by any stretch, but it'll put a lot of heat in the house and you'll love the hot water.
Those CB units aren't real efficient, but they work. With thermopex in the ground you can upgrade the system in the future as it saves you money.

 

[maple1]

Part of which to put first depends on what exactly is on the other side of the DHW exchanger. If there will be another circ to recirc through an existing tank, there should be no issues with having it second in line, and putting your heaviest load first in line (house heating load is way higher than DHW load). But if you want it to work more like an on demand setup with no DHW side circ, then it should likely be first in line.