Testing 1000 gallon pressurized storage tank

Finally testing my storage tank today. A few things that I have noticed.

1. Takes a while to bring 1000 gallons of 62 degree water up to temp.

2. The top did heat fast but 5 hours later the return is still pulling 62 degree water off the bottom of the tank.

3. Danfoss is working as it should but at times the boiler will idle for a few minutes because the Danfoss is pretty much closed with 62 degree water on one side.

I have 162 degrees on the top and about 140 half way down 62 degrees near the bottom.

I used the Simple pressurized method with connections on opposite ends. Hot top/ closest to boiler and return bottom far end of tank.

Now that I see first hand how the tank heats and works down it is apparent that I could have connected to one end top and bottom as others from the site had told me.

gg

If all goes well I will open system tomorrow and add pre-cleaner heat, circulate and drain.

Friday will be a flush and refill and add the boiler additive.

All chemicals were from Mike at Precision Chemicals in Waupon, WI.

gg

Shut down the boiler for the night. I decided to mix the tank with my load pump in the garage. Brought the bottom up to 106 in a short time. It will be ready for Pre clean tomorrow.

gg

jebatty said:

Danfoss is working as it should but at times the boiler will idle for a few minutes because the Danfoss is pretty much closed with 62 degree water on one side.

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What is the supply water temperature? What is the return water temperature? With system cold return at 62F, I am hard pressed to imagine a reason why the boiler would ever idle. Do you have a flow restriction? Is a balancing valve to the Danfoss closed too far?

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I was thinking about it this morning, I had the Danfoss mostly closed and it was still maintaining 150 on the return. I was closing the bypass more instead of opening more. I have 1-1/2 copper going to the tank and a Grunfos 15-58.

I think I was barely moving water with the danfoss bypass closed too much and the return of 62 degree water on the cold side the flow was probably restricted way so much I was probably not moving many gpm away from the boiler.

Today I will open the bypass valve and see what that does.

gg

I have a 1000 gallon lp tank. I used a 120 gallon lp tank for expansion tank.

I am going to use fiberglass batts to insulate the tank. I plan on 2 layers of r19 then wrapped with r6 pole barn insulation that is 6 feet wide with the plastic vapor barrier.

I have the pre-cleaner in the tank and I am bringing it up to temp now.

gg

Ok I should not have said the boiler idles, what it is doing is dropping to low speed fan for about 5 minutes. On my econoburn the fan sensor is controlled by a sensor in the water jacket on the top of the boiler.

1.I have my set point at 185.

2.The boiler runs high speed until it is 5 degrees below the set point.

3. High speed kicks in when the boiler is ten degrees below setpoint.

I timed it and the boiler sensor hit 180 the fan dropped to low for 5 minutes during which time the boiler sensor dropped to 175 and the fan is back on high again.


So, I must not be moving enough gpm with the 15-58 on high and 1-1/2" copper pipe. I need to look at everything again to determine gpm.

I talked to Dale at econoburn and he said that with good wood during the peak burn the 200 will hit 215,000 btu.


gg

cheapsx said:

How does the 120 gallon expansion tank work for you. I have a 50 gallon I plan on using for my 500 gallon storage. Just curious I am not sure that I will have enough with my 50 LP tank and two #60 extrols.

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I am not sure yet but with the top of the tank at 176 and the bottom 165 it is running at 18 psi. I put in about 12 inches of water to start and it has come up 10 inches. The initial fill was with 62 degree water and 12 psi of air.

gg

cheapsx said:

That sounds pretty good, I'm sold on using my free 50 gallon LP tank. Do you use the built in level indicator or did you build a sight tube on the side?

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It is standing upright on legs. We put in 1" weldotets on the very bottom and near the top on the side. Used Wirsbo 3/4" hepex for sight tube. I put in a black Thill balsa ice fishing bobber for a float.

Also put a 1/2" weldolet on the very top for air chuck.

gg