Woodfires

Wetbacks & Water Boosters

Looking for a cost-effective option for water heating?  Wetback systems use the free heat from your fire to heat your water, making them a fantastic option and money saver for every homeowner.  Most the manufacturers of the woodfires we supply have a model in their range that can have a wetback or water booster fitted.

Wetback systems heat your water with heat from the fire, therefore reducing your water heating costs.  In order to take advantage of a wood fire wetback, your hot water cylinder must have wetback connections so the pipes can be connected accordingly.
Wetback systems are a pipe arrangement that fits inside the woodfire box and is connected to copper pipes connecting to your hot water cylinder.  Water is circulated through the pipes, cold water flowing down the pipes from the hot water cylinder to the wetback (as it is heavier when it is cold).  When the water reaches the wetback in the fire it is heated by the heat of the flames, then the water rises back to the cylinder, as it is hotter than when entering.  In the cylinder, the hot water is always sitting at the top as ‘heat rises’ and cold water sinks to the bottom.

The performance of a wetback system can be impacted by the type of fuel being burnt, the time the fire is operating and distance between the hot water cylinder and the wood fire.  Ideal wetback systems are when the hot water cylinder is installed directly through the wall, behind or beside the woodfire.  This way the water doesn’t have far to circulate between the solid fuel burner and the hot water cylinder.

There are different wetbacks to suit each fire, and some wetbacks need to be fitted at the time of manufacturing.  We can install wetback systems in new fires or replace existing old burnt-out wetbacks.  Make the most of your wood fire and enquire now so our friendly team can help you out!