Hello From Indiana

[Heavy Metal]

'Mornin, my names Troy.

I have a Breckwell Big E that I installed about 4 years ago. I also installed a Breckwell insert stove into my in-laws existing fireplace and I am about to pick up a really NEAT old wood stove just cuz I gottal have it! LOL! It's a very big "Grizzly". Has a really cool grizzly bear figurine made out of cast I believe on the top. Dual opening doors on the front (not unlike a big Fisher I grew up with). I can't wait to get it. Not sure what the heck I'm going to do with it, but it will be a fun project to restore it. Might put in our master bedroom one day, be kind of cool.

I found this forum searching for "heat reclaimers". I'm thinking of trying to find a way to put one on the piping of my Big E as I am about to bring all the exhaust piping into the house and go straight up through the roof. Right now, I 45 out through the side of the house maybe 24" and then up the side of the house about 4'.

Anyway, this is cool, I love the forum thing. I frequent a couple hunting forums and some music/heavy metal forums as well. Don't be scared, I'm a normal guy with a big family....just love crazy music, promise!

Looking forward to checking out the site and sticking around.

Troy

 

[savageactor7]

Hi and welcome, let us know how you make out with the heat reclaimer. Years ago I saw one on MotherEarthNews that had a coil of copper water pipe on top of the stove with a small circulating pump sending it all through the house. That really appealed to me but the wife nixed it. Personally I think water is the better reclaimer compared to any magic heat flue type device...but I'm no expert. But we did have a house with base board hot water heat and to me it was a great type of heat.

 

[Heavy Metal]

Hi and welcome, let us know how you make out with the heat reclaimer. Years ago I saw one on MotherEarthNews that had a coil of copper water pipe on top of the stove with a small circulating pump sending it all through the house. That really appealed to me but the wife nixed it. Personally I think water is the better reclaimer compared to any magic heat flue type device...but I'm no expert. But we did have a house with base board hot water heat and to me it was a great type of heat.

Wow, that would be cool.

I just read a few threads in here regarding heat reclaimers. Seems like their original intention does not exactly line up with a pellet stove and my idea. I seriously doubt by flue temps are anywhere near hot enough for these type of things to turn on. The Magic ones don't seem like a good fit at all. Plus...my pipe is 3" double insulated and every make I've found so far is 6" or 8".

 

[imacman]

Welcome to the forum Troy.

As for the "heat reclaimer" on a pellet stove, it's been discussed here before, but it's not really practical, plus no one makes on for 3 or 4" pipe. The amount of energy you get from the lower temp pellet pipe doesn't cover the electricity used for the fan, and doesn't work all that well anyway.

Anyway, good luck if you do decide to try it, and post some pics of your stoves....we LOVE pics!

 

[Heavy Metal]

Welcome to the forum Troy.

As for the "heat reclaimer" on a pellet stove, it's been discussed here before, but it's not really practical, plus no one makes on for 3 or 4" pipe. The amount of energy you get from the lower temp pellet pipe doesn't cover the electricity used for the fan, and doesn't work all that well anyway.

Anyway, good luck if you do decide to try it, and post some pics of your stoves....we LOVE pics!

Thanks allot. Yup, I think you're right. I really didn't understand what the purpose for a reclaimer was untill reading a few threads here. That's a good point about making up the difference in the cost of running an additional blower. If the thing ever even turned on. What do our stoves flue temps average? I've never tested nor do I have anything to test it with.

 

[jtakeman]

Welcome to the forum Troy.

As for the "heat reclaimer" on a pellet stove, it's been discussed here before, but it's not really practical, plus no one makes on for 3 or 4" pipe. The amount of energy you get from the lower temp pellet pipe doesn't cover the electricity used for the fan, and doesn't work all that well anyway.

Anyway, good luck if you do decide to try it, and post some pics of your stoves....we LOVE pics!

I agree and loads up with the vent ash rather badly. I once cleaned a stove for a friend who had one the previous home owner installed. Made an absolute mess and was loaded with ash. He never did put it back on after I showed him them mess that was in it. His had a temp controlled fan. Most of the time it wasn't even hot enough to turn on the fan. Unless he really cranked the stove. Of coarse all the ash build up could have been some of the issue.

Works better on a wood stove. But I am sure they 2 load up and would need periodic cleaning.

just my 2.

 

[hossthehermit]

Ya need to check out the Magic Heat

 

[imacman]

Ya need to check out the Magic Heat

That's what the OP was referring to. They don't make one for 3" or 4" pipe afaik, plus pellet stove pipes don't get hot enough, plus it would plug up w/ ash.

 

[hossthehermit]

Ya need to check out the Magic Heat

That's what the OP was referring to. They don't make one for 3" or 4" pipe afaik, plus pellet stove pipes don't get hot enough, plus it would plug up w/ ash.

macman, they make pipe adapters that will convert anything to anything. And if there ain't one on the shelf, there's a fab shop around the corner that will make one.

 

[imacman]

macman, they make pipe adapters that will convert anything to anything. And if there ain't one on the shelf, there's a fab shop around the corner that will make one.

Yes, I'm sure it could be made to work, however, even the ones that are used as they were originally intended for wood stoves, etc, never lived up to their billing. Not enough heat recovery, plus you have to run a fan to make it work.

Oh, and BTW, what is the EVL of it when you stick in the vent stream? A plain 90 is EVL of 5, so I magine that thing making the gases go around all those pipes must be higher than that. It's also reported to be noisy, so you're going to be listening to 3 fans running.

And what happens when it starts to get plugged-up with ash? It was never designed to be cleaned inside, afaik.

 

[Heavy Metal]

Thanks for the tips guys.

Sooooo....how 'bout those Midshipmen??? GO NAVY