How Do You Connect an Old Coal Stove to Domestic Hot Water?

 
Stevie
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Post by Stevie » Sat. Sep. 07, 2013 4:25 pm

I recently bought an old Prizer Royal coal stove with a hot water jacket. I want to either connect to my existing gas hot water tank or setup a separate hot water tank and tie it in to the domestic lines. I have provided a photo of the stove (attached). The hot water jacket is on the left hand side rear of stove and has supply and return 3/4" nipples. I have tied to get local plumbers and HVAC folks out to look at but they all say the same thing you need to find an old timer to hook this up. Well I am not an old timer but I remember firing an old Johnny Stove for hot water and showers when I was boy and it was connected to a hot water tank by gravity flow. It’s been years since I've seen this setup but I know it can be done. Can anyone send me some schematics on how to go about this as I intend to do it myself now. Any assistance and suggestions would be appreciated.

I also need some suggestions on how to clean the hot water jacket lines as there is some hard water deposits in the line which will reduce water flow unless I clean them out.

I would like to get this done before the cold weather sets in. Thanks in advance.

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My stove

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freetown fred
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Post by freetown fred » Sat. Sep. 07, 2013 4:40 pm

Can't help with your hook-up, but---nice stove :)

 
franco b
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Post by franco b » Sat. Sep. 07, 2013 5:04 pm

This might help. I see the gravity setup but I do not see the cold in. Also needs a relief valve.

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Lightning
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Post by Lightning » Sat. Sep. 07, 2013 5:15 pm

Here is a temper tank that I installed in series with my electric hot water tank. The trick is to get bottom of the tank level or higher with the water coil so it will naturally circulate thru the coil without a pump as you'll notice in the pics :D

Hot Water Coil Project

 
Stevie
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Post by Stevie » Sat. Sep. 07, 2013 5:18 pm

franco b wrote:This might help. I see the gravity setup but I do not see the cold in. Also needs a relief valve.
Thanks this is a start. I know there are folks out there that can help me with this item. I just want our home to be self sufficient if the electric goes out or worse yet the grid goes down completely.

 
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Short Bus
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Post by Short Bus » Sat. Sep. 07, 2013 7:06 pm

Just sold my stove an tank combination.

Don't fire that stove with a dry water jacket the casting will fail fairly soon.

Slope the pipe up out of the top port of the water jacket to the upper part of the hot water tank. The line from the bottom port should be flat or slope down from the bottom of the tank to the water jacket. Extra plumbing should be kept to a minimum on these runs.

I would not use a insulated tank, my system made steam in cold weather and I used a fan on the tank to cool the water. My grandmother ran the pipes thought the wall into the bathroom so the tank could be in there to help warm the room.

I would use bell reducers and plumb the system with 1" pipe as soon as I left the water jacket, gravity circulation likes oversized pipe for flow.

A temperature and pressure relief like you have on your electric tank is always a good plan.

Plumb from the top of this side arm tank into the cold water port on your electric tank. Electric tanks are insulated very well to prove this turn yours off this evening and you will be able to take a shower in the morning with no problem.

 
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Post by blrman07 » Sun. Sep. 08, 2013 8:22 am

Very nicely done Shortbus! They are easy to pipe up IF your water heater tank inlet is at the same level or higher than the stove water pipe inlet. The hot out from the stove goes into the top of the water tank. DO NOT FIRE the stove without the water piping being hooked up to the stove or you will burn out the water chamber. :o

Rev. Larry


 
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McGiever
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Post by McGiever » Sun. Sep. 08, 2013 8:26 am

For sure, plumb in a T /P [temp/pressure] valve...and it needs to be right next to stove and NO shut off valves between stove and T/P valve...if the T/ P were to be isolated from stove there could be a violent explosion. :oops2:

 
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freetown fred
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Post by freetown fred » Sun. Sep. 08, 2013 8:31 am

Nice pix of your kitchen franco b---kinda Spartan, but I like it ;)
franco b wrote:This might help. I see the gravity setup but I do not see the cold in. Also needs a relief valve.

 
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Post by franco b » Sun. Sep. 08, 2013 9:42 am

freetown fred wrote:Nice pix of your kitchen franco b---kinda Spartan, but I like it ;)
franco b wrote:This might help. I see the gravity setup but I do not see the cold in. Also needs a relief valve.
Yes a vertical theme can be attractive if you carry it through all the elements. Proper lighting is also important to get the right balance between natural and artificial.

 
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Post by Stevie » Sun. Sep. 08, 2013 1:02 pm

Thanks to everyone but especially Shortbus.

I think I have a better understanding on what to do. One other quick question. I will not have the water tank on the same floor level. My plan is to drill through the masonary to the basement. I would like to have the hot water tank directly below the stove. As you can see the stove is set on brick. The tank would be directly below it against the wall in the basement.

"Do you think I will need a circulating pump or will there be enough thermal flow to allow proper circulation for the system?"

Our gas hot water heater is also in the basement so I plan to connect this hot water tank to our gas hot water heater. I would prefer to keep both tanks on the same floor level.

 
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Lightning
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Post by Lightning » Sun. Sep. 08, 2013 1:12 pm

I'm pretty sure the temper tank needs to be above or at the same level as the stove for the thermo siphon to work.

 
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McGiever
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Post by McGiever » Sun. Sep. 08, 2013 8:58 pm

Stevie wrote: Do you think I will need a circulating pump or will there be enough thermal flow to allow proper circulation for the system?
Yes, you will need a circ. pump...will never work without one.

 
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Post by blrman07 » Sun. Sep. 08, 2013 11:40 pm

Thermosyphon will only work when the heated water can rise and the cooler water can fall. You can't get heated water to fall to a tank lower than the heat source.

Rev. Larry

 
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McGiever
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Post by McGiever » Mon. Sep. 09, 2013 4:36 pm

The circ. pump needs to be brass or stainless...never cast iron in a open loop circuit, such as this. :)
New oxygen is continualy being added with the new water...and oxygen = corrosion to iron/steel.


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