I have (in my collection of "important heating stuff that looks suspiciously like junque") a bulk milk tank, stripped of top and innards - rectangular, supposedly 800 gallons but measuring out to be more like 650 or 700.
It also appears suspiciously more like it's insulated with rockwool or fiberglass than foam, examining some of its less wonderful sections and skin penetrations. I had been told foam, as I recall, which would have meant the skins were effectively stuck together - but that seems less likely now. I don't know if there would be other issues with separating the skins until I try it or hear from someone else who has, though.
I have several options here - use it as a maple sap tank and ignore it for heating; get creative with using it as both a sap tank and a heat storage tank - It would mean needing a second heat storage tank that was just that for sap season, but I'd have extra storage the rest of the year (intending DHW as well as radiant in-floor, so the infrequent summer fires and/or storing solar is a good use of the sap tank 10 months a year, so long as it's just clean water in there); and since I'll need to add more insulation to it anyway, I'm considering cutting the inside away from the outside and roughly doubling my storage capacity from the same tank, while still having my liquid interface be straight stainless steel - give them both nice foam (or rockwool and then foam, if it helps with "near boiling" excursions) cocoons, and there's my extra tank.
Anyone been there, done that, have the scars and care to share? It will be useful enough as it is, after minor cleanup and repairs such as patching holes where the cooling unit was connected. Just pondering making it more useful, since it needs another foot or so of insulation all around anyway.
It also appears suspiciously more like it's insulated with rockwool or fiberglass than foam, examining some of its less wonderful sections and skin penetrations. I had been told foam, as I recall, which would have meant the skins were effectively stuck together - but that seems less likely now. I don't know if there would be other issues with separating the skins until I try it or hear from someone else who has, though.
I have several options here - use it as a maple sap tank and ignore it for heating; get creative with using it as both a sap tank and a heat storage tank - It would mean needing a second heat storage tank that was just that for sap season, but I'd have extra storage the rest of the year (intending DHW as well as radiant in-floor, so the infrequent summer fires and/or storing solar is a good use of the sap tank 10 months a year, so long as it's just clean water in there); and since I'll need to add more insulation to it anyway, I'm considering cutting the inside away from the outside and roughly doubling my storage capacity from the same tank, while still having my liquid interface be straight stainless steel - give them both nice foam (or rockwool and then foam, if it helps with "near boiling" excursions) cocoons, and there's my extra tank.
Anyone been there, done that, have the scars and care to share? It will be useful enough as it is, after minor cleanup and repairs such as patching holes where the cooling unit was connected. Just pondering making it more useful, since it needs another foot or so of insulation all around anyway.
