new here

[AIM]

Hi, Stumbled on this site a month or so ago and have been browsin the forums. It's a great site with alot of good info.

My name is Aaron and I live in northwest Ohio. I heat with a homemade boiler that I built out of 2 propane tanks. This will be my second year heating with it and I LOVE it. I keep my house and garage just as toasty as I want.
The pics of the boiler are from last year just after hooking it up.
Since then I have had it sprayfoamed and put siding on it. I have to put a nicer roof on yet to make it presentable I just haven't got it done.

 

[mantis]

Might not be pretty but if it works... Great job. Welcome to the sight. It can be addicting out here

 

[AIM]

Few more pics. It was really ugly before the foam and siding went on but I wanted to use it awhile prior to covering it in case I had to make changes.

I still have plenty to do on it and some things I want to add to it but I'll just tinker with it little by little.
I'll try to get some pics how it is now later today.

 

[AIM]

The water tank is what they call a "short fat 5" 500 gallon that I took 18" out of and welded the end back on. Then I took the 18" piece and welded that to the bottom for legs so to speak. The burn chamber I'm not certain of the size. It may be a 125 gallon but I can't remember. The panel for the pumps is off a scrap machine that I gutted the control panel. The door is spring loaded to help the seal thanks to the rear leaf spring off a ford F150. Pretty much the rest was purchased new. (heat exchangers, pex, etc)
I kept track of everything and ended up just under $2600 complete including sprayfoam and siding.

 

[Scrapiron]

Doesn't look bad.. and a lot better than I could ever do. Kudos to you!

What are the two lines going into the door for?

 

[A. Stanton]

Hello and welcome.

 

[AIM]

They are the return line from the garage heat exchanger. Keeps the door from warping and also reclaims heat from the fire.

 

[gink595]

looks good, once you trim it out it should look great. Where you at in NW Ohio?

 

[AIM]

Montpelier, Ohio. About 8 miles from Mich and 8 miles from Indiana. Hardwood heaven!

 

[gink595]

I'm right across the border about 15mi to OH, and 25mi to MI. I'm between Waterloo, In and Kendallvile. Off of US6

 

[cord arrow]

Love the leaf spring door...ingenious...

 

[AOD]

Nice job. It's always cool to see folks who have fabricated their own wood burners out of junk.

 

[AIM]

Yeah alot of junk but never the less by this Feb, it'll be savin me money. Gotta love that. More cash for beer!!!
I live by the motto that I have more time than money...

 

[Mkarlson]

When I first saw this thread, I thought looks simple enough maybe I'll try to scrounge some parts to get my own going next year. Today I found my first tank. ITs either a 200 or a 250 gallon anhydrous tank, type that use to be mounted on a tool bar. Its a start!

 

[hanniedog]

I would be a little leary of an ammonia tank. They are subject to a fair amount of corrosion.

 

[AIM]

I don't know much about the anhydrous tanks but the propane tanks are really thick. My big tank has a good 3/8" thick wall. The smaller tank is a full 1/4".

 

[hanniedog]

The tanks are the same it's, just that ammonia has additives that eat on the tank. Have seen several tanks from the local coop that have developed pin hole leaks.

 

[Mkarlson]

I am very familiar with anhydrous and its effects on metal. What I am not familiar with is this particular tank. Its old, they stopped using that kind of setup 20 years ago around here. I have not even inspected the tank close yet. I just know where it is and know from a distance (20 feet through weeds) it looks to be in decent shape. Most of the tanks we have in service were made in 1984. N-serve is the additive added to nh3 im not sure it can cause rust....has a petroleum base I believe. But the nitrogen in nh3 is the big rust maker. It is correct to say anhydrous tanks and propane tanks are pretty much identical.
In fact we have sold many 1000 and 1500 gallon nh3 tanks to people to convert over to propane. The conversion is easy other then getting all the loose rust out of the bottom of the tank. Soon as I can ill take a closer look.

 

[Mkarlson]

The tanks are the same it's, just that ammonia has additives that eat on the tank. Have seen several tanks from the local coop that have developed pin hole leaks.

Funny you said that. We got some new 2000 gallon tanks last year and just this week noticed one was leaking vapor through a pin hole in the weld around the withdrawl valve.:monkey:

 

[urhstry]

How much $$$ do you have into this?