Wood Stove Hot Water (floor, design, propane)

[Boomerang]

We had a separate kindling-burning water heater for a few years, "Agua Heater", which isn't made anymore, I think.

It worked awesomely until the tank itself got burned out by the intense heat of the fire heating it. As I remember this turned out to be true for the product as a whole.

So I think the idea was OK but the materials, ehhh, not so much.
You could heat a whole tankful of water on just a little kindling.

Haven't been able to find a similar product through Google, but do find a lot of pages of instructions for making your own. Here's a pretty amazing picture from the site
Wood-burning hot water heater (http://www.create.ucsb.edu/~stp/2002_09_Switz_Austr/Pages/Image26.html - broken link) Now that's gonna be a hot shower in more ways than one.

http://www.create.ucsb.edu/~stp/2002_09_Switz_Austr/Images/26.jpg (broken link)
Wood-burning hot water heater

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by ClownShoes

Years back at our old deer camp we had a metal milk contailer from someone's farm on the stove. One guy welded a beer tap to it and it worked fine................

I have seen this method too....It works well!

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by jim65970

hello forest....thanks for the pictures....i can now see what you are talking about....your system is far to big for a 14x24 cabin i will be getting.....some guy in alaska told me he has success with getting warm enough water for showering & washing up from copper wrapped the stove pipe....i thought that was an interesting comment....i dont need hot hot water rather just warm enough for my needs....
thanks again for your interest
best
jim

I see.

My stove is a 200Kbtu stove. For our 2400sq ft house, it puts out nearly too much heat.

The 'trick' in our case, is not to FILL it with fuel.

In the afternoons we would load it 1/4 and let it burn, once an hour tend it and throw a bit more in. I stop when I go to bed and in the morning often a good stirring with some fresh fuel and it lights itself back up.

If we tried to actually fill it, the heat would chase us out of the house.

[Boomerang]

Originally Posted by Boomerang

Here's a pretty amazing picture from the site
Wood-burning hot water heater (http://www.create.ucsb.edu/~stp/2002_09_Switz_Austr/Pages/Image26.html - broken link)

Oops --- I think I should have posted only the link, not the photo from the link. Rats. Sorry 7th Gen!!!! Got carried away

[starwalker]

It really is amazing how little wood it can take to heat a tank of water. In WA state, one of our neighbors had rigged up a wood burner from an old water heater. I am not sure how he did it... the "guts" part, but it we used it a lot. It was adjacent to their outside bathtub and I loved to carry over an armload of wood (pine/fir, it was what our forest was made of) split to small pieces (1-2") and start a fire under it. There was a little door, I seem to remember that it looked just like a door in the water heater white enamel housing... but I could remember incorrectly.

I'd grab a couple of newspapers from the neighbors' stash, start up the fire and go visit for a bit. Had to go out and add wood once or twice (or else one of the kids would, if they happened by and saw it was heating up) but before long it was ready, and I'd begin filling the old claw-foot tub... in the winter I'd start with pure hot to heat up the metal, and let it stand a little bit, then top it off with more hot and some cold as needed, and hop it. It was great, especially in the snow, to lay there in steaming hot water (and bubble bath) and feel the snow on your face and watch the shadows rise on the hill and the forest beyond you.

I am not sure how I would set one up like this inside, though.

[Nor'Eastah]

Originally Posted by starwalker

It was great, especially in the snow, to lay there in steaming hot water (and bubble bath) and feel the snow on your face and watch the shadows rise on the hill and the forest beyond you.

Sounds heavenly! Even though that was not in Maine, it could be! That combination of natural 'wildness' and the comforts of civilization - no matter how contrived - are part of the lure of Maine for us!

[Northern Maine Land Man]

A bout two weeks ago I wrote about the system we had when I was a kid. We had a Franklin stove with water coils inside. There were two check valves in the lines to and from the hot water heater. You could hear them going tik a tik a tik. The water got really hot and it didn't take long in the morning.

I have also used the cooling water from an outboard motor as shaving water. The temperature is just right.

[quiet walker]

Originally Posted by Northern Maine Land Man

... I have also used the cooling water from an outboard motor as shaving water. The temperature is just right.

Your story reminded me of my Dad's favorite cartoons from WWII. (How fitting on Father's Day) Willie and Joe by Bill Maudlin. Look here (http://www.stripes.com/02/nov02/mauldin/index.html - broken link) and check out the sixth one down "Run it up th' mountain agin, Joe. It ain't hot enough"

A few of others I remember "Able Fox Five to Able Fox. I got a target but ya gotta be patient." "Fresh, spirited American troops, flushed with victory, are bringing in thousands of hungry, ragged, battle-weary prisoners. (News item)" "Beautiful view! Is there one for the enlisted men?" "Don't look at me, lady. I didn't do it."

[jim65970]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

I see.

My stove is a 200Kbtu stove. For our 2400sq ft house, it puts out nearly too much heat.

The 'trick' in our case, is not to FILL it with fuel.

In the afternoons we would load it 1/4 and let it burn, once an hour tend it and throw a bit more in. I stop when I go to bed and in the morning often a good stirring with some fresh fuel and it lights itself back up.

If we tried to actually fill it, the heat would chase us out of the house.

thanks forest....in researching wood stoves....they always give a square foot range i.e. 600-1200 sq ft.....i read that they give these ranges for adjustment purposes....so a 600-1200 sq ft stove can be adjusted down to 600 sf....has somethng to do with the damper & air supply....as my cabin would be only around 400 sq ft....all open.....i would need a small unit...than again i would want something to burn all night....not sure a small unit would give me that....i'm sure you guys that have wood stoves have experience & know how....is what i said about this adjustment thing manufactuers talk about correct ?....your comments would surely help in order to size a stove for my size living space....

one last question....do any of you know the '''temperature''' of the stove pipe 'itself' under normal fire conditions ??????

thanks in advance for your comments
best
jim

[flycessna]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

We have 50' of copper tubing wrapped around our wood stove. A pressure relief valve and circ pump makes it all work good!

We can heat up three drums of water in a few minutes.

Forest.....do you keep the circ pump running off a thermostat? or do you keep control of it....only heating the water up when needed.