Water Storage options for Wood Boilers

[Paso One]

I frequent another web site ( shame on me ) That almost every second person is building storage systems.

Some are using old propane tanks 500 gallons 1000 gallons some even larger others are building concrete retaining walls, wood walls with a liner etc...

The school of thought is that wood burns best hot and fast thus having a large holding tank holding the heated water allows for complete burns in the boiler, no/ very little smoldering from the wood boiler.

The system draws off the heated water.

How come I never see this discussed on this web site.

Just a observation.

 

[motoman3b]

sounds like a gasification unit, they burn fast and have large water capacity. But then you have to start a new fire everytime, where with my owb you just load it twice a day and can get away with green wood in it. Which I'm guessing you could burn green wood in the gasification units but you'd still have to have some good dry stuff for a starter. I'm happy with my OWB learned a few things to help reduce wood consumption as last year I used what seemed to be alot but using alot less this year.

 

[Paso One]

I presently fill twice a day also. I heat approx 250 gallons to 170 degrees I'm sure I could heat more water and still not fill more than 2 x a day but I guess why bother if I don't need it.

 

[ericjeeper]

My heating setup is different than most

I heat my house 3200 square feet via the slab. A cold slab will suck the life right out of a boiler. so I have a 600 gallon tank that is hooked to my boiler.

 

[J.Gordon]

About twelve years ago a friend of mine said his buddy used a 1,500 gallon septic tank for his hot water storage. He said he would only build a fire on Saturdays and that would last him a week.

 

[November Wolf]

I frequent another web site ( shame on me ) That almost every second person is building storage systems.

Some are using old propane tanks 500 gallons 1000 gallons some even larger others are building concrete retaining walls, wood walls with a liner etc...

The school of thought is that wood burns best hot and fast thus having a large holding tank holding the heated water allows for complete burns in the boiler, no/ very little smoldering from the wood boiler.

The system draws off the heated water.

How come I never see this discussed on this web site.

Just a observation.

Im guesing that other forum is at **********? I noticed that over there too. I really wouldnt like to store that much water myself. Where would you put it? Your basement or out building?

 

[Paso One]

Good guess November Wolf

I have the storage capacities but I'm wondering if a regular OWB needs the extra hot water storage. or would it have any real benefit.

The gasification units yes but a regular OWB ?

 

[projectsho89]

Good guess November Wolf

I have the storage capacities but I'm wondering if a regular OWB needs the extra hot water storage. or would it have any real benefit.

The gasification units yes but a regular OWB ?

I could certainly use some additional storage capacity overnight. When the temperature gets down to single (F) digits, there aren't enough total BTUs in my 175 gallons of water plus the remnants of the overnight load of wood to restore my house back to 70F from the overnight setback of 64F in any kind of reasonable time.

Now, I'm heating an almost 3000 ft^2 total house. The two upstairs bedrooms and the sunroom are normally closed off and the bonus room over the garage is on its own furnace leaving around 1800 ft being actively and continuously heated. However, it's complicated by having just over 1/3rd of that being an open area with a 22 ft high inverted vault ceiling (that was a lot of fun hanging the sheet-rock!!!!)

I've found that making certain the boiler is up to 180F at around 3:00 AM then firing up the furnace blower shortly after will get the house up to 68F by 5:00 AM when my wife gets up to get ready for work. I'll have to go feed the boiler by 6:00 AM or the thing will cool down to the 130s at which time it becomes next to worthless. If the water temp drops a bit below 130F, the propane burner will kick in. Obviously, the prevention of this is the whole point of this exercise.

...I need to find my BTU calcs I ran a few years back and my interior volume specs, they'd make this easier....

I've also found that my boiler pretty much can't make any gains in its temperature while I'm pulling heat from it unless I feed it some really hot-burning wood. If I open up the dampener any more, too much just goes up the stack and is pretty much just pi$$ed away.

Still playing with this beast.

I'd say it all boils (pun!) down to whether or not you can stuff enough wood into the beast to last you long enough to meet your needs before needing to be fed again.


Steve

 

[November Wolf]

Good guess November Wolf

I have the storage capacities but I'm wondering if a regular OWB needs the extra hot water storage. or would it have any real benefit.

The gasification units yes but a regular OWB ?

This would be interesting to find out. If I could put another 100 - 200 gallons storage in my basement would it be benificial. I know the boiler I bought (CB6048)holds around 400 gallons on water, the same as the gasification E- Classic 2300.

Hopefully we can get the answer. Good thread.

 

[fletcher0780]

projectsho89,

I've experienced similar issues regarding temperature setback and delayed morning recovery. I've found that limiting the setback difference to just 2-3 degrees seems to make a big difference. Keeping the house warmer at night uses a bit more wood, but I think it breaks when you consider the amount of energy needed early in the morning to warm the house back up.

I'd also be interested in an in basement storage tank tied into the system, perhaps a couple hundred gallons.

 

[projectsho89]

projectsho89,

I've experienced similar issues regarding temperature setback and delayed morning recovery. I've found that limiting the setback difference to just 2-3 degrees seems to make a big difference. Keeping the house warmer at night uses a bit more wood, but I think it breaks when you consider the amount of energy needed early in the morning to warm the house back up.

I'd also be interested in an in basement storage tank tied into the system, perhaps a couple hundred gallons.

I've compensated by setting up a timer to "force" the boiler up to the aquastat's in time for the house's thermostat to kick in. If the boiler is already at 180F, there's enough thermal energy, both stored and produced on the fly, to get the temp back up to 68F in time.

Working so far, more or less....

Steve