Time for a complete system overhaul -- Looking for input.

[MikeK]

I picked up the unit. $ 2700 for the boiler, expansion tanks and miscellaneous piping components. The 2x500 LP storage tanks were left behind because they won't fit through my basement door and I don't have enough ceiling height for them.

I'll be taking to over to Dean @ Smokelessheat.com and see what thinks of the condition.

Now to begin planning how the flue and storage, then start laying out a piping plan. I would like to be operational for the next heating season.

View attachment 310872 View attachment 310873 View attachment 310874 View attachment 310875

Nice buy! I am not a boiler guy, but since the propane tanks won't fit, would @ Tom in Maine's non-pressurized storage be an option? http://www.americansolartechnics.com/

 

[mtnsideman]

Leaning towards pressurized storage. My doorway is 36in wide and my height restriction is 87 to the sub floor, 78in to the bottom of the floor joist.

A 30in dia. x 72in 200gal vertical pressure tanks will fit my space but the challenge is they are $1700+ each. The other option I'm considering is getting used 120 gallon propane tanks and cutting/welding two of them together to make them 200 gallon verticals.

120 gallon horizontal propane tanks are only 24in dia.
250 gallon horizontal propane tanks are to long to stand vertical in my space and would require to be cut down to fit.

I plan to spray foam the tanks so 30in tanks with foam should fit through my door.

3 of these would put me at 600 gallons of storage, plenty to get started with. I might add more in the future depending on how things go.

 

[salecker]

Check your local scrap yard to see what they might have.
Air compressor tanks,farm use tanks for ammonia, ect

 

[Woodman1]

Do you have an outbuilding you could put them in? Ideal would be inside, but might not always be practical.

 

[mtnsideman]

System is going into the basement for now. In the future I would like to move it to detached garage that isn't built yet and trench the hot water across the driveway to the house.

 

[maple1]

Pretty sure my 330 gallon tanks are also 30in. diameter. You don't have to go vertical, mine are horizontal, stacked.

 

[mtnsideman]

How critical is it to get the flow to stabilize before entering the tank to reduce mixing?

The piping for vertical tanks makes sense to me. How much straight pipe should be used before entering the tank?

For horizontal storage, should the flow enter vertically? Or does none of this matter because the % improvement not make it worth the effort? Just build something and roll with it?

In my head, I was planning for 3 vertical 200gal tanks in series. 30in diameter tanks with spray foam should get me through my door. 120gallon vertical propane tanks cut in half and welded together to clear me ceiling is the cheapest option that I have identified. The larger 30in dia propane tanks are too tall to stand vertically and I haven't convinced myself to go horizontal yet....

Where can I read up on the recommended sizes for the system piping?

 

[hobbyheater]

How critical is it to get the flow to stabilize before entering the tank to reduce mixing?

The piping for vertical tanks makes sense to me. How much straight pipe should be used before entering the tank?

For horizontal storage, should the flow enter vertically? Or does none of this matter because the % improvement not make it worth the effort? Just build something and roll with it?

In my head, I was planning for 3 vertical 200gal tanks in series. 30in diameter tanks with spray foam should get me through my door. 120gallon vertical propane tanks cut in half and welded together to clear me ceiling is the cheapest option that I have identified. The larger 30in dia propane tanks are too tall to stand vertically and I haven't convinced myself to go horizontal yet....

Where can I read up on the recommended sizes for the system piping?

Could you foam the tanks once they are in place with the plumbing done ,would make it a lot easier to spot and fix leaks .

 

[mtnsideman]

Could you foam the tanks once they are in place with the plumbing done ,would make it a lot easier to spot and fix leaks .

Yes. Strategic use of pipe unions could make it easier to disassemble to move the tanks to the middle of the room for foaming post leak test.

 

[mtnsideman]

I'm considering upgrading to a hybrid DHW heater to get away from oil boiler DHW coil. This would also help dehumidify my basement. Anyone have opinions on these units?

Also what is the go to equipment for pump and zone controls? I'm working on my preliminary piping plan and hope to share it soon for review.

I believe that my house has plenty fintube baseboard so it is likely that I can operate them at lower temps and still deliver the BTU's needed to properly heat. This will get even better as I work to get the house tightened up.

 

[mtnsideman]

Here are some piping plans that I could use some second opinions on. This layout is based on the diagram on page 209 of the (broken link removed). I also reference diagrams on pg. 170, and 172.

 

[hobbyheater]

I believe that my house has plenty fintube baseboard so it is likely that I can operate them at lower temps and still deliver the BTU's needed to properly heat.

Fintube needs 150 degree water.

 

[mtnsideman]

Two years later, I'm finally making the push towards getting this system in place. Time flies by when you have little kids and way too many projects on the to-do list. I purchased LP tanks to create 1,000 gallons of storage for $800. They are brand new but had pin holes in known locations that needed to be welded, and are no longer fit for propane service. I've decided to install the system in my garage, where I have room for this size of storage.

The wood boiler will be plumbed with primary/secondary loops to make use of the pumps that I have and avoid purchasing a loading unit (which I've found difficult to locate). A VDT pump will inject cold from storage to maintain the ideal boiler temperature. There will be a loop to provide heat from storage to my main load loop. This would be in parallel with my oil boiler loop. Reference the attached images. This is what my system is planning to mimic.

I'm seeking assistance with setting up the control system. I want the Wood boiler/storage to be my primary heating. The oil boiler will be my secondary heat and DHW supply for now. What do I need to purchase to control this properly?

 

[salecker]

On my system all the wood boiler does is feed storage.
I have a pipe from the feed to storage that a pump circulates through my plate HX. On the same pipe i have a 2 position aquastat. Once the temp coming from storage drops to around 100 F the aquastat switches from the circ that feed the plate HX, to powering my back up oil boiler
Been working flawlessly for 16 years

 

[mtnsideman]

Making progress.

 

[mtnsideman]

One tank is up. The second tank will go up soon when I finish the expansion plumbing and the loop plumbing that ties into the oil boiler.

 

[mtnsideman]

Second tank is up. Expansion tanks are hiding under the steps to the left. Qty 6 SX-40V. That should give me enough expansion capacity.