Hydronic heating system tied to fireplac
I am building a new home that will have in-floor hydronic heating. I also intend to install a back-up wood fireplace insert. Is there a way to connect the two systems, so when my fireplace is burning the heat is being transferred into the hydronic system. My best guess would be to use a heat exchanger. Is there an off the shelf product that would allow me to do this?
Replies
Mark, since no one else has made a post yet let me add my 2c worth. First I am a DIY'er not a plumber but I did try to do something like that years ago with my heating system. I bought a "hydro-grate" and plumbed it into my living room zone. Man was I proud of my plumbing skills, I found without a fire my fireplace was nice and toasty when the thermostat called for heat. I decided one evening to build a fire in the fireplace, not a small fire either. In about thirty minutes I heard the boiler out in the garage banging (sounded like it was jumping up and down) and the overtemp relief valve was venting a jet hot water and steam out in the garage. I ended up replacing the boiler not long after that fiasco, and expensive lesson.
I had forgot about the resulting pressure/temperature out of a closed loop. I would not do that unless you had some way to hold a very large quantity of water maybe 500-1000 gallon insulated tank on a separate loop and moderate the temp. out of that to your zone/s, otherwise you will be in trouble big time. Get a plumber or steamfitter to help with the design and or install.
Jim
I have never seen a safe setup or product to do this. Doesn't mean it doesn't exist, but unless you have a truly bulletproof idea going on, this is a BAD IDEA.
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Back in the seventies after the first oil crunch people were trying all sorts of things hooked up to their fireplaces and wood stoves and a lot of them worked. In ngland they have big gas cooking stoves ( one is names AGA) and they have a heating system built into it.. If you build one, remember when water heats up it expands and it has to expand into something which is why they have expansion tanks. The real old boilers without pumps had really big tanks.
roger