Indirect Water Heater

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Does anyone use an Indirect water heater to preheat their domestic hot water and if so how do you like it and what kind do you have? emory

-- Emory (NE PA) (et@hazleton.net), April 11, 2002

Answers

this isnt what your talking about, but I have an old gas waterheater, thermostat was blown, I put some bricks around the bottom, to lift it up, and burna wood fire under that, ,I use it for hot water in my shed

-- Stan (sopal@net-pert.com), April 11, 2002.

Our cold water out of the well here is really, really cold. About 32.0001 degrees...

So two days ago, on a trip to town, I discovered that Sam's Club is selling black garden hose at an attractive price. $21.67 for a 125- foot length.

It is 5/8" diam. hose, not the 3/4" that I would have preferred. But I calculated that 125' of 5/8" means there is two gallons of fluid in at a given time. So I bought four lengths and, if it ever warms up here (we're still getting -15F nights, and occasionally -20), and the snow melts off the roof, then...

I will run two loops of 250' each of black hose up and down the roof. (This is a summer situation only). A double adapter at each end will split the cold water into the two loops and then re-join the moderately warmed water before it enters the water heater. The reason for the two loops is to maintain reasonable water pressure.

I hope it works. Total cost will be $21.67 x 4 plus a few more dollars for the splitters/joiners.

-- Audie (paxtours@alaska.net), April 12, 2002.


This is for Audie at Paxtours. If you need 3/4 inch black hose, you can get 100' lengths of plastic pipe at Home depot in Anchorage for about 8 bucks. I run 800 feet from my house well to the greenhouses, down hill most of the way and even though it freezes up at night now, the pipe does not break and by noon, the black pipe will gather enough solar energy to thaw. Last night it hit 12 above and today only 32 with a raw wind, but lots of sunlight so I was able to get water running by early afternoon. By the way, Hope Arctic man is not interfering with your lifestyle.

-- Mac in AK (nospam@no.spam), April 12, 2002.

for the hose, if you had an old window, you could build a hot box for it, paint the inside of the hot box black , and lay the hose in there, it will work to below freezing, as long as snow doesnt cover the window, (think cold frame, except not as deep , and with a bottom) , its just a box, with a window on top, lay the hose down inside...

we all know how hot a green hose can get in the summer sun, well, our water hose last got over 115 degrees!!!, iwould ran the hot water into a insulated tank, keep warm for a long time!! or better yet, if you had an old water heater....

-- Beth Van Stiphout (willosnake@hotmail.com), April 12, 2002.


I've also read about using manure (if you have access to a lot!) to heat water. Just bury the hose under a couple of feet of manure, and the composting action will heat your water.

-- Laura Jensen (lrjensen@nwlink.com), April 12, 2002.


Thanks, I think, Mac-in-AK (sounds like a strait in Michigan!).

You know, one of my justifications for heading to town - Fairbanks - is that Home Depot finally had opened a store there. I went there expressly to look for just such plack pipe/tubing, and they hadn't any. So I settled for the Sam's Club black garden hose. At least that saves me the cost of a few fittings. But I think I'll keep the rolls unopened until I get down to Anchorage in 3-4 weeks, when I'll see what Home Depot and Lowe's have. ArcticMan this weekend is a big mess. It's nice and cold and clear, but there is not enough snow - word is the race course has rocks. Not so good when you're going 89mph... Two more days and all those yahoos will be out of here for another 359 days.

-- Audie (paxtours@alaska.net), April 12, 2002.


Actually what an indirect water heater is is an insulated tank that your boiler water flows into and it has a coil of copper or stainless tubing that your domestic water flows through and it is supposed to get hot enough to supply all your hot water needs so your regular water heater dosn't have to kick on. I was thinking of hooking one up to my outside wood furnace as the side arm just dosn't supply me with enough hot water. However, I do appreciate your rather unique answers. emory

-- Emory (NE PA) (et@hazleton.net), April 12, 2002.

Are you talking a counter current heat exchanger?

-- BC (desertdweller44@yahoo.com), April 12, 2002.

Yes, thats sort of how it works. An example of one is at the following site http://www.crownboiler.com/products/indirect/index.asp

-- Emory (NE PA) (et@hazleton.net), April 12, 2002.

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