Small house Boiler setup

[sportbikerider78]

Dude,,I think you're looking for a lot of work with little return. Why not just work on loading your stove properly for the proper heat load? Would that not be soooooo much easier then a wood boiler install?

 

[Bad LP]

Insurance companies aside. If you're concerned about a repurposed propane tank exploding, you've got to be scared to death of the tin foil boiler vessels out there.

I think that we both know the tank is one of the strongest parts of the system.

 

[Fred61]

Dude,,I think you're looking for a lot of work with little return. Why not just work on loading your stove properly for the proper heat load? Would that not be soooooo much easier then a wood boiler install?

That was my initial thought when I saw the size of the house. Just the cost of the plumbing components would take years to pay back.

 

[Fred61]

I think that we both know the tank is one of the strongest parts of the system

Agree!

Ever seen a failed copper 90 that had been warn thin by water flow. Did it explode? No it just pissed.

 

[Bad LP]

Agree!

Ever seen a failed copper 90 that had been warn thin by water flow. Did it explode? No it just pissed.

LOL. Depends on what direction it pissed in and for how long.

Down here in MA at a very large home I manage had two back to back solder joints fail (pissing). After ripping out the damaged ceilings, soffits, lighting, wall cabinets, drying, repairs and finish painting were complete a second joint failed less than 24" away from the first. Got to do it all over again but at least we didn't have to rip out the new work. It just happened to piss all over the electrical sub panel for a few days until water stains were noticed . The space was open for weeks with zero evidence of any other leaks!! Murphy's law I guess.

I've been managing high end residential property full time for coming up on 28 years. My level of taking risks is low and I don't cut corners or micromanage. It's not how I'm wired.

 

[RonJon1190]

Dude,,I think you're looking for a lot of work with little return. Why not just work on loading your stove properly for the proper heat load? Would that not be soooooo much easier then a wood boiler install?

I'm starting to think you are right. Like I had said before, I have no experience with wood boilers, and you guys brought up a lot of good points. Realistically I go through about 1.5 cord of wood a year with the stove, and I guess that that covers about 80% of my heating needs. I also burn about 200 gallons of oil all year, which takes up the slack when the stove is not producing heat and also takes care of domestic hot water. I suppose when I factor in all the costs, and not just the cost of the boiler, it really does not make any sense. I am sure that i will go through a LOT more firewood, and I will still burn oil on the off season.

I will definitely look back into a boiler with storage when I move into a bigger house, because I love the concept of heating entirely with wood.

 

[sardo_67]

if you really want to heat the crawlspace building your own heat exchange to add onto your current wood stove would be your best bet.

if you use 1.5 a year then a boiler would be very pointless unless you get everything and installed for free, even then it would be like buying a loaded 4dr F-550 just to tow a flat bottom 15ft bass boat.

 

[RonJon1190]

But have you seen the new F550s? Lol.

Do you have any experience with building a heat exchanger for an existing stove? I did a little looking this afternoon, and I haven't seen too many good things said about adding a hot water coil to a stove.

 

[sardo_67]

no i don't but i have seen some before, either a coil inside the fire box or copper wrapped around the single wall exit stove pipe then letting it circulate on its own or adding a pump.

not saying its amazing or will cost $5 and give you nice 80* floors instantly but as a tinkering side project may be worth it. i have part of my house with heated floor that i put in on the basement ceiling and it's really damn nice, after i walk out of the living room down the hall it goes from 80 to like 50 and sucks lol.

i found a small 40 or 50K BTU modine heater that i will install in the basement to keep it around 75 or so and warm the floors that way once i get my system working the way i want.

 

[sportbikerider78]

Just be aware that if you are pumping hot air into a relatively unheated and uninsulated crawlspace, get ready for condensation...and then mold.

 

[pradeep]

Few days back i too faced same kind of situation.So i decided to change my boiler with new boiler.I bought brand new Vokera Vision Combi Boiler .
Now it's working pretty fine without any functionality issues.

 

[maple1]

Is that so?

Why don't you share a few pictures & details of your boiler change?

 

[peakbagger]

Much as I like wood boiler for heat, no way in heck would I waste my time putting in a wood boiler and storage. One minisplit possibly a multihead unit would cover heating and cooling. Alternatively consider the new Air to Glycol unit heat pumps and put in some radiant baseboard and an air handle for the cooling. I think CT has net metering so put some PV panels on the roof or a pole mount and run the minisplit off of summer surplus generation. Odds are your utility will give you an incentive for putting in a minisplit and the fed will give you 30% credit for the PV (will be a couple of percent less in 2020).

 

[Highbeam]

Alternatively consider the new Air to Glycol unit heat pumps

We've been waiting for a long time. Grey market? Linky?

 

[peakbagger]

I am working on the claim by John Siegenthaler that 2019 is the year of the air to glycol mini split. In the short term http://www.americansolartechnics.com/products/space-heat-pumps/

 

[Highbeam]

I am working on the claim by John Siegenthaler that 2019 is the year of the air to glycol mini split. In the short term http://www.americansolartechnics.com/products/space-heat-pumps/

While the retailer may be wonderful, that grey market, noname, generic, 3000$ “investment” is far far different from a low risk proposition in equipment.

Now slap a Mitsubishi name on it and we’ve got something!

The concept, specifications, and even the price are excellent.

 

[peakbagger]

I agree, some brand names need to roll into the market. Of course drill a hole next to the house and drop in a geothermal loop and a glycol to water unit and then there is no concern for low outdoor temps and pick up a lot of efficiency on cooling.