Yes, it's winter

[growler_south]

So it finally got cold enough to crank up the coal stove, though Brian insists on calling it a wood burner and freaking out whenever I put coal into it. Says it makes him feel positively industrial revolution or something.

Anyway, the delightful fireplace heats the house (as long as we point a fan at it to stir up the air) and boils the water in the hot water cylinder. Literally boils it, with a sudden and terrifying gu-BLUP! sound and accompanying screams from whoever is in the shower, as their flesh is blanched from their bones.

Posted via LjBeetle

Comments

[sinnabor.livejournal.com]

The "wetback" stove has a heat exchanger that's plumbed directly into the (otherwise electric) hot water heater in the cabinet just to the right. It's electric most of the time, and the stove just takes the water up to much higher temperatures than the thermostat would.

So our hot water is nearly boiling some of the time. And there's another widget downstairs called a "temperer" that automagically mixes it down to non-searing temperatures, more or less. It's mechanical, so it doesn't respond instantly.

Oh, and the whole hot water/temperer setup is run at low pressure (like 10psi), so there's a pressure reducer and a pressure relief valve.

This whole crazy thing is a particularly kiwi invention, not generally used in other parts of the world, and no longer installed in new houses.

[barbarian-rat.livejournal.com]

That makes sense, I knew that you wouldn't be heating water by fire in the summer.
Thanks for the explanation.