I Ran Across This Video Today, I Was So Impressed By It, I needed to share It!

Discussion in 'Off Grid Living' started by Gopherman, Dec 8, 2015.


  1. Gopherman

    Gopherman Sometimes I Wish I Could Go Back to Sleep

    This is hands down one the coolest thing I have run across!! I fully intend to try this myself soon, I'll let you all know what happens!



     
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  2. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    Depending upon cost, that could be useful, but it did not have a lot of head (vertical lift).
     
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  3. Gopherman

    Gopherman Sometimes I Wish I Could Go Back to Sleep

    I was thinking to put it on my 375 gallon Tote and pump it through 100- 200 feet of copper tubing wrapped around the outside of my Rocket Stove. The temp is right around 500* by forcing the water through it it would eventually heat up to ? Better thermal storage than the clay, not to mention enough force to run a shower. If you ran 2 in series it might be more substantial of a flow? Either way I will know soon enough, I'm off to the "You Pull It" tomorrow!:)
     
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  4. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    In series, pressure adds. In parallel, volume adds (less the added friction losses due to velocity in the tubing.)
     
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  5. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    With enough heat, you may melt your tote. Yes, two together can provide more flow(meaning parallel) but if so, increase the pipe size) , or you could use them in stages to raise water to a higher tote, by breaking it into stages.
    The hot water will naturally rise and the cold will sink, so make sure to plumb it that way, and the pump can assist the natural cycle. Also, make sure you push from the cold side, not pull from the hot side, or your pump will not last long. (Let is run as cool as it can).
     
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  6. Gopherman

    Gopherman Sometimes I Wish I Could Go Back to Sleep

    So WTH does that mean? is that good or bad?[LMAO]

    It's a hot water pump from a car, I would think it would be fine? But I am no mechanic, I thought the thermostat did not even open unless the temp hits 160-180?
     
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  7. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    ....and you are talking 500° or so, not 160° and Plastics melt, fact of life.
    As for what it means...run two pumps one after the other you get same flow but more pressure, run two pumps side by side, you get twice the amount of water flow but exactly the same amount of pressure.
     
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  8. Gopherman

    Gopherman Sometimes I Wish I Could Go Back to Sleep

    Ok, that's better, you have to speak clearly to the Mechanically Impaired! :D I think with the water traveling through at that rate of speed it wouldn't get much hotter than 180*.
    I will test it and put up a Vid.
     
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  9. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    You may also want a bypass loop with no pump in line, because if the power stops, so does the pump, and the water can not move much. That could cause a failure.
     
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  10. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Be very careful that you cannot block (isolate the riser in the heating zone) water in the heating risers or you risk a steam explosion.
     
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  11. Gopherman

    Gopherman Sometimes I Wish I Could Go Back to Sleep

    Rocket stove water heater.

    If the pumps stop the water should still be able to escape as long as I don't seal the lid, i shouldn't have a problem. I highly doubt I'll be able to heat 350-375 gallons of water above 180*, it'll be interesting to find out though! I've seen a guy do it with thermal dynamics only in a water heater, it worked famously.
    Let me know what you think about the placement of those pumps, I might be better off putting them both at the bottom.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 8, 2015
  12. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    No! Wrong. Pump will block all flow if it stops. And if you want both pumps adding pressure as you show, put them both low/cold side.
    Add a valve and a piece of pipe and two "Y" s past both pumps. With the valve open, the water goes around the pumps, with the valve closed, water must go through the pumps. (This is a safety in case the power or pump fails).
    If you want higher flow (more water volume) run both pumps side by side. You will end up with one main pipe, split in three parallel pipes, two will have pumps pushing water the same direction, and a third valved pipe as a bypass. open the bypass, and water will continue to flow by thermal alone. Close the bypass, and run the pumps.

    Your drawing shows water trapped between pumps, that can explode!
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 9, 2015
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  13. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    First Issue: You do NOT want the upper pipe to go vertical, Down into the tank, Period... It needs to be plumbed into the water tank Horozontally, about 6" BELOW, the MINIMUM LEVEL of Water that is allowed in the tank, if the tank is open to the Air, at the Top. If you do it as shown it will NEVER ThermalSyphan, even if the Pumps are Bypassed. If you do NOT HAVE Circulation, and you build a BIG FIRE, you will Flash the water, in the Copper Tubing, into Steam, and then melt the Tubing if you are really at 500F, on the tubing external surfaces.... I know of where I Speak, Been There, and watched it happen to another Outfit, up here.....

    I suggest you consult with our Resident Monkey Master Plumber... @ColtCarbine as he is the best Resource on these type Questions....
     
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  14. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Not wrong at all from the standpoint of trapping flow, even if equipped with check valves. However, the pumps will work better if both are on the cold side and in parallel if they develop enough pressure. If they don't develop the pressure, as they are very likely not to if automotive origin, then in series, both on the cold side is what you'll need to do. If you put one on the hot side, you are asking for the pump to cavitate and self destruct.

    There are a couple more considerations. How will you handle things when the water is hot enough? Stopping the pumps is one thing, but then you get steam. Draining the coil is another, but when you restart it, you get steam again.
     
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  15. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    "Trapping flow".vs." isolating the riser in the heating section" .vs. "Trapped between two pumps" I believe we are saying the same thing, different ways.
    The water trapped between the pumps on the riser section could flash to steam and burst the line under the steam pressure.
     
  16. Gopherman

    Gopherman Sometimes I Wish I Could Go Back to Sleep

    Points are all well taken The thing about he rocket stove is, you can't just walk away from it for hours at a time. It has to be tended or it will burn through the fuel and go out, unless you use a wood pellet/chip feeder. I've been thinking about what your all saying, I actually understand you guys now that you dumbed it down for me[LMAO]
    I think if I lay the coil pipe on top of the burner insulated by a little cob (that temp is really high) and place another steel plate over the top to keep it flat it can easily be removed once it gets hot enough.I'll try it with a 30 gallon Drum first and see how that works. Thanks for the advice.[winkthumb] The last thing I need is an explosion!! I thought the worst that would happen is the copper would melt.
    Checked the pricing on these and found a few at right around $30-35 , that's half of what I paid for the pond pump on my Aquaponics system. It's definitely going to come in handy for something, and I have a smaller 130w solar panel that'll work just fine for this, I think I will put a battery in line though, he just wired directly to the pump, maybe just for test purposes.
    Taking a cold shower is not high on my list of "Favorite Things To Do", so I am hoping this will work! (We need a fingers crossed emoji)
     
  17. Aeason

    Aeason Monkey

    Very cool, I will have to consider this for use with my gassifier, would have been nice to have had when Katrina hit and we bathed in the stream behind the house, so cold.
     
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