Energy Max 160, Big Enough?
- coaledsweat
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- Location: Guilford, Connecticut
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A typical double dead end boiler will throw a lot of heat into the room. If the firebox is totally surrounded by water like an Axeman, they don't give up a lot of heat.
- lsayre
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- Location: Ohio
- Stoker Coal Boiler: AHS S130 Coal Gun
- Coal Size/Type: Lehigh Anthracite Pea
- Other Heating: Resistance Boiler (13.5 KW), ComfortMax 75
The stove you are considering is larger than most others out there. It may heat an entire house if you can get the heat distributed properly. It should heat a basement without much effort.
You can try my worlds smallest and easiest heat loss calculator, but it comes with no warranty or guarantee: The Worlds Tiniest/Easiest Residential Heat Loss Calculator?
You can try my worlds smallest and easiest heat loss calculator, but it comes with no warranty or guarantee: The Worlds Tiniest/Easiest Residential Heat Loss Calculator?
Last edited by lsayre on Sat. Dec. 24, 2016 11:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
- SWPaDon
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The DS boiler will radiate heat, but enough to heat a basement that large.....I dunno. You may need extra zones in your system to add heat to the basement..
- lsayre
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- Location: Ohio
- Stoker Coal Boiler: AHS S130 Coal Gun
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- Other Heating: Resistance Boiler (13.5 KW), ComfortMax 75
Heating Degree Days (HDD's) Database:
https://www.huduser.gov/resources/utilitymodel/hdd.htmlis
Example:
For your upstairs living areas combined 2,700 sq-ft, and if your annual HDD's are 6,500 (as mine are), then:
0.004 x 6,500 x 2,700 = 70,200 BTUH output should be sufficient to heat the entire home on the coldest anticipated single day of the year.
You do not factor the basement into this, as it is already included within the 0.004 factor.
https://www.huduser.gov/resources/utilitymodel/hdd.htmlis
Example:
For your upstairs living areas combined 2,700 sq-ft, and if your annual HDD's are 6,500 (as mine are), then:
0.004 x 6,500 x 2,700 = 70,200 BTUH output should be sufficient to heat the entire home on the coldest anticipated single day of the year.
You do not factor the basement into this, as it is already included within the 0.004 factor.
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What's a double dead end boiler? Sorry I'm a noob when it comes to wood/coal boilers. My only previous exp with wood is a small insert in my last house.coaledsweat wrote:A typical double dead end boiler will throw a lot of heat into the room. If the firebox is totally surrounded by water like an Axeman, they don't give up a lot of heat.
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My current oil boiler is rated at 156k btu.lsayre wrote:Heating Degree Days (HDD's) Database:
https://www.huduser.gov/resources/utilitymodel/hdd.htmlis
Example:
For your upstairs living areas combined 2,700 sq-ft, and if your annual HDD's are 6,500 (as mine are), then:
0.004 x 6,500 x 2,700 = 70,200 BTUH output should be sufficient to heat the entire home on the coldest anticipated single day of the year.
You do not factor the basement into this, as it is already included within the 0.004 factor.
How do you figure out HDD? I'm in MA so i'm guessing it's close to yours. With that said, do you think the 160 is enough for the basement and upstairs?
- McGiever
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- Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
- Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar
How many times will you be tending the DS when you are to be feeding 792 lbs. in 24 hours?
lsayre wrote: To put it into perspective, to achieve 160,000 BTUH input (BTU's per hour of input) would require burning about 33 pounds of seasoned hardwood wood per hour, or 13 pounds of anthracite coal per hour. And to sustain that for a single day would require the burning of 792 lbs. of wood or 312 lbs. of coal.
- lsayre
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- Location: Ohio
- Stoker Coal Boiler: AHS S130 Coal Gun
- Coal Size/Type: Lehigh Anthracite Pea
- Other Heating: Resistance Boiler (13.5 KW), ComfortMax 75
See web link above.ultimatespine wrote:lsayre wrote:Heating Degree Days (HDD's) Database:
https://www.huduser.gov/resources/utilitymodel/hdd.htmlis
How do you figure out HDD? I'm in MA so i'm guessing it's close to yours. With that said, do you think the 160 is enough for the basement and upstairs?
- lsayre
- Member
- Posts: 21781
- Joined: Wed. Nov. 23, 2005 9:17 pm
- Location: Ohio
- Stoker Coal Boiler: AHS S130 Coal Gun
- Coal Size/Type: Lehigh Anthracite Pea
- Other Heating: Resistance Boiler (13.5 KW), ComfortMax 75
It is likely significantly (and unnecessarily) oversized. That seems to be the norm. Plus be aware that 156K is the input BTUH rating. Sans for cost concerns, the only thing that matters to you is the output BTUH.ultimatespine wrote:My current oil boiler is rated at 156k btu.
- Rob R.
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Here is an interesting article about running a stove in an uninsulated basement. Basically, you will be cutting and burning a lot of wood just to keep the soil around the foundation warm.
Basement Heatloss_1MillionBTUsperDay_Excerpt.pdf
The DS Wood/coal boilers have considerable problems with creosote when burning wood most of the time. It seems like most people do pretty well with them when burning just coal, but that kind of goes against your plan.
I am going to point you to a thread from several years ago that I hope will help you make a decision.
Stoves or Central Heat? Boilers Vs. Furnaces
Basement Heatloss_1MillionBTUsperDay_Excerpt.pdf
Yes, Slant Fin offers a program called Hydronic Explorer that makes the heat loss calculation pretty easy. You can find it here: http://www.slantfin.com/slantfin-heat-loss-calculator/ultimatespine wrote:Thank you and Merry Christmas. Any quick way to calculate heat loss? What about those ds wood/coal boilers? I would really like the option of wood because of the supply. I was hoping to avoid plumbing and hoping a big free standing stove would distribute heat evenly since it's one level above an open basement. But you guys are making think twice about it.
The DS Wood/coal boilers have considerable problems with creosote when burning wood most of the time. It seems like most people do pretty well with them when burning just coal, but that kind of goes against your plan.
I am going to point you to a thread from several years ago that I hope will help you make a decision.
Stoves or Central Heat? Boilers Vs. Furnaces
- Hambden Bob
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He hasn't been on since Christmas Eve..... We've All seen this before : A quick burst of data exchange.....a fixation over "Free Wood"....a change in direction toward a common sense coal boiler add-on coupled with the ever dangerous "Free Wood" fantasy destruction and POOF !! Incommunicado ! Let's hope the Poor Guy comes through the "Discernment Period" of what You Good,Caring and Christmas Posting Guys were trying to help him with and joins Us on the Dark Side-Coal !! Yay !
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Haven't completely disappeared. Still brainstorming here and there. Had a chimney guy come to the house today and suggested I go with an insert in my see through fireplace which would heat the space we spend most of the time in, but would require fans to help circulate the heat to the other part of the house. Not crazy about this idea especially since i'll be losing the concept of a see through fireplace.
I may be leaning more towards a wood/coal boiler tied into my oil boiler. I don't know why some of you are strongly against multi fuel systems. Maybe they are not as efficient as coal only boilers, but is taking a slight hit in efficiency for the flexibility of multi fuel that bad of a decision?
I may be leaning more towards a wood/coal boiler tied into my oil boiler. I don't know why some of you are strongly against multi fuel systems. Maybe they are not as efficient as coal only boilers, but is taking a slight hit in efficiency for the flexibility of multi fuel that bad of a decision?
- coaledsweat
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You already own an oil boiler. Why spend the extra money to buy a dual fuel and give up the efficiency? Plus, with your oil and another coal burner, you have 100% backup. You don't get that with a dual fuel device.ultimatespine wrote: I may be leaning more towards a wood/coal boiler tied into my oil boiler. I don't know why some of you are strongly against multi fuel systems. Maybe they are not as efficient as coal only boilers, but is taking a slight hit in efficiency for the flexibility of multi fuel that bad of a decision?