free hot water from oil boiler?

[housecarer]

A plumber told us we can get "free" hot water from the oil boiler during the winter. can anybody explain more details to me? is that mean we need a water tank and have a pump to circle the water from tank to oil boiler when boiler is on?

can gas boilers do the same thing?

thanks,

[cpw]

A plumber told us we can get "free" hot water from the oil boiler during the winter. can anybody explain more details to me? is that mean we need a water tank and have a pump to circle the water from tank to oil boiler when boiler is on?

can gas boilers do the same thing?

thanks,

The only free cheese is in a mouse trap.

The heat that you use for water is removed from the heat you would otherwise use for space heating. If you want a gallon of hot water, you need to burn oil to make it.

That being said, an indirect unit can be very efficient.

[housecarer]

we were really supprised and confused by that plumber.
that means gas boiler can do the same thing (indirect heat unit)?

[plumberscrack]

He probably was talking about using a tankless coil heater that is mounted inside the oil boiler. Fairly common with these systems.

[tccoggs]

Tankless Coils are hardly free, the boiler needs to maintain temp all the time in order for them to work and they might even run short at peak demenad. I know there was talk about banning them from building code but I think they squeeked through the most recent revisions.

For this purpose, tankless coils are terrible in the summer time. Depending on your winter climate and how often you are home, they can be half way decent in the winter as the boiler will probably be maintaining temp to heat your house anyway, but the coil really negates any of the positives of doing temp setback during the periods where the house is unoccupied.

if you go with the coil I would at least add a Field Controls OVD to you boiler to help keep the heat in the boiler and not vent it out the chimmney.

[ToUtahNow]

A plumber told us we can get "free" hot water from the oil boiler during the winter. can anybody explain more details to me? is that mean we need a water tank and have a pump to circle the water from tank to oil boiler when boiler is on?

can gas boilers do the same thing?

thanks,

With 15-Threads for 32-Posts I think you need to consider combining your threads and ask all of your questions in one place.

Thanks-Mark

[housecarer]

With 15-Threads for 32-Posts I think you need to consider combining your threads and ask all of your questions in one place.

Thanks-Mark
learnt a lot from you guys. hope not stop answering my questions. it will be better if i can collect all questions at once but sometime different questions show up at different time.

[cpw]

learnt a lot from you guys. hope not stop answering my questions. it will be better if i can collect all questions at once but sometime different questions show up at different time.

All your questions are related, you can add the new question to the existing thread.

[toolaholic]

Housescarer , Pour on the Coal,KEEP ASKIN. We'll deal with Mark. He gets a little threatened
By someone that posts GREAT QUESTIONS! Ridgid May pass the Mod. Hat to You!