Properly Connecting an Outdoor Wood Boiler to an Indoor Furnace [PART 2]

In this guide you'll find out how to connect two boilers together. This is chapter two of three on how to do the installation of an indoor boiler. Find out how the system works and how to make the best choices during the installation
Pt. 1: • Water To Air Heat Exch...
Pt. 3 Troubleshooting Tips: • Properly Connecting an...
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[@TheCrusades1099]

Still coming back since this video was brand new. Again Thank you, this info is invaluable. Jan 25

[@JTTTTx]

Plumbing and Heating tech here-Pro tip- extend the copper pipe to allow for the aquastat to be strapped to the metal pipe instead of the pex. It will detect the temperature changes with greater accuracy and the cycle times will be more consistent.

[@AltheatsupplyLLC]

I agree.

[@Boosted_1976]

Excellent videos. Thank you so much for explaining in detail! Cheers

[@donsturgis6578]

Thanks for the advice I appreciate your fortitude

[@timothytravis5276]

Your freaking awesome. I been trying to figure this out .

[@jasonpatz6494]

I have a very similar setup to this, but I do have a problem. I have the boiler set to 180. When the house thermostat calls for heat, it kicks the (oil furnace) fan only on like mentioned in the video but after the thermostat temp is reached the fan limit switch stays on because hot water is still being pumped through the air handler from the boiler it cannot cool back below 100 where the low limit is set. The result is the fan keeps running and the house gets too hot. How do I correct this issue?

[@1974judah]

Will this work on a wood stove in the dining room of house and the furnace plenum is in basement that sends heat to house via ductwork? I thought we could run water pipe through firebox and then down to the cold air return and put the heart exhanger of yours there? Thoughs? Thanks, Mark & Family

[@rickomundson]

Link to order the strap on kit? I just see a website.

[@Indianahillclimber]

You are awesome. Lord willing I will be purchasing a system soon.

[@donalddoebler5918]

Do you think the hydro coil kit could work in reverse,( if my wife is too lazy to keep the fire going). Would it heat the water enough, that if the outside boiler wasn't on, that it would keep the outdoor wood burner's water from freezing. Circ pump runs constantly, moving the water from outside. outside tank is about 150 gallons.

[@WMUBronco09]

Can you do a video showing how to hook up and wire a aquastat to a furnace

[@AltheatsupplyLLC]

Good Idea! I will do next.

[@brandoncolen8440]

I didn’t ask but I bought the kit. Does everything have to be unwired for the A/C in the summer time?

[@beesonman05]

So I read in the comments that this will work with a heat pump system correct? I read in the instructions to turn off the AC breaker? Or that something other than a heat pump? Thanks! Great videos

[@AltheatsupplyLLC]

That is correct

[@paytonnichols2306]

So I used 2 thermostats and just jumped the second therm to my first therm to where it only runs the fan. Works great and it took 1 ft of wire instead of wiring all the way back to the furnace... just an FYI.

[@AltheatsupplyLLC]

We also don't need to run all the way back to the wood furnace. The way you did it also works. We did it that way years ago. Now we use this method to make it seamless and not have to make two thermostats juggle the temps. Happy heating. Jeff

[@jbbabbitt1341]

Hello, great vid! My question is, I already have a heat exchanger in plenum for Central Air. Can that be plumbed in-line to be also fed from outdoor wood burner/boiler and use an exhaust cooling/heating fan thermostat switch? Hope you can make sense of that? Thanx in advance. Jay

[@AltheatsupplyLLC]

Central air exchangers are different then what we use. so No if I'm understanding your question correctly.

[@kathypasquerilla1706]

I have a heat pump and furnace. I see this is from 2 years ago. Is this still available? Where are you located. I saw Erie and I am in Ohio, but near Sharon, pa

[@scottwebber652]

I’m inquiring about the taco pump cartridge 009. I have to replace it way to often n now the cost has skyrocketed to get it. I’m thinking my actual problem is the water gets to hot because house need varies so much the water can get into the 200 degree range or even boil n then shortly afterwards the bearing poops out. Feedback is appreciated but actually looking for advice/ options. Sometimes it’ll go out for no reason. I don’t keep the temp high unless it’s below zero outside n actually stay 20 less allowing extra time for the temp increase. The whole unit works great except for the cartridge issue. Bronze used but now very spendy. Wish I would’ve bought a case of m before. Lol I guess.

[@stevebillow395]

Cool idea

[@HighballRacing]

Thanks again for all the great videos. Are heat exchangers directional in the sense that it matters what direction the supply water enters the exchanger and flows through? Additionally, does it matter what side of the exchanger faces up in the plenum?

[@AltheatsupplyLLC]

No, it doesn't matter.

[@bvgpsupt]

With this kit, I assume that there will be a circulator constantly running water between the wood fired boiler and the water to air heat exchanger mounted in the plenum? That is the set up with my system currently. I have an oil fired boiler in the basement and I have a circulator running 24/7 supplying hot water from the out door boiler. I don't like this as it wastes electricity and hot water as well as there is always some thermal loss in the transmission. So in the down times when the house isn't calling for heat I'm pumping water unnecessarily and wasting heat (and wood) as well. I'm building a new house and will be installing a hot air furnace. I was thinking that there would be a separate thermostat for the out door boiler that would turn on a circulator (as well as the air handler in the house) when heat is called for. Wouldn't that be a more efficient system? Thanks.

[@cedricsimmons2033]

What kind of insulated pex do you use

[@vernmaine2031]

I installed per the instructions on my oil fired hot air furnace. When wood boiler is cold, the aquastat allows the furnace to work normally to operate burner and blower fan. When boiler and heat exchanger are hot, the oil burner is disabled as expected. However, when room stat calls for heat, blower turns on and then won't turn off... So house gets overheated. How to get the blower to turn off when room stat is satisfied? Thanks.

[@AltheatsupplyLLC]

The furnace has a sensor to ensure heating coil is cooled off before the blower will turn off. Find that sensor and move to a place so it can cool off and the fans will turn off. Jeff

[@lorettascott1999]

My indoor furnace is wood. But the blower will not kick on. Also can I still burn wood in my indoor furnace?

[@jeffreyluff1133]

If your fan is not turning on, I would not continue to burn.

[@laralynnenabozny1822]

mine was setup this way, which caused the furnace to burn out because it was too much resistance for the blower

[@1768ify]

Wait. You wired the fan power feed and not the furnace control?

[@jaycooper2390]

I bought this kit and the aquastat I received is not like the one in the video. Mine does not strap on. It has a probe that gets strapped on I used zip ties. The probe is like a rubber after a few day it has a melting mark on it also the temp on the aquastat I don't think is accurate. Never gets above 155. It is mounted directly to the copper supply on my heat exchanger. Why is mine different then the one in this video any help would be greatly appreciated?

[@brandoncase4952]

If you wanna propane instead of your boiler when the gas runs long enough will it heat that probe up enough to make the gas shut off and run fan only ?

[@AltheatsupplyLLC]

I'm not the person to help answer that question. I'm a wood boiler guy.

[@brandoncase4952]

@@AltheatsupplyLLC I realize that but I bought the unit from you guys

[@AltheatsupplyLLC]

@@brandoncase4952 Clearly I'm not understanding what your asking then. Give us a call for clarity. Jeff

[@stevenyoung5226]

I have a Vermont Castings Hydro heater insert can this be used in conjunction with my boiler I have baseboard heating throughout my house?

[@johncyr8643]

Probably a dumb question but I purchased a double-wide on a full Foundation that has a wood furnace inside it already but I like the idea of having an outdoor wood boiler because of it being more efficient. that being said would I be able to hook that outdoor wood boiler to my oil furnace I'm sure if the Miller furnace that comes in a double-wide is any different than a regular residential oil furnace. My water is also run by on demand propane the only time the furnace is on his for when I need to use the oil for heat.

[@nasjatt]

Can you please send me a link to where I can buy Aquastat plz. There are so many and I can’t figure out which one to use. I want to strap on to copper tube. Thx

[@AltheatsupplyLLC]

Hello!! Sure....Here is the link: altheatsupply.com/strap-on-aquastat.html The following is the link for the complete kit: altheatsupply.com/aquastat-hydro-coil-kit.html

[@stepaukob]

I used a Fan Limit Switch which are rated for up to 14 amps at 120v. The strap on aquastats are only rated for appr 8A @ 120 Vac which could exceed the amperage draw of the furnace fan motor. The aquastat would probably work fine but I didn't want to take the chance.

[@chuckbrock2022]

I'm adding heat to my garage from my outside wood boiler how do I hook up a thermostat for inside the garage thanks

[@Kluiwan]

Great Video, thanks! Assume the wood boiler cycling pump would have to be on for the Aquastat to see if hot water is available in the buffer tank...?

[@mmabe24]

Yes that’s what I was thinking also. I don’t want the pump to run all the time

[@JordanSteinert]

When you have this installed and have two thermostats at each area of the home’s zone (one for forced air heat/cool and one only for OWB radiant heat), how do you suggest setting them so my OWB radiant heat kicks on the fan in the forced air unit? Currently have the OWB thermostat at 68, the propane heating/cooling thermostat at 55 (emergency back up heat) for each zone, and the fan set to auto. It appears the fan rarely kicks on in auto - but will work if I set the fan to On. I want the fan to turn on when the boiler thermostat in each zone is calling for heat so it helps circulate heat better.

[@AltheatsupplyLLC]

We sell Kits to solve most of these issues. They are called Aqua stat Hydro Coil Kits. If you go to my website: www.altheatsupply.com and type in AHCkit you will get a variety to choose from that fit most applications. Jeff

[@shaunbask66]

I’m about to install OWB. Am I able to go from the 1 inch insulated pex line and reduce it down and utilize 3/4 pex for all the indoor plumbing?

[@stevenpringle7813]

My existing oil furnace thermostat is only connected to the oil burner and not the fan. The fan turns on via a thermostat that is sensing the temperature in the plenum at the furnace. How does your kit allow the control of the fan when the heat exchanger for the outside wood boiler is delivering hot water to the heat exchanger. Won't I need another relay that is connected to the upstairs thermostat that can turn on the fan and not rely on the probe thermostat that is in the back of the plenum at the furnace. In other words I need direct control of the fan via the thermostat.

[@AltheatsupplyLLC]

Simple, when your thermostat sends a signal to the furnace, there is an aqua stat on the water line from the wood boiler which sense the water from the outdoor boiler is hot tells to turn on the fan only which will turn on the fan and exchanger heat with the heat exchanger in the plenum.

[@justinperry1555]

Can I use this with geo thermal? I currently have a geo unit and I want to run a boiler. Can I use your aqua stat kit with this and use the same instructions as well?

[@AltheatsupplyLLC]

Yes you can, I also have Geothermal and there is very little difference.

[@billpalette2968]

Does the supply line go on the bottom of the heat exchanger or the top

[@AltheatsupplyLLC]

Doesn't really matter

[@jorrick66]

Will this work with a heat pump?

[@AltheatsupplyLLC]

Yes it should work the exact same way.

[@travismckee2522]

I live in a movie home with a propane furnace can I still add this wood boiler with exchanger thanks

[@roncoleman9502]

You sure can

[@gordonwhitney4593]

Do you have a wiring diagram for this process?

[@AltheatsupplyLLC]

Yes, It comes with our Aqua stat Hydro coil kits.

[@joeenger6209]

how do i get one of your hydrocoil kits and how much are they?

[@AltheatsupplyLLC]

Go to our website: altheatsupply.com/

[@fricknjeep]

hi there just a small question . if you put the water to air h/e where you say and your regular furnace comes on and runs for a few min. mighten it over heat the h/e ? .i could easily see it going above several 100 degrees that close to the source . what is the melting point of the pex ? i would also put a short copper nipple at the h/e to put the aqua stat on faster heat response time to the stat . think it may be better in the return . run a ra89 from a separate thermostat to the transfer pump. then aquastat at the h/e to turn the blower on when its heated. this keeps the pump from running 24/7 . . just a thought . been heating with a wood boiler sense the late 80s. i do enjoy your y/t s keep up the good work . thank you john

[@AltheatsupplyLLC]

pex starts to over heat or melt at 200 plus, i have never had a problem with melting

[@royheightland4668]

hello, great video, I might have a dumb question. I have been working on my mother in laws out side stove. older model ncb 250 its about 10 years old. for some reason it won't heat the house above 70 degrees. I replaced the water pump and heat exchanger which was clogged badly at its inlet side. The aquastat on the stove wall can't be set higher than about 140 degrees or it starts blowing off steam , which I don't think is hot enough to get her house any warmer. is this true ? and should the water flow be the same pressure going into the heat exchanger and coming out . because when I open the drain value on the return line I get a sudden burst of water than it slows down a lot.

[@richardbarber4444]

Roy, it slows down because your heat exchanger is partially blocked. Try disconnecting it and flushing vigorously for several minutes with a proprietary rad flush then flush in reverse. It may take quite a whiile for heavy scale to dissolve. I use, AT MY OWN RISK, hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid is used by dairy farmers for daily descaling milk lines. Scaling up is generally the result of repeatedly adding new water to the system. My parents system had the same water water from 1977 to 2010 when a new, more efficient boiler was installed. Both times a good anticorrosion and scale prevention additive was used. My brother had a similar installation done at the same time but his system was open allowing small changes of water for expansion and contraction. His began leaking after 5 years. Setting you boiler at 140° is disastrous for solid fuel boilers as it causes creosote and corrosive condensate to form. I have mine set to commence heat circulation at 150° with switch off at 190° I suspect your aquastat may be scaled up so not so sensitive as it should be. No way should you be producing steam. To improve system efficiency you should install a load control valve to maintain boiler temp. and heat ex. performance. you have a choice of cut in or cut out temps. with most valves and I suggest you consult your local heating expert on the best choice for you.

[@billybobsuefamilyhomestead8201]

would the wiring be the same on a 2 stage furnace? i have a new furnace it has a W1 line and a W2 line for stage two.

[@robdavidson2569]

can i still use my propane furnace as back up?,

[@AltheatsupplyLLC]

Yes you can

[@kimrickel6100]

How do I get the kit?

[@AltheatsupplyLLC]

Here is a link for our kits. altheatsupply.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=Ahc If you need help, give us a call. Jeff

[@jimesser477]

Is the water from the boiler constantly circulating through the system?

[@AndyFromm]

Yes

[@jessemabee2488]

So Will it tell you the temp of the boiler water aswell??

[@AltheatsupplyLLC]

no

[@williampaynter8459]

Strap on! Apply directly to the pex pipe!

[@AltheatsupplyLLC]

yes directly to pex, set temp to about 120 on aquastat

[@prayernub99]

Alternative Heating & Supplies can you direct me to the Aquastat on your website

[@rayray9620]

I have a cased air conditioning coil. Now what?

[@AltheatsupplyLLC]

With a coupling! LOL

[@markkrichbaum884]

liked the idea called your web sight expecting to get some questions answered but that didn't happen so that's kind of a missed sale

[@countryside8122]

Guess that will not work on my boiler in the house.

[@justinnorth6358]

What temperature is a good starting point to set the aquastat and differential to start if I have the burner set at 180?

[@AltheatsupplyLLC]

set it to 110 or 120

[@richardbarber4444]

In answer to Don Doeb. Yes. Mine does so. wired slightly differently to this system But it does work so priority is given to wood heat then, if water is cool, to oil furnace. I note emphatically.... that my 100kBtu ( allegedly ) capacity heat exchanger installed in the plenum has less heat output from the wood boiler of 137k Btu output than the 60k Btu oil furnace in which plenum it is installed. Following natural logic it could be no other way. The air temperature coming from the oil furnace is much higher than the 180° water temperature. Whatever anyone tells you, there is no way around this without significantly speeding up the fan to increase air flow.

[@johnkozaczok3713]

Dude said " strap on" ,...... Lol

[@AltheatsupplyLLC]

LMAO... We also use Nipples and other plumbing terms like Male and Female parts. With todays woke world maybe we should use pronouns and ask how the parts identify...

[@GrizC]

Can I put exchanger in a furnace down draft in a double wide ? If so does exchanger need zone valve .?.

[@AltheatsupplyLLC]

Yes you can, but the fans or blowers don't like to much heat. No you don't need the zone valve, you can run the water around full time if you choose.