Water-Filled Fireplace Grate Helps Heat House

Water-Filled Fireplace Grate Helps Heat House BUILDINGS Houses “I made a fireplace grate that takes heat from upstairs and sends it down to the basement using a hydroponic system ” says Donald Reinholm Oxford Mich The fireplace grate is made from black pipe A small 3-speed recirculating pump which he bought on Amazon com for $60 pumps water into the grate and then down through PEX pipe to a small 12 by 12-in “water to air” heat exchanger in the basement that he also bought on Amazon $90 “When I’ve got a good fire going I figure it generates about 20 000 btu/hr A blower turns on at the radiator when the water gets hot enough ” says Reinholm He made the grate out of 3/4 and 1/2-in dia black pipe forming it into a grid using T-joints and elbows with short lengths of capped pipe as legs Water enters the grate through the 3/4-in crosspipe at the front is pushed through the 1/2-in “capillary” pipes that run to the rear manifold and then exits through an outlet at the front Pipes come up through the ash dump hole at the front of the fireplace He runs 3/4-in PEX pipe from there to the pump and radiator “The flow may not be exactly equal in all the capillary pipes but it’s close and if more water flows through the center pipes I figure it’s hotter there anyway ” says Reinholm The radiator/heat exchanger heats the basement nicely and excess heat rises to help warm the floors above Water runs through the system at the pump’s lowest setting about 5 2 gpm A thermostat that runs from the radiator fan to the hot water pipe turns on the fan when the water temperature reaches 150 degrees Hot air is blown out through a 6-in piece of flexible heat duct Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Donald Reinholm 5895 Hempstead Rd Oxford Mich 48371 ph 248 842-8252; bigdonaccordion@yahoo com

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