My masonry stove heating hot water to 500 gal tank under basement slab -- pics

[mbryner]

I like the periodic bleach dosing idea best.  Whew, that chlorine pellet dispenser is spendy.   Going to have to come up w/ something cheaper.   Even just dumping some bleach out of a jug into the tank every-so-often.

[vdubnut62]

I like the periodic bleach dosing idea best.  Whew, that chlorine pellet dispenser is spendy.   Going to have to come up w/ something cheaper.   Even just dumping some bleach out of a jug into the tank every-so-often.

It comes to mind that automatic feeders are available for fish food, such as for feeding during vacations and the like, also used  to attract various wildlife. Possibly something like that could be adapted? I'm sure the chlorine tablets are quite corrosive. Possibly even a toilet dispenser?
I'm just throwing ideas at the wall here to see if they stick.
Ron

[EBI-WPO]

An alternative to bleach, as it's shelf life is really quite short, is Sodium dichloro-s-triazinetrione dihydrate. This is commonly reffered to as Di-Chlor, and is used in spas. It is also used by survivalists for water treatment. A teaspoon of it is dumped into a 55 gallon barrel of water. A Spa "free chlorine" stick tests after 24 hrs. If no "free chlorine" is detected, the process is repeated until there is. Then the water is "safe". Anyway should work cheaply for your purpose.

Terry

[sailawayrb]

I attached the Stenner pump control module instructions which describe how one might estimate the appropriate solution strength and dosage requirement for sodium hypochlorite (bleach), potassium permanganate, hydrogen peroxide and polyphosphate.  I think free chlorine testing for several months would be prudent to calibrate and confirm the dosage.  Yeah, one could just manually accomplish this, but we all know how that goes...  It goes fine until one gets distracted with other things and then you discover you have a tank that needs complete cleaning.  Besides, DIY designing/building this setup would be a fun project.

Bob B.

[hal]

Marcus,

Nice job...    As a newbie to this site I have a few comments.

I have built a combination solar and wood boiler storage tank.   I used a 1500 gallon septic tank and placed it underground near my garage.   It has been in operation for 12 years.   

What I use to treat the water is spa  Softswim chemicals.   Non chlorine.   I think that you will find out that chlorine will eat everything over time..

I am sorry to say that I did the very same thing you did with foam and sealing the tank with future poor results.   I used a Laticrete product.   Two years into flawless operations,  I started to lose my water level.    Hundred of gallons.   The concrete tank developed a very small crack near the bottom of the tank.   To fix the problem I ended up cutting the upper tank seal and removing the tank lid.   I pulled out all my coils and bought a roofing EPD membrane/liner.   

10 years later,  it is still in service.   I have even installed a coil to pre-heat a large fiberglass swim spa.   It's nice to swim in May with warm water from solar in the Pacific NW..

Goodluck!

[mbryner]

Welcome Hal !

Nice to find someone who has done something similar.   I thought about using EPDM first, but the thought of trying to fold pond liner in the tank was a great deterrent.    Softswim sounds like a great idea, especially from someone who has 12 years of experience.

So, I have lots of questions for you, if you want to oblige the forum.    More data is always better, especially in an endeavour w/ relatively little real life data:

What kind of temps do you get in the tank?
How many solar panels?  Size?  etc.
What did you use for insulation?   Outside or inside the tank?   
How much insulation?
What kind of wood-fired water heater do you have?  You must be making a lot of hot water to preheat a spa, too.   

I sure hope we don't run into the leak problems you had.   I didn't use a cementous sealer; I used 2 coats of elastomeric shower pan liner, then 2 coats of liquid silicone. 

When it was freezing outside all the time 2 weeks ago, we made a lot of fires and that brought the tank close to 120 deg, but now it's been warmer (40-50's) and w/ less fires it's about 100-105 deg currently.

There are quite a few of us in the NW here.   Anyway, hope you enjoy this forum!

Marcus

[hal]

Thanks,  I'm glad to be here>  I have lurked for awhile.   I just picked up a small Kubota EB300.   I have two Trace 4024's..  A couple Delco 50DN's,  Leece Neville 24V 200amp alternators for a project.

I lined the outside>sides and lid.   And all the inside planes.. 2 inch pink foam.  I even let the foam float on the water..

My panel is 38' x 12'   EPDM twin tubing into copper manifolds.  From memory I think that I have 3600' of twin tubing in the panel.   The tubing has never burst from a early freeze.   

I have hit 200 degrees!   End of May I have alot of hot water...

The wood boiler was made in Canada, ceramic kiln, top loaded with a  rear heat exchanger.    I think it is rated at 250,000 BTU.    I actually pulled it out and moved it into my shed.   The thing ATE firewood like no tomorrow.    It worked well, but I just couldn't see myself spending that much time cutting wood.   It was great when we had the wood from clearing our property.

Folding the liner really wasn't that bad.   Pre-folded the liner.   I was sick when I started losing all my hot water.    Digging up the dirt, and then getting the lid off..   That took the time..    I admire you for using stainless.   I just bought rolls of 1" copper.   It's worked for 12 years..   

[DRDEATH]

I have not had a wood fireplace for years. The last one I had needed a fair share of air going up the flu to keep the smoke out. BUT I have to say it really didn't matter that much because there was nothing more romantic than to be with your girlfriend in front of a nice fire and a hot spark jumps out landing on your girlfriends bare A**. I am here to tell you that put the fire out somewhere else. The moral is to use wood other than osage orange " hedge". LOL DD

[mbryner]

 
Now that's hilarious!


hal, I only have stainless in the oven, it's all 3/8" copper tubing in the tank.