Propane tank piping

[waterflea]

I've searched this site for this answer but haven't found anything definitive. I am installing a 500 gal
propane tank vertically in one location and two 500 gal tanks horizontally in my basement. One on the floor
and the other just above it. Given these two different locations how should I prepare these tanks for the
supply and return lines from both the boiler and the heat system?

 

[waterflea]

I'm confused why I didn't get anyone to answer my question. It seems like their are many on this site
who have connected propane tanks to their systems. Perhaps I didn't word the question right. I'm wondering
what the best way is to connect these tanks to my system. From the top with a down tube; new holes created
somewhere on the tank; if so, where? Piping with holes drilled in it, pointing up? pointing down?
Does it even matter....maybe anything will work!

 

[leaddog]

I'd say that it makes a difference on where the boiler is located compared to the tanks and which tanks recieve the btu's first. also which tanks will be nearest the output. Most people have there tanks horizonal OR vertical and all in one location. give some more info and maybe we can help.
leaddog

 

[waterflea]

I have been lurking and gleaning for quite some time and it's time to introduce my basic system and
start fine tuning the overall project. I heat my house and apartment with an oil fired boiler, my barn/office
with an oil fired hot air furnace and my shop with a propane boiler. The house and apartment are attached
to the barn and the shop is about 85' away. I'm going to try and post a drawing but who knows if it will work.
The plan is to put an EKO 60 in the barn and feed a 500 gal propane tank in the shop and two 500 gal propane
tanks in the house. The shop tank will be vertical and the house tanks will be horizontal with one over the other.
I'm also planning to put 2 evacuation tube panels on the barn roof to feed the DHW system in the house. Some
of the project has been started. I have the insulated pipe buried to the shop and I have the three propane tanks
in my yard, empty, ready to be cleaned and prepared for installation. Which I guess is my first question. How
should I prepare these tanks to accept the supply/return (s/r) lines from the boiler, the s/r lines to the system
and in the case of the two in the house, connected together?
Also, thinking down the road, how is the piping/pumping done from the boiler to the shop in in one direction,
the house in another direction and let's not forget the HX to the barn furnace?
Many more questions to follow.
Thanks in advance.

I am trying to attach a drawing of my system but it's too big. Does anyone know how to make a scanned
drawing small enough to attach?

 

[machinistbcb]

I would think that it would be a lot easier and efficent to keep the 3 tanks togather if at all possible. The sticky note at the top of the forum has a good piping and control diagram to get you started.

 

[DenaliChuck]

flea

Check out the sticky at the top of the forum for photo shrinking suggestions https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewannounce/27_21/

I use Picasa (a free download from, who else, Google of course).

I can understand why you'd want to have tanks located away from each other but right near the space you'd be heating. For the two horizontal tanks next to each other, I suggest plumbing them in series (search "propane tanks series" for plumbing advice). Basically the top tank would have a pipe out the top on the right and out the bottom on the left and the opposite for the bottom tank. Basically, you aim to make the water take the longest course possible as it makes its way through both tanks. This will allow the best stratification and will allow extraction of the most heat from the tank. With the vertical tank, look at my post https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewreply/237828/ for what I was planning on doing.

Both tanks (the 500 and the pair of 500's) could be considered separate heat loads and controlled individually.

 

[Nofossil]

If the tanks are in different locations they have to be considered as separate heat loads AND separate heat sources. They want to be charged with top-to-bottom flow, and discharged with bottom-to-top flow. There are several ways to accomplish this, but whatever approach you choose you'll have to do it twice. I might suggest either a primary/secondary approach (there's a sticky at the top of the forum) or a circ/zone valve approach along the lines of what I'm using - see below. Assume that storage connections are to the tank itself in your case rather than an internal heat exchanger. Ignore the solar and DHW coils.

 

[waterflea]

The boiler room is situated about halfway between the house and the shop. Two different heating systems, requireing two
separate storage systems. I'm attempting to send a drawing .

 

[Nofossil]

Interesting application. Could you get a slightly higher resolution image (around 800x600 or 1024x768)?

Thanks....

 

[waterflea]

I'll try. Just learning how to do all this.

 

[waterflea]

Let's try this to see if it is any easier to see.

 

[waterflea]

That seems better to me. At least I can read it now.
I changed the tank piping to look more like it should be.
The vertical tank seems easier to do and I like the idea of the 2" pipe with holes drilled on
one side. The horizontal tanks I haven't quite got my mind wrapped around them yet. Do
I just enter the tank from an opening in the bottom and top? I need to pipe the two tanks together
with what size pipe?
I know this drawing is lacking alot of details but right now I'm just trying to get the basics down.
Thanks for your input.