outside furnace

Glennbear · 08-30-2008, 11:50 AM

In an effort to offset winter utility bills and put some of the wood on my property and cutoffs to better use I have been thinking of using an outside furnace for supplemental heating in the shop. A wood stove inside for various reasons is not an option. My research so far shows that commercial units are water jacketed and far above my budget. IRRC years ago I saw a homebuilt unit using a cast iron wood stove as a core and sand for thermal mass with imbedded piping for heat transfer. Does anyone have experience with out side units, commercial or otherwise ? Thanks

woodnick · 08-30-2008, 03:06 PM

I've thought about doing this same thing. What I was thinking of doing, was to use the plans for the 2 55 gal drums that are stacked on top of each other. Then running the water pipes throught the top drum and around the shop as baseboard or to a heat exchanger, using a hot water circulater pump to move the water. You will need to use antifreeze in the water. Bottom line is this will work very well!

Gotcha6 · 08-30-2008, 03:26 PM

These systems are easy to install but you need to be sure you have proper safety devices on them. Some commercially built water jacketed units do not use pressure tanks and rely on atmospheric pressure only. They do not require temperature & pressure relief valves to avert an explosion. Keep that in mind if you build a unit yourself. Also, an expansion tank & pressure reducing backflow will be needed for enclosed systems to maintain water supply and avoid contaminating your potable water. Oh - and don't forget to use bleeder valves in the system at the high points to avoid air pockets.

jeff... · 08-30-2008, 07:48 PM

Here is one at tractor supply even though I don't think this is an outside unit - I've looked at this one a few times - seems well built and I could be used as a supplement if not a main heat source for a average sized home.

Outa Square · 08-30-2008, 08:29 PM

My brother in law has an outdoor furnace. It works great, almost too good. Insteaded of runing out of hot water you have to ration showers to insure the water doesn't get too hot. Some times you can't get enough cold water. I am sure that that is something a additional tank would solve if it was a recurring problem.

His is a an older commercial unit with modifications. It appears to have a fire chamber that is inclosed by a large oil tank. He heats his whole house and supplys hot water aswell. His heat and water is supplemented by natural gas which is never used. His gas bill has been the minimum charge for the last 4 years. The only other gas appliance he has is a backup generator.

It works for him as he gets fire wood given to him and he gets wood from the mulch yard at the city where he lives. It's amazing what winds up there.

The advantages is his power and gas bills are low. The disadvantages are the time required. During the year he splits and puts up a lot of wood. During the winter he has to tend to the fire three to four times a day, which it holds heat well so once before bed time and then when he wakes up and couple of times during the day. Once just to remove ashes. During the summer he keeps a small fire going just to heat water, usually in the evenings after supper.

The smoke is another issue his neighbor has one and it smokes and spits ash when the fire gets low. Its not so bad if you keep it burning as opposed smoltering.

It works for him... as for me i think about getting one evertime i get my gas bill in dec, jan, and feb; then i for get about it when i am laying in bed at 6 am know that my brother-in-law is out tending the furnace.

You can get units that you can heat multiple houses so maybe if i could purchase one and get my nieghbor to tend it it would work or run lines from my bil place in halifax county to here 200 miles away. If i insulate the lines well enough that should work

walnutjerry · 08-30-2008, 11:36 PM

Glenn---------I have a Taylor water stove outside . I used it before installing a heat pump to heat my house and shop. Had baseboard heat and it did a real good job. It also provided domestic hot water via a coil submerged in the resavour (spelling?). It will handle up to 3500 sq. ft. Works better with dry wood, green wood leaves that "tar" build up in the tubes and breaching-----------and it is a bear to clean out.

Hope the info at the beginning is some help.

Jerry

walnutjerry · 08-30-2008, 11:47 PM

Here is another site----------they are m

Elizabethtown, North Carolina

ade here in NC (Elizabethtown)

McRabbet · 08-31-2008, 06:55 AM

I have a friend who lives on Old Jenks Rd. in Apex that had one that he stoked twice every day during the winter months to help heat his large home. He had a neighbor fill in for him once and something went awry on damper settings and he burned part of the house down and smoke damaged the rest....

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