Wood Fired Boiler Built Out Of Old Milk Tank

Wood fired boiler built out of old milk tank GRAIN HANDLING Miscellaneous 14-5-28 "I had the idea in my head for about two years before I found a junked tank I could use," says Isaac Yoder, Union Grove, North Carolina, who built a wood-fired boiler out of an old 600-gal. "Zero" bulk milk tank. Yoder put a 42-in. long firebox inside the 10-ft. long stainless steel tank so that it's completely surrounded by circulating water, which gets piped to as many as 5 different locations. In addition to heating his shop and house, which was already set up for hot water heating, the furnace provides heat to and house, which was already set up for hot water heating, the furnace provides heat to a grain dryer via a car radiator set into the air inlet. "The first thing I did was buy several sheets of 10-ga. stainless steel to make the firebox, along with several lengths of 4-in. dia. stainless pipe. I made the firebox in an oxtagon shape to allow more water surface around the firebox. "I cut a hole in the end of the tank and inserted the firebox back flush with the inner wall. The door to the firebox is double-lined and a blower on the bottom side provides draft when the hot water thermostat calls for more heat. Then I ran four 4-in. stainless flue pipes horizontally from the firebox to the other end of the tank where they come together in a junction box with an 8-in. dia. smoke pipe that carries smoke and ash out the top. A removeable plate on the junction box gives easy access to clean out the flues. "I welded 5 pairs of 1-in. dia. stainless pipe nipples in the side of the tank for pump-out and return lines to run to buildings. The circulating pump on the line to the house is hooked up to a thermostat inside and we also installed a cold water sensor shut-off against the water line so if the fire happens to go out and the water cools off, the pump will automatically cut off. "The big plus in using milk bulk tanks is the stainless material. and the fact that the tanks are already insulated. You should remember, though, that milk tank insulation is heavier on the bottom than on top. I added additional insulation over the top part of the tank and the manholes. "Caution should be taken when welding on the tank as the insulation material is styrofoam which can cause harmful fumes. "We installed the stove in the beginning of 1990. It does all we expected it to do and more. The only thing I might do different would be to use a tank with 1,000 gal. capacity but I'll know better after the coming winter whether the 525 gal. reserve capacity of this furnace is enough to take care of all my heating needs." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Isaac Yoder, Yoder Manufacturing Co., Rt. 1, Box 73-A, Zion Liberty Road, Union Grove, N.C. 28689 (ph 704 539-5532).

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