It seems like there are quite a few of us who are interested in the Plate HX as opposed to the Copper Coils. Many, including me have put off storage because of its high cost. Thanks to all the experienced users whose brains we pick.
Need Storage Tank Ideas and Heat Coil Exchanger Input
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we use plate HX here at work all the time. I was going to run those in my tank but then i got to thinking the other day why could i not run a radiator from a truck down in the water set flat so the hot water would flow up through the radiator. These are even cheaper then a plate HX due to construction. You would not need a second pump for the radiator like you would with the HX
JrCRXHF
How would you estimate the capacity of a radiator to transfer heat? Or would you do trial and error to find out what size works? Are you going to use second hand rads?
I also wonder if you'd set up a very slow circulation by putting boiler supplied hot water into the bottom of the tank and having the stored water rise to the top once its heated. Having minimal (no) movement would help develop stratification and maximize the usefulness of the stored heat in the tank. As others here have said, having a tank at 90* is a lot less useful than having a tank at 60* at the bottom and 120* at the top.
I do like the idea of having one less pump to power.
DC
How would you estimate the capacity of a radiator to transfer heat? Or would you do trial and error to find out what size works? Are you going to use second hand rads?
I also wonder if you'd set up a very slow circulation by putting boiler supplied hot water into the bottom of the tank and having the stored water rise to the top once its heated. Having minimal (no) movement would help develop stratification and maximize the usefulness of the stored heat in the tank. As others here have said, having a tank at 90* is a lot less useful than having a tank at 60* at the bottom and 120* at the top.
I do like the idea of having one less pump to power.
DC
DenaliChuck said:
I know 2 different people that use astro van radiators in there forced air systems with OWB and heat the whole house. So i thought if i took a bigger truck radiator and put that in the water it should work. It was going to be a trial and error setup. I can not find BTU rates for truck radiators but i have not looked really hard either. But there is alot of surface area on a radiator so it should transfer the heat fine. If not i can always get a plate HX and a pump.
As far as the Stratification i was going to put the radiator sideways or the opposite of how it sits in the car about 1/2 way up the tank and let the warm water rise. then the output radiator to the house loop i was going to put towards the top of the tank on its output and the input of that radiator towards the bottom hoping that it will pick up the hottest water on its way out.
I am always open for ideas.
I don't know a lot of Chemistry, but people have mentioned here that having different metals in a tank of water can cause corrosion, so you might want to look into the types of metal that are exposed on the outside of the radiator.
well most are coated alum which i would not think would be a problem seeing they get salt and water on them all the time driving down the road. But it is then maybe i should look into copper radiator which will drive the cost up some.
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