Hi guys,
I posted awhile with some questions about a fireplace insert, and the result was pretty much that without major HVAC rework, I would not only be unable to heat my house very well but would also create safety issues not to mention code violations. Thanks guys, maybe you saved my life!! So that idea pretty much went out the window. Since, I have been trying to figure out a new way to use all this wood I have to enjoyably keep my house toasty warm.
So from the header you already know the gist of it...
The idea is to build a barrel stove, but not any barrel stove....I read an article where someone put a 30 gallon drum inside a 55 gallon drum, to create a more controlled burn, apparently with good results. They filled the space with sand. Here is the link: (broken link removed)
So I am wondering, if I did this, and instead of (or in addition to?) the sand, I put 50 or so feet of 1/2" copper tubing wound around the small barrel, plumbed with an expansion tank, filled with antifreeze solution, with a freshwater feed and a thermostat-controlled circulating pump, to a heat exchanger that lived in my HVAC plenum, what do you think would happen?
My HVAC fan runs 24/7 on a low setting to prevent stratification in the house and to keep the finished basement from getting damp. No need to wire to force the fan on or off. I could manually turn the fan off with my HVAC thermostat if I got too hot, not sure if that would ever even happen.
The barrel stove would live outside on the cement pad under my covered deck to stay "mostly" dry, but would definitely be out in the cold. Not sure what to do about the flue and how much of a draft would really need to be created (read: single wall flue). Probably supported by my deck with big standoffs.
I am a confident DIY'er and have no doubt I could build it....but, question is.. would it work??
Thanks for reading,
Mike
I posted awhile with some questions about a fireplace insert, and the result was pretty much that without major HVAC rework, I would not only be unable to heat my house very well but would also create safety issues not to mention code violations. Thanks guys, maybe you saved my life!! So that idea pretty much went out the window. Since, I have been trying to figure out a new way to use all this wood I have to enjoyably keep my house toasty warm.
So from the header you already know the gist of it...
The idea is to build a barrel stove, but not any barrel stove....I read an article where someone put a 30 gallon drum inside a 55 gallon drum, to create a more controlled burn, apparently with good results. They filled the space with sand. Here is the link: (broken link removed)
So I am wondering, if I did this, and instead of (or in addition to?) the sand, I put 50 or so feet of 1/2" copper tubing wound around the small barrel, plumbed with an expansion tank, filled with antifreeze solution, with a freshwater feed and a thermostat-controlled circulating pump, to a heat exchanger that lived in my HVAC plenum, what do you think would happen?
My HVAC fan runs 24/7 on a low setting to prevent stratification in the house and to keep the finished basement from getting damp. No need to wire to force the fan on or off. I could manually turn the fan off with my HVAC thermostat if I got too hot, not sure if that would ever even happen.
The barrel stove would live outside on the cement pad under my covered deck to stay "mostly" dry, but would definitely be out in the cold. Not sure what to do about the flue and how much of a draft would really need to be created (read: single wall flue). Probably supported by my deck with big standoffs.
I am a confident DIY'er and have no doubt I could build it....but, question is.. would it work??
Thanks for reading,
Mike