Can Stove Heat Be Recycled for Home Efficiency?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the potential for recycling heat energy from cooking appliances, particularly stoves and ovens, to improve home efficiency. Participants explore various methods of capturing and utilizing waste heat, considering both theoretical and practical implications.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that heat from stove coils could be collected to improve efficiency, while others express skepticism about the practicality and efficiency of such systems.
  • One participant mentions thermocoupling and Stirling engines as potential methods but questions their efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
  • Several participants share personal experiences with using waste heat from ovens and incandescent bulbs for heating their homes, noting that this can be beneficial in colder climates.
  • There are discussions about the cost of heating fuels, with some participants arguing that electricity is expensive while others highlight the benefits of using wood heat.
  • One participant estimates that burning dry oak can produce significant heat, but also notes challenges with managing thermal momentum in their home.
  • Some participants emphasize that the feasibility of capturing waste heat is not just about costs but also about environmental considerations, although this is met with humor and skepticism by others.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally do not reach a consensus on the efficiency of capturing heat from cooking appliances. While some see potential benefits, others argue that the inefficiencies and costs involved may outweigh any advantages.

Contextual Notes

Participants express varying assumptions about the efficiency of different heating methods and the economic viability of capturing waste heat, indicating that the discussion is influenced by personal experiences and regional energy costs.

  • #31
russ_watters said:
Hold on a minute here: I think the discussion started with an outdoor cooking device - a grill. Quite obviously, an indoor, unvented cooking device (gas or electric is irrelevant) sends 100% of it's heat into the house. This represents a substantial amount of heat.

yup, if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen
 
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  • #32
Now, regarding an electric stove's ability to deliver it's heat to the pan, I suspect the efficiency is above 75%, possibly above 90%. As others have said, conduction is 100% to the pan and represents the vast majority of the heat of the stove. Radiation, due to the reflector plate, is a high fraction (my guess: 75%+). Convection would be considerably lower, certainly below 50%.
 
  • #33
Eh I'm not too good with words. I did mean a stove - indoor stove. Sorry for the misunderstanding.
 
  • #34
From sears.com, a typical electric range has standard burners of 2500 W (8,500 BTU), gas 9000 BTU. That surprises me - I would think that a gas burner would lose much more due to convection.
 
  • #35
OAQfirst said:
Eh I'm not too good with words. I did mean a stove - indoor stove. Sorry for the misunderstanding.
In that case, the answer's easy: you're already recovering all the heat from cooking and using it to heat your house.
 

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