Would you expect to pay more for the installation of a open or closed system? Either unit would be installed in a shed without storage at this point.
Mass Heat said:Would you expect to pay more for the installation of a open or closed system? Either unit would be installed in a shed without storage at this point.
kopeck said:I think there is some confusion here.
You can have a pressurized system with unpressurized storage. Tom's tanks use a exchanger coil that sits in an unpressurized tank. This is getting mixed in with "open system" where nothing is under pressure.
I think a lot of people lump the two together but they're really not the same. I like my setup (Tom's 820 gallon bank), it was easy to install and I didn't have to add a huge expansion tank. When you figure the cost of a decent size LP tank, then have someone weld it up so you can pipe it the way you want it and then insulate the whole thing and add expansion I just didn't see that there was that much savings there. That and I carried the whole tank to the place where it sits by hand.
A lot of guys here are very quick to suggest pressurized storage here but there are other options that not only work but are more flexible as well. Not saying pressurized is bad, it seems to work really well for a lot of folks.
K
EffectaBoilerUser (USA) said:I would agree that one has to evaluate their specific application to determine which system is best/most cost effective.
There are both pros and cons with a pressurized vs. non-pressurized system in the same way there are pros and cons with a boiler system located indoors vs. a boiler system located outdoors.
For my specific application, I had the following requirements and thus having a pressurized system indoors worked best:
1.) In addition to heating my house, DHW and Jacuzzi 365 hot tub I also wanted to heat my garage. However, I did not want to have to add dedicated heating devices (unit heater, baseboard etc.) or plumbing to do so. So, by having my effecta lambda 35 boiler with 1,000 gallons of propane tank storage in a lean to on the back of my garage I am able to keep my 28'x40' insulated garage at 60F when it is 10-20 F outside.
2.) I did not want to get bundled up/fully clothed when throwing wood in my boiler. By having it on the back of my garage I am able to put wood in the boiler while in my PJ's.
3.) I did not want to use a heat exchanger when hooking up my wood boiler system with my existing Burnham propane boiler. Once again, with a pressurized wood boiler I did not have to purchase or install a heat exchanger.
4.) I did not want to mess with water conditioner and monitoring of the boiler water on a regular basis. Once again, a pressurized boiler system met this requirement.
5.) I wanted to be able to make (1) ONE 5 hour per day to provide for 100% of my heat load and a pressurized boiler with 1,000 gallons of storage met this requirement.
So, as I said previously, the decission to go with a pressurized or non pressurized system depends mainly on the requirements one has in the beginning (usually these requirements are based on habbit, personal preference or performance related).
Hope this helps!
Brian
Do a little reading before you beleive anyone that flatly claims that either one "will cost more". Typcially pressurized storage tanks can be had for pennies on the dollar compared to non-pressurized tanks.
There are a couple companies I know of who do this.So, if you had a pressurized wood boiler hooked up with an oil boiler for backup, you could run a pressurized loop with a coil heat exchanger into an unpressurized tank? Is that done? Building an unpressurized tank in the basement has its appeal.
So, if you had a pressurized wood boiler hooked up with an oil boiler for backup, you could run a pressurized loop with a coil heat exchanger into an unpressurized tank? Is that done? Building an unpressurized tank in the basement has its appeal.
So, if you had a pressurized wood boiler hooked up with an oil boiler for backup, you could run a pressurized loop with a coil heat exchanger into an unpressurized tank? Is that done? Building an unpressurized tank in the basement has its appeal.
Propane tanks can also be used in a unpressurized system . Why would they cost only pennies when used in a pressurized and more when used non- pressurized?
Brian, I'll call you out on number 4. You're saying no attention has to be paid to water chemistry in a closed system?
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