Redneck pool heater 3.0

[NS Gearhead]

What do you guys think of this?;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXeDY2WS-yw

I'm thinking the copper coil could go inside the upper part of the chimney. Perhaps not as efficient as my wood burner, but I can get free oil, and I like that it would work with much less nursing, therefore run more often and longer. I'd build mine out of another 45gal drum, cut down and re-welded. Maybe remove 1/3 height. Some chimney lengths, 2" exhaust pipe, and a damper/ filler. I could make that in an afternoon. Copper's cost is the only sticking point....and gauges... but I could tear the wood burner apart.

 

[sodamo]

Not pretty, but got a start on mine. This will be a solar loop. Also started a new thread.

David
Sent from my iPad Air using TractorByNet

 

[NS Gearhead]

Before


after


Screwed up the hinges... door don't open. LOL


Start of the draft


...and this is when my last jig saw blade broke. That decided I was done for the day. LOL

 

[NS Gearhead]

Couple really sunny, hot days... so took two days vacation to finish this and heat the pool






Man, the heat sure warped the door!




Perhaps some light angle iron top and bottom... I hate to do it... that new front section sure added a lot of weight!

 

[muddstopper]

30 ft of pipe. I hung this off the side of my wood heater and connected to a 40gal hotwater heater. Circulation is obtained thru natural convection. I can get 180*F hot water out of this. No pumps, no wires. To connect to the hot water heater, I removed the popoff valve and installed a tee. I thin reinstalled the popoff valve into the tee. The other side of the tee is connected to the top run of my collector/worm/heat exchanger (pick a name). I then removed the drain valve from the hotwater heater and installed another tee and then reinstalled the drain valve. To the tee, I connected the bottom run of my copper pipe coils. For the pool, I think if you just connected a hose to the coil of copper pipe at the bottom of the coil and dropped the pipe over the edge of the pool, and connected another hose to the top of the coil and dropped it in the other edge of the pool, keeping both pipes below water level, then as the stove heats the water in the pipe, it should siphon water from the poll and return the heated water back into the pool thru the opposite end of the heat exchanger. Placing the pipes at opposite side of the pool should give you some sort of circulation and mixing. Its a pretty simple setup and it works. You might have to install a check valve on the bottom side of the worm to prevent drainback into the pool, but it should work

 

[NS Gearhead]

Done for the season now... pool's draining as we speak. It's getting down into single digits at night and I'm quickly running out of fire wood. LOL

 

[boggen]

say 1/2" to 1/4" under pool. hard board styrofoam, will more likely be more than plenty, underneath. ground has a natural tempature of 55 degrees F temp. a piece of insulation, kinda helps slows down the heat loose.

on the sides, being it is a round stake pool, bubble wrap, can work nicely, or thin 1/4" or thinner sheets, (multi sheets layered) thin hard board sheets are more likely to bend, before they start breaking / cracking vs thicker sheets.

wind chill, keeping the wind off can have huge effects on temperatures.

a solar blanket or like for top. is important, lots of heat loss there. have seen a few "floating" green houses, hard board insulation as floats, pvc pipe as frame work, and a thicker clear plastic tossed over and wrapped over the frame.

 

[Leyenda30]

Done for the season now... pool's draining as we speak. It's getting down into single digits at night and I'm quickly running out of fire wood. LOL

NS,

Just some food for thought during the winter...you might find some ideas with the rocket stove concept for less wood use and more heat. Also, a hand held infarred thermometer might help seeing where heat is lost in the system. Have you considered burnt motor oil drip for fuel. I know you mentioned oil but didn't notice what source. Good luck.

JP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wqJQmD-eVo

 

[Sodo]

I did a similar pool heater for a similar pool. Instead of coiled copper pipe (for the exchanger) I used a cast iron steam radiator that I bought at a local recycled building materials store for $25.



I chose one that fits within the size of a 55gal drum, but haven't built that part of the project. I set it over a campfire for a first test and it worked great. Had to stoke the fire all day, packing the wood UNDER the radiator which was laid across the fire like a cooking grille. It was a lot of work, but it proved the concept. I'm certain it will work better in a drum but doubt its as efficient as copper pipe. I filled the pool with gravity-fed creek water, running all the fill water thru the heater.

Haven't yet acquired a 55gal drum to continue the project. Kids may outgrow the pool if I don't hurry up… but the plan is to use it for an in-ground hot tub someday.

My plan for the drum burner was to have 3 vertical stacks, where two are capped, and full of firewood that self-feeds.

 

[NS Gearhead]

Well I've got a little over two chords of firewood, cut, split and stacked. We'll see how long it lasts heating the pool next year. The plan is to start harvesting for 2016 in the spring to try to get ahead and give more time to season the wood.