DIY heating system with hot water


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Old 07-31-11, 09:23 AM
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DIY heating system with hot water

My apartment now presently uses electricity to heat. In addition to being very expensive, it is inefficient and does not produce a comfortable kind of heat.

I would like to make a hot water/radiator system for the apartment using a natural gas inline water heater, a water tank and then piping and heat exchanges to release this wonderful heat into my room. My questions:

Even with no heat, my apartment is very unlikely to reach freezing temperatures, and certainly not for a long enough time to freeze the water in the system. Should I use antifreeze anyway? Which is better for heat storage?

I think the parts to make this are going to be pretty standard and easy to come by. The tricky part is going to be to find a way to change the mechanism that starts the fire from a pressure sensitive sensor to a temperature controlled one. Does anyone have any idea of technologies that would work?

Can I use the hot water pvc piping for this?
 
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Old 07-31-11, 09:58 AM
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I would like to make a hot water/radiator system for the apartment using a natural gas inline water heater
Hi,

They have hot water heaters with space heating taps.

Do you have gas availible? Will you be able to put the water heater someplace that conforms to combustion air codes? Venting codes...etc....???

Are you able to run a continuous loop around the perimiter of the apartment?

Let us know.

Mike NJ
 
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Old 07-31-11, 10:29 AM
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Key word here is APARTMENT ... which means that you probably don't own the property. As such, what you are talking about has all sorts of potential for LIABILITY and I wouldn't recommend you experiment with anything like this for that reason.
 
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Old 07-31-11, 10:52 AM
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The OP's profile seems to indicate they are in China. Not all apartments are rentals. Clarification will help.

You don't need to worry about the water freezing as long as your apartment is kept warm.
 
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Old 07-31-11, 04:03 PM
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Thanks! I do rent my apartment but it is an unfurnished shell, meaning that not only does it not have furniture but also does not light fixtures, flooring and heating or a/c. Fortunately it does have a toilet and sink but they usually don't. Because of that I am expected/allowed to do some kinds of remodeling that would be out of the question if you rented an apartment in the U.S.

I would put this hot water heater in the kitchen, where I already have an inline hot water heater, with the proper venting. I will try to check with code but that is not so easy to do here.
 
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Old 07-31-11, 04:56 PM
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Ni hao,


How big is the apartment? Possibly one of these in the center room. Need to vent though and have enough combustion air remember.

Amazon.com: 25K BTU GAS STOVE DUAL FUEL: Kitchen & Dining

And it may be too big for a apartment in China from what I hear about the size of them. But I could be wrong.

Wo-duh ming-d'zih

Mike NJ
 
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Old 08-13-11, 03:14 AM
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The fireplace idea is awesome - the exhaust would be an issue. This idea is becoming easier and easier as I think about it. Thanks to the comments about code and safety made here, I have decided to put the hot water heater (i.e. combustion center) in the kitchen, which is already ducted for exhaust and fresh air. I have 2 issues left to resolve before i begin. The first - I need to find a water pump that will pump water that is close to boiling temperature (boiling will be the max temp). I can regulate the temperature of the water on the hot water heater - it will not likely reach boiling - but I want a water pump that will handle that amount of heat. What kind of technology can I borrow this kind of pump from? I will be using 1/2" tubing. Total tubing length will be about 60' with 4 radiators interspersed. The highest point the water will rise to (head) will be 36" The flow rate of my hot water heater is 11 liters per minute but I am considering getting one that produces up to 16 liters per minutes. My second question is where can I borrow a thermostat for this? I think the hwh is activated by a drop in pressure. I need it to be fired up when the room temp goes below 70 degrees F. I am guessing that a/c technology might be a good place to start? An adjustable thermostat would be adequate, remote control would be really nice...but I would settle for a fixed temperature cut off for starters.
 
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Old 08-13-11, 09:01 AM
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For the record, I am VERY uncomfortable about giving advice on this project.

There is MUCH you must study, based on some things you have said.

You claim that you already have 'ducting' for exhaust and fresh air. How so? Is this the ducting for the existing water heater?

Do you plan to remove the existing water heater and install a larger or different one? Or are you planning on venting BOTH of the water heaters into the existing ducts, which are undoubtedly not big enough for both. Building codes will likely not allow two water heaters to be ducted into a common vent system, especially if they are only designed for ONE appliance. Remember, CARBON MONOXIDE KILLS! If this venting system is not properly engineered for the application, it is very possible that people will DIE.

You also must understand the difference between an OPEN water distribution system and one which would be CLOSED for heating purposes.

You would not want to use an open system for heating your home because this means that after the water goes through the radiators, you will have to drain the water coming from the radiators down the sewer. Can you imagine the bill for water?

A closed system is just that. The same water recirculates through the system 'forever'.

I think your idea of using an 'on demand' type of water heater for this application is totally inappropriate, and once you start removing any pressure controls and replacing them with temperature controls, you will be 'undoing' any of the Engineering that went into the design of the water heater. This will open you to LIABILITY in the event of a catastrophic failure due to improper use of the appliance.

Yes, I am attempting to discourage you on taking this project.

I'm not saying that heating your apartment with hot water is not a good idea, perhaps it is. I'm saying that you need to do much more studying before you undertake the project in order that it may be properly engineered so that people are not injured or DIE.
 
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Old 08-20-11, 08:54 AM
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Why not go a different way?
You have electricity, why not use several quartz halogen radiant heaters, or radiant bowl heaters.
With these systems 100% of the heat that you pay for is delivered into your room, there are no losses due to loss of hot exhaust gas, or the need to heat pipes or radiators, or losses due to ventilation.
Radiant heat is instant there is no warming up time and they can be controlled by thermostats and timers that are available.
 
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Old 08-20-11, 09:17 AM
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Because electricity costs far more than natural gas.
 
 

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