500 gallon storage

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chuck172

Minister of Fire
Apr 24, 2008
1,045
Sussex County, NJ
Is anyone here content with having only 500 gallons of storage?
Min. recommended is 800 for the TarmSolo40. I wasn't going to install any storage this year, but I'm weakening. I'm thinking of 1- 500 gallon pressurized propane tank for storage. If I stack I can fit in another next year.
 
I'm in the same boat at the moment, chuck. We're going with an EKO-40 and I wanted to put in a 1000 gallon tank but can't find one. I did manage to find two 500 gallon tanks but am a little leery of stacking them because I don't have the means to build the supports. At the moment I'm leaning towards one 500 gallon tank until I figure out what I'm going to do.
 
A full 500 gallon propane tank of water will weight 5,250 lbs.
 
twofer said:
I'm in the same boat at the moment, chuck. We're going with an EKO-40 and I wanted to put in a 1000 gallon tank but can't find one. I did manage to find two 500 gallon tanks but am a little leery of stacking them because I don't have the means to build the supports. At the moment I'm leaning towards one 500 gallon tank until I figure out what I'm going to do.
I'm going to put my tanks on end. If you can find a couple of semi rims you can weld them to the ends for stands and then just strap them to the wall for safety. If you don't feel comfortable welding them take them to a welder and they sould do it for a small fee. It does get tall though, about 11 ft.
leaddog
 
twofer said:
I'm in the same boat at the moment, chuck. We're going with an EKO-40 and I wanted to put in a 1000 gallon tank but can't find one. I did manage to find two 500 gallon tanks but am a little leery of stacking them because I don't have the means to build the supports. At the moment I'm leaning towards one 500 gallon tank until I figure out what I'm going to do.
i have two 500 gallon tanks and hooked them up side by side with equal sized lines to each tank and have good results. i installed temp gauges to my inlets and outlets and all my temps were within 1 to 2 degrees. i made sure all my connections and pipe lenghts were all equal.i couldnt fit a 1000 gallon tank in my basement and didint want to stack two tanks in my basement. im not saying that its the best way to go but havent seen any reason to not do it this way.
 
Has anyone found using only one 500 gallon pressurized storage tank acceptable or totally inadequate? I know 800+ gallons is recommended by tarm. I did read a topic on this site about is less storage better than no storage, but I can't seem to find it.
 
I think it depends on your heat load and whether you want the tank to serve primarily as a buffer or storage. If your heat load takes a large percentage of your boiler output, then maybe all you need is buffer tank to absorb the excess. If your have considerable excess boiler output, then storage would be a more efficient route and 500 gallons clearly is not "enough" in my experience for a Tarm Solo Plus 40. By "enough" I mean able to absorb the output of one full burn with minimal to no idling. Storage also has the advantage of providing heat and longer times between boiler firings, as well as more efficient boiler firings.
 
I agree with Jim. I think you can over do the storage concept. It all comes down to sizing of the components. How closely does the boiler output match the load of the building? If at design conditions the boiler matches or is close to the geat load there will be no need to store.

Also how often are you at design conditions where you live? If it gets cold and stays cold it is easier to have the fire match the load.

How many zones do you have and how often do you "micro-load" your system?

If you prefer to run the system hard and store energy for overnight, or possibly a day or so, buffer capacity can be useful. You need enough horsepower to both meet the load and have some power left to "load' the buffer.

Remember mother nature will take all that stored energy back, eventually. Even with 4" of foam, fairly tightly installed, I still lose heat from my tank to the room. Enough in fact that it will often heat the space without running the floor radiant.

I think there is an ideal storage capacity for every system. It's a moving target, of course :) Ideally it is designed to your needs, wants, and desires. Also space, logistics and budget comes into play.

Really the best way and place to store your energy is in the un-burned chunk of wood. Once you combust it and turn it from chemical to thermal energy, it is easier to lose track of, and transfer and standby losses start chiseling away at your "stash"

Just like solar thermal, use it or lose it.

hr
 
This winter will be a real learning experience. I can't wait to try out the boiler. The way I am I'll probably set up a sleeping bag in the basement for the first few nights.
 
This will be a no-loose situation. If one 500 tank doesn't cut it, I can add another.
 
In the same boat as you Chuck172... Will start with 500 gal propane, then stack another next year only if needed. BTY...does the" 172 " have to do with a Cessna?
 
No,- 172 has nothing to do with a Cessna, The #172 and me go back a long time.
 
OK, now I have the same dilemma about "how much is enough" storage. I know that the general rule is "more is better" I have a rather big farmhouse in VT, and an Econoburn 150 arriving in the coming month +/-. My goal has been to have a really, really big storage so that I can store a lot of heat, run periodic "full bore" burns, and use the storage as a flywheel. But I'm running up against the constraint that my cellar is accessible only by a 4 foot by 5.5 foot bulkhead hatch. I "might," with a lot of planing and effort, be able to get one or two 500 gallon propane tanks down the hatch. Or, I just found a source for a rectangular 550 gallon stainless milk tank that should definitely fit down the hatch-- and the price is appealingly reasonable- at least compared to other options I've found so far, all of which are turning out to be insanely expensive or otherwise unattainable or

If I go with the 550 gallon stainless un-pressurized storage with plate-type heat exchangers, will I be shooting myself in the foot, in terms of long-run cost and overall heating efficiency-- compared to "holding out" for some solution in the 1000 gallon +/- range?
 
They are extremely expensive but have you checked out the collapsible storage tanks from STSS?
 
Thanks Chuck- yes, I looked at the STSS units when I went in person to Tarm USA, which isn't too far from me. My reaction to the STSS is that if you have the need for an off the shelf product that can create a lot of storage and fit through a small opening, it's a good product. BUT, as you say, they cost a fortune, and as soon as I think of that kind of outlay, I get thinking that there must be some way to do it as well or better for less $$. Even their biggest tanks are still only 800 gallons or so, and the coils must add up to some displacement that subtracts from that.
 
pybyr said:
Thanks Chuck- yes, I looked at the STSS units when I went in person to Tarm USA, which isn't too far from me. My reaction to the STSS is that if you have the need for an off the shelf product that can create a lot of storage and fit through a small opening, it's a good product. BUT, as you say, they cost a fortune, and as soon as I think of that kind of outlay, I get thinking that there must be some way to do it as well or better for less $$. Even their biggest tanks are still only 800 gallons or so, and the coils must add up to some displacement that subtracts from that.

STSS makes a whole range of tank sizes into the thousands of gallons. I priced out an 1150 gal or so model with multiple heat exchangers at about $6500. Ouch!
 
pybyr- Seems like your a prime candidate to buy some plate steel, a mig welding machine, and build the thing in place.
Probably save yourself a ton of money. Just think then when you show off your heating system everybody will wonder how the hell you got that tank down there.
 
NO! have you priced plate steel lately? Not to mention the cost of a MIG welder. Build a tank like STSS using lumberyard materials and EPDM liner for around $800 and save a lot of money (close to 1000 gal. storage). The heat exchanger will be a big expense. Bulk hot water storage is a cinch.
 
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