Using cookers as hot water heater

BigBarry · Mar 5, 2011

Folks,

I just thought of this and maybe it's a bad idea, maybe a good one. What say you all?

Since we have so many different types of cookers out there, has anyone ever though of putting hose fittings (male and female) through opposite walls of their cooker and running some pipe (copper?) over the coals/fireboxes/around or inside the chimney (coiled?) to use the heat to make hot water.

I am no greenie but in theory it sounds like a way to make use of a heat source and may help regulate the cooker temps.

Discuss...

ammoore · Mar 5, 2011

I have a stumps clone that my brother built.
The fire chute is a 6 inch pipe. We talked about putting a copper coil around the tube to generate instant hot water.
Never did it though....I was kind of afraid that I would get instant steam and scald myself.

Gerrit_Boys · Mar 5, 2011

I think that sounds like an awesome idea. I've heard those portable on demand water heaters suck.

5-0 BBQ · Mar 5, 2011

We have sinks installed on our rig. The radiant heat from my rig will bring the water to a high heat. Last year a health inspector went to check my hand wash station and lets say she pulled her hand back quick. I thought about running more tubing along the rig but I was worried about the water to hot.

Here are some plumbing pics and my 3 sink.

El Lobo · Mar 5, 2011

How would you regulate how hot the water gets? Pressure builds... it's gotta go somewhere.

Now if you have an open system (instead of closed pipe) the water would just boil off. But having an open system you risk getting stuff in the water.

Sawdustguy · Mar 6, 2011

El Lobo said:
How would you regulate how hot the water gets? Pressure builds... it's gotta go somewhere.

Now if you have an open system (instead of closed pipe) the water would just boil off. But having an open system you risk getting stuff in the water.

That is an excellent point. If the water runs through a 225* smoker it will try to boil. I wonder how much pressure can build up before the copper pipe gives up the ghost and becomes a schrapnel bomb, someone gets a steam burn or gets scalded.

crd26a · Mar 6, 2011

Check out some of the ones that are on Klose's trailers. I know he's had the cylinders mounted against the smokers, but usually away from the main heat and further along the smoker. My guess is consideration overall for getting too much heat. The other option is to just install a pressure valve in the line / system somewhere that would release too much built up pressure.

barbefunkoramaque · Mar 6, 2011

Post 12.. heee hee

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=49043&highlight=heat+exchanger

barbefunkoramaque · Mar 6, 2011

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=80094&highlight=heat+exchanger

also- a more serious description in post 12 of my old "Perserverance" smoker which had one hell of a heat exchanger. I ran it through a water heater they use on a mobile home or boat ... one that uses engine heat to heat water aside from electric of gas. This was from a thread where a guy wanted to wind round the smokestack

ZILLA · Mar 6, 2011

Why would you want to heat hot water? I usually heat cold water myself.

Using cookers as hot water heater

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