| Wood stove hot water heaters have started | | | | domestic water tank for obvious reasons. |
| gaining popularity again, especially in Northern parts | | | | However, by using a wood stove heat exchanger, |
| of United States owing to spiraling prices of Oil | | | | one can effectively and safely transfer the heat |
| and Gas based fuels. The rise in prices and the | | | | from hot fluid coming from the boiler to heat |
| fact that most of the fuels used for heating | | | | drinking water supply or water tank. During the |
| today are non-renewable has forced many people | | | | heat exchange process heated fluid flows inside |
| to look at alternatives, which are renewable in | | | | the wood stove heat exchanger form one end |
| nature like firewood, corn or wood pellets. While | | | | and colder fluid from the other. The highly brazed |
| there was skepticism initially about the use of | | | | surfaces of the plates of this heat exchanger |
| wood stoves and boilers, EPA's support has | | | | create maximum turbulence in the flowing fluids |
| helped many manufacturers to come up with | | | | and therefore allows for maximum transfer of |
| highly efficient yet cost effective designs. | | | | heat without any physical contact between the |
| Another advantage of using a wood burning stove | | | | two. |
| or boiler unit is that it eliminates the need for | | | | One of the major problems that are resolved by |
| indoor heating and helps prevent various kinds of | | | | using a brazed plate type heat exchanger is that |
| breathing related ailments caused by inhaling | | | | of the pressure difference between the outer |
| particulate matter like ash and harmful gases like | | | | loop (boiler) and inner loop (home). The outer loop |
| Carbon monoxide and Carbon dioxide. An outdoor | | | | is generally non-pressurized (maintained at |
| wood burning stove or furnace for this particular | | | | atmospheric pressure) whereas the inner loop is |
| reason is well suited and placed at least 30 feet | | | | pressurized. Another huge advantage that a wood |
| away from the house. | | | | stove heat exchanger enjoys over some of the |
| How it works? Well, wood or wooden pellets or | | | | traditional heat exchangers like tube and shell heat |
| corn is fed into the boiler and allowed to burn at a | | | | exchangers is that of the space requirement |
| controlled rate by automatically manipulating the | | | | which in case of the former can be as little as 1/6 |
| rate of air flow and temperature of fluid flowing in | | | | of the latter of similar capacity. Needless to say, a |
| the jacket of the boiler. This jacket consists of | | | | wood stove heat exchanger is safer and easier |
| pipes filled with water or glycol based liquid on the | | | | to maintain too. |
| outer surface of the boiler. The heat produced by | | | | A wood stove heat exchanger helps in quick |
| combustion of wood inside the boiler is picked up | | | | transfer of heat from the outdoor boiler and then |
| by the fluid flowing inside the jacket and is then | | | | sends back the colder water for reheating. Most |
| transferred via underground insulated pipes to a | | | | of the wood stove based boilers today come |
| heat exchanger which further transfers the heat | | | | equipped with thermostats and similar devices. |
| to the desired areas. | | | | These devices help in controlling the temperature, |
| Now where at all can such a system be used? | | | | ensuring uniform heating throughout the day and |
| Well, it can be used in domestic as well as smaller | | | | in increasing the efficiency of the entire setup |
| commercial establishments where maximum | | | | resulting in savings on energy and heating costs. It |
| pressure never exceeds 435psig and the | | | | has been estimated that savings of up to 70% in |
| maximum operating temperature remains below | | | | domestic heating costs can be achieved by using |
| 430F. | | | | a wood stove heat exchanger along with an |
| So what role does a wood stove heat exchanger | | | | outdoor wood burning stove or wood furnace |
| play here? It is highly efficient and compact and | | | | when compared with the more commonly used oil |
| therefore best suited for smaller establishments | | | | or propane fired boilers using traditional heat |
| and domestic usage. The heated fluid cannot be | | | | exchangers. |
| mixed with the drinking water supply or the | | | | |