Ideas on how to heat a pool with firewood

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Petr51488

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Anyone have any ideas how to heat a pool using firewood? I was thinking of running pipes through a fireplace where the water would be filtered from the pool, heated, then pumped back into the pool. It would be a box stove with a long chimney (pipe like) so the smoke won't be so low to the ground. Anyone every do this? or have any ideas? I'm not looking to spend much. Any drawbacks from this?
 
The smallers ones go for about 5-6K. You could also heat your house and hot water. Do a search lots of info.
 
Welcome! Outdoor wood burner. Google outdoor wood burner and you should get lots of info. I personally have a Central Boiler, but Woodmaster, Heatmor, Hardy, and Garn are a few more companies that build them.

Kyle
 
Welcome! Outdoor wood burner. Google outdoor wood burner and you should get lots of info. I personally have a Central Boiler, but Woodmaster, Heatmor, Hardy, and Garn are a few more companies that build them.

Kyle

Awesome! Thanks! I knew it was a water heater, just that not much comes up when you put in OWB.
 
when i had an in-ground pool, i made solar heaters on the back of my garage roof. framed them with 2 x 4's, looped black piping thru them, covered them with sheets of glass from a sliding door and returned the lines to the pool.

problem was the damn thing worked too good and the pool water got so warm it wasn't refreshing any more. plus, with the warmer water, i was using twice as much chemicals to keep it clean.

if i turned off the water to the solar panels, it would get so hot inside the pipes, they would begin to distort out of shape and even collapse. i couldn't win no matter what.

so...i removed them and filled the pool in.

both problems solved.:)
 
That's a great idea. Remember that there are some serious safety issues that need to be addressed. A woodfire can make the water in the pipes go to steam in a HURRY. The safest way is an "open system" where no pressure can be built up. If you go with a closed system and it is not properly plumbed (temperature and pressure relief valves, etc) you can make a DEADLY bomb. Things can start blowing off and KILL people.
I've seen video of a hot water tank with an intentially plugged T&P Valve and other orifices plugged go nearly 100' into the air! This is no joke.
I still think it's a great idea, and am planning on heating my domestic hot water with wood this coming winter, but safety is the primary consideration, and expert design a requirement.

Bill
 
That's a great idea. Remember that there are some serious safety issues that need to be addressed. A woodfire can make the water in the pipes go to steam in a HURRY. The safest way is an "open system" where no pressure can be built up. If you go with a closed system and it is not properly plumbed (temperature and pressure relief valves, etc) you can make a DEADLY bomb. Things can start blowing off and KILL people.
I've seen video of a hot water tank with an intentially plugged T&P Valve and other orifices plugged go nearly 100' into the air! This is no joke.
I still think it's a great idea, and am planning on heating my domestic hot water with wood this coming winter, but safety is the primary consideration, and expert design a requirement.

Bill

Good points. Most all OWB are open and don't have these issues.

You could also use a gasification indoor boiler if you have room.
 
Yah, an OWB with a water to water heat exchanger would work great on a pool. They have heat exchangers for heating hot tubs with OWBs as well. Problem is that you need to plumb in a heat exchanger bypass line when you shock the pool or hot tub, because that can wreak the flat plate type heat exchangers. Look on the Central Boiler web site (www.centralboiler.com) for heating designs for hot tubs.
 
Good points. Most all OWB are open and don't have these issues.

You could also use a gasification indoor boiler if you have room.

Yup, I'm a big fan of the high efficiency indoor boilers. Especially if you have pressurized storage... just buy yourself an extra flat plate HX, do some plumbing, and there you have it...
 
snorkel stove

do a search on snorkel stoves. made in seattle for hot tubs. would work great if pool was all you wanted to heat. they are an aluminum woodstove that is 3/4 covered with water and opening on top for wood. i have 2 of them and they work great. good luck
 
I priced these about a year ago but never went through with it. I think they were in the neighbourhood of $2k
 
Great Links Thanks! Yea, the stack is a little low. I would like to make it at least 20ft high to keep away the smoke. Anyone ever make their own?
 
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