RE: SB: instant hot water heaters? -> AQUAFIRE wood-fired heater

["Scott Willing" <willing@mb.sympatico.ca>]

On 30 Aug 2002 at 13:53, goshawk@gnat.net wrote:

> I use a "instant" hot water heater for my house. It's not a realy
> complex system.,
> 
> but basically, I have the hot water heater quite close to the shower,
> then split it there into two, one for the shower, and other, then
> split the other into two again, one for the bath room sink and one for
> the 

Whoa, enough splitting. Are you saying you have a conventional 
electric water heater (30 or 50 gallon tank, whatever) which is 
"instant" by virtue of being close to the spot where you need the 
most host water?

Note: this is not an attack, just a request for clarification. :-)

The appeal of so-called instant water heaters isn't so much minimal 
delay in the arrival of heated water at the faucet (though that's an 
issue, it's a general one regardless of heating method) as it is 
saving energy (we hope) by avoiding the losses associated with 
keeping a honking supply of warm water sitting around in a tank 
hoping someone will use it, and inevitably losing some heat while 
waiting.

[snip]

> Mine is electric however and not gas. Gas is more effiecent but well
> for several
> 
> reasons, electric is easier. I plan on putting into a solor system and
> using it as back up only (cloudy days, cold days etc.)

I assume you mean a solar thermal arrangement, i.e. direct heating of 
water by the sun, or indirectly through a heat exchanger and some 
kinda antifreeze-like stuff. (For a minute I thought you meant solar 
electric -> electric heater, for which you'd need a very expensive 
photovoltaic system.)

With solar thermal, truly "instant" (more accurately called "on 
demand") heaters don't make as much, if any, sense. If you're going 
to use solar thermal in any practical application you pretty much 
need a heat storage tank. That's the reason I'm likely to end up with 
one myself. A storage tank also gives you the flexibility of 
combining not just two, but even three or more heat sources (and 
sinks too, if you wanna go nuts).

For example, a solar thermal loop and a woodstove loop, both 
installed in a "conventional" propane, nat gas or electric-fired 
tank.

BTW, has anyone any experience of direct wood-fired water heaters? 
There's a place in the 'States that makes one called the Aquafire. 
(Hot Products Inc.?) Looks good, and a natural for solar assist. I've 
considered the woodstove loop concept, but it's a mod to the stove, 
will affect its operation (I like to run it as clean as I can), a 
plumbing challenge, and of no use for many months of the year.

The Aquafire runs on small wood fuel, is insulated so as to avoid 
heating the space more than it heats the water, and easily be plumbed 
as a batch-mode gravity heater or added to a conventional pressurized 
system. Doubt that it's a CSA-approved heating device (i.e. I may 
have a hassle with my insurance agent if I put one in) but I can 
probably get around that by having a special inspection.

It's kind of an "on demand" heater with a bit of a time lag. :-)

Yeesh, I've had too much fair trade caffiene today. Can't... shut.... 
up....

-=s

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