by Nirky » Sun Mar 22, 2015 6:19 pm
pa_friendly_guy
I think it would work, too. I agree the water would take a while to get up to desired temp, but in gas form these heaters take 35-40 minutes to come up to temp. A 4" rh would take at least that long. One would just have to plan on when to take a shower/bath or do the dinner dishes. More work than we are used to, but it's free heat!
4seasons
Water heater mfgs are also aware of the "splat" factor, so all newer gas water heaters come with pressure relief valves. Finding a newer gas water heater is essential.
hpmer
Too bad we have no info on the Australian guy who did the conversion, but I think it's pretty straightforward. My first rocket was a 4", and it drafted very well. Perhaps the Aussie made the mistake of leaving in the baffle?
Monsanto
Open system is definitely one way to do it, but for me, I like to take baths, especially in winter. So I'd need a shot of 40 gallons of hot water. To get that from an open system you'd need a bunch of copper piping for the heat exchanger, yes? That's a bunch of money right there, and the scope is bigger than I intend. Also, a residential water heater has insulation already there in one almost-complete package. I need to try it before I'd move a larger, much more expensive open system.
I'd love to see your system though, please post pictures or links here if you get it going!
I don't think I'll ever get over Macho Grande, those wounds run pretty deep.