PullmanWhitman
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Posts:3
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| 11/16/2007 5:41 PM |
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As we get ready to build our retirement home, I have the following idea. There are a number of companies manufacturing what I call "outdoor wood burning furnaces." They are well insulated, and the device would be outside the house, and not in the house. Has anyone heard of, or have experience, using such a device to pump warmed water through concrete floors? In theory, it works; but, I'm a neophyte to this.
Thanks |
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NRT.Rob
Registered Users
Posts:386
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| 11/16/2007 5:43 PM |
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Many of those boilers are in the process of being outlawed due to high particulate emissions which bother the neighbors. So if you get one, you want to get a good one.
It's more involved than just pumping the water into the floors (since the water can hit 200 degrees!), but it's definitely doable. |
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-=Northeast Radiant Technology=-
NRTradiant.com |
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PullmanWhitman
Registered Users
Posts:3
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| 11/16/2007 5:49 PM |
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Thank you for making me aware of that trend.
Steven |
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radiantbarrier
Registered Users
Posts:32
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| 11/17/2007 7:17 AM |
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| There are new wood gasification furnaces that are not only extremely efficient but also very clean burning. they have surpassed EPA regulations and are a wonderful alternative to fossil fuels . It is true that some "cheap" outdoor wood furnaces are very heavy polluters, high quality outdoor wood furnaces are very benifical to the environment. Please see link to learn more about the newest in outdoor furnaces. the best of the best. it hooks iinto radiant heating very easily and makes a super efficient system. |
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bigelow
Registered Users
Posts:13
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| 11/19/2007 10:44 AM |
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I know a guy in New Brunswick, Canada who did just what you are talking about. I don't know much about radian systems, but I have seen his. He's a plumber of sorts (not residential) and did the system himself. His manifolds were quite extensive, but the whole system looked pretty good. They love it and say it works great.
when I think retirement home I dont' think about outdoor boilers. They can take a fierce amount of large timbers to keep going. |
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radiantbarrier
Registered Users
Posts:32
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| 11/19/2007 11:00 AM |
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That is why we are trying to educate people about newer products on the market. Gasification models are very efficient, they are not your grandfathers furnaces !
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key
Registered Users
Posts:1
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| 11/19/2007 11:29 AM |
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| I have had alot of success with combo units, e.g. wood/electric. It is important to almost undersize the wood boiler, due to the fact that once the mass is heated it will not require large amounts of heat to maintain temp. |
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NRT.Rob
Registered Users
Posts:386
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| 11/19/2007 5:54 PM |
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You can always use a storage tank as well, which allows you to get a "clean burn" every time you fire the boiler.
That's space and cash intensive in a lot of cases, but it's undeniably a superior method on the technical merit alone at least. |
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-=Northeast Radiant Technology=-
NRTradiant.com |
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hambone
Registered Users
Posts:3
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| 11/20/2007 5:59 AM |
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| How big of a storage tank would you recommend? |
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NRT.Rob
Registered Users
Posts:386
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| 11/20/2007 9:54 AM |
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well, looking at the more respected wood boiler manufacturer's lit, many times they can be as big as 1000 gallons or more. Usually those are site-built tanks with coils of copper placed in them. Actual sizing would depend on how much heat you're looking to dump and store.
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-=Northeast Radiant Technology=-
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Eric Moldenhauer
Registered Users
Posts:20
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| 11/23/2007 12:49 AM |
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NRT.Rob
Instead of placing copper coils inside of a storage tank [anyone price it lately...whoah!!!] (I assume it requires 2 fluid pumps, 1 for furnace & 1 for heat exchangers), why not just circulate fluid from furnace to tank and do the same with exchanger circuit? If the tank is vented for <1psi max. and near zero vacuum and allowed approx. 10% vapor space for thermal expansion/contraction...exchanger circuit pump operates during thermostat demand, furnace pump circulates on lower volume or (possibly) high temp sensor inline on/inside furnace. Seems simple and less expensive. Thoughts? |
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NRT.Rob
Registered Users
Posts:386
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| 11/26/2007 10:08 AM |
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| The tank is usually the big expense. To then NOT make the heating system a closed, pressurized system would be "penny wise and pound foolish", IMHO. unpressurized systems are open to oxygen diffusion (meaning all pumps must be non-ferrous reducing your savings, increasing replacement costs, reducing glycol lifespan if used) and more important are much more prone to air problems. If you have any backup heat source it too must be completely non-ferrous if it's not in a closed, pressurized system. |
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-=Northeast Radiant Technology=-
NRTradiant.com |
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