Help design my storage tank.

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.

cheapsx

Member
Hearth Supporter
Apr 29, 2010
54
adirondacks
I have a 500 gallon LP that will be a storage tank. So what do I really need to add to this? Do I need a hot in and cold out for the wood boiler as well as one each for the load side or can they share on the cold (bottom) side? Also how many wells for the thermometers in the tank, one on bottom and one on top or are more needed? I am just looking for tips on the easiest way to do this but I don't really want to many extras or unnecessary ports or fittings on this tank. I plan on going with the spray on foam for insulation, how many inches are needed? Thanks for any tips.
 
Can you stand this tank upright? It will stratify better this way & won't tend to mix as much with the pumped flow. You can look at the tanks on www.kotly.com & you can see the placement of the fittings. These are vertcal tanks though, Randy
 
The boiler room has been quite of late of other people newly embarking on wonderfully crazed DIY storage projects-- glad to see some of them moving forward again :)
 
What size boiler are you connecting? I like at least 1-1/4" ports for the boiler connection. 1-1/2 for over 180,000 input. Top and bottom at opposite ends. If you stand it upright, that domed top makes a great air elimination spot. Put a 3/4" port or nipple at the top of the dome for a high capacity air vent.

Always a drain port at the lowest possible point, use a 3/4" for a full port ball valve drain cock. I like an assortment of 1/2" FIP connections for temperature wells that use probe type sensors.

Extra ports for solar input are nice, one low as possible, one at the top.

hr
 
The boiler is an old energy tech. I don't know BTU's but I think it's the larger of the two models. The tank can't stand vertical in my situation. I see what you are saying with the ports, I thought possibly the cold on the bottom could share a hole but I can see having more options as desireable. If I go with spray foam how many inch thickness is necessary, I don't want to go overboard with that either. It will become a problem to get it inside. Also do you need a diffuser of sorts where the hot boiler water goes in? Does anyone know off hand what size expansion tank I am looking at for this thing?
 
What I did on my tank in order to save money(they charge $75.00 per Weldelet) was to tap into the tank with 1/8" pipe tap & run a long 1/8" nipple out. Because my probe thermometers are 1/2" pipe thread I used a bell reducer 1/2 to 1/8" & the 12" stems of the thermometers(3 of them) are well into the water. The stems fit into 1/8" pipe fine & I have about 5 threads in the tank. This works well, Randy
 
[quote author="cheapsx" date="1273800977"]The boiler is an old energy tech. I don't know BTU's but I think it's the larger of the two models. The tank can't stand vertical in my situation. I see what you are saying with the ports, I thought possibly the cold on the bottom could share a hole but I can see having more options as desireable. If I go with spray foam how many inch thickness is necessary, I don't want to go overboard with that either. It will become a problem to get it inside. Also do you need a diffuser of sorts where the hot boiler water goes in? Does anyone know off hand what size expansion tank I am looking at for this thing?[/quote


Yes you can share ports, for instance the return to the boiler off the bottom and the return from the distribution at that fitting, same on the top.

Here is some expansion tank sizing info www.amtrol.com/pdf/extrolbrochure.pdf

hr
 
[quote author="in hot water" date="1273816612"][quote author="cheapsx" date="1273800977"]The boiler is an old energy tech. I don't know BTU's but I think it's the larger of the two models. The tank can't stand vertical in my situation. I see what you are saying with the ports, I thought possibly the cold on the bottom could share a hole but I can see having more options as desireable. If I go with spray foam how many inch thickness is necessary, I don't want to go overboard with that either. It will become a problem to get it inside. Also do you need a diffuser of sorts where the hot boiler water goes in? Does anyone know off hand what size expansion tank I am looking at for this thing?[/quote


Yes you can share ports, for instance the return to the boiler off the bottom and the return from the distribution at that fitting, same on the top.

Here is some expansion tank sizing info www.amtrol.com/pdf/extrolbrochure.pdf


Sorry I tried to delete my post

Huff
 
Status
Not open for further replies.