Wood burning back boiler fireplace insert

[acfarrer]

Great forum. First time posting since I cannot find relevant results when searching for 'wood burning back boiler fireplace insert'. This thread: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/wood-burning-stove-with-back-boiler-help.166583/ is for a Scottish standalone unit.

Has anyone seen anything else like this in North America?: (broken link removed to https://www.lawton-imports.co.uk/shop/godin-back-boiler-fireplace-insert-5152-19kw/)

We have 1200 sq ft in Mid-West Ontario with hydronic ground floor and radiators upstairs powered by Baxi HT380 on propane. There is also a masonry fireplace with 24" x 20" wood burning insert and fan and I have lots of firewood.

I am trying to get some of the excess heat from wood burning to the upstairs radiators and I am capable of DIY options. There is some space at the top of the fireplace insert for some coils and I would feed a hot water tank or the primary heating loop.

Apart from the engineering challenge, should I bother? I am spending over $1000/year on propane.

 

[hobbyheater]

Don't like to rain on your parade but!
Probably not CSA or UL approved. A water filled surface against the fire box makes for a low firebox temperatures which in turn makes lots of creosote. This inefficient design is going to burn lots of wood. A $1000/yr for propane isn't all that bad. You would gain more from an efficient insert .

 

[acfarrer]

I would love to get an efficient insert with back boiler, if I could find anything made in North America, hence my original post.
Anything from Europe would probably get blocked by CBSA.

Low firebox temperatures is an excellent point although I am well practiced at sweeping out the flue.

Sadly , there are aspects of my current system which are not CSA approved but it has been fine for 10 years, keeping everything just above freezing when unoccupied for about 80lbs of propane/month. No one within 2 hours would touch the Baxi HT380, or any modulating high-efficiency boiler, although the local gas fitter certified the gas line.

 

[Highbeam]

This is another example of cool technology that is not available in North America. The Europeans also get efficient pellet stoves that are also boilers.

 

[sarpworks]

hello everyone,

I have a diy project for heating entire house with fireplace when I use it. But I couldnt find enough information for materials.

the idea was built in 1970's or 80' but there was not detailed information.

I would like to build a coil in fireplace and connect it to current hot water baseboard system. bypass the circulation pump when I use fireplace so, I can pump water entire house. Also I can use same expansion tank on system.

my idea is installing coil under fireplace grate or behind of the wall. what type of material can handle the fireplace temperature?