While I continue to think about how I will replace my beloved Tarm Solo Plus 40, I am wanting to track my BTU needs by observing heat loss from my storage tank, and I just wanted to make sure that I was not missing anything in my calculations.
So... I have an 850 gal., non-pressurized heat sink. This morning at 11:00 am the top temp. was 138.4°F. Two hours later it was 128.3°F. (Outside temp was fairly warm, rising over the same time from 15°F to 24°F.)
So a total loss of 10.1°F over two hours. 850 gallons of water weighs 7089lbs. So BTU loss over 2 hours is 7089 x 10.1 = 71,599 or 35,899 per hour.
I fully understand that a two hour test does not tell you much. But is my thinking and my math correct? (For the record, the boiler was not circulating, as it was 'cold' after finishing its burn from the last night.)
My intention is to try and do a number of these observations, seeing how outside temps affect the BTU draw. It is a bit challenging, as the timing does not always work out to delay firing the boiler up while I take readings. But it strikes me as the most accurate way to see what my actual BTU demands currently are.
Thoughts?
Thanks!
Barrett
So... I have an 850 gal., non-pressurized heat sink. This morning at 11:00 am the top temp. was 138.4°F. Two hours later it was 128.3°F. (Outside temp was fairly warm, rising over the same time from 15°F to 24°F.)
So a total loss of 10.1°F over two hours. 850 gallons of water weighs 7089lbs. So BTU loss over 2 hours is 7089 x 10.1 = 71,599 or 35,899 per hour.
I fully understand that a two hour test does not tell you much. But is my thinking and my math correct? (For the record, the boiler was not circulating, as it was 'cold' after finishing its burn from the last night.)
My intention is to try and do a number of these observations, seeing how outside temps affect the BTU draw. It is a bit challenging, as the timing does not always work out to delay firing the boiler up while I take readings. But it strikes me as the most accurate way to see what my actual BTU demands currently are.
Thoughts?
Thanks!
Barrett