circulator pump question

[shendog]

Hey Guys, I orginally posted this over on the HVAC forum, but thought I would try it here also. Not really sure witch section it belongs in.

I have just recently purcahsed a home (my first home). The home has oil hot water and heat; and a wood/coal stove backup. The wood stove is already plumbed into the house hot water system, but has no circulator of it own. The wood stove does have a controller for a circulator, and a wire has been run over to the circulator on the oil furnace; but not connected. My question is this: Can the oil furnace controller, and wood stove controller both be connected to the circulator pump simultaneously? My understanding is that these controllers are esentially relay switches, and there is no danger of back feed. However I want to be sure, before I connect it up that way. Don't want to let the magic smoke out of anything expensive!

As always, I would greatly appreciate any help you can offer!

Shen

[wooson]

I can't see any problem with it. I ran a similar set up many years ago but manually valved one out at a time as to not heat the cold boiler. Do you pump throught the cold boiler or bypass? My set up was pretty primative but I had a lot of good hardwood, was young and energetic.

[hj]

It depends on HOW power is supplied to those two devices. BUT, unless there is proper piping in place the second switch may either NOT do anything, or it could upset the stability of the current operation.

[Dana]

What safeties are designed into this system to preclude a steam explosion at high-fire on the wood stove when the circulation is zero, as would be the case during a power outage?