Outdoor wood boilers/furnances

[flyingcow]

And, yes you can build your own heat banks. Make your own HX's. Coil 180 ft of copper tubing into tank and you have an HX. The guys at hearth have seen/done it all.

 

[DRL]

pressurized storage actually seems simpler to me, you don't have to have heat exchanger coils and all of that. The same water going through the boiler is what is going to the radiators or whatever you have. Even un-pressurized tanks will have at least one expansion tank on the boiler loop. You also have at least one less pump with a pressurized system.

I have been looking into this and the reason I will probably go with non-pressurized tanks is because I can build them in place. No way to go a 500 or 1000 gallon tank into my basement.

Thanks, had not thought about using the same fluid, no heat exchanger. Like you, I like the idea of building my own. I like to experiment so if I want to play with solar, waste oil or what ever I can just throw another coil in and have another heat source. Also another coil gives me DHW. I've been thinking of using SIPs (structural insulated panels). Ring them with angle iron for strength, and line them with a membrane, like the sheets you make shower pans out of, or pond liners. Should be WELL insulated.

DRL

 

[flyingcow]

Thanks, had not thought about using the same fluid, no heat exchanger. Like you, I like the idea of building my own. I like to experiment so if I want to play with solar, waste oil or what ever I can just throw another coil in and have another heat source. Also another coil gives me DHW. I've been thinking of using SIPs (structural insulated panels). Ring them with angle iron for strength, and line them with a membrane, like the sheets you make shower pans out of, or pond liners. Should be WELL insulated.

DRL

the link to soalrtechnics, he makes custom liners too. Pond liners are ok, but don't hold up as well as what he has. Hearth.com has a lot of info on that type of ideas. A lot DIY's there.

 

[Peacock]

To me my CB5036 is perfect. No mess inside, no water heater and regardless of temperature I feed it at most 2 times per day.

I'm the type of guy that will go for a walk on the worst day of the year, plus I have animals to feed, so going outside is not a problem.