# How I make hot water in winter



## Walter2 (Feb 11, 2014)

120 gallon top element water heater connected to two flat plat collectors , wood for the cloudy days.


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## Lighting Up (Feb 11, 2014)

I wish you well with this, I've wonder if it was possible too ...but how do you by-pass the water when it's up to temp...? Also is that duck work for your stove pipe?


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## moey (Feb 11, 2014)

Do you have a circulator somewhere? Is that a buffer tank or your main tank? Are both elements off?


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## Walter2 (Feb 11, 2014)

No pump,thermo siphon. No shut off I just close the damper. No duct work.
I have been running like this over two yrs with no trouble, simply works.
This is the main tank,60 gallon tempering tank is in the works.


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## Walter2 (Feb 11, 2014)

The coil is from hillcoil New York .
It is schedule 40 stainless and suitable for domestic water.


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## Walter2 (Feb 11, 2014)

Here is a pic of the mixing valve and heat trap so no one gets scalded.


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## valley ranch (Feb 13, 2014)

Is there a small expansion tank in line some where. Do those two uprights with valves have captive air for expansion? Thanks for posting this.

Richard


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## Walter2 (Feb 14, 2014)

valley ranch said:


> Is there a small expansion tank in line some where. Do those two uprights with valves have captive air for expansion? Thanks for posting this.
> 
> Richard


The stubs are now connected to solar panels,in/out .


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## Walter2 (Feb 15, 2014)

No ex.tank, but should have one. That said its never had a problem.


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## valley ranch (Feb 15, 2014)

I guess you drain the solar panels in winter? Or is that a closed system with Antifreeze?

Looks good, glad it works for you. Nice to get a system like that done instead of just thinking about it. Good for you.


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## Walter2 (Feb 16, 2014)

valley ranch said:


> I guess you drain the solar panels in winter? Or is that a closed system with Antifreeze?
> 
> Looks good, glad it works for you. Nice to get a system like that done instead of just thinking about it. Good for you.


Solar is a drain back system, it uses water. When the panels reach temp a controller starts a pump and fills the panels and when temp goes down pump stops and water gravity feed back into a 15 gallon drain back tank. The d.b.t. Has a heat exchange coil connected to the 120gal. Domestic h.w.t. Solar panel water and domestic water never mix.


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## GENECOP (Feb 16, 2014)

Nice..


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## fbelec (Feb 16, 2014)

if you had a cloudy few days in a row and had to run the wood heater how does it run for you? do you run out or does it keep up?


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## Beardog (Feb 16, 2014)

That is nice. My grandfather had a similar setup through a coal stove in his basement.


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## Walter2 (Feb 17, 2014)

fbelec said:


> if you had a cloudy few days in a row and had to run the wood heater how does it run for you? do you run out or does it keep up?


It keeps up.....easily. I went one full winter using just the wood generating hot water for four people!


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## Ehouse (Feb 18, 2014)

I'm really interested in this thread.  It's a good ,simple , low cost approach.  I've been thinking of a similar setup adding a radiator loop directly above the stove to heat the bedrooms.  I'm also thinking that a HPWH in the basement or somewhere in the loop would enhance it.


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## GENECOP (Feb 18, 2014)

Yes it's an interesting approach to heating water...it's something I know I have thought about but never got around to doing. It also goes to show that you don't have to break the bank like many of our systems do..


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## JustWood (Feb 18, 2014)

Nice work !
I'm in the process of scrounging together cheap/free  parts/fittings/pipe for a tempering tank set behind the furnace with a short coil looped on the front around the door.


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## Ehouse (Feb 18, 2014)

GENECOP said:


> Yes it's an interesting approach to heating water...it's something I know I have thought about but never got around to doing. It also goes to show that you don't have to break the bank like many of our systems do..[/quote
> 
> ......and, once you heat water, you have a medium for heat distribution.  Lots of possibilities here.  I like thermosyphon, and the fact that the system is mostly in the living space.  An independent heat and hot water system. no electricity required just like the old time setups but with modern improvements.  You could start with something like the stove with a coil that pops up here (Wall Therm?) or go DIY like the OP.  I've got a closet right above the stove for the WH.  I could run my RADs direct from there.


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## TradEddie (Feb 18, 2014)

Nice. Many houses in the UK and Ireland, including the house I grew up in, have these built into an open fireplace for hot water and/or radiator heating, where they are called "back boilers" or "fireback boilers". Due to the obvious dangers, there are strict requirements which must be met.

TE


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## Ehouse (Feb 19, 2014)

TradEddie said:


> Nice. Many houses in the UK and Ireland, including the house I grew up in, have these built into an open fireplace for hot water and/or radiator heating, where they are called "back boilers" or "fireback boilers". Due to the obvious dangers, there are strict requirements which must be met.
> 
> TE




As to the obvious dangers, what safety/convenience features would be needed for this?  Mixing valve, Pressure relief valve, Air purge, ex. tank, shutoffs etc.


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## Seasoned Oak (Feb 19, 2014)

JustWood said:


> Nice work !
> I'm in the process of scrounging together cheap/free  parts/fittings/pipe for a tempering tank set behind the furnace with a short coil looped on the front around the door.


Tempering tank is half the battle. Bring that 45 degree water up to 75 degrees means a lot.


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## JustWood (Feb 19, 2014)

Seasoned Oak said:


> Tempering tank is half the battle. Bring that 45 degree water up to 75 degrees means a lot.


I'm thinking with a coil even on the outside of the door I'll achieve 100+.
Really want to ad a passive solar earth berm room to the south side of the house this year but don't know what finances will be like. Plan on water storage/heat sink, green house,built in root cellar, and a modified oil furnace that I can run off an endless supply of veggie oil from a restaurant the lil woman manages. With the propane situation lately I'd like to have another source of heat.


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## Walter2 (Feb 19, 2014)

JustWood said:


> Really want to ad a passive solar earth berm room to the south side of the house this year but don't know what finances will be like. Plan on water storage/heat sink, green house,built in root cellar, and a modified oil furnace that I can run off an endless supply of veggie oil from a restaurant the lil woman manages. With the propane situation lately I'd like to have another source of heat.


Veg is a pain to run in a boiler...I run my truck on veg and it is the way to go! I have a kit for a vw tdi pre 2003 if you have interest.


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## fbelec (Feb 20, 2014)

walter  do have any idea what the water temps are going in and coming out of your unit?

frank


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## Walter2 (Feb 20, 2014)

fbelec said:


> walter  do have any idea what the water temps are going in and coming out of your unit?
> 
> frank


No idea....but if I run the stove hard for heat it will make the T and P  do its job  I have emptied my share of five gallon buckets this winter!


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## Clarkbug (Feb 20, 2014)

Are they just soldered copper fittings inside the fire box?


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## Cynnergy (Feb 20, 2014)

This looks really interesting.  If you are finding your T&P valve going a lot, you might want to think about piping in a large radiator with a thermostatic valve on it as a 'heat dump' to release the heat once the water tank gets up to temp.  Or maybe another T&P valve?  You don't want to be in a bind if your only one fails.


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## maple1 (Feb 21, 2014)

Or just add an expansion tank...


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## Walter2 (Feb 21, 2014)

Or I could just add a variable speed pump and move the water faster so it doesn't get the chance to over heat.
The TandP is is working under heat not pressure as the water gets hotter in summer with solar than winter with the stove.


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## Walter2 (Feb 21, 2014)

Cynnergy said:


> This looks really interesting.  If you are finding your T&P valve going a lot, you might want to think about piping in a large radiator with a thermostatic valve on it as a 'heat dump' to release the heat once the water tank gets up to temp.  Or maybe another T&P valve?  You don't want to be in a bind if your only one fails.


Extra T and P is a good idea and will happen this weekend.


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## Walter2 (Feb 21, 2014)

Clarkbug said:


> Are they just soldered copper fittings inside the fire box?


No solder in fire box. The coil is manufactured by hillcoil in New York here is the site. http://www.hilkoil.com/


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## Clarkbug (Feb 22, 2014)

Walter2 said:


> No solder in fire box. The coil is manufactured by hillcoil in New York here is the site. http://www.hilkoil.com/



Thanks Walter.  I thought that was what you had mentioned, but the photo looked very similar to just some copper piping put together in there.  Figured I would ask instead of wonder.  Thanks!


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