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strider3700
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Joined: Apr 17, 2005
Posts: 2750
Location: Vancouver Island
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 Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2007 10:25 pm Post subject: any plumbers here know about taking apart hotwater tanks? |
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I'm specifically interested in the drain valve and pressure value in the top. Can they be unscrewed and replaced with a piece of pipe that screws in or are they soldered in? I'm thinking about adding a heat exchanger to the tank and would like to use a small pump to move the water from the drain through the exchanger to the pressure valve. I just can't see how those attach.
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frankthetank
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Joined: Sep 16, 2004
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Location: Southwest WI
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| Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2007 11:35 pm Post subject: Re: any plumbers here know about taking apart hotwater tanks |
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Is it empty?
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strider3700
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Joined: Apr 17, 2005
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Location: Vancouver Island
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| Posted: Sat Nov 03, 2007 12:39 am Post subject: Re: any plumbers here know about taking apart hotwater tanks |
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Not right now hence why I haven't tried just giving it a twist. It will be before I go to do anything of course.
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pup55
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Joined: May 26, 2004
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| Posted: Sat Nov 03, 2007 1:47 am Post subject: Re: any plumbers here know about taking apart hotwater tanks |
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I only got one merit badge in the boy scouts, and it was in plumbing.
Those pipes are probably "sweated" to the tank with solder.
You probably have to use a propane torch to get them out, and again to replace them. This depends on how ancient your water heater is.
I like the idea of circulating this water through some free/cheap heating system, like our hero kpeavy has done down in Florida. Better make sure the temperature of the heating system is greater than the temperature you have your hot water heater set at, or you will be running the system in reverse, using the hot water heater to heat up the system. |
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Tanada
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Joined: Apr 28, 2005
Posts: 3871
Location: West shore Lake Eire, MI, USA
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| Posted: Sat Nov 03, 2007 3:40 am Post subject: Re: any plumbers here know about taking apart hotwater tanks |
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| strider3700 wrote: | | I'm specifically interested in the drain valve and pressure value in the top. Can they be unscrewed and replaced with a piece of pipe that screws in or are they soldered in? I'm thinking about adding a heat exchanger to the tank and would like to use a small pump to move the water from the drain through the exchanger to the pressure valve. I just can't see how those attach. |
Why do you want to remove them?
Yes they are both regular valves just screwed in tight on most tanks, my pre-heater warming tank is an old water heater tank I salvaged. I replaced the drain valve with a stardard hose pipe valve because I did not like the plastic assembly the factory used on that particular tank, and I replaced the presure releif valve with the a plug. Both screwed out with a pipe wrench and a little elbow grease.
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Hawkcreek
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| Posted: Sat Nov 03, 2007 8:36 am Post subject: Re: any plumbers here know about taking apart hotwater tanks |
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Last edited by Hawkcreek on Sun Nov 04, 2007 8:24 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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strider3700
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Joined: Apr 17, 2005
Posts: 2750
Location: Vancouver Island
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| Posted: Sat Nov 03, 2007 1:11 pm Post subject: Re: any plumbers here know about taking apart hotwater tanks |
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The tank is only 6 months old or so. The fittings are brass.
My idea is to remove the drain and pressure relief valve. In both places put a short piece of pipe and a 90 then run a piece of pipe 8" or so over towards the corner in my bathroom. Then place T's in the line and replace the pressure relief valve and drain on one end of the T's.
Continue the lines over and 90 up/down into a pump and heat exchanger.
I'm aware that controls will be needed for activating the pump at appropriate times.
The reason I'm not doing a second tank is simply a lack of space.
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Tanada
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Joined: Apr 28, 2005
Posts: 3871
Location: West shore Lake Eire, MI, USA
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| Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2007 6:23 am Post subject: Re: any plumbers here know about taking apart hotwater tanks |
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| strider3700 wrote: | The tank is only 6 months old or so. The fittings are brass.
My idea is to remove the drain and pressure relief valve. In both places put a short piece of pipe and a 90 then run a piece of pipe 8" or so over towards the corner in my bathroom. Then place T's in the line and replace the pressure relief valve and drain on one end of the T's.
Continue the lines over and 90 up/down into a pump and heat exchanger.
I'm aware that controls will be needed for activating the pump at appropriate times.
The reason I'm not doing a second tank is simply a lack of space. |
It sounds like you want to add a solar water heater to your system from the desription, if so I would suggest you either A) run a parallel system from the cold water with a thermocoupled switch valve so that if the solar is not sufficient it switches to the other tank, or B) you install the solar loop from the cold source and connect the output to the hot water tank intake. The latter allows you to use up the water in the tank first and draws the solar heated water into the tank as you do so, which keeps the heater in the tank from switching on, which accomplishes the goal of free hot water in a round about way. If you are in a climate where it goes below freezing for any portion of the year a direct use solar water heater is tricky, you don't want the pipes freezing. Several companies will install a solar water heater that uses indirect heat exchangers. In those systems a antifreeze solution travles a loop to the solar panal and goes through a heat exchanger where it dumps heat in your water supply, but all I have seen require active pumps for those systems because you are not just drawing water through the system.
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strider3700
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Joined: Apr 17, 2005
Posts: 2750
Location: Vancouver Island
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| Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2007 12:03 pm Post subject: Re: any plumbers here know about taking apart hotwater tanks |
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Yes I'm wanting to do solar water heating. Possibly add a loop to my woodstove for winter heating as well.
The heat exchanger will be a double walled indirect system with antifreeze pumped in from the outsolar collector if it's temperature is higher then the water in the the hotwater tank.
The complete system will have two pumps. One to circulate the water from the tank through the exchanger and one to circulate the glycol through the collectors and the exchanger.
I'll also need at least two temperature sensors and a controller.
I have 45 watts worth of solar panel that currently doesn't do much. Since I'll need sun to heat the water I hope to use the panels to power the pumps and controller.
I'm currently in the figuring out how it all goes together stage.
I do have a small second hotwater tank which could be put into the system but it requires some replumbing of the existing house. I may consider it. No matter what I'll still be doing the glycol loop. We get little sun in winter and it's cold enough to freeze water at times.
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Tanada
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Joined: Apr 28, 2005
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Location: West shore Lake Eire, MI, USA
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| Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2007 2:40 pm Post subject: Re: any plumbers here know about taking apart hotwater tanks |
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| strider3700 wrote: | Yes I'm wanting to do solar water heating. Possibly add a loop to my woodstove for winter heating as well.
The heat exchanger will be a double walled indirect system with antifreeze pumped in from the outsolar collector if it's temperature is higher then the water in the the hotwater tank.
The complete system will have two pumps. One to circulate the water from the tank through the exchanger and one to circulate the glycol through the collectors and the exchanger.
I'll also need at least two temperature sensors and a controller.
I have 45 watts worth of solar panel that currently doesn't do much. Since I'll need sun to heat the water I hope to use the panels to power the pumps and controller.
I'm currently in the figuring out how it all goes together stage.
I do have a small second hotwater tank which could be put into the system but it requires some replumbing of the existing house. I may consider it. No matter what I'll still be doing the glycol loop. We get little sun in winter and it's cold enough to freeze water at times. |
IMO and its worth whatever you take from it you would be better off putting your T connectors on the existing intake and output connections of the existing tank than you would be putting them on the pressure releif and drain fittings. The tanks are designed to hold heat and have water flow through in that direction, in essence both the pressure releif fitting and the drain fitting are for dumping the tank, not circulating water.
Also make sure you put a one way pipe in between the solar hot water and the standard tank, otherwise you can end up with pressure from your regular system forcing its way against the solar system where they both connect to the house system. As long as both systems have one way valves feeding into the house you can't get hot water forced backwards through either system.
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Pops
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Joined: Apr 03, 2004
Posts: 6959
Location: My Grandkids' Farm
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| Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2007 3:36 pm Post subject: Re: any plumbers here know about taking apart hotwater tanks |
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| Tanada wrote: | | IMO and its worth whatever you take from it you would be better off putting your T connectors on the existing intake and output connections of the existing tank |
I’ll second that.
Leave the pop-off and its drain to outside air in place; pretty important.
Make the connection for the return loop close to the WH on the cold side.
Is there a way to thermosiphon water from the domestic tank instead of pumps?
The simpler the better I am thinking
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Hawkcreek
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Joined: Aug 15, 2004
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| Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2007 7:08 pm Post subject: Re: any plumbers here know about taking apart hotwater tanks |
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