need help with water heater exchanger

[jmemmert]

I just bought a woodmaster to heat my poorly insulated farmhouse. I also got a plate exchanger for the domestic water. Is there any way I can setup the plate exchanger on a loop so I can shut off power to my water heater (electric)? I beleive what I am asking about is called convection.

Thanks!!

 

[tanker]

I use a sidearm on my water heater.knocks off about 25.00$ a month off the electric bill when we have the boiler fired up and a sidearm won't plug up due to calcium deposits in hard water

 

[Billy_Bob]

Did the plate exchanger come with instructions?

Beware that water boils at 212 degrees F. and then you get steam. If steam is created, you need to be able to release it or KABOOM! I would find out how hot the water will ever get from the plate exchanger.

Otherwise you can use a pump to circulate warm water into your hot water heater tank. I like the idea of using a solar electric panel and solar hot water circulation controller to do this. This would monitor the temperatures and only circulate water if the woodstove water was warmer than the water in the tank.

 

[tanker]

your hot water will come from your boiler to the water heater first,then go to anything else. the boiler water is separated from your domestic water,hence you use a heat exchanger.the two water systems are completely separate entities.

 

[itn]

it is convection your talking about. I used my drain conection and tee'd my safety to it also. it works very well. my Hot water heater hasn't been turned on for 4 years. i would add a tempering valve on your hot water side to cool your hot water down. the water temp will get close to whatever your boiler temp set point is.

 

[jmemmert]

it is convection your talking about. I used my drain conection and tee'd my safety to it also. it works very well. my Hot water heater hasn't been turned on for 4 years. i would add a tempering valve on your hot water side to cool your hot water down. the water temp will get close to whatever your boiler temp set point is.

I think this is what I am looking to do. Do you have any pics of the setup to help me visualize it better. How high from the ground is your plate exchanger? ANY tips, pics, advice on your setup would help.

Thanks!

 

[Sawmill]

I have a Woodmaster and a plate exchanger also. Mine is hooked up like this, line coming from the furnace goes to the plate heater then to the furnace. Run your fresh water to the plate heater and then to the inlet of your water heater. I don't have tempering vale but if I was you I would add one because the water going into your water heater is just a few degrees cooler the the temp on your furnace. If I was to do it over I would use the return line to the heat exchanger instead of the inlet line from the furnace as the water is cooler Our water heater is shut off and we use use our furnace for hot water year around. We have been gone for 3 or 4 days at a time and have never run out of hot water and I don't have the convection tube on the water heater.

 

[JAL]

I think this is what I am looking to do. Do you have any pics of the setup to help me visualize it better. How high from the ground is your plate exchanger? ANY tips, pics, advice on your setup would help.

Thanks!

Let me try because I have a plan. You will need to put a “T” on the cold water supply pipe and the supply hot water pipe of the hot water heater. Starting with “T” on the hot water supply pipe first install a valve then a 24 volt electric zone control valve. Run pipe to the heat exchanger. Install another valve before the heat exchanger.
From the heat exchanger first install another valve. Then run pipe to the “T” on the supply cold water pipe. Install another valve before you get to the “T” on the supply cold water pipe. Install a clamp-on aquastat between the heat exchanger and the supply cold water pipe. An option would to add a circulator pump after the aquastat to move the water through the heat exchanger. The pump would just make the heating of the domestic not water a little faster as compared to just a convection system.
So the flow of water would be from the hot water supply pipe---> to a valve---> to the electric zone control valve---> to a valve --->to the heat exchanger---> to a valve---> to the aquastat---> to the optional circulator pump---> to a valve---> to the cold water supply pipe.

The aquastat will control the temperature of the water in the hot water heater by opening and closing the electric zone control valve and turning on/off the optional circulator pump.
It’s important to have valves at the “T”s and the heat exchanger in case you need to replace or repair something.

I may or may not of got this right ...been cutting wood all day

 

[jmemmert]

I have a Woodmaster and a plate exchanger also. Mine is hooked up like this, line coming from the furnace goes to the plate heater then to the furnace. Run your fresh water to the plate heater and then to the inlet of your water heater. I don't have tempering vale but if I was you I would add one because the water going into your water heater is just a few degrees cooler the the temp on your furnace. If I was to do it over I would use the return line to the heat exchanger instead of the inlet line from the furnace as the water is cooler Our water heater is shut off and we use use our furnace for hot water year around. We have been gone for 3 or 4 days at a time and have never run out of hot water and I don't have the convection tube on the water heater.

3-4 days! how big is your water heater tank? mine is a 40 gallon. If it can go that long and not run out of hot water, it may not be worth the hassle to run it in a loop.

 

[itn]

i have the central boiler side arm heat exchanger on mine. i believe they have a picture on there website. i'm not familiar with your heat exchanger. I would guess you would want yours located mid range side of your hot water heater for natural convection to work. i have a 40gal water heater 4 people and any time but winter i get by with 3 or 4 decent logs heating my hot water for the entire week. i've had mine with and without a tempering valve and i would recommend installing it. it makes your hot water last longer.

 

[iCreek]

water to water exchanger

Here is how I did my water to water exchanger...., fourth and fifth pic in below thread

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=60148