Is some storage better than none?

[strmh]

Seriously considering taking the plunge with a gassifier......leaning toward EKO 60 to heat home and shop.

I don't think I'm going to have the room to get 1000 gal worth of storage.

Three questions:

A 500 gal tank is probably not optimal, but is it better than nothing?

Would installing a tank that's too small be counterproductive?

I'd like to set the tank in the ground under the boiler...........for those who have underground tanks, are they just buried in the ground, or are they set into something with walls and a floor?

Thanks, I appreciate any info...

TH

 

[webbie]

500 Gallons is not really small....so I surely don't see it as counterproductive. Someone else can do the math as to the storage potential for a difference in temp, but this somewhat depends on your radiation system. If, for instance, you can draw down storage from 190 (top) to 140 (low) that means you can get 50 degrees out of it.

500 gallons weighs about 4200 lbs. so each degree you raise or lower that represents 4200 BTU.....which means your storage will be well over 200,000 BTU (plus the boiler itself and water in it), which represents a very decent amount. Adding to that some continuous circulation increases the buffer even more.

 

[strmh]

Thanks for the quick reply......I think I've found a 500 gal tank. Placement is my next concern.

Any help with the below ground storage would be great.......

 

[Nofossil]

With a smaller tank and a large heat load (I'm assuming a large heat load because of the size of the boiler) you might consider a radiant zone if possible. If not, consider adding baseboard so that you can use the tank to a lower temperature.

I've not done a buried tank, but I'd think the biggest challenge would be getting enough insulation. With the tank below the boiler, make sure that you have check valves to prevent thermosiphoning when the boiler is not operating.

 

[Toast]

Question Can I use the old oil tanks as water storage, that would give me 500 gallons right there..

 

[Chris S]

Oil tanks are not pressure vessels. Generally they are placcarded not to exceed 5 psi. this is for air testing if required. I had to do this once on a new installation.
Also saw one blown apart once with a resulting oil spill. Undersized vent pipe, spider web forced by air into the vent cap & the tank blew a big hole in one of the seams
( the dazed & confused delivery driver might have added to the problem)

 

[strmh]

Thanks Nofossil.....

I'm going to have about 1800 sqft of radiant......this would be in my shop.

Still learning here, but can I consider that as benificial additional storage??

 

[Toast]

Is water storage usually a pressure vessel? If you look at the tank on NoFossil's site that looks like a large galvanized watering tank for animals. I didn’t even see a lid? Granted the old oil tanks just that old...

 

[Toast]

Any ideas on what to do with old oil tanks?

 

[Nofossil]

Radiant slab does provide a little bit more thermal mass, so it does act as storage. Can't get much usable temperature range out of it, though. The beauty of radiant slab is that you can get usable heat out of your storage all the way down to 90 degrees or even less. That dramatically increases the effective size of your storage.

I don't know of any decent use for old oil tanks. Maybe storing veggie oil for your future grease-burner (diesel converted to use straight veggie oil).

 

[Toast]

I may sell one for scrap the other I suppose I will keep. The do take up space and they are not helping me now. My current storage solution is an electric hot water heater. it has the advantage of getting hot on its own as a backup.. for better or for worse...I don’t have a true boiler, I am using a forced air furnace that has water tubes in the firebox. However, the water heater may be too small.

 

[strmh]

OK, Thanks.....

I think I'll continue my search for a 1000 gal tank since I still have a little time before I'll be ready for an install. But at least now I know that 500 gal is better than nothing.

I appreciate the input......

 

[jebatty]

Any ideas on what to do with old oil tanks?

I had 3, put them out on the road with a sign saying $35 each, and within a week they all were stolen. If I would have put "free" on them, they still would have been sitting there. Cheaper and saved a lot of time rather than hauling them 30 miles to get rid of them. And they were junk.

 

[jebatty]

Any help with the below ground storage would be great.

No wealth of knowledge on this, but LP tanks sold for underground are different from above ground tanks. I suspect that it has to do with galvanic action, so if you have any ground contact with the tank, be sure to check this out.