Outdoor wood burner question.

[TonyG]

Does anyone have these units hooked into a home with a oil fired boiler? We also heat our hot water (6 gallon coil) inside this boiler and I'm not sure how to best heat the home and the hot water with a OWB.
This is new to me, and I have some questions. Oil is getting somewhat pricey, and I have a unlimited supply of wood available so I'm going in this direction.
Also, the underground supply lines for these units, I've seen the triple insulated (blanket) pipe as a cost friendly alternative to foam filled, do any of you agree with blanket over foam?

Thanks, Tony

 

[Husky137]

I have my OWB fed into my oil-fired boiler, tankless hot water coil. While i had the plumber there, I had him add an 80 gallon hot water tank.

 

[TonyG]

Husky,

the 80 gallon tank was for domestic hot water...or to boost/assist boiler capacity? I'm looking at the most logical method of adding this owb unit, with cost coming in second.

 

[rx7145]

Check out this Link: http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=54902

You will need a big shell and tube heat exchanger or a flat plate heat exchanger for the oil boiler. This will need to be done by a HVAC guy. The pressurised system like your oil boiler can be hard to refill and bleed.

 

[porta mill]

owb questrions

very simple to hook up to your boiler. I had it hooked up this way in my old house . first take out the pop off valve and put a tee in it's In the branch of the tee put the pop off valve. in the other opening put the supply from the out door wood boiler then circulator pump. Then take the boiler drain out of the bottom of the boiler put in another tee, replace the boiler drain in the branch . then put the return to the out door wood boiler. simple and it works as for the domestic hot water coil, if you are satisfied with the amount of hot water you currently have do not do anything leave it alone . but CAUTION the water temp in the domestic hot water will be the same temp as the water coming from the out door wood boiler 175 or so . you mat want to add a mixing valve to reduce the temp of the domestic hot water.

one other thing do not skimp on the under ground insulated pipe if you do you will be sorry. If you do not believe me just the guys on the site they will confirm it

Hope it works for you GOOD LUCK

 

[Husky137]

the 80 gallon tank was for domestic hot water...or to boost/assist boiler capacity? I'm looking at the most logical method of adding this owb unit, with cost coming in second.

Domestic hot water. Figured while we were at it and the heat source was going to be cheap it was the right time to do it.

 

[Husky137]

very simple to hook up to your boiler. I had it hooked up this way in my old house . first take out the pop off valve and put a tee in it's In the branch of the tee put the pop off valve. in the other opening put the supply from the out door wood boiler then circulator pump. Then take the boiler drain out of the bottom of the boiler put in another tee, replace the boiler drain in the branch . then put the return to the out door wood boiler. simple and it works as for the domestic hot water coil, if you are satisfied with the amount of hot water you currently have do not do anything leave it alone . but CAUTION the water temp in the domestic hot water will be the same temp as the water coming from the out door wood boiler 175 or so . you mat want to add a mixing valve to reduce the temp of the domestic hot water.

one other thing do not skimp on the under ground insulated pipe if you do you will be sorry. If you do not believe me just the guys on the site they will confirm it

Hope it works for you GOOD LUCK

Like he said. A very simple procedure but I don't do plumbing or electrical, I leave that to the pros. The one piece thermopex pipe is the way to go. More expensive but efficient, fast install and great piece of mind.

 

[johnb]

hey Tony

Tony, contact a boiler sytem furnace guy before hacking into it. I recently saw some work done on another "closed system boiler" and there was need for a lot of valving. I assume your oil boiler is a closed system (just guessing) Not all OWB are closed systems. I have a oil forced air furnace and a Hardy OWB that is a open system. The heat is transfered through 3/4 coils of copper (my choice) pipes insulated in a four inch plastic pipe to the heat exchanger mounted on the oil burner. If your oil burner is an open system it should be a more straight forward hookup. Good luck with your project and you will love the cheaper heat.. The Hoosier

 

[TonyG]

John,

it's pretty much as porta mill posted for my application. Fill through the top (relief valve), recirc back to the owb through the drain. This will keep the boiler hot as well as domestic hot water. Valving should be nothing more than isolating one unit from another, as far as I can see at this point.
I was quoted $7,200 for a Central Boiler 6048, $16 per/ft for the 1-1/4" Thermoplex...WOW! That's expensive pipe.
I'll look around for a better price on the piping. Also, you can get a better price on boilers come spring. We already prepurchased 750 gallons of fuel oil for this winter. I expect this will run $9K until were finished, I'll do most of the install and trenching.

 

[johnb]

Take a look at the Hardy

Tony, Take a look at the Hardy on there web sight. You will not be disappointed!! Hardyheater.com Consider pex pipe (3/4 is all you need) and insulate in a cheaper 4 inch pvc pipe. The pex will handle boiling water and the pvc will insulate enough to reduce heat lose. I figured $1000.00 for the piping and went 150 ft from the house and it is another 30 ft in the basement. Happy burning!!!!!!!!!!! The Hoosier

 

[ktm250rider]

I just picked up 1" thermopex for 11.50 per foot. The other local place was selling it for 15 bucks a foot. Call around.

 

[porta mill]

tony G

where in Pa are you located . I purchased my underground piping for $11 and change per foot. I am happy with the with it so far .I bought it from a supplier that deals in all the extra things associated with ie. plate exchangers heating coils , but does not sell the owb's as per the deal he made with his supplier . there prices are better than all local competitors.

 

[TonyG]

Were in

Shenandoah Pa, Schuylkill County.

 

[rx7145]

I paid $11.50 a foot.

 

[porta mill]

owb supplies

Tony try c c allis and sons PH# (570) 744-2631 ask for chris that is where I got alll my suplies when I installed my owb at my new house this fall . he is very knowledgalbe they are located Le Raysville, between tunkhannock and tawanda . seems to be a bout two hours away from you might be worth the trip

 

[Husky137]

I paid $12 a foot but only paid for 50 of the 100' as Central Boiler was running a special. That was nice.

 

[Camp nut]

I have the cheeper (saying with tounge in cheek) triple wraped underground pipe. I have my own backhoe and I burried it 5-6 feet deep. I feel this gets me below the frost and I only loose 10-15 deg. in a 100' run. I probably wouldn't have had to go this deep but its under my driveway as well and the frost pushes quite deep.

 

[ktm250rider]

10-15 sounds like a lot. I thought the good stuff only lost 2 degrees per 100 ft.

 

[MS-310]

10 to 15 deg is a crap ton, every deg. lost under ground is 1000 btu's so you are losing 10,000 to 15,000 btus that would heat a nice sized room......

Good stuff- will loose about 2 deg every 100'
best stuff- will loose about .5 to .75 deg every 100'

 

[ktm250rider]

crap ton, is that more or less than a crap load? Just trying to get my units straight. LMAO.