Post by copperkid3 on Feb 23, 2016 2:14:31 GMT
I have a home-made super sized outside wood boiler that is mainly based on the pattern of the commercial unit that it replaced.
The installer who helped me with the original unit, put in a 2.2 gallon diaphram expansion tank that connects directly below the air
scoop. The first tank lasted about 8 years and then developed a leak; first in the the diaphram and eventually then through the side
wall of the metal portion of the tank. I located a replacement the same size on eBay and replaced it myself, but for some unknown
reason, it only lasted about 2.5 yrs this time before doing the same thing as the first one did. Again, I found another on eBay and
purchased it late last week, but it will probably arrive sometime towards the end of the week. We had some delightfully warm days
over the weekend, but the forecast shows temperatures dropping back into the low 30's and inside the house yesterday started dropping
while waiting for this part, to around 58; a bit too cool for me. I know that the tank is "supposed" to be an essential part of the boiler
system, but I decided to try and see if I could do without it for a few days and see if it would still work, by placing a 1/2" standard threaded
plug into the bottom of the air scoop, to keep the water flowing in the right direction. Imagine my surprise, when the temperature started
climbing by nearly 5 degrees in less than 3 hours....something that normally takes about an hour/degree to get moving. In the next 5 hours,
it went up another 5 degrees and although I do like it around 72 normally, the 68 was much better than what I had been having to put up with.
Since this works so well without the tank, I'm wondering what the ramifications would be to leave it off, or better yet, explain to me, the general
concept of why it is working so well and what might be the downside? I do plan on replacing the plug with the tank when it arrives, but I'm left
wondering.....
The installer who helped me with the original unit, put in a 2.2 gallon diaphram expansion tank that connects directly below the air
scoop. The first tank lasted about 8 years and then developed a leak; first in the the diaphram and eventually then through the side
wall of the metal portion of the tank. I located a replacement the same size on eBay and replaced it myself, but for some unknown
reason, it only lasted about 2.5 yrs this time before doing the same thing as the first one did. Again, I found another on eBay and
purchased it late last week, but it will probably arrive sometime towards the end of the week. We had some delightfully warm days
over the weekend, but the forecast shows temperatures dropping back into the low 30's and inside the house yesterday started dropping
while waiting for this part, to around 58; a bit too cool for me. I know that the tank is "supposed" to be an essential part of the boiler
system, but I decided to try and see if I could do without it for a few days and see if it would still work, by placing a 1/2" standard threaded
plug into the bottom of the air scoop, to keep the water flowing in the right direction. Imagine my surprise, when the temperature started
climbing by nearly 5 degrees in less than 3 hours....something that normally takes about an hour/degree to get moving. In the next 5 hours,
it went up another 5 degrees and although I do like it around 72 normally, the 68 was much better than what I had been having to put up with.
Since this works so well without the tank, I'm wondering what the ramifications would be to leave it off, or better yet, explain to me, the general
concept of why it is working so well and what might be the downside? I do plan on replacing the plug with the tank when it arrives, but I'm left
wondering.....